2026 Speakers
Barton Sevear
Sustainable Seafood Advocate & Author
Barton Seaver is a globally recognized leader at the intersection of culinary innovation, sustainability, and public health. From his early days as an award-winning chef in Washington, DC, to his current work shaping the future of food systems, Barton has consistently reimagined the role of seafood on our plates and in our lives. As executive chef at acclaimed restaurants like Hook, he pioneered a new model for sustainable dining, featuring nearly 100 different seafood species in a single year. His efforts earned national acclaim, including being named Esquire’s Chef of the Year in 2009, and set a standard for how culinary excellence and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand. Stepping beyond the kitchen, Barton expanded his impact on a global scale. As a National Geographic Explorer, U.S. Culinary Ambassador, Sustainability Fellow at the New England Aquarium, and Director of the Sustainable Seafood and Health Initiative at Harvard, he brought a chef’s perspective to the world’s most pressing environmental and health challenges. These roles deepened his belief in seafood not just as a meal, but as a medium for change. Today, his work has evolved into something broader: Seafood That Matters. While the seafood industry still faces challenges, Barton’s focus is now on the many producers, practices, and innovations that are getting it right. He sees seafood as a powerful lever—for addressing climate change, supporting women’s economic empowerment, improving brain health, and building more resilient food systems. Central to Barton’s philosophy is the idea that the health of our oceans is inseparable from human wellbeing. Every choice we make at the dinner table, he argues, has the potential to shape a healthier, more sustainable world. Through consulting, speaking, and education—including the founding of the Seafood Literacy program—he continues to advocate for a future where food is both nourishment and a tool for transformation. Now based in coastal Maine, just steps from a working waterfront, Barton remains deeply connected to the ocean that has long inspired his work. Whether in a classroom, a conference hall, or a kitchen, he reminds us that seafood is more than just a culinary delight—it’s a catalyst for restoring balance between people, planet, and plate.
Risteen Bahr
City of Bangor
Charles Galemmo has spent his working career in the hospitality industry. Starting in the dish room Charles has worked his way through the industry to line cook, Chef and general manager. He went on to do extensive consultant working assisting in the opening of over a dozen restaurants. As part of this consulting work, he spent 8 years with a national franchisor as a business consultant to franchisees at 48 locations in New England. His past 12 years were spent as a Culinary Arts instructor and department chair at York County Community College. Charles continues with the Maine Community College System in his current role as the Hospitality Workforce Coordinator with the Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine’s Workforce.
Tony Cameron
Maine Tourism Association
Tony Cameron is the CEO of the Maine Tourism Association. Tony started this role in March of 2020, after serving nearly five years as the Director of Marketing & Communications. He previously served as the Executive Director of the Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce and the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Director of Marketing and Membership Sales for the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He has over 17 years of destination marketing and association management experience. Before his career in tourism, Tony worked for 3 years in the front office for the Portland Sea Dogs. Tony lives in his hometown of Brunswick and is a proud graduate of Saint Joseph’s College of Maine with a degree in Marketing.
Cameron Curtis
Portland Sea Dogs
The 2026 season will be Cameron's 30th with the Portland Sea Dogs. The Maine native joined the organization as a part-time seasonal employee in 1996 and was hired full-time in January 1999 as the Sea Dogs Ticket Office Manager. In 2005, he was named the Public Relations Director of the Year for all Minor League Sports by MinorLeagueNews.com. Among Cameron’s duties, he oversees all of the club’s marketing and promotional efforts. Additionally, he is responsible for the customer service training of the Sea Dogs’ game day staff. Outside of the Sea Dogs, he volunteers for STRIVE, where he serves on the "Steering Committee".
Noah Kleiner
Equinox Guiding Service
Noah Kleiner is the owner and founder of Equinox Guiding Service, an AMGA-accredited rock and ice climbing company based in Camden, Maine. With over 20 years of experience in the climbing industry, Noah holds multiple certifications through the American Mountain Guides Association, including Multi-Pitch Instructor, Ice Instructor, and Climbing Wall Instructor Provider. He is also a certified Single Pitch Instructor (SPI) Provider, making him one of the few professionals in Maine qualified to deliver nationally recognized guide training programs. Noah has partnered with the Midcoast School of Technology (MCST) to integrate professional guiding education into high school curricula, creating one of the first CTE-based climbing programs in the country. His work focuses on developing Maine’s next generation of outdoor professionals through mentorship, skill-building, and experiential education—helping young people find meaningful careers in outdoor recreation while supporting the state’s growing adventure tourism economy.
Hanna Lester
Miles Partnership
Hanna is an account manager at Miles Partnership, who uses her skills to keep projects and client requests running smoothly. After graduating from Ole Miss, she moved out West and found a new passion for working in the travel and tourism industry. In her free time, you can catch her reading a good book, painting or exploring the outdoors of Colorado.
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Carolann Ouellette
Maine Office of Tourism
Carolann was named the first director of the Maine Office of Outdoor Recreation in 2018. As of June 1st, she will take on the role of the Director of Tourism, Outdoor Recreation and Film for Maine. A graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, her career has included time as a whitewater guide, outdoor resort operations manager, restaurant chef/owner, and from 2010-2016 the Director of the Maine Office of Tourism. Carolann is a board and/or advisory committee member with the Maine Sports Commission, Maine Trails Coalition, University of Southern Maine’s Tourism & Hospitality Program, University of Maine Outdoor Leadership Program and is currently co-chair of the Confluence of States. She is a ski, snowmobile, hiking and paddling enthusiast, working on her fishing and hunting skills, and an avid traveler.
Whitney Raymond
Marshall Communications
Whitney Raymond is Vice President at Marshall Communications, a Maine-based marketing and public relations agency, where she has worked since 2011. Marshall Communications manages media relations and public relations on behalf of the Maine Office of Tourism, helping share the state’s story with audiences nationwide and beyond. Whitney focuses on integrated communications for tourism marketing, with an emphasis on media relations, managing public relations efforts and overseeing organic social media strategy. In her work with the Maine Office of Tourism, she helps share the state’s story through earned media and digital touchpoints while aligning with Maine’s brand pillars and guidelines. She collaborates closely with agency partners and members of the tourism industry to ensure storytelling across platforms reflects a consistent and authentic voice for Maine. Whitney holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management and a Master of Business Administration from Thomas College.
Lisa Sturgeon
Husson University
Lisa Sturgeon is an award-winning educator, entrepreneur, and tourism strategist recognized by MaineBiz as one of the state’s 40 Under 40 for her leadership in business and community development. With a career nearly spanning two decades in marketing, event production, and destination strategy, she blends real-world business insight with a passion for education and sustainable destination development. As Chair of The Greater Bangor Region (The GBR) Steering Committee, Lisa has assisted in leading a collaborative initiative unifying 21 communities through strategic planning, brand development, and destination leadership. A Certified Hospitality Educator and faculty member at Husson University, she teaches marketing and tourism management while mentoring future leaders in Maine’s hospitality and tourism industry. Through both her business ventures and academic work, Lisa champions collaboration, creativity, and sustainable tourism as drivers of economic vitality and community pride.
Juan Vargas
Miles Partnership
Juan Vargas is the Account Director on the Consulting team at Miles Partnership, where he leads inclusive marketing and audience diversification strategies for destinations across the U.S., including the Maine Office of Tourism. With a background in community development, Juan focuses on building welcoming, community-centered pathways that connect diverse travelers and local residents to destinations and their outdoors. He specializes in helping destinations understand shifting demographics, inclusive visitor behaviors, and the growing participation of women, LGBTQ+, and multicultural audiences in outdoor recreation. His work blends partnerships, creator programs, and inclusive marketing strategy with authentic storytelling to expand access, representation, and economic impact. Juan believes a resilient outdoor economy is one that gives everyone the opportunity to feel they belong.
Ava Wells
Destinations International
As Social Inclusion Manager at Destinations International, Ava leads the strategic development, implementation, and evaluation of programs that advance Destinations International’s Social Impact mandate: empowering destination organizations to build welcoming, sustainable, and community-centered visitor economies. With over a decade of experience in member and partner engagement, including seven years in the tech industry advancing workplace inclusion and employee engagement, Ava brings expertise and empathy to her work. She spent three years in convention services at the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation, where she developed a passion for regenerative tourism, cultural vitality and community impact.
Nicole Porter
US Travel Association
Nicole Porter joined the U.S. Travel Association in 2021 and serves as Vice President of Political Affairs, where she leads the development and execution of all grassroots and political engagement strategies. In this role, she drives nationwide advocacy efforts that mobilize industry voices to bolster U.S. Travel’s advocacy efforts. Nicole oversees TravelPAC and the Travel Action Network, two cornerstone programs that educate policymakers on the economic, social and diplomatic importance of travel. Under her leadership, U.S. Travel has raised more than $2 million since 2021 to support the industry’s political engagement in Washington. She also leads major national advocacy initiatives, including Travel Works, U.S. Travel’s cross-country tour showcasing travel’s $2.9 trillion economic impact and Destination Capitol Hill, the industry’s premier legislative fly-in that welcomes nearly 500 industry advocates to Washington each year. Prior to joining U.S. Travel, Nicole spent nearly seven years at the National Retail Federation (NRF) where she was Senior Director, Political Affairs & Advocacy. In this role she served as a key political strategist, responsible for leading and developing advocacy and grassroots programs supporting NRF’s public policy goals, also overseeing NRF’s fundraising for political programs. Prior to NRF, Nicole was a campaign fundraiser for over a decade working with clients ranging from presidential, federal and statewide candidates.
Nicki Bean
Biddeford Regional Center of Technology
Nicki Bean worked in hotels, resorts, restaurants, corporate hotel chains, sales and marketing for 20 years. She studied Economic Development & Tourism Management at Boston University. She began her career at an international travel company, progressed to corporate hotel chains, and has also worked and volunteered for local Chambers of Commerce and tourism boards in New England (including Portsmouth, Kennebunkport, and The Maine Beaches board of directors). Her passion is destination marketing, or collaborating to promote an area as a great place for people to visit year-round (and bring more economic benefits, businesses and jobs to that area). Now she teaches high school students all about working in the hospitality, travel and tourism industry. Students in her program at BRCOT get to partake in numerous field trips to local businesses, job shadows at The Lincoln Hotel, and a restaurant concept competition.
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Jason Clay
Governor's Restaurant & Bakery
Jason Clay is the Owner and Chief Executive Officer of Governor’s Restaurant & Bakery and Anglers Restaurants. A hands-on leader with deep roots in Maine’s hospitality industry, Jason oversees all aspects of operations, leadership development, marketing, and strategic growth across the company’s family of restaurants. Before taking the helm, Jason served as Governor’s Director of Operations, where he led initiatives in training and leadership development, menu innovation, and the adoption of new technologies. Prior to rejoining the Governor’s team in 2011, he gained valuable experience in the Boston area working for a quick-service restaurant concept and in food service at Harvard Business School. A native of the Bangor region and originally from Lincoln, Jason holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine and an MBA from Northeastern University. He is a proud graduate of the Bangor Region Leadership Institute (Class of 2013), currently serves as Chair-Elect of the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce board of directors, and sits on the Old Town Development LLC economic development board. Jason lives in Brewer, Maine, with his wife Jolene, their daughter Harper, and their dogs Marv and Maggie.
Kathryn Ference
Maine Tourism Association
Kathryn Ference is the Director of Workforce Development for the Maine Tourism Association, a non-profit trade association that represents the hospitality and tourism industry in Maine. She works with its nearly 1200 member businesses in lodging, culinary, outdoor recreation, retail, and attractions to find creative ways to address workforce shortages and staffing challenges. Before coming to the Maine Tourism Association, Kathryn graduated from George Washington University and worked in the staffing and human resources industry. She is passionate about inspiring young people to pursue careers in the hospitality and tourism industry and loves connecting talent with great businesses in Maine.
Anne Krieg
City of Bangor
Anne Krieg is the Director of Community & Economic Development for the city of Bangor. She started there in 2019 as the City Planner and was promoted to Director in 2023. She previously worked in planning & development with a focus on tourism for the towns of Bridgton and Bar Harbor. Prior to moving to Maine in 2002, she worked for the towns of Reading and Danvers, and also worked in the private sector in campus planning, and, development site planning and permitting in the Boston area. Anne has been a speaker at many conventions on topics ranging from comprehensive planning to tourism development and affordable housing. Anne is a graduate of the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse University and remains a huge SU fan.
Steve Lyons
Miles Partnership
Steve Lyons became Director of the Maine Film Office in 2024 after 25 years marketing the state with the Maine Office of Tourism, including seven years as Director of Tourism. In that role, he oversaw the Maine Film Office, a division within the Office of Tourism, Outdoor Recreation & Film. He now focuses exclusively on promoting Maine as a location for visual media productions. Steve’s passion for film began while accompanying his father to an American Film Market Location Expo and reading scripts brought home from the Vermont tourism office, which also managed the film office. One of his earliest memories is a script for “I Am the Cheese,” filmed in 1983 in his hometown of Montpelier and other Vermont locations. During college and beyond, he saw hundreds of films and even kept a running list that numbered in the hundreds. In 2014, Steve volunteered with the Emerge Film Festival in Lewiston and joined its board in 2015, helping bring filmmakers from around the world to Lewiston and Auburn. During the past two years at the Maine Film Office, Steve has reinstated the Maine Film Commission, drafted a recommendation for a more competitive film incentive in Maine and moved the film incentive application process online, all while responding to inquiries from filmmakers considering shooting in the state. He is currently collaborating with the Maine Film Association on an economic assessment of Maine’s media production industry and preparing to launch a pilot program designed to demonstrate the economic benefit of visual media production to the state. He is a member of FilmUSA, a non-profit organization representing film commissioners in the U.S., and the Association of Film Commissioner’s International, where he recently joined the Creative Economy and Policy Committee. When he’s not working or attending a film festival, he can be found hiking, biking, paddling, snowshoeing, skiing and sightseeing throughout Maine and beyond.
Curtis Picard
Retail Association of Maine
Mr. Picard brings decades of expertise in association management, strategic planning, and advocacy. As a seasoned leader in the non-profit and trade association sectors, he has successfully managed organizations of varying sizes across diverse industries. His career spans both consulting roles and full-time positions, where he has guided organizations through the development and implementation of strategic plans that drive measurable outcomes. In his role as a registered lobbyist, Curtis has specialized in navigating complex policy areas, including labor, environmental regulations, taxation, and business laws. He has built a reputation for effectively representing the interests of businesses while fostering productive relationships with policymakers. His ability to translate high-level strategic goals into actionable initiatives has made him a trusted advisor to organizational leadership. Currently, Curtis serves as the President and CEO of both the Retail Association of Maine and the New Hampshire Retail Association. In these roles, he advocates for thousands of businesses while leading efforts to address critical issues impacting the retail sector. His extensive experience in facilitation and consensus-building ensures that diverse stakeholders are engaged in shaping policies and strategies that deliver tangible results.
EJ Roach
Town of Orono
After a 20-year career in public higher education, EJ transitioned to a career in municipal government in August of 2019, focusing on Economic and Community Development. In December of 2025 he transitioned from the City of Old Town to the Town of Orono, where he took on the addition of Planning and Code Enforcement to complement his on-going work in Economic Development. Regionally, EJ serves on the Greater Bangor Recreation Economy For Rural Communities steering committee, the core team of the Greater Bangor Working Community Challenge Grant, is on the planning committee for the Big Gig, and serves on the board of directors for the Economic Development Council of Maine, the Maine Community Development Association, and the Bangor Target Area Development Corporation. He holds a B.A. in Business Administration and a M.Ed. in Higher Ed Leadership from the University of Maine. He is a 2023-2024 (Elephant Class) graduate of the Maine Development Foundations Institute for Civic Leadership. EJ lives in Old Town with his wife and three children.
Alexandria Sukeforth
Outdoor Access Solutions
Alexandria Sukeforth is a passionate advocate for neurodiversity and outdoor accessibility. As a neurodivergent individual and mother to a child with Autism, her professional mission is deeply informed by personal experience. Alex is a Certified Direct Support Professional, works as a 1-on-1 support aide for a child with Autism in a forest school setting, and is the Co-Founder of Outdoor Access Solutions. She has also completed extensive coursework on neurodiversity and actively participates in organizations like the Maine Environmental Education Association (MEEA) Changemakers Network.
Seth Walton
MidCoast School of Technology
Seth Walton is an outdoor educator and public-sector professional whose career spans outdoor leadership, public safety, maritime, education, nonprofit management, and government administration. He is the founder and lead instructor of a certificate-granting Outdoor Leadership Program at the MidCoast School of Technology. The two-year program emphasizes community partnerships to form workplace pathways and focuses on wilderness medicine, SAR and technical rescue, paddlesports, navigation, climbing, and sailing. A Registered Master Maine Guide, Seth has led ocean and inland expeditions and trainings for more than two decades. He volunteers with Maine Island Trail Association and Coastal Mountains Search and Rescue.