Meet Our Speakers

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Kristen will be leading Visit Portland's brand reveal, along with Matt Stiker.

Kristen Brockel is a seasoned creative professional living in Tucson, Arizona. With almost 15 years of experience in moving people to places and crafting brand stories, she currently works as a Creative Director at Madden Media, partnering with destination clients to translate strategy into cohesive brand platforms and integrated campaigns that drive measurable impact. Over the past seven years, she has helped shape and create award-winning work for destinations including Visit Idaho, Visit Central Oregon, Discover Moab, and Visit Grand County. Prior to joining Madden and re-entering agency-life in 2019, Kristen ran an in-house marketing team at a design-build firm that specializes in creating unique interactive experiences for public art, museums and conventions. As a multi-passionate creative thinker and lifelong learner, she invites connections with like-minded individuals who value innovation, interesting conversation and visual excellence.

Josiah will be our keynote speaker.

Josiah Brown, widely known in the tourism industry as the “New York Sherpa,” is a nationally recognized speaker, consultant, and advocate for the power of the visitor economy. Having traveled 1,000,000+ miles by car over the last two decades across the United States, he helps tourism professionals and community leaders better understand how travel can strengthen local economies and build community vitality.

Josiah’s presentations explore topics such as the local resident's benefit from well managed tourism, concepts of destination stewardship, destination branding and attracting and retaining today's youth through building quality-of-place. Known for his energetic and thought-provoking style, he challenges audiences to see Destination Organizations not just as marketers, but as catalysts for stronger communities and economic vitality. 

Jacqueline will be part of the PR panel discussing best practices for working with travel media.

Jacqueline Dole is a food and travel journalist covering dining, destinations, cruising, hotels, and theme parks. A lifelong New Englander with more than a decade of editorial experience, she reports on dining culture, travel trends, and the theme park industry. Her work has appeared in publications including Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, Condé Nast Traveler, The Washington Post, The Infatuation, TimeOut, Thrillist, Business Insider, Serious Eats, and Eater.

With a background as a pastry chef, Jacqueline is always on the lookout for the next great snack. She is also a devoted theme park enthusiast, and counts embroidered hotel robes, spectacular pools, and a perfectly executed hot dog among her favorite travel finds.

Brianna will share an in-depth update on Visit Portland’s media and public relations efforts.   

Following her presentation, Brianna will join a dynamic panel discussion moderated by Visit Portland President + CEO Lynn Tillotson, alongside a journalist and an influencer, to discuss best practices for working with the media. 

Brianna Francis is the Vice President of Communications & Strategy at Madden Media, where she leads integrated communications strategy, media relations, and brand storytelling for a diverse portfolio of travel and tourism clients. With a strong foundation in public relations, marketing communications, and journalism, Brianna blends strategic insight with compelling storytelling to elevate destination brands and drive meaningful engagement. Prior to joining Madden Media, she served as Vice President of Marketing Communications at Visit York County and began her career in broadcast journalism, bringing a journalist’s perspective to her communications approach.

Carolann will provide an update on Maine’s statewide tourism strategy and marketing initiatives.

Carolann Ouellette is the Director of Tourism, Film & Outdoor Recreation at the Maine Department of Economic & Community Development (DECD). Carolann was the Director of the Maine Office of Tourism from 2010-2016. In September 2018, she returned to DECD to serve as the first director of the newly created Office of Outdoor Recreation focused on leveraging Maine’s assets and outdoor recreation heritage to grow the outdoor recreation economy and build Maine’s outdoor recreation brand as part of a coordinated effort with partners from the public and private sectors. In her expanded role, she oversees the work of the offices of Tourism, Film & Outdoor Recreation.

A graduate of Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration, she has a strong background in tourism, hospitality and outdoor recreation having held positions from lodging manager and restaurant chef/owner to whitewater guide and outdoor recreation non-profit executive director. Carolann has been involved in many related organizations in board or advisory member capacity over the years including US Travel Association, Maine Tourism Association, Maine Sports Commission, Maine Gear Share, University of Southern Maine Muskie School of Public Service and Skowhegan Savings Bank. She is a ski, snowmobile, snowshoe, hike and paddle enthusiast, working on her fishing and hunting skills, and loves the exploration and discovery of travel.

As a proud Falmouth High School graduate (Go Navigators!) and UMaine Orono alum (Go Black Bears!), Matt joined Madden two years ago in the role of SVP, Brand Strategy. He brings a wealth of executive-level marketing communications experience to the agency, where he focuses on elevating their clients’ brands both strategically and creatively.

Matt has been involved in destination marketing for 20+ years, having worked with brands such as Travel Oregon, Visit California, Visit St Pete/Clearwater, Visit Estes Park, and the State of Washington. At Madden, he’s been intimately involved in the strategic work of building brands such as Visit Idaho, Visit Winston-Salem, and Alabama’s Beaches.

In addition, he was the first-ever Chief Marketing Officer for the San Francisco Travel Association, where he led the renaming and rebranding of the 100-year-old organization, re-imagined and transformed the visitor information center/experience, oversaw the redesign of the outdated website, and drove explosive growth in social media engagement. He also drove significant growth in private revenue associated with strategic alliances and led the development of a wholly new membership structure.

He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Madden and to Visit Portland. Plus, every trip back allows him to see his father and stepbrothers (and their families), all of whom now reside in Yarmouth.

P.S. You’re welcome to challenge him to sing the “Stein Song,” but he’s pretty sure he still knows every word.