We are honored to welcome the following speakers and panelists to the 2024 Adirondack Diversity Initiative Symposium! Stay tuned for more speaker bios as they are added below:
~ Jason Andrew is a Founding Partner at Artist Estate Studio, LLC—a consultancy agency that recognizes the importance of the promotion, preservation, and historicization of artists’ legacies in an ever-changing art world dominated by taste and tastemakers. He is the Founding Director of Norte Maar for Collaborative Projects in the Arts. His twenty-year mission continues to encourage, support, and present collaborations within visual, literary, and performing arts. Guarding against special interests in any particular style or genre, his curatorial projects bridge gaps left in art history and reflect the creative imagination through painting, poetry, and performance. Together, with his husband, he is renovating the Ausable Theater in Ausable Forks, NY, which will highlight our creative diversities, broaden our collective experiences, and express the artistic, civic, and educational interests of our ADK community. He is a proud member of the LGTQ+ community by living out loud and actively advocating on behalf of marginalized voices.
~ Josh Clague currently serves as the Bureau Chief for Forest Preserve and Conservation at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). In this role, Josh oversees a team that provides policy, planning and administrative support for Forest Preserve management in the Adirondack and Catskill Parks, for the state-wide DEC conservation easement program, and for statewide conservation planning efforts including the Open Space Conservation Plan and the 30×30 Strategies and Methodology. Josh joined DEC in 2008, coordinating the development and adoption of Forest Preserve Unit Management Plans and advising other high-profile planning efforts including the North Country National Scenic Trail Plan, the New York State Forest Action Plan, and the Adirondack Rail Trail Management Plan. Prior to his current role, Josh served as the Forest Preserve Policy and Planning Section Chief and Adirondack Coordinator. Before coming to DEC, Josh spent several years working for Scenic Hudson identifying strategic land conservation priorities in the Hudson Valley and assisting with the acquisition of public recreation land and conservation easements. Josh has served on the Village of Nassau Planning Board for the last ten years, where he led the effort to update the Village’s comprehensive plan and continues to help guide responsible development within his community. Josh has a BS in Horticulture from Oregon State University and a MS in Ecological Design from the Conway School.
~ Jaime Collins is an experienced, values-driven leader and a strategic communications and marketing expert with diverse experience, including owning her own business, manufacturing, hospitality, healthcare, research, education, and community organizing. She is currently communications manager at the Olympic Authority based in Lake Placid. Beyond work, she is a wife, a parent, a grandparent, an endurance athlete, and a steadfast advocate for people, the Earth, health, kindness, and meaningful change.
~ Matthew Courtright has served as the President & CEO of the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce since 2010. Along with its programs and services, the organization has grown significantly during this time. Matthew’s prior work experience includes Sales & Marketing Director for Silver Bay YMCA, Marketing & Foundation Coordinator for Inter-Lakes Health, and internship programs with NYS Senate Media Services Department and the Irish Prime Ministers Press Office. Matthew has a strong background in communications, marketing, public and community relations, non-profit management, photography, and political relations. Matthew graduated from the College of Saint Rose with a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Communications. While at Saint Rose, he also studied at the American University of Rome and EUSA in Dublin, Ireland. Matthew is a high school graduate of Ticonderoga High School. Matthew, along with his employers, has received numerous awards and recognitions.
~ David Escobar is a Report for America Corps Member who covers diverse communities in the Adirondacks for both the Adirondack Explorer & North Country Public Radio. He previously served as the news editor for WFUV 90.7 FM in the Bronx. David has also worked as an associate producer for the podcast and radio show “Our Body Politic” and as an intern for WNYC’s “The Takeaway.” Prior to working in journalism, David researched the history of Chinese migrant labor at the John Muir National Historic Site as an intern for the National Park Service. He earned both his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in journalism from Fordham University.
~ Jess Grant joined the Adirondack Council team in 2021 and is now the Conservation Associate, focusing on climate advocacy as it relates to the Adirondack Park. Originally from rural Alaska and by way of Oregon, Jess pursued a Bachelor of Science in Conservation Biology at SUNY ESF and is finishing a graduate certificate in Forests and Climate Change at Oregon State University, with the aim of protecting the wildlands, waterways, and working farms and forests she calls home. After moving to New York in 2015 and to the Adirondacks in 2020, setting down roots required dedication to connecting and expanding communities. This led to the creation of Midstory, a young professionals’ networking group with Leslie Karasin and Adam Bailey of the Northern Forest Center. Jess also currently serves on the Adirondack Land Trust’s NextGen Council and the Boquet River Association board, working to bridge the gap between North Country residents and natural resource management and protection. She looks forward to a long career in landscape-scale, community-based conservation focusing on climate adaptation, addressing land use conflicts, and uplifting environmental justice.
~ Julia Goren is the Interim Executive Director of the Adirondack Mountain Club, where she has served as Deputy Director, Education Director, and Summit Steward Program Coordinator. She was also Director of the Adirondack Council’s VISION 2050 project. Julia serves on the board of Cloudsplitter Foundation and was previously board president for Northern Lights School. She lives in Saranac Lake with her son.
~ Susan Griskonis is the Assistant Attorney General In Charge of the Plattsburgh Regional Office of the New York State Attorney General (OAG) where she leads a talented team responsible for defensive and affirmative litigation, regulatory oversight, consumer complaints, and community outreach in Clinton, Essex, and Franklin Counties. Before being appointed to lead the OAG’s Plattsburgh Regional Office in August 2021, Susan was the Managing Attorney of the Canton and Plattsburgh offices of the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, Inc., (LASNNY). At LASNNY, Susan supported domestic violence survivors and low-income North Country residents with legal representation and supervision of legal staff in a myriad of civil legal matters and established the first legal services contract between a Civil Legal Services provider and a Tribal Nation in New York State to bring LASNNY’s free civil legal services to the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe. Since joining the OAG, Susan has amplified the OAG’s North Country presence by focusing on outreach to marginalized communities and the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, elevating regional issues to the Attorney General, and tackling systemic civil rights and housing rights violations, and employment discrimination. Susan is a proud graduate of Erie Community College-City Campus, the University of Buffalo, and the University of Buffalo School of Law. Out of the office, Susan enjoys yoga, gardening, music, sailing, hiking, cycling, skiing, traveling, and relishing life with her loving husband, Dean, four dynamic adult children, Autumn, Jeffrey, Zachary, and Sophia, an exuberant English Cream Golden Retriever, Nigel, and a disinterested cat, Monty.
~ Allison Heard
~ Keeley Jock grew up in Akwesasne, a Mohawk reservation on the border of New York State and Canada. From her strong belief in the Seven Generations philosophy taught to them at a young age, it moved them to obtaining a B.S. in Environmental Science from Paul Smith’s College, with the dream of doing something bigger than herself in this world. With a keen interest in wetland ecology and botany, Keeley wrote their undergraduate thesis on Indigenous Knowledge informing EPA standard wetland assessments to help improve regulations for highly impacted/less pristine wetlands. As a recent graduate, she is starting off her future with beginning work at ANCA beginning in 2024, as a Climate Justice Fellow through a NYSERDA grant program.
~ Dan Kriesberg has been a middle school science teacher and environmental educator for over 40 years at both public and independent school. He is the author of two books on outdoor environmental education, over 100 articles on environmental education, and essays about his outdoor experiences. Dan has presented at national and statewide conferences. He is also the co-creator of Diversity Education In Nature, an innovative series of workshops that uses wild nature as inspiration for building community and belonging. You can learn more about his work at Earth Wisdom.
~ Carlie Leary works as an Energy Circuit Rider at the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA). She helps municipalities across the North Country with clean energy and climate action projects. She also serves on the Adirondack Land Trust’s Next Generation Council as well as the City of Plattsburgh’s Planning Board.
~ Garrett Marino, The Wild Center
~ Joe Montello, for most of his professional career, has been a retail manager, managing businesses for 30-plus years for retailers such as Tractor Supply Company, Eastern Mountain Sports, as well as Discovery Channel stores. Currently, Joe is working in the construction business for Madden Enterprises. Originally from Boston, Joe moved around to many cities including New York City, Fort Lee, NJ, Syracuse, NY, and Cambridge, MA, eventually landing in Saranac Lake which has been home for the last nine years. Joe is part of the LGBT+ community. In his private life, he loves spending time with his five dogs, hiking, kayaking, gardening, photography, and woodworking.
~ Lucienne Nicholson, cofounder of New Outdoor Recreation Coalition and founder of Inclusive Woods and Us for equitable access to nature, is a recognized leader with a passion for representational access to our natural environments. She believes the future of sustainability and land conservation can benefit from intentional inclusion and increased belongingness of historically excluded demographics like race, gender, and ability. Throughout her work, Nicholson stresses the pivotal role of stakeholders, from land trusts to private sectors, NGOs, and government agencies, in fully investing in relationship building, training, programming, and recreational access for targeted populations. Ms. Nicholson is an author of critical research on outdoors equitable accessibility and her consultant-at-large work contributes important guidepost recommendations to publications like Open Space for All; New York Outdoor Recreation Coalition; Open Space Institute; New York State Parks and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Open Space and Environmental Justice initiatives. Presently Nicholson is a consultant for the Adirondacks Diversity Initiative’s Cultivating Community Leaders (CCL) Program.
~ Mahala Nyberg came to ANCA in February 2023 from the cultural heritage sector where she worked in programming and interpretation at museums and historic sites. She brings with her experience in community engagement, education, program development and digital humanities. Mahala believes in using her work to educate, foster positive change and serve her communities. Mahala holds B.A.’s in History and Archaeology from SUNY Potsdam and an M.A. in Public History with a Certificate in Digital Humanities from Northeastern University. While working at rural museums during the pandemic, she developed programs to increase technology access and digital literacy in rural communities, which sparked her interest in rural development. Mahala has a love for the history and culture of the Adirondacks and the North Country and is excited to use her work to serve those communities. In her free time she likes to get outside as much as possible, usually in her kayak, but also relies on a good novel and stash of craft supplies during the long Saranac Lake winters!
~ Ami Parekh leads Bionique’s efforts to shape an inclusive and high-performing workplace culture. With over 25 years of experience in HR, she has working knowledge in talent management, organizational development, and employee engagement strategies. Prior to joining Bionique, Ami held various roles within HR, non-profit organizations, and committees, where she gained an understanding and started supporting underrepresented voices. For the past 20 years, she’s also been involved in supporting children’s meditation courses. She grew up in NYC and holds an MPS in Human Resource Management from SUNY Stony Brook and an MS in Information Systems from CUNY Brooklyn College. After visiting Saranac Lake multiple times, she moved to the region in 2004 and is raising her family in the North Country.
~ Megan Phillips has served as the Deputy Director for Planning at the Adirondack Park Agency since January 2022. She brings ten years of policy and program experience in New York State government to this role and views the work through an interdisciplinary lens that includes resilience, equity, and eco-centricity. Megan has a Bachelor’s degree in Conservation Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Master’s degree in Water Resources Management from the same institution. In her spare time, you can find her paddling in the Whitney Wilderness, scouting for new swimming holes, x-country skiing, and enjoying trying new recipes from the bounty of her local farm share.
~ Camille Simone Edwards is a DEI practitioner of fourteen years and currently serves as the Director of Student Affairs at Friends Academy, a Quaker independent school on Long Island, New York. As a DEI practitioner, Camille specializes in the areas of (1) curriculum review, (2) program design, (3) hiring & retention, (4) professional development & training, and (5) relationships & culture. In schools, her passion ignites around the intrapersonal and interpersonal professional development opportunities for educators who are engaging and leading DEI efforts and advancements across their school communities. She coaches executive teams, designs & facilitates retreats, and specializes in strategic community engagement initiatives. You can view more of her work at Camille Simone Consulting.
~ Yunga Webb is very excited to be a part of this panel and is joining us from Saint Michael’s College where she serves as the Associate Director of Human Resources, DEI. She holds 20 years of experience in the educational field with 10 of those being spent leading DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) work at independent schools. Most recently, she served as the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at North Country School in Lake Placid, NY. There she led a team of educators responsible for DEI curriculum planning, professional development, and community connections. She did this through engaging activities, community outreach, and faculty trainings. In her previous role, she has gained experience in updating the school’s handbook with policies and procedures in alignment with best practices, organize, lead and facilitate professional development for faculty, students and community board members. Her professional experience over the years has taught her the benefits of healthy communication, collaboration, and empathy. Her leadership philosophy is to guarantee that team members practice DEI work and lead by example, rather than through hierarchy. Since moving to the northeast, Yunga has started her own nonprofit organization called The TimbukII Initiative that focuses on closing the generational wealth gap for BIPOC families through land and property ownership.
~ Alison Webbinaro is a New York native, moving to the North Country as a young child and growing up in Peru, NY. She attended SUNY Albany as an undergrad, and completed her Master’s in Public Administration at the University of New Hampshire. Alison started her career in municipal government in New Hampshire, where she honed her leadership skills and learned how impactful local governments are on the day to day lives of our communities. She then took a Power Pause to stay home with her children for 8 years. When she and her husband moved their family back to the North Country, she knew she was ready to put her passion for civic engagement to greater use, and took a job with the NYS Department of Labor. She is now working for the State of New York Executive Chamber as the North Country Regional Representative for Governor Kathy Hochul. She is happy to serve as a liaison for the Governor’s office and the North Country, and enjoys supporting her community in this way.
~ Kathy Woughter works in philanthropy and outreach for the Adirondack Land Trust. Before moving to the Adirondacks in 2019, she served as Vice President for Student Affairs at Alfred University for 15 years. Prior to that, she was the Director of the Career Development Center at AU and held a variety of student life positions at Alfred State College including residence life and the men’s swim coach. Kathy has a master’s degree in counseling from Alfred and a bachelor’s degree in biology and secondary education from Geneseo. Kathy served as a six-year board member on the Wellsville Area Chamber of Commerce, including two years as its President, was a trustee for the Jones Memorial Hospital Board in Wellsville NY, served on various regional economic development groups in Western New York, and currently is a trustee at Adirondack Health. In 2019, Alfred University’s Institute for Cultural Unity awarded Kathy the inaugural Ally for Diversity and Inclusion award, and Kathy also received the Fiat Lux award for the faculty or staff member who has brought inspiration and distinction to the University community. She’s thrilled to now work in land conservation to ensure that the Adirondacks remain a climate resilient community, one that provides mental and physical health benefits to all people.
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