Eileen Kotowich
Eileen Kotowich works with the Alberta Approved Farmers’ Market Program run by Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development in Alberta, Canada.  Since 1999, she worked on special projects for the provincial Farm Direct Marketing and Ag Tourism Initiatives.  Prior to joining the provincial government, Eileen worked for a large grain handling and crop input cooperative in Alberta.  Eileen grew up on a grain farm in southern Saskatchewan.
www.sunnygirl.ca

Velma Lakins, USDA/AMS

Joe Lizer, Virginia Farm Market

Jim Lorraine, RiverBreeze Farm Market & Mega Maze
RiverBreeze Farm has been in the Lorraine family for over 200 years and has been primarily a beef farm during this time. Market lows for beef in the mid 1990s pushed RiverBreeze Farm into a 'use it or lose it' position which led to an aggressive diversification strategy in order to keep the family farm. Having evolved into an 800 acre mixed farming operation, RiverBreeze Farm now consists of strawberries, blueberries, sweet corn, pumpkins, RiverBreeze Farm Market open year round featuring their own naturally grown beef, produce, scratch bakery as well as a 400-head beef finishing feedlot. In addition to that, RiverBreeze Farm is now in its fourth year of agri-tourism featuring a corn maze, school tours and corporate BBQ's. RiverBreeze Farm conducts over 150 media interviews/year and has won many awards including Tourism Attraction of the Year Award 2004.
   RiverBreeze Farm, Market and Mega Maze is currently owned by Jim & Tricia Lorraine who were one of Canada's Outstanding Young Farmers 2002 along with their children Nicholas(7), Eryn(4) and Gillian(2).
  www.riverbreeze.info

Barbara Lovitt, Iowa Dept of Agriculture & Land Stewardship
Barbara Lovitt is the Marketing Specialist in the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Bureau of Horticulture and Farmers' Markets. Under her guidance and developmental assistance to organizers and managers of farmers' markets throughout the state, Iowa has experienced and sustained a tremendous growth in the number and success of direct marketing venues. As a former manager of the Downtown Des Moines Farmers' Market (Des Moines 1985-1991), Barbara created the footprint for this highly successful market, which is the largest in the state and used as a model for other communities. As a former vendor, she has experienced market dynamics from both sides of the manager/vendor equation.
Barbara was instrumental in establishing the Iowa Farmers' Market Association (IFMA, est. 2001), implementing and coordinating the 2004 economic impact study undertaken by IFMA and continues to work closely with that organization in their efforts to educate and promote farmers' markets.
www.agriculture.state.ia.us

Patricia Mancha, USDA Food & Nutrition
  www.fsis.usda.gov

Richard McCarthy, Economics Institute - Loyola University
Richard McCarthy is co-founder and executive director of marketumbrella.org at Loyola University New Orleans. Pledged to initiate and promote the ecology of local economies, it manages a roster of public markets, animates public space, mentors others, and models best practices in the field of community-based economic development. Its flagship Crescent City Farmers Market operates year-round, four days per week, and has a combined economic impact of more than $6 million. He is a member of the Farmers' Market Coalition's council. He regularly provides technical assistance to communities near and far. In 2002, he led a team of civil society activists to attend the UN World Summit On Sustainable Development.
 www.CresentCityFarmersMarket.org

Stan Meador, X Bar Ranch
Stan Meador is the founder and general manager of the recreational division on his family's five-generation X Bar Ranch near Eldorado, Texas. He has a degree in public relations and marketing from Texas Tech University with an emphasis on international marketing. Stan's involvement in numerous associations and boards includes the Texas Travel Industry Association, the Texas Mountain Bike Racer's Association, Images for Conservation Fund, the Texas Forts Trail, Texas Agriculture Lifetime Leadership (TALL), & the Southwest Texas Tourism Partnership, among others. Stan is frequently invited to speak to groups on topics related to nature and rural tourism and ranch diversification through sustainable means. He is also a consultant with AdventGX, a tourism development consulting company.  www.XBarRanch.com

Bill Michaels, Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard, Inc.
Bill received his BS from the Rochester Institue of Technology in 1989 specializing in hospitality and tourism management. Returning to his home community of Cooperstown and Fly Creek, N.Y., Bill became General Manager of a small full-service inn. Deciding the foodservice side of the operation was not his forte, he bought into a half partnership of a motel property on Otsego Lake. After 6 years of being the managing owner of the motel and helping out at the family cider mill whenever possible, Bill came to a crossroad. With his parents more than ready for retirement, Bill, now knowing that he could not run both the motel and the Mill, made the decision together with his wife, Brenda, to purchase the Mill and was released from all ownership responsibilities at the motel.
  Bill and Brenda took over the Mill in 1999, making Bill responsible for operations and finance and Brenda for purchasing, marketing design and human resources.
  The Fly Creek Cider Mill is a turn-of-the-century water-powered mill operation including gourmet foods, country gifts and a Snack Barn and Bakery. Bill and Brenda have tripled sales due to an extended summer and late fall season and a more aggressive marketing plan. Expanding summer inventory, introducing special events and diversifying the menu have also contributed to a rapid sales growth.
   In 2003, the Mill brought home a Silver Ribbon at a National Cider Tasting held in Charlotte, N.C. Bill and Brenda were awarded their County Chamber's Small Business of the Year Award for 2000 and in 2001 awarded the New York State's Agri-tourism Business of the Year Award. In 2001, the North American Farmers' Direct Marketing Association named them "Newcomers of the Year" and in 2005, "Best Brochure." The Rochester Institute of Technology awarded Bill the "Entrepreneur of the Year" in 2002.
   Bill and Brenda reside on Otsego Lake with their daughter, Sadie, and son, Henry.
 www.flycreekcidermill.com

Miles Phillips, TAMU Dept. of Recreation, Parks & Tourism
Mr. Phillips  is a member of the Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences Department. He holds a Masters Degree in Parks & Recreation Management from West Virginia University and a BS Degree in Engineering with a minor in Marketing from the University of Illinois. He has conducted ecotourism work in Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, West Virginia, and South Carolina, and Texas.
   Mr Phillips regularly conducts presentations, workshops and individual consultations and training programs with firms & communities and those interested in developing nature tourism operations. Currently he is involved  with ranchers, private landowners/tour operators and rural agricultural community development through nature tourism. He supports county extension agents with Nature Tourism assistance across Texas.
   Mr Phillips has worked as a Interpretive Tour Guide and is an NAI certified Interpretive Guide Trainer. In addition to serving on the board of various non-profit organizations he is a member of the Texas Travel Industry Association's Nature Tourism Council and the Texas State Agency Tourism Council, and the National Extension Tourism Design Team.
   Currently he is working on a variety of Wildlife Photography programs including youth digital photo programs and a publication on design, installation and rental of photography blinds as a conservation enterprise program for private landowners & organizations.
   Past experience includes working as Coastal Recreation & Tourism Specialist for Sea Grant Extension in South Carolina, Environmental Education Project Leader for Fundacion Natura in Ecuador, leading wilderness canoe trips in northern Minnesota, designing web pages for various ecotourism and outdoor recreation organizations, designing and conducting surveys to evaluate trail systems and user perceptions of quality. Researching and analyzing data on forest dependent communities to examine the relationship of benefits derived from the wood products industry, tourism and sustenance harvest of wild products. Environmental consulting as an Environmental Engineer with Conestoga-Rovers & Assoc. working on projects ranging from local site assessments to multi-year, multi-million dollar remediation projects.
   He is married with two young sons ages 3 and 1 and is proud to tell you about the time while tent camping  the family was awakened by a Great Horned Owl calling from just above the tent, and his 18 month old son knew enough about birds to wake up and say “Owl!?” before falling back to sleep.
http://naturetourism.tamu.edu

Leonard Pickel, Haunted Attraction Magazine
Owner of D.O.A. Design, a consulting firm for the Haunted Attraction Industry, and editor of Haunted Attraction Magazine, Leonard Pickel built his first haunted house as a dormitory fundraiser in his sophomore year at Texas A & M Univer¬sity in 1976. Volunteering for the Dallas March of Dimes Haunted House in 1982, he chaired the event from 1983-1986; in charge of design and construction. During this time, Leonard developed the "Pickel Theory of Haunted Houses," a high startle, low gore, high throughput, low theatrics approach to dark amusements. Innovative at the time, the non-offensive style of the “Pickel Theory” are outlined in three room design idea booklets, written by Pickel for commercial haunted house designers. His creative accomplishments include design and sales of the industry’s first turn-key Haunted House ‘kits,’ and the first adaptation of the “Field Theory” (triangular grid system) in a Haunted Attraction. Pickel has designed over 70 original and creative Haunted Attractions in his career including Madison Square Garden, Universal Studios Florida, Six Flags Great America, Six Flags Over Georgia, Six Flags AstroWorld, Kentucky Kingdom and SCREAMS Terror Park. Leonard’s company Hauntrepreneurs International has also designed Haunted Attractions in foreign countries including Puerto Rico, Canada and India.
www.hauntedattraction.com  

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