ABOUT BROUSSARD COMMUNICATIONS:
Broussard Communications is a boutique PR firm representing hospitality clients - restaurants, vineyards, hotels and artisan producers in the NorthWest. Founded in July 2004, and intrigued by the "story behind the story," we work closely with clients to recognize their individual needs while communicating their story as well as their brand to target audiences.
ABOUT MELISSA BROUSSARD:
Before forming Broussard Communications, Melissa spent more than 14 years in strategic marketing communications with Apple Computer. As a communications professional, Melissa develops marketing and media relations programs for clients in the food, wine and hospitality industries, as well as offers business counsel on advertising placements, menu development, web site design, and special events. Melissa also works proactively on media relations for her clients and has placed stories in national media outlets from Food & Wine Magazine, Wall St. Journal, Bon Appétit, Splendid Table Radio show, Martha Stewart TV show, Bravo's Top Chef to Food Network Iron Chef America as well as local and regional outlets including Portland Monthly Magazine, The Oregonian, KINK Radio, Portland Business Journal and Sunset Magazine.
As the brand manager for the Powerbook Group at Apple, Melissa was responsible for international marketing for Powerbook -- a $2 billion business. She also led the global Product Introduction Group prior to Powerbook Group. A fifth generation San Franciscan, Melissa earned a BSIE degree in Engineering from California Polytechnic State University and an MBA from the University of Santa Clara. Melissa has been active in the Portland community serving on the board of the Oregon Ballet Theatre for six years, as well as assisting White Bird Dance Company and the Trey McIntyre Project with special events and communications strategies. She lives with her family in Portland.
About CLARISSA FONG:
Clarissa joined Broussard Communications in January 2021. As a digital marketer for more than a decade, she enjoys working with and teaching clients how to use social media and new media formats to tell their brand story. After graduating from the University of Oregon, Clarissa started her career in SEO and PPC marketing at an integrated digital agency as a Marketing Specialist, eventually moving up to lead the Inbound Marketing department, providing services to clients in the automotive, agriculture, e-commerce and higher education industries. As she likes to say, she was using Facebook for businesses well before Company Pages were even a thing.
In her next role, she managed the overall digital strategy for a local mineral makeup company, developing an editorial calendar around new product launches, influencer engagements, seasonal trends and affiliate partnerships. Clarissa carried these skills to her role at a full-service agency, where she was part of an award-winning PR and social media team that served clients in technology, banking/finance, telecommunications and more. She was the lead account manager for Microsoft and CenturyLink for Business, helping her clients in both the B2C and B2B space. In her free time, Clarissa likes to bike and hike (two hobbies she picked up during the pandemic), eat delicious food around town and travel to new and fun places (preferably with abundant sunshine).
ABOUT SIDNEY STEWART:
Sidney joined Broussard Communications in July 2021 as a public relations professional with years of experience working in a variety of industries, including hospitality, food & beverage, tourism, entertainment, cannabis and more. After graduating from Portland State University, Sidney moved to Las Vegas in 2015, with notable projects including Back Bar USA’s “For the Love of Cocktails” events, Motley Brews’ beer festivals and Nevada’s transition from medical to recreational cannabis sales. She has facilitated countless red carpets featuring celebrities Shaquille O’Neal, The Backstreet Boys, Farah Abraham and more.
In 2019, Sidney moved back to the Portland area and continued to work with clients in a variety of markets, including Oregon, Nevada and Colorado. She has worked ardently to secure national media placements for clients with outlets including Bon Appetit, Forbes, Maxim, Insomniac and more. In her free time, Sidney likes to hike, run and entertain her two mini labradoodles, Champagne and Carl.
ABOUT LIA MAHONEY:
Lia Mahoney joined Broussard Communications in August 2021 as a digital and social media strategist with 6 years of experience working with previous clients like Sunshine Dairy and Nike. After graduating from Portland State University, Lia joined a small team at Girl Scouts to develop all communications for Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington, including managing social media campaigns for Girl Scout Cookies, and general membership.
Lia also has a background in graphic design and has done design work for clients like Toyota of Portland and the PSU Vikings. In her free time, Lia likes to go on adventures with her two dogs, Buddy and Indy.
ABOUT Joanna Berman:
Joanna joined Broussard Communications in 2022 with over 15 years of experience as a marketing and communications professional. In her first years out of Boston University, she worked in PR for Fox Searchlight Pictures, where she worked on press tours, press days, screenings, premieres, and promotional items for critically acclaimed and Oscar-winning films such as Slumdog Millionaire, The Wrestler, 500 Days of Summer, 127 Hours, and Fantastic Mr. Fox.
In her next role at YogaWorks, one of the largest yoga chains in the US, she managed the marketing and coordination of their robust destination teacher training program. She was then asked to be part of a small team tasked with launching the company's first ever online class site, a role that soon evolved into that of Content and Communications Manager for the entire company. She left in 2016 to work freelance with clients primarily in the food and beverage industry, helping them to find their unique voice and to use that voice to tell their story across every outlet. She wears many hats assisting them with both internal and external communications, as well as photography, website management, and copy for social media, newsletters, blogs, and marketing materials. Joanna lives in Portland where she loves to spend time with her husband and two young daughters, develop her cooking skills, and explore the local food and wine scene.
ABOUT Claire McCracken:
Claire joined Broussard Communications in 2023 with extensive knowledge in creative problem solving, project management and production. After nearly a decade working in illustration and design, she co-founded a boutique design firm called Art Mafia that specialized in the design and fabrication of immersive experiences, branded events, store design, film, and gallery exhibitions. With Art Mafia, she produced events for clients including Beautyblender, Benefit Cosmetics, and Netflix's hit series Stranger Things. Her largest project was co-producing a fully immersive gallery exhibition for artist Adam Schwerner called Your (Un)Natural Garden at Descanso Gardens in Los Angeles. Claire helped lead a team that created six fully immersive full-room gallery installations and seven immense site-specific outdoor sculptures. The show ran from April 2022 to January 2023 and was met with accolades from both critics and the public.
Claire also has a background in illustration and graphic design and has been published in Bon Appétit, the Washingtonian, Entertainment Weekly, Playboy, NY Magazine, LA Magazine, and Marie Claire, among many others. Whenever possible, she likes to spend time with her boyfriend and their cat, tattoo those who are willing, and explore the world in both big and small ways. She is excited about applying her unique job experiences to the world of PR.
ABOUT Emma Alpaugh:
Emma brings over 17 years of strategic communications and media relations experience to Broussard Communications, where she’s excited to dive deeper into the culinary space and bring her love of food to her work. Emma has led teams at multiple integrated agencies, with a focus on clients in food, travel, and consumer packaged goods, building and executing strategic plans for iconic brands like Bob’s Red Mill and Travel Oregon. She began her career in media relations at Timber Press, where she built lasting relationships with top national food and lifestyle media, securing multiple New York Times features and a personal meeting with Martha Stewart. As her career has evolved, she’s enjoyed building skills across many creative disciplines, from earned media relations to digital marketing and content development.
Emma spends her free time on the beaches of the Oregon Coast with her husband, daughter and dog, and geeking out listening to chef-hosted podcasts.