About the Karen Brown “Team”

ABOUT OUR AUTHORS and RESEARCH TEAM

KAREN BROWN launched this company when she wrote her first travel guide in 1977. Her personalized travel series has grown to 17 titles, which Karen and her small staff work diligently to keep updated. Karen, her husband, Rick, and their children, Alexandra and Richard, live in a small town on the coast south of San Francisco.

CLARE BROWN was a travel consultant for many years, specializing in planning itineraries to Europe using charming small hotels in the countryside. The focus of her job remains unchanged, but now her expertise is available to a larger audience—the readers of her daughter Karen’s travel guides. When Clare and her husband, Bill, are not traveling, they live either in Hillsborough, California, or at their home in Vail, Colorado, where family and friends frequently join them for skiing.

JUNE EVELEIGH BROWN’S love of travel was inspired by the National Geographic magazines that she read as a girl in her dentist’s office—so far she has visited over 40 countries. June hails from Sheffield, England and lived in Zambia and Canada before moving to northern California where she lives in San Mateo with her husband, Tony, their two German Shepherds, and a Siamese cat.

NICOLE FRANCHINI was born in Chicago and raised in a bilingual family, her father being Italian. She received a B.A. degree in foreign languages from Hobart & William Smith Colleges and the Sorbonne, Paris, and has been residing in Italy for many years. Currently living in Rome with husband, Carlo, and daughters, Livia and Sabina, she works as a hotel marketing consultant and lends her expertise in customized travel planning in collaboration with the agency www.italyhotline.com .

JACK BULLARD did much of the initial research for Karen Brown's guides to New England and the Mid-Atlantic. Jack grew up in New England and after completing his graduate education there spent fifteen years in international consulting in marketing and finance, and then ten years as executive director of two Boston law firms. He managed another law firm before owning The Inn at Occidental in the Sonoma wine country north of San Francisco for ten years. He now lives in Philadelphia and remains close to the world of hospitality—consulting, designing and decorating.

MARIE NOTOT, a contributing editor, is French and joined the Karen Brown team when she worked for a few years in California. She has settled on the Riviera with her husband, Philippe, and beautiful daughters, Jessie and Chloé. Marie also has started a company, Elegant Europe, to personally assist travelers with their travel arrangements in France, Italy, Germany and Spain. www.elegant-europe.com.

ELIZABETH CARO, a contributing editor, is American born and currently resides in Berlin, Germany where she works for an international hotel group. Because of her background and expertise in the hotel industry with a focus in marketing and sales, Elizabeth has a keen awareness and understanding of what it takes to be an exceptional property and understands the concerns and demands of the customer. During her free time, Elizabeth travels to both inspect and research properties for Karen Brown’s Guides.

ABOUT OUR ARTISTS

JANN POLLARD, The artist of the cover paintings for Karen Brown Guides studied art since childhood, and is well known for her outstanding impressionistic-style watercolors. Jann's original paintings are represented through The Gallery in Burlingame, CA and New Masters Gallery in Carmel, CA. www.jannpollard.com. Fine art giclée prints of her paintings are available at www.karenbrown.com.

BARBARA MACLURCAN TAPP, the talented artist who produces all of the hotel sketches and delightful illustrations in most of the Karen Brown guides, was raised in Sydney, Australia where she studied interior design. Although Barbara continues with architectural rendering and watercolor painting, she devotes much of her time to illustrating the Karen Brown guides. Barbara lives in Kensington, California, with her husband, Richard, and is Mum to Jono, Alex and Georgia. For more information about her work visit www.barbaratapp.com.

VANESSA KALE produces the property sketches and itinerary illustrations in Karen Brown guides to the Pacific Northwest, the Mid-Atlantic and New England. A native of Bellingham, Washington, Vanessa spent her high school year in Sonoma California. After graduating in Art from U.C. Davis, Vanessa moved to southern California where she lives with her husband, Simon. She works as a project manager for an architectural rendering company, and also as a freelance artist. www.vanessakale.com.

ELISABETTA FRANCHINI, the artist responsible for the illustrations in Karen Brown’s guide to the bed & breakfasts of Italy lives in Chicago with her husband, Chris, and their two young children, where she paints predominantly European landscapes and architectural scenes. A Smith College graduate in Art History and French Literature, Elisabetta has exhibited extensively in the past 20 years. www.elisabettafranchini.com.

ABOUT OUR IN-HOUSE TEAM

DEBBIE TOKUMOTO, Manager and Director of Operations Debbie “mothers” us all. She takes care of the “Karen Brown Team”; oversees the management of our office on a day-to-day basis; coordinates the editorial production of our guides and will most likely be the person who answers your call or email and addresses your questions or concerns should you contact us directly. She takes great pride in customer service and we wouldn’t survive without her. Debbie lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, Brian, and spends most of her free time doting on her three, adorable grandchildren.

ANDREW HARRIS, Website development and technical assistance.

ABOUT OUR PUBLIC RELATIONS

SANDRA BARSALINI-CORDOVA and her company TMA have been promoting travel to Europe in North and South America since 1996. Sandra is responsible for all PR & marketing of Karen Brown Guides as well as Romantik Hotels in the Americas. Over the years she has built strong partnerships with journalists and travel writers and has been recognized for successfully obtaining high-impact print, radio, TV and online coverage for her clients. Sandra was born and raised in Germany and now divides her time between tma’s offices in Miami and Buenos Aires, Argentina. www.targetmarketamerica.com.