Julie Thorner
Founder & President
Julie founded Liquid Spark to bring expert marketing help to the adventure travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation industry. She and her agency’s team know our industry—in the past 25 years, Julie’s been a raft guide, whitewater kayaking instructor, bike tour guide, operations manager, VP of marketing, and GM of outdoor retail.
Julie gives back as an expert educator with the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) and volunteer business and marketing consultant to Tibetan responsible tourism entrepreneurs. She started Liquid Spark Foundation to help change lives through education, and raised her two sons to understand the importance of a people, place and planet lens and walking your talk.
Taylor Barnard
Strategist & Account Manager
Taylor is a graduate of the University of Central Florida with a degree in Communications and a focus in Mass Media. She discovered her love of the outdoor adventure industry while working on the University’s high ropes course and kayak rental shop. Throughout her studies and professional career, corporate social responsibility has been a rooted interest; she loves driving this unique type of corporate thinking forward with the Liquid Spark team. She enjoys using her marketing experience, combined with her affinity for the outdoors, to show clients that their business goals are achievable while staying environmentally and socially responsible.
When she isn’t working, you’ll find her hiking and camping around her home in Western North Carolina.
Lucinda Sutton
Marketing Specialist
Lucinda is a graduate of Appalachian State University with a degree in Public Relations and Entrepreneurship. Living in the mountains of Western North Carolina, she has been accustomed to the outdoor world. Enjoying all types of outdoor adventure such as backpacking and snowboarding, has led her to find a profession that aligns with her ethos and life objectives. Through her past professions, she has found a love for social media and content creation. She enjoys sharing the rewarding feeling of working for companies that put the environment and sustainability first.
When she is not working, you can find her backpacking, at a show or festival, and enjoying quality time with friends.
Dan Isbister
PPC and SEO Specialist
Dan Isbister spent 30+ years in the IT industry as a successful salesman for top Silicon Valley Companies after an early career as a river guide and slalom kayak racer. An early retirement gave him the chance to team up with Liquid Spark and combine his passion for river experiences and deep knowledge of the Outdoor Recreation Industry with technical sales. He manages the winning PPC Campaigns that help drive profitable business to Liquid Spark customers.
Dan has a bachelor of science from the University of Maryland and a master of business administration from George Washington University and has been Google PPC & Analytics and Bing Ad Certified.
Rylee Roquemore
Project Manager
Rylee is no stranger to strategic account planning and project management. She began working at a full-service ad agency a year and a half before ever even graduating college and now brings over a decade of experience working on award-winning advertising campaigns and content marketing initiatives to the Liquid Spark team as our project manager. She is a Second Wind certified account manager and is well-versed at keeping projects on track and on budget. Giving back is important to Rylee. For 8 years and counting, she has planned two-sport legend Bo Jackson’s charity bike ride which supports disaster relief efforts and the construction of storm shelters in her home state of Alabama.
When she’s not working, you can find her attending many live music events, hiking, biking, surfing, or playing tennis. Rylee is now living in Asheville, NC, and is a graduate of UAB with a degree in marketing.
Michelle Montgomery
Designer and Specialist
Michelle enjoyed four transformative years working as a full-time senior marketing specialist for Liquid Spark before pursuing her soul’s work as a deathcare practitioner. In 2023, she launched an entirely new model of doula care for transplant patients, too.
However, her love of adventure and design still courses through her veins—as does her love of collaborating with our team!—and she continues to support our agency and clients with design and strategy on an on-going basis. She currently heads our internal marketing efforts.
Michelle lives in Boynton Beach, Florida with her husband. When she isn’t behind the computer, she’s either on or under the water as an avid diver.
Trevor Holewinski
Developer
Trevor Holewinski was employed as Director of Software Development & Technology for IGV Limited, a UK based global e-commerce company, supporting a $25M a year marketing, technology, and customer support budget. Concurrently, Mr. Holewinski is also the founder and CEO of The Holewinski Group, a full-cycle website development company, which integrates content management systems for business owners.
Through his years in marketing, finance, and sales departments, he has acquired extensive knowledge of the Microsoft Suite, Crystal Reports, WordPress, PHP, CSS, HTML, and Google Analytics/AdWords/E-commerce Tracking.
Theresa Ayotte
Creative Director of Graphic Design
Theresa has been a professional graphic designer for over 25 years. In 1996, she launched Terelar Design & Photography, a graphic design and commercial photography firm. Prior to starting her own business, she was the Art Director at an advertising agency in the Bangor, Maine area.
Theresa has a Master of Arts in Graphic Design and Visual Experience from Savannah College of Art and Design and is an adjunct graphic design instructor at Husson University.
Ohia Thompson
Designer & Developer
Ohia has been a part of the Liquid Spark team in both full-time and contracted capacities for well over a decade. She has been designing since 1998 and developing websites since 2009. She is a graduate of The Creative Center in Omaha, NE and believes that life experience is just as important as career and education. She loves that her profession allows her to work while exploring the world.
Her design and development style match her traveling attitude: “Accomplish your task in the most efficient way, yet do it while seeking the world’s beauty and knowledge.”
Amanda Rouse
Marketing Specialist
Amanda is a graduate of the University of Montana with a degree in Business and Marketing. Her professional career has been largely dedicated to working with marketing agencies in the tour operator industry, and she now brings her specialization in data and SEO-driven to the Liquid Spark team as a contracted marketing specialist.
Spending time in the mountains of Montana and along the California coast, Amanda loves all things outdoors. Her weekends spent surfing, camping, biking and trail running are what fuel her weekdays developing content strategies for companies that love adventure as much as she does.
Shannon Santamaria
Marketing Specialist
With over 6 years of experience in the industry, Shannon is a digital media enthusiast and adventurer at heart. Her profound curiosity and love for learning have not only led her on many unique adventures—but have also given her an uncanny ability to think outside the proverbial box and provide her clients with creative solutions to some of the toughest marketing challenges.
When she’s not crafting content or diving into the latest marketing techniques, you can find her riding the waves on her surfboard, trekking through the great outdoors on a hike, or exploring new cuisines in her Californian neighborhood.
Robyn Lee
Strategist & Technical Specialist
With a Bachelor in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia, Robyn is a natural-born storyteller. She couples her award-winning writing with 13 years of digital marketing experience. Her focus surrounds utilizing analytical insights to perfect the customer journey, which leads to increased conversion rates. With certifications in Google Ads, Hubspot, Meta, and Google Analytics, to name a few, she takes pride in utilizing every digital channel necessary to propel Liquid Spark’s clients toward month-over-month growth.
When Robyn is not inspecting website code, designing email drip campaigns, or doing keyword research, she is planning her next adventure. Currently, she has visited 8% of the world and has her eyes set on voyaging to Southeast Asia next.
We’re A Growing Team
If you love marketing, design, PR, or just have a zealous creative spirit, and are passionate about spending time in the outdoors, we might be on to something. We want to hear from you! Contact us here.