Several Adirondack area organizations recently welcomed an allotment of new staff, including Champlain Area Trails (CATS), the Adirondack Park Agency (APA), The Hyde Collection, Silver Bay YMCA, and the Trudeau Institute.

Trudeau Institute President Atsuo Kuki Leaves Position, Chief Administrative Officer William Chapin named interim director

Saranac Lake—Atsuo Kuki has stepped away from his role as president and director of Trudeau Institute, after serving in the role for six years.

Chief Administrative Officer William Chapin, a 9-year Trudeau veteran, has been appointed the Institute‘s interim director.

Kuki informed Trudeau‘s Board of Trustees of his decision this month, after taking a leave of absence for personal reasons in December.

“Over the past six years, Atsuo’s vision has strengthened and revitalized Trudeau Institute,” said Kip Testwuide, chairman of Trudeau‘s Board of Trustees. “As we move forward, our team will continue its work in tuberculosis, COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, both through self-directed research and our partnerships with other world-class organizations. We’re enormously grateful for his contributions and wish him well.”

In a message he shared with Trudeau staff, Kuki noted the “inspiration I gained from the Institute, from our storied history, and from you and your dedication.”

Chapin previously held leadership positions at North Country Community College and Mercy Uihlein Health Corp. before joining Trudeau in 2014. “I look forward to working with our entire team to continue on the trajectory Atsuo established,” Chapin said.

About Trudeau Institute

Trudeau Institute, headquartered in Saranac Lake, N.Y., safeguards human health by combatting 21st-century global health crises, such as the rise of drug-resistant tuberculosis, COVID-19 and emerging pandemic viruses. Its roots can be traced to 1884, when Edward Livingston Trudeau launched the first American laboratory solely dedicated to tuberculosis research. Today, Trudeau scientists spearhead innovation by conducting urgent biomedical research on infectious disease and collaborating with national and international R&D partners to accelerate medical impact.

Champlain Area Trails (CATS) Hires New Operations Manager 

Champlain Area Trails has named Christina Vaughn as its Operations Manager. Photo provided by Champlain Area Trails.

Westport, NY – Champlain Area Trails (CATS) announced today that it hired Christina Vaughn as its Operations Manager.

Chris Maron, Executive Director of CATS stated, “We are so pleased to have Christina join the CATS team. Her experience in customer relations and office and organizational operations will be a tremendous asset for us as we look forward to the next ten years of CATS’ programming and support.”

Vaughn was recently at Mountain Lake Service in their fiscal intermediary department.

“Christina has a terrific set of experiences over many years in the nonprofit sector, and her interest and leadership in operations and office management are important strengths she brings to CATS,” said Maron.

Christina is a North Country Community College graduate and holds an NYS Self Direction Broker Authorization certificate. She started her work at CATS on January 17.

Champlain Area Trails (CATS) is a nonprofit, accredited land trust whose mission is to save land, make trails, connect people with nature and promote economic vitality in New York’s Champlain Valley. Information on future CATS events and activities is available at champlainareatrails.com and by following CATS on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Please call (518) 962-2287 or email info@champlainareatrails.com for more information.

Adirondack Park Agency Announces Appointment of David J. Plante, AICP CEP as Deputy Director for Regulatory Programs

David J. Plante has been appointed as the APA’s Deputy Director for Regulatory Programs. Photo provided by Keith P. McKeever of the APA.

Ray Brook, NY – The Adirondack Park Agency is pleased to announce the appointment of David Plante to the position of Deputy Director for Regulatory Programs. He will begin on February 6, 2023. In this role he will be responsible for supervising the agency’s project review and permitting responsibilities.

David Plante has extensive management, environmental and land use planning experience. He most recently held the position of Energy and Environmental Practice Leader at Bergmann Associates, a consulting firm headquartered in Rochester, NY. At Bergmann he managed a multi-discipline staff of 32, and was accountable for strategic planning, business development and community relations. His project management responsibilities included overseeing quality control, permitting and environmental compliance for hundreds of public and private sector environmental planning and engineering projects across eleven different states.

“The Agency is excited to welcome David Plante onboard to serve in the critical role of Deputy Director for Regulatory Programs”, said Executive Director Barb Rice. “David’s career accomplishments, professional accreditations, and strong familiarity with the regulatory framework of the Park will ensure a seamless transition of leadership.”

David Plante is an American Institute of Certified Planners member with over seventeen years of professional experience. He also obtained the Advanced Specialty Certification as a Certified Environmental Planner which recognizes certified planners that achieve an exceptional level of expertise in the art and science of environmental planning. He also is President of the New York Planning Federation, an organization dedicated to training municipal planning board and zoning board of appeals members.

He holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning Degree from the University of Albany and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Environmental Studies from Siena College.

The Hyde Collection appoints new Curator of the Permanent Collection

Bryn Schockmel, Ph.D. has been named the new curator of The Hyde Collection’s permanent collection. Photo provided by Katie Alessi, Trifecta Collaborative Marketing Director & Founder.

Glens Falls, NY- The Hyde Collection has announced the appointment of Bryn Schockmel, Ph.D., as the Museum’s new curator of the permanent collection. Schockmel, a curator specializing in Italian Renaissance and Baroque art, comes to The Hyde from the Oklahoma City Museum of Art (OKCMOA) and joined the museum staff on January 9.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Schockmel to The Hyde Collection team. A dynamic expert in her field, she is joining The Hyde at an incredibly exciting time as we celebrate the Museum’s sixtieth
anniversary,” stated Norman Dascher, Jr., CEO. “Dr. Schockmel shares our passion for the mission of The Hyde to maintain a museum for the exhibition of the permanent collection and to promote and cultivate the improvement of the fine arts for the education and benefit of the residents of Glens Falls and vicinity and the general public. Through her work at other museums, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Harvard Art Museums, and The Clark Art Institute, she has applied her academic rigor to bring new insights to art collections that forge interdisciplinary conversations about important topics. I am delighted to welcome her to The Hyde’s staff and look forward to working with her in shaping the Museum’s exhibition program.”

As curator of the permanent collection, Schockmel will honor the vision of Charlotte Pruyn Hyde by ensuring the 5,000-plus works in the collection advance a greater understanding and appreciation of the Museum’s collection among all audiences through research, lecture, and writing. She will promote and fulfill the mission, goals, and values of The Hyde through the care, preservation, and presentation of the permanent collection, exhibitions, and public programs. She will plan and execute exhibitions related to the permanent collection.

Originally from upstate New York, Schockmel earned her B.A. from Skidmore College, her M.A. from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, and her Ph.D. in Italian Renaissance art history from Boston University. After graduating in 2019, Schockmel moved to Oklahoma City to begin her Kress/AAMD Fellowship for Provenance Research at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Over the course of her fellowship, Schockmel researched the provenance, or ownership history, of works in the Museum’s permanent collection and curated an exhibition, Art with a History, that highlighted some of her more interesting findings.

In the fall of 2020, she began her new position as Curator at OKCMOA. Her first major project was coordinating curator for the large-scale traveling exhibition The Painters of Pompeii: Roman Frescoes from the National Archaeological Museum, Naples. That was followed by an original exhibition, The Perfect Shot: Walter Iooss Jr. and the Art of Sports Photography. The monographic retrospective featured 85 works spanning the over-fifty-year career of legendary Sports Illustrated photographer Walter Iooss Jr. At OKCMOA, Schockmel also curated several smaller exhibitions and gallery rotations, offered tours to the public and school groups, gave lectures, and taught a class on early modern women artists.

Before moving to Oklahoma City, Schockmel worked at several museums in the Northeast, including The Clark Art Institute and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and had an internship at The Hyde Collection in 2013-14. While in Boston, she taught classes at Boston University, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and Boston College. She also spent a summer volunteering at an Etruscan archaeological excavation in Caere, Italy, run by Queen’s University. Schockmel has published articles in Comitatus, North Street Review, and Sequitur and has presented papers at the College Art Association and Renaissance Society of America annual conferences.

“I am excited to return to The Hyde Collection, now in the role of curator, as it will provide the opportunity for me to engage with an exceptional collection of art and develop exhibitions that can foster interdisciplinary conversations,” Bryn Schockmel says. “I am energized by the Museum’s mission and commitment to diversity and inclusion.”

Silver Bay YMCA welcomes new VP of Development and Government Relations

Walter Lender has accepted the position as Vice President of Development and Government Relations of Silver Bay YMCA. Photo provided by Talia Perrea, Communications Specialist for Silver Bay YMCA.

Silver Bay – Silver Bay YMCA is proud to announce that C. Walter Lender has accepted the position of Vice President of Development and Government Relations. Lender holds a Master’s
Degree in Administration from Saint Michael’s College and a BA from Hartwick College.

“I’m thrilled and honored to accept the role of VP for Development and Government Relations. Silver Bay is an incredible asset to the regional economy and a leader in environmental
stewardship of Lake George,” Lender said. “I’m looking forward to helping Silver Bay grow and flourish.”

Lender, along with his wife and six children, lives in Ticonderoga on the northern end of Lake George. For nearly 18 years Lender served as the Executive Director of the Lake George Association
where he focused on the conservation and preservation of Lake George and its watershed. Lender also brings over 34 years of experience in the not-for-profit sector to the team. Previously Lender was both the Director of Development and the Government and Corporate Relations Officer for Fort Ticonderoga. He has also served as the Executive Director of PRIDE of Ticonderoga.

Currently Lender serves on the Ticonderoga Planning & Zoning Board, the board of Lakes to Locks Passage, the Sylvamo Citizen’s Advisory Committee, the Lake George Land Conservancy, Essex County’s Water Quality Coordinating Committee, Lake Champlain Basin Program’s NY Citizen’s Advisory Committee- which he currently chairs, the Black Point Road Civic Association, and was recently appointed to the Elizabethtown Community Hospital board.

Over the years Lender has been active in local economic development, planning, and historic preservation efforts.

“I have always known Silver Bay to be a remarkable and special place,” Lender added. “From my first visit to the campus as a teenager through all the summers of dropping my children off at Silver Camp to my recent service on the board, Silver Bay has always impressed me with its scenic beauty, wholesome atmosphere, and sense of respite and rejuvenation. I’m pleased to help continue that legacy.”

Peter Doliber, CEO of Silver Bay YMCA, said, “We are thrilled to have Walt joining our team. His experience, reputation, skills, and love of Silver Bay will help us continue to grow and serve. Looking forward to working together!”

About Silver Bay YMCA:
Silver Bay YMCA, founded in 1902, is in Silver Bay, NY, just minutes south of Hague. Its 700-acre campus along one mile of Lake George shoreline offers a breadth of programs for all ages. Silver Bay YMCA is consistently ranked one of the top ten family reunion sites in the country and is on the National Register of Historic Places with the U.S. Department of the Interior. As a mission-based charity, Silver Bay YMCA offers outreach programs in addition to its core activities as a premier conference and family retreat center. Learn more about Silver Bay at www.silverbay.org.