Age: 34.
Birthplace: Tupper Lake.
Residence: Tupper Lake.
Occupation: Superintendent/principal of Long Lake Central School.
Accomplishments: “I have found a way to live and work in a place that I love, the Adirondacks, and I’ve found a profession where I can give back: education. When I look at the students that I work with day to day I can really connect with their experience because I’ve been there; I know what it’s like to be a kid going to public school in the Adirondacks, and I use that as a touchstone to guide how I can make their educational experience the very best.”
Favorite hike: “My all-time favorite hike was climbing Algonquin, Iroquois, and Wright peaks. It was my first trip into the High Peaks, and I got to climb them all with the woman who taught me to love this place with all my heart: my mom. During that trip I got bit by the Forty Sixer bug (still working on that list), and it solidified my love of the Adirondacks. My everyday favorite hike is Coney Mountain. It’s a bang for your buck: twenty minutes up and 360-degree views.”
Favorite paddle: “Long Lake to Tupper Lake. I’ve done this trip with a competitive spirit (ninety-miler race) as well as a leisurely spirit (camping, float trips). I love the mix of lake and river paddling.” Favorite view(s): “I have a long commute to work, but I can brag that I have the best views. Two of my favorite views include (i) looking down Long Lake at the Seward Range after crossing the bridge and (ii) crossing “the Flow” in Tupper Lake in the morning or evening (or any time of day, really). Every day I am grateful to be immersed in such an awe-inspiring setting.”
Why I live in the Adirondacks: “I love this place. It really is as simple as that. It has all of the things that I love and appreciate the most: fresh air, clear skies, varying seasons, safety, mountains, rivers, lakes, down-to-earth and genuinely wonderful people, and my family.”
If I were in charge of the Park: “I would pour as much creative power and money into recruiting young people to live here year-round as we do to bring visitors to the area. I’d create an I Love the ADKs campaign that matches the I Love NY campaign so that year-round residents feel a true sense of Adirondack citizenship. I’d start by bringing community agencies of all sizes together to create curriculum-based opportunities for K-12 students, regardless of where they live in the Park, to see the beauty and global presence of the Adirondacks and to study its history and present-day successes and challenges. I’d love for every student who graduates from a public school in the Adirondacks to feel a sense of connectedness to this place.”
