Lorraine Brandon

There’s no better exercise for the heart than to reach down to lift people up.” This is the principle that guides Lorraine through her life. A 33 year veteran of the magazine publishing industry, Lorraine started her career at ELLE Magazine at an exciting time, when magazines were in their prime. As Editorial Business Manager of a fast-paced monthly, she worked on constant deadlines and closings amongst a team of highly creative people. She was in the unenviable pivotal post between upper management (always cutting costs) and editors requiring larger budgets for their stories. It taught her a great deal about strategizing, prioritizing, and negotiating. Super late nights at the office meant car service home practically every night; Lorraine knew that she had to shift gears to make way for her next accomplishment – her two children. After ELLE, Lorraine joined the ranks of Hearst Magazines, where she remained for 22 years in human resources in the position of HRIS Manager. She played an instrumental role in two major acquisitions during her tenure at Hearst – first with Hachette Filipacchi, then later with Rodale Press. Lorraine was the winner of the 2017 prestigious Hearst Spotlight Award for her contributions during the Rodale acquisition, in recognition of her strong work ethic and creative problem-solving skills. Human Resources proved to be a great fit. She was able to combine her knack for problem-solving and love of helping others to apply it to an immeasurable amount of employee dilemmas over the years. A Sag Harbor native and graduate of Pierson High School, Lorraine met her husband, a summer city boy way back when here in Sag Harbor. Lorraine's local roots run deep – her family is Montaukett Indian. She has a large extended family in the Sag Harbor area, who are direct descendants of Stephen Talkhouse Pharaoh, after whom the club in Amagansett is named. When not working, Lorraine loves to get together with friends, many of them from high school, who affectionately refer to her as their “tribal leader.” She says "If you are fortunate enough to have grown up here, your friends are your extended family." Lorraine loves meeting new people! When not selling real estate, she can be found designing her own line of beachwear, or watching Basketball Hardwood Classics on ESPN. A few fun facts about Lorraine: She taught herself how to: Drive a stick shift, a motorcycle, and a three wheel ATV. She loves to travel and would like to think that she would go just about anywhere. A member of The Eastville Historical Society, and of the Sag Harbor Whaling Museum, Lorraine contributes to: Toys for Tots, No Kid Hungry, The International Animal Rescue Fund.