Join the Adirondack Diversity Initiative, ANCA and partners at Paul Smith’s College VIC in Paul Smiths, New York on Tuesday, November 12 for the 2024 ADI Symposium.
This community gathering will empower residents, organizations and businesses to increase understanding and awareness and enact positive change toward a more welcoming and inclusive Adirondack North Country.
Below, you will find a preliminary conference agenda, session descriptions, and names of speakers and panelists.
Preliminary Symposium Agenda*
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
The VIC is home to 25 miles of trails, including 6 miles of interpretive trails. A reflective nature walk, guided by ADI’s Tamara Jolly, will follow the Symposium’s afternoon programs.
9:00 a.m. — Arrival, Breakfast & Networking
10:00 a.m. — Welcome & Morning Keynote
10:55 a.m. — Concurrent Sessions
- The Right to Exist
- Visitor Use Management (VUM)
11:50 a.m. — Concurrent Sessions
- Creating Inclusive Workplaces
- What Are We Learning
12:35 p.m. — Lunch
1:30 p.m. — Concurrent Sessions
- Future Stewards
- Here for You
2:25 p.m. — Closing Keynote
3:30-5:00 p.m. — Optional Outdoor Activities, Guided Nature Walk & Networking
* Symposium agenda items and presenters are subject to change.
Symposium Sessions
The Right to Exist
Join fellow community members as they discuss the challenges and benefits of living in the homogeneous North Country as an LGBTQI+ and/or person of color. What does it mean to be welcoming, and how can businesses and organizations help create belonging for all?
Panelists: Jason Andrews, Ausable Theater; Jaime Collins, Olympic Regional Development Authority; Tiffany Rea-Fisher, ADI/ANCA
Visitor Use Management
This session will discuss Visitor Use Management in the Adirondacks and its importance to the region’s future and to inclusivity on the trails.
Panelists: Josh Clague, NYS Department of Conservation; Julia Goren, Adirondack Mountain Club; Megan Phillips, Adirondack Park Agency; and Lucienne Nicholson.
Creating Inclusive Workplaces
This interactive panel will help you and your business or organization create more welcoming and inclusive workplaces. Discussion topics include improving hiring practices through an equity lens, inclusive recruiting, and what constitutes a welcoming workplace. The session will also provide resources.
Panelists: Yunga Webb, St. Michael’s College; Kathy Woughter, Adirondack Land Trust; Ami Parekh, Bionique; Allison Heard, SUNY Plattsburgh; and Matt Courtright, Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce.
Future Stewards of the Adirondacks
Largely rural, white, with a higher-than-average median age and facing overall population decline, the Adirondack Park is at odds with the rest of New York. How do we maintain vibrant towns and communities and create stewards of the Park for the future? This session explores the challenges and opportunities the Adirondack North Country holds for young adults.
Panelists: Keeley Jock, ANCA; Garrett Marino, The Wild Center; Carlie Leary, ANCA; Mahala Nyberg, ANCA; Jess Grant, Adirondack Council
Here For You
Meet your government officials! This panel will focus on learning how your North Country representatives serve our communities and the resources their offices have.
Guests: Assemblyman Billy Jones, District 115; Alison Webbinaro, North Country Regional Representative for Governor Kathy Hochul; and Susan Griskonis, Assistant Attorney General in Charge of Plattsburgh Regional Office
What Have I Learned
David Escobar has been traveling through the North Country Region, focusing on DEI stories for North Country Public Radio (NCPR) and the Adirondack Explorer. Listen as NCPR News Director David Sommerstein interviews David about his Report for America experience, the insights he has gained while engaging with North Country communities, and the future implications for this work in our region.
Panelists: David Escobar and David Sommerstein, NCPR
Afternoon Keynote
How can we use the Earth as a role model for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB)? How can biodiversity in nature inspire us to value diversity in the human ecosystem? Join Camille and Dan, co-creators of Diversity Education In Nature, as they share how nature continues to be one of our greatest teachers.
Guest speakers: Camille Simone Edwards and Dan Kreisberg, Diversity Education in Nature