Board Members
JOHN WOODS
Committee Chair
John Woods joined The Millennium Consulting Group in 2008 as Executive Vice President of Sales and Business Development.
A graduate of Boston College, Carroll School of Management John worked seven years with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Corporation leading Sales & Marketing for this world class Hotel Company and two-time Malcolm Baldridge Award Recipient. Over the next five years John helped The Cendant Corporation managing an international sales team, teaching advanced sales skills, strategic planning and tactical development.
John worked two years as Vice President of Sales for Expo International having complete worldwide sales responsibility; managing over 250 of the worlds largest and most successful trade events; and helping to develop and guide to market breakthrough web-based database lead management technology into the industry.
In the four years as Vice President of the Strategic Marketing Group, Red Ventures, John helped to acquire and developed first-in-class marketing programs for Bank of America, LendingTree, DirecTV, and Pitney Bowes among others.
John has managed his own consulting business, Solutions Professionals Inc., as Owner and President. In this role Mr. Woods has helped many clients from the start-up phase and ongoing operations in all aspects of their business.
John is eager to bring his experience and determination to the fight to end childhood hunger in Maine and across the United States.
RAND ARDELL
Marketing Chair
Rand Ardell is a principal of Simmons Ardell, a communication design firm that helps companies build genuine, distinctive, and integrated identities. Rand works closely with clients on marketing strategy and manages the firm's client relationships. He is also responsible for business development and operations.
Rand was most recently the director of marketing for Bernstein Shur, one of northern New England's largest law firms. Earlier, he was the director of client service at McCabe, Duval + Associates of Portland, Maine, and a vice president and director of operations at MacLaren McCann, a Canadian advertising agency. Rand is a graduate of McGill University, where he studied Political Science.
In addition to his role with Share Our Strength of Southern Maine, Rand serves as development director and treasurer for AIGA Maine, the state chapter of the national design association.
A Toronto native, Rand resides in South Portland with his partner Jessica and is a proud father of nine-year-old son Owen.
KRISTEN BAILEY
Sponsorship Chair
Kristen Bailey has more than decade's worth of experience marketing major consumer brands in the food and beverage industries.
A vice president with The Moseley Group - a management consulting firm to food & beverage companies based in Franklin, Massachusetts - Bailey began her career as an account executive at Holt, Hughes & Stamell, a Portland, Maine advertising agency, where she managed the account of The Chinet Company, a leading manufacturer and marketer of food packaging products. She later joined the company as a marketing manager and helped design and market custom packaging for McDonald's, Taco Bell, Einstein Bagels and Dunkin Donuts.
Bailey went on to become the director of sales and marketing for Hancock Gourmet Lobster Co. of Brunswick, Maine, a specialty seafood manufacturer. While there, she launched "Pemaquid Point Lobster Pot Pies," winner of Best Product 2003 at N.Y. Fancy Food Show.
In 2003, Bailey became executive director of the Maine Lobster Council, the industry's marketing organization. She conducted extensive consumer and trade research on Maine lobster and consumer tastes, and developed and implemented numerous initiatives that redirected the focus of the industry and strengthened the recognition of the Maine lobster brand. Most notably, she created the Certified Maine Lobster program, a combined product identification and marketing communications program that received national attention and served to raise further awareness of the Maine lobster brand.
A native of Freeport, Maine, Bailey has an MBA from Boston University and a BA from the University of Montana. She lives in South Freeport with her husband Dennis and nine-year-old son Robbie.
KATHY GUNST
Restaurant/Vendor Chair
Kathy Gunst is a cookbook author, cooking teacher, radio personality, blogger, and freelance magazine writer. She is the author of 13 cookbooks. Her books, Roasting, Stonewall Kitchen Harvest, and The Parenting Cookbook were Julia Child Award nominees. Her most recent books, Stonewall Kitchen Breakfast and Stonewall Kitchen Winter Celebrations will be published in late September 2009. She is the "Resident Chef" for WBUR's award-winning show, Here and Now, heard on over 150 public radio stations. She writes "Notes from a Maine Kitchen" for Down East Magazine. She lives in southern Maine with her husband and two daughters.
THOM HOUSEHOLDER
PR Chair
Thom Householder is Principal and Co-Owner of Front Burner PR, a Portland-based PR and marketing agency. Working with leading hospitality industry players, he specializes in social media strategy, web marketing, traditional media relations, and strategic advertising.
Thom has earned enthusiastic client coverage in national outlets ranging from The New York Times and National Geographic Traveler to The Wall Street Journal and NBC's "TODAY" show. He develops overarching communications plans and tactical strategies for clients from Maine to Alabama, who routinely rely on his expertise in online marketing and PR for successful promotion via their Websites, customer-driven e-mail newsletters, and a variety of new media outlets.
A Nashville native, Thom developed his persuasive writing style and content development skills during his years as an editor and project manager at AARP.org, the award-winning website of the largest membership organization in the nation. In working to ensure that AARP's strategic product and policy messages were marketed effectively to association members, policymakers and the general public, Thom's communications products and marketing deliverables reached an average of one million site visitors each month.
Thom enjoys exploring Maine with his wife and business partner, Jen Beltz. The couple relocated to Portland after careers in Washington, DC, and launched Front Burner PR in 2005.
JOHN HUTCHINS
Sponsorship/Operations Chair
John Hutchins IV is the Vice President of Leavitt and Parris in Portland, Maine. Leavitt and Parris specializes in custom fabric products (awnings, tension structures, canopies, military products) as well as high end event infrastructure including tents, flooring, power generation, HVAC, lighting, decor and party rentals. Their client list consists of Fortune 500 companies, the Department of Defense, the Navy, Army, and Marine Corps, along with local businesses, architectural firms, home owners, event planners, and designers. The company was formed in 1919 and has been owned by John's father for over 20 years.
John is a native of Portland, Maine where he graduated from Portland High School. He graduated from Colby College in Waterville, Maine where he earned his bachelor's degree in both Finance and Economics. He moved back to Portland and joined Leavitt and Parris upon graduation. Beyond Leavitt and Parris, John serves on the international advisory board for Losberger GmbH, the world's largest manufacturer of temporary event structures. He also serves on the Special Interests Group and the Events and Tents task force for the American Rental Association. He is a past board member of the Mid-Atlantic Tent Renters Association.
John lives in Gorham with his wife Mandy and their 11 month old daughter Adyson. He loves family time and he and his family spend their weekends during the summer at his parents' house on Sebago Lake. John loves to travel and he and his wife are avid "food and wine" fans frequently visiting their favorite spots in Portland and Boston. John also loves to entertain at home with his family and friends. He has recently discovered a new found passion for wood working and he is a huge Pats fan!
ANNIE KILADJIAN
Sponsorship Chair
Annie Kiladjian is founder of "Annie K Designs", an interior design company in Portland. Annie specializes in Kitchen & bath design, interior design, renovation, and project management from planning to execution. After 20 years in the fashion industry as, among other positions, merchandiser and production manager for Guess Jeans Canada, Annie found her dream job, matching her love for fashion, style, and colors, with her expertise in project coordination, creative design, and lifestyle trends in her new company.
Along with her role with Share our Strength, Annie is co-founder of The Armenian Cultural Association of Maine, a non profit organization that promotes and preserves Armenian Culture. In the past six years, Annie helped the organization put on numerous cultural events, introducing Armenian culture to Maine residents from across the state.
An Armenian Canadian from Montreal, Annie moved to Maine with her family in 2000. She lives in Portland with her husband Gerard, and her two kids, Alexandra & Aren.
TOM LANDRY
Ticket Sales Chair
Tom is a founding board member of Share Our Strength's Portland Chapter and has sat on the board since 2006. Tom brings a passion for all things local and deep connections to area residences and businesses to his role on the board. Tom's day time job is broker/owner of Benchmark Real Estate, a boutique, non-franchise firm headquartered in Portland that is: Local - Savvy - Responsive. Out of his passion for transforming his own home and a love for Portland's historic houses, Tom started CornerStone Building & Restoration. CornerStone strives to provide the very best client experience in the building industry for both commercial and residential clients. Tom's past experience includes acting as the: National Marketing Manager for Barber Foods, and in the client service division of L.L. Bean as a Total Quality Trainer/Consultant.
Tom is a Maine native, graduate of the University of Southern Maine, and currently resides on Portland's lovely Back Cove with his wife Amy and their cat Milo. Tom and Amy are big-time foodies and strong supporters of Portland's vibrant and diverse restaurant scene. They enjoy travel and a range of other activities including running marathons and practicing Bikram Yoga.
GLENDA MACLACHLIN
Volunteers Chair
Glenda MacLachlan has had the opportunity to work with several volunteer organizations during her career.
In 1982, the City of Portland turned 350 and wanted to celebrate. Glenda was hired by the Chamber of Commerce as Administrative Assistant to Celebration 350 where she worked with more than 100 volunteers to plan and implement year-long festivities.
She then worked at Mercy Hospital for 20 years and held various positions in the addiction treatment program. For 11 years, she was volunteer coordinator. Her responsibilities included encouraging people to volunteer, then train them to facilitate weekly support groups with the patients. Glenda worked with a base of 60+ people averaging 4,000 volunteer hours annually.
Her own volunteer commitments included being on the Board of Directors between 1994 and 2000 at the Friendship House, a Christian-based sober home for men who receive the chance to live in a loving home where they are encouraged to improve their lives.
In 2001, through her position at Mercy, Glenda was asked to bring the nationally-based Oxford Homes to Portland. This is a self-run, self-supported organization aimed at securing homes in an area where men and women struggling with alcohol and drug addiction can live in a supportive recovery environment. With more than 800 homes throughout the country, Portland was ready to receive Oxford Homes. Glenda organized a Board of Directors to raise start-up monies, meet with national organization leaders and learn the formula for success. To date, there are four men's homes and two women's homes in the community where approximately 70 people are living in safety.
Glenda retired in 2006, lives near the beach in Pine Point with her husband, George Pulkkinen, who also is busy volunteering his time and energy teaching people to play the bagpipes. Both George and Glenda are active members of the St. Andrews Society of Maine, a Scottish organization. Glenda has been Chairman of the Scholarship Committee since 2005. This committee awards approximately $10,000 yearly to interested students who wish to attend summer schools furthering studies of bagpiping, drumming, harp playing, fiddling and highland dancing.
JOHN RUDOLPH
Beverage Chair
John is the creator and executive producer of Feet in Two Worlds, an award-winning project that brings the work of immigrant and ethnic media journalists to public radio and the web. Based at the Center for New York City Affairs at the New School, Feet in Two Worlds has worked with dozens of journalists over the past five years, helping them advance their careers and enabling them to reach a wide and diverse audience across the United States.
Over more than three decades as a radio journalist, John has reported on a range of subjects including climate change, presidential politics, population issues, agriculture, genetics and immigration. A former producer and program host for Monitor Radio, John's work has also appeared on National Public Radio, BBC radio, and many other radio networks and radio stations as well as in publications including the New York Times and the Boston Globe.
John has lived in Maine for nearly thirty years. Over that time he has been devoted to public service to his community, serving on numerous boards and committees in his hometown of South Berwick. He and his wife, Kathy Gunst, are regular volunteers at the Dover Friendly Kitchen, a soup kitchen that serves Seacoast Maine and New Hampshire.
SUSAN SCHORR
Secretary/National Liaison
Susan is a lawyer with the law firm of Curtis Thaxter, LLC in Portland, Maine, where she moved in 2005, and has been on the Southern Maine Share Our Strength Committee since then. A social worker prior to becoming an attorney in private practice, Susan has worked both professionally and as a volunteer to assist folks to overcome challenges in the areas of child abuse and neglect, substance abuse and literacy. Originally from Boston, Susan also lived in New York and San Francisco before returning to her New England roots. In addition to her work for Share Our Strength, Susan serves on the board of Pine Tree Legal Assistance, Maine's organization devoted to providing access to justice for those in the civil legal system who cannot otherwise afford legal representation.
DIANE WOODS
Finance/Hunger Message Chair
Diane Woods is the General Manager of IPath, a footwear and clothing company marketing to the action sports consumer. IPath is located in Los Angeles, CA and is distributed throughout the US, and in 32 International markets. Products are primarily found in action sports independent retailers, and can also be found online at ipath.com.
IPath is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Timberland Company, where Diane has worked for the past 12 years. During her tenure at Timberland, Diane has held a variety of roles. Prior to this position, she was the Senior Director of Worldwide Strategy, helping the company define and execute its long range plan, and working with teams worldwide. Leading up to that role, she managed the Forecasting, Operations, Merchandising and Planning teams for the North American wholesale business, the single biggest business unit at Timberland.
Diane is a graduate of Boston College. Diane and her husband John met in college, and lived in the Boston area for 11 years. They moved to Maine in 2003 and settled in Cape Elizabeth, where Diane grew up.
