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Our Misson

Act as a catalyst for
business and community development in the
greater Saranac Lake area 

Our Values

INTEGRITY

  • We do everything with our values in mind.

  • We assume the best of intentions in people and give everyone the benefit of the doubt.

  • We do what we say we are going to do.

  • We do everything thoughtfully and with high quality.

  • We give feedback directly, respectfully, and with a focus on solutions.

  • We communicate our needs and expectations openly and do not get angry at others’ failures to fulfill expectations we never clearly set.

  • We actively listen and are open to feedback and improvement.

  • We take responsibility for our mistakes and learn from them.

  • We acknowledge our roles in conflicts and participate in finding and implementing solutions.

ACTION

  • We plan to the best of our abilities and take timely actions using available information.

  • We take calculated risks and view failures as learning opportunities.

  • We are not afraid to change course as more information becomes available.

TRANSFORMATION

  • We support each other and give everyone a chance to learn and to improve because we believe individuals are the key to societal transformation.

  • We are not afraid to have courageous, sometimes even painful conversations that may lead to the positive transformation of our organization, of Saranac Lake, and of the wider community.

  • We recognize our role in supporting leaders and organizations to transform policies and systems.

  • We encourage and create opportunities for diverse communities to support each other and build solidarity across identities.

 

EQUITY

  • We are thoughtful about our privileges and how they affect our interactions with others.

  • We create environments that allow for voices that are often less heard to be heard, including checking in with those who tend to be quieter, and asking more dominant voices to step back and do more listening.

  • We acknowledge and celebrate the strengths and differences in others, and do not assume that the ways we are used to doing things are the only correct ways to do things.

COMMUNITY

  • We create a space for everyone. We actively build an environment where everyone of any race, ethnicity, class, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, accessibility needs, or country of origin feels welcomed and seen.

  • We welcome and encourage energetic conversations across diverse perspectives and challenge each other respectfully.

  • We take time to get to know each other as individuals.

  • We support each other to learn and to grow.

  • We have a good sense of humor and find fun and joy in our work.

  • We are thoughtful of everyone’s needs when coordinating events and activities. We consider accessibility challenges and strive to accommodate everyone.

  • We are thoughtful of our impact on the environment as we do our work.

Meet The Team

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Adrienne Oliveras

Membership &

Engagement Coordinator

Adrienne is a born and raised Saranac Lake native. Adrienne has always strived to help people in and out of her community, from volunteering at various events in the area, to going on yearly mission trips to communities in need throughout the U.S. After graduating from Saranac Lake High School she moved on to North Country Community College to further her education in the human services/criminal justice fields. While attending North Country she served as the Student Government President, helping provide a sense of community for students. In recent years she has enjoyed providing excellent customer service in various jobs in the community. As the new Membership and Engagement Coordinator she is thrilled to be helping local businesses succeed in their goals and making a positive impact for the hometown she loves.

518.891.1990
Welcome@slareachamber.org
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Rachel Karp

Executive Director

Rachel has lived in Saranac Lake for 14 years and grew up in Chateaugay Lake, NY.  She graduated from Paul Smith’s College with a B.S. in Hotel, Resort, and Tourism Management and prior to becoming Executive Director for the Chamber she was Director of North Country Operations for the Adirondack Mountain Club.  She has experience in owning a small business, working in nonprofit, and hospitality and tourism.  When not working you will find her enjoying the lakes and trails by paddling, hiking, biking, or walking with her dog.

Board of Directors

JACOB WRIGHT 
PRESIDENT 
Skyward Companies
2nd term, expiration 2025 

CHRIS KNIGHT 
VICE PRESIDENT
North Country Community College 
2nd term, expiration 2026

JACOB KIPPING
TREASURER 
Hotel Saranac 
1st term, expiration 2025

EMMETT SMITH
SECRETARY 
Northern Power & Light 
1st term, expiration 2024

CYNTHIA MARTINO

Bionique Testing Laboratories
1st term, expiration 2025

MIKE NAVARRA
Wilkins Agency
1st term, expiration 2024

JOE SHOEMAKER 
FORMER PRESIDENT
Fathom Recruitment
2nd term, expiration 2024


COREY HURWITCH 
Adirondack Regional Airport 
1st term, expiration 2025

MELANIE SLEIME

Adirondack Health
1st term, expiration 2026

CHRIS BLUE

Edward Jones 
1st term, expiration 2026

KATIE STEPHENSON

Community Bank N.A 
1st term, expiration 2026

MENDHI AUDLIN
What If Up Club? 
1st term, expiration 2026

JUSTIN OLIVER
Human Power Planet Earth
1st term, expiration 2026

 
TIFFANY REA-FISHER
Adirondack DIversity Initiative
1st term, expiration 2026

AMY WENSKE
St. Joe’s Rehab & Addiction
1st term, expiration 2026


 

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