Adirondack Planning Forum
The Adirondack Planning Forum is an annual conference hosted by the Adirondack Park Agency that provides training for Planning and Zoning Board members and informational presentations about current Adirondack issues, ideas, and funding opportunities.
The conference takes place over two days and includes an evening mixer with a keynote speaker, presentations and trainings, and lunch service. Local government officials, citizens, consultants, and partner agency representatives are all invited to attend.
When:
May 7-8, 2025Where:
Hotel Saranac, Saranac Lake, NYTentative Agenda (Updated March 31, 2025)
Track A Sessions
A1: Public Meetings and Hearings
A2: Subdivision Review: Part 1
A3: Subdivision Review: Part 2
A4: Area Variances: A Deep Dive
Track B Sessions
B1: Clean Water Planning and Infrastructure
B2: Housing
B3: Livable Communities
B4: Climate Resiliency for Rural Communities
During the Wednesday evening reception, the Agency is excited to welcome the following commissioners to speak on behalf of New York State's efforts to connect with and support local governments.
Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley
Walter T. Mosley was formerly President and Chief Executive Officer at Mosley Advisory Group. Founded in February 2021, the Mosley Advisory Group (MAG) was a full-service government and corporate relations firm with a concentration in emerging markets and overseas economic market initiatives, industrial development, alternative energy, and adult use cannabis.
Mr. Mosley worked as a national and international public relations strategist and offered his expertise in a variety of resources including a combined brand of skills necessary to reach crucial community members and critical legislators. In this role Mr. Mosley provided a unique approach to solving problems with government by utilizing an integrated strategy of lobbying, communications, social media, and grassroots efforts, masterfully designed to achieve his client's designated goals.
Prior to Mr. Mosley's private sector engagements, he represented the New York State Assembly within the New York State Legislature. From 2013 to 2020 Mr. Mosley represented communities in central Brooklyn encompassing the neighborhoods of Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights and parts of Bedford Stuyvesant and Crown Heights.
NYSDEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton
Amanda Lefton’s diverse career spans the public and private sectors, including previously serving as the Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) within the Department of the Interior. Under her leadership, BOEM developed and implemented an ambitious federal offshore wind program creating a new industry of family supporting jobs and generational opportunity. Her collaborative approach brought together various stakeholders to responsibly manage the nation’s critical offshore energy and mineral resources.
Prior to her role as BOEM Director, Lefton served as the First Assistant Secretary for Energy and Environment for New York, where she led the State’s environmental and climate initiatives overseeing a portfolio of executive agencies including the DEC. She has also worked for The Nature Conservancy in New York as the Deputy Policy Director and climate mitigation lead, the Rochester Regional Joint Board of Workers United and the New York State Assembly and New York State Senate. Lefton comes to the DEC from RWE, one of the world's leading players in the offshore wind sector, where she was the Vice President of Offshore Development, U.S. East.
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