As the president and CEO of Main Street Skowhegan (MSS), Kristina Cannon is the central coordinator of the organization’s strategic projects. She spends much of her time managing and fundraising for the Skowhegan River Park—an economic and community development initiative to construct a river park for paddling, surfing, and tubing in Skowhegan’s industrial downtown river gorge that will feature a major trail network and riverfront promenade. Since Kristina started at MSS in 2015, she and her team have raised more than $8 million for the river park, with total fundraising for all Skowhegan revitalization initiatives exceeding $10.3 million.
Under her leadership, MSS is spearheading a comprehensive approach to community transformation through outdoor recreation by weaving together infrastructure development, programming & gear, mentorship and third spaces for youth, and career pathways—all with an eye toward inclusion and equity. The organization also provides business planning support and programming as part of a regional hub-and-spoke entrepreneurial ecosystem partnership. Main Street Skowhegan’s future commercial kitchen incubator will cultivate local food startups and grow the region’s vibrant food economy.
Main Street Skowhegan was recently awarded $484,500 from the Maine Office of Tourism to develop a destination development plan and brand strategy for the region, and in December 2023, a regional coalition led by MSS, secured an Economic Development Administration Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program Phase 1 Strategy Development Grant of $425,000 to create and connect people to good jobs. In addition, the coalition was invited as one of 22 national finalists—out of more than 500 applicants—to apply for up to $50 million in Phase 2 Implementation funding in the spring of 2024.
Kristina was recognized at the White House in December 2024 as one of 14 Rural Innovators, an honor celebrating rural leaders who are taking action and ensuring their communities thrive for generations to come. She was also named a 2024 Mainebiz Woman to Watch, the 2023 Maine Outdoor Industry Leader of the Year, the Mid-Maine Chamber 2020 Outstanding Professional, and was a 2019 Mainebiz Next List honoree, recognizing dynamic individuals who are changing Maine's economy and making a significant impact in their industry. Under her leadership, MSS was awarded, by the Maine Office of Tourism, the 2019 Governor’s Conference on Tourism Award for Marketing & Promotion for the organization’s work to promote the town and region during the 2018 Skowhegan Moose Festival.
A Maine Network Partners Fellow, Kristina values collaboration and serves on several boards and committees, including Maine Outdoor Brands Membership Committee, the Redington-Fairview General Hospital Board, the Town of Skowhegan's Village Partnership Committee, and the Kennebec Valley Tourism Council as Marketing Committee Chair. Kristina is also a Skowhegan Savings Bank Corporator, and a member of the steering committee for Maine's 10-Year Outdoor Recreation Economy Roadmap initiative. In 2025, Kristina will join the Lincoln Vibrant Communities Fellows Program, a national program that helps leaders and teams building thriving communities that are defined by trust and civic engagement, and focused on positive change.
Kristina has 17 years of experience in the marketing communications field, having worked at a Boston advertising agency and in the communications office at Colby College. Kristina graduated magna cum laude from Emerson College with a bachelor’s in integrated marketing communications and earned a master’s in marketing from Southern New Hampshire University.
A native Mainer, Kristina lives just a mile from her childhood home with her husband, John, and several fur babies. She loves to travel and relishes adventures in the Maine woods while whitewater paddle boarding, mountain biking, skiing, backpacking, camping, and fishing.
