Brewing a Better Way

Anne Marisic is the Marketing and Communications Manager for Maine Beer Company. She started her career in the beer industry almost 15 years ago running beer-focused bars and restaurants in Washington, D.C., including serving as the opening GM for Bluejacket Brewery. In her four years at Maine Beer Company, Ms. Marisic has managed the marketing program for the company, which is tied closely to their nonprofit giving through 1% for the Planet. She maintains nonprofit partnerships and develops and oversees Maine Beer Company events in support of these organizations. Additionally, Ms. Marisic heads communication, managing the company’s social media and public relations.

With 20 years’ experience in bars and restaurants, Ari Sanders began her craft beer career at Mystery Brewing Company in Hillsborough, NC, and is currently Director of Tavern Operations at Fullsteam Brewery in Durham, NC. From dive bars to recipe development and training for corporate behemoths, Ms. Sanders considers herself a hands-on manager and people-first leader. She was also the 2018 Recipient of the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild Diversity and Inclusion Award. Ms. Sanders’ interests include reading, trying new foods, taking plants home to die, and petting all the dogs.

Douglass Miller has over 30 years of industry experience in restaurants, hotels, resorts, and education. He has worked around the country, including Las Vegas; San Francisco; New York City; Hawaii; Santa Barbara; Philadelphia; and Washington, D.C.; for organizations such as Four Seasons Resorts and Hotels, Wyndham Hotel, Marriott, and several independent companies. Mr. Miller is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA); SUNY Empire State College; and University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he holds a Master’s of Hospitality Administration. Currently, he is a lecturer in food and beverage management at the Nolan School of Hotel Administration, SC Johnson College of Business. Before Cornell University, Mr. Miller was a Professor of Hospitality and Service Management at the CIA.

Mr. Miller is a Certified Specialist of Spirits (CSS), Society of Wine Educators; and Certified Beer Server, Cicerone; and he has taken the Introductory Sommelier Course, Court of Master Sommeliers. He has spoken at several conferences, including Tales of the Cocktail, Craft Brewers Conference, Great American Beer Festival, and Menus of Change. Mr. Miller has also been interviewed by the Associated Press, New York Post, Wall Street Journal, and Nation’s Restaurant News, and he has had cocktails published in Liquor.com, USA Today Magazine, and AOL. He was a content provider and consultant on the CIA’s book, “Remarkable Service: A Guide to Winning and Keeping Customers for Servers, Managers, and Restaurant Owners.”

Sarah Jane Curran is Meetings & Events Beverage Manager for Global, U.S., and Canada Food & Beverage for Marriott International. She collaborates with the Food & Beverage and Meetings & Events teams on any beverage needs for Marriott headquarters. Ms. Curran has worked in restaurants and hotels for over 15 years in New York City and Washington, D.C., including Eleven Madison Park, Pineapple & Pearls, and Churchkey. She also hosts the Beer Me podcast on Full Service Radio and works with IMI Agency, a marketing group serving the chain hospitality industry. Ms. Curran earned her Bachelor of Professional Studies in Culinary Science at the Culinary Institute of America and her M.A. from New York University, focusing on beer history, culture, and education. She lives in the Washington, D.C., area.