FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: November 7, 2024
Contact: Audrey Schwartzberg, ANCA Communications Director, aschwartzberg@adirondack.org, 518.891.6200

ANCA Board of Directors Welcomes Glens Falls Ornament Maker
Stephanie Guzik-Lendrum brings unique entrepreneurial experience to economic development nonprofit

SARANAC LAKE, N.Y. — The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) Board of Directors has announced the addition of the newest member to the regional economic development nonprofit’s leadership team. Stephanie Guzik-Lendrum is the founder and owner of Cedar + Pearl, a Glens Falls business that creates handmade, heirloom ornaments sold in shops across New York.

Guzik-Lendrum’s nomination was unanimously approved by the ANCA Board at its quarterly meeting on September 13, 2014 in Saranac Lake, N.Y.

“We are thrilled to welcome Stephanie to the board as her real-life insight and experience will do so much to inform our work with North Country entrepreneurs,” said ANCA Board President Kelly Chezum. “Stephanie’s small business story is so inspiring, and her energy and enthusiasm are truly contagious. Her skills will be invaluable to the board as we help tackle ANCA’s goals for the year ahead, including a new strategic plan for the organization.”

Guzik-Lendrum joins the board as ANCA is developing a new strategic plan to launch in 2025, while continuing to provide programming that is responsive to the unique needs of North Country small farms, businesses and communities. With a focus on building economic strength and stability in this rural region, ANCA provides targeted programs that improve access to financing, grant opportunities and energy upgrades. ANCA also offers business development and ownership transition resources, as well as programs that empower community members to advance diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging throughout the region.

“I’m excited to be a part of the ANCA board so I can give back to the group that helped me thrive in my early years after starting my business,” Guzik-Lendrum said. “I look forward to helping ANCA respond to the needs of other North Country makers and small businesses so they can find their footing and grow.”

Guzik-Lendrum has operated her business full time since 2018 after several years working in the field of biochemistry. She now employs a team of women who work with her to produce tens of thousands of hand-painted ornaments each year. All stages of Cedar + Pearl’s production take place in her Glens Falls workshop.

Guzik-Lendrum earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and biophysics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in 2005 and a PhD in cell and developmental biology from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2011. She served as a postdoctoral fellow and staff scientist at RPI until 2018, when she turned her ornament-making hobby into a new business.

Cedar + Pearl has been growing ever since. Among other wholesale opportunities, Guzik-Lendrum has showcased her work at ANCA’s annual Adirondack Buyer Days trade show, which she has attended since 2019.

“Stephanie brings a unique perspective to the board, being a maker that has utilized ANCA services to grow her business into a full-time occupation,” said ANCA Executive Director Elizabeth Cooper. “Her insights into the gaps between what services small businesses need and the current services available will help strengthen ANCA’s impact in our region.”

ANCA works with regional partners to advance opportunities for small business; local food producers; the clean energy economy; and diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging efforts. ANCA hosts events ranging from one-hour virtual workshops for businesses and municipal leaders to in-person conferences that tackle timely issues and opportunities — like the upcoming Adirondack Diversity Initiative Symposium, set for November 12, 2024 in Paul Smiths, N.Y. To learn more about ANCA and its programs, visit www.adirondack.org.

ANCA is an independent, nonprofit corporation with a transformational approach to building prosperity across northern New York. Using innovative strategies for food systems, clean energy, small businesses, and equity and inclusion, ANCA delivers targeted interventions that create and sustain wealth and value in local communities.

Attached: one (1) photo

Photo provided by Stephanie Guzik-Lendrum

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