Rachel Vandenberg
Hannah DeMaio
Janet Eason
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Rachel Vandenberg owns and operates the Sun & Ski Inn and Suites, Stowe Bowl and Stowe Golf Park with her husband and family in Stowe, Vermont. In addition to leading her hospitality business, Rachel is a leadership coach for professionals in travel with her business PEAK Leadership Coaching. Rachel also serves on the Board of Trustees of her local destination marketing organization. She holds a certificate in hospitality management from Ecornell and is a graduate of Coach U, a leading training institute for coaches. Rachel is an avid reader, community activist, proud wife and mother of three and loves to mountain bike and nordic ski in the woods of Vermont.
Hannah DeMaio is passionate about the travel and hospitality industry and uniting, inspiring, motivating, and empowering women to succeed both personally and professionally. She leads the brand strategy for Women Leading Travel & Hospitality, a members-only networking group that offers executive women in the travel and hospitality sector a place to learn, connect, and grow through an unparalleled mix of events, content, and elite connections. The community is composed of successful and motivated women across the entire travel and hospitality ecosystem who share a strong belief that investing in themselves and other women is good business.
Janet Eason is the Founding Partern of Eason Branding. She is an experienced brand strategist who is passionate about finding the DNA of a great boutique hotel. She loves travel, cooking, good books, and hanging out with her family, including her rescue dog, Augie. She is a Southerner at heart, but has spent many years working with hotels and inns in the Northeast. She has worked on both the agency and client side in the hospitality and lifestyle industries - from destinations, to airlines, to hotels, to restaurants - she brings an innovative perspective to problem solving, and building connections between consumers and brands.
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Nancy Mendelson |
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Nancy started NEM Global in 2012, a consultancy specializing in the revitalization and transformation of organizations, destinations and individuals, helping clients define, articulate, and communicate their unique voice. In addition, she serves as an advisor and contributor to hertelier, an online media platform that enlightens and inspires women in hospitality to pursue, navigate and nurture their careers at every stage. A career communicator, Nancy has held key positions in hospitality, broadcasting, publishing, advertising, event and media production, working with major corporations and global brands. A member of the Writers Guild of America, she is an award-winning producer/director/interviewer, a ghostwriter, speechwriter and has had numerous articles published in trade and mainstream media. She served as Executive Producer for the NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference for 12 years and taught a graduate course in the Marketing of Destinations at NYU for 5 years.
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Heather Durant
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Heather is the General Manager for InnSeason Resorts, Ogunquit ME. She has worked exclusively
in the Hotel and Vacation Ownership Industry for over 30 years. As a leader in the Vacation Ownership sector, her expertise focuses on Operations, HOA Revenue Management, and Employee Training. While partnering with The American Resort Development Association, she collaborates on strategic long-term plans for employee growth within our travel industry. Heather lives in Newmarket NH with her husband, teenage son, and 3 furry kids. She enjoys cruising, snorkeling, and reading the latest crime novel. |
Deborah Burns
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Deborah Burns is the Executive Director of New England Inns and Resorts Association (NEIRA). Deborah has over 20 years’ experience in the tourism industry having served the association as Technology Manager and Marketing Director prior to her current role. Deb is motivated by seeing her team produce amazing results and experience their own growth and accomplishments. Hospitality is a business of taking care of people and she leads by example encouraging flexibility in the workplace and the ability to balance the needs of home life with the needs of the job. She is passionate about gender equality and believes there is tremendous potential for woman to grow in the hospitality industry.
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Paige Hinkson
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C. Paige Hinkson has over 25 years of experience as a management consultant, executive coach, instructional designer and facilitator of experiential learning . While working with leaders around the globe she enjoys helping successful people improve to levels of performance they never thought possible, to be more effective leaders, to develop resilience, and to manage stress, energy and focus. She encourages leaders to understand who they are as leaders in relationship with others and the positive ripple effect they can have in helping people grow! She is passionate about helping women find their authentic leadership style, develop their craft as leaders, and build their leadership toolkit.
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Sarah Howe
Ariel Taschereau |
Sarah Howe is the current Business Development Director at Lake Morey Resort in central Vermont. Sarah returned to her family roots in hospitality after a 20 year career leading teams and organizations in marketing and economic analysis. Today she combines her enthusiasm and passion for business, hospitality, environmental issues and the love of the Vermont outdoors to motivate others to challenge the status quo and embark on new opportunities. As a leader she understands the need for, and provides the guidance and empathy to execute long-term change and growth.
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Ariel Taschereau brings her multifaceted hospitality knowledge to the Accelerate Board to celebrate and uplevel the opportunities for women in the travel industry to thrive. Over her 11 years of experience with the Nonantum Resort, she has worn many hats, giving her unique insight into the industry. She has grown her career from guest services and front of house, to sales and event coordinating, and most recently, has headed up the Motorcoach channel of the Sales Department and coordinates HR facets of the organization.
With a distinct love for Kennebunkport, Ariel knows how to create the exceptional experiences that travelers seek when visiting the iconic town. A mother of two, wife, and beloved coworker, she exudes contagious confidence that inspires other women to shine. In her time away from the Resort, she is an avid life experience collector through traveling, adventure seeking, reading, and all-around zest for life’s extra special moments. |
Past Advisory Members
Beth Steucek
Valerie Rochon
Tina Hewett Gordon
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Beth Steucek recently retired from her position as the Chief Executive Officer of New England Inns and Resorts Association and she has extensive experience in the tourism industry. Beth is inspired as a leader when she can be a part of a team to accomplish greater goals than any team member could have originally imagined. She has a knack for seeing opportunity and resources in different team members. She is passionate about helping and empowering women to maximize their strengths and realize their full potential while navigating the twists and turns of the hospitality world.
Valerie Rochon is the former President and Chief Collaborator for the Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth. She once adopted a friend’s advice that it is every leader’s responsibility to grow your staff so that when they leave your business they will have learned enough about themselves personally and in their career choice to continue their path of growth and success. Valerie believes women have innate powers of strength, compassion, intelligence, and the ability to lead. With the correct tools and relationships, each of us can succeed. Accelerate provides the tools and the opportunity to build those relationships with peers.
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Tina Hewett Gordon has been the General Manager at the Nonantum Resort in Kennebunkport for the past 29 years. She is an active member in the hospitality community serving on various local and state boards. She has received numerous awards for service, two of the most notable being the State of Maine Governor’s Award for Excellence in Tourism and the Joel Stevens Community Spirit Award. Her love of the outdoors draws her to many activities Maine has to offer and enjoys beach boot camp, running, cycling, kayaking, paddleboarding, skiing, gardening and cooking. She has completed 8 triathlons, 2 half marathons and many 5ks. She and her husband K.C. are the proud parents of two daughters, Kyleigh and Norah.
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Alice Pearce
Alice Pearce is the executive director of the Ogunquit Chamber of Commerce. She made her way to the southern Maine coast after nearly 30 years in New Hampshire travel and tourism, where she served as president of Ski NH, the nonprofit dedicated to marketing and legislative services for the state’s ski areas. Much of her career has been dedicated to working with small business owners and their teams, and she enjoys helping them grow to the next level, professionally and personally. Pearce especially appreciates the creativity and resiliency of hospitality entrepreneurs and is grateful to have spent much of her professional life in this industry.