The Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) announced that Michael Barrett was appointed as the new executive director of the organization, which will be effective in November.
The appointment was unanimously approved by the ADK board of directors at its Sept. 28 meeting.
ADK’s previous executive director and current chief executive officer, Neil Woodworth, will remain with ADK for several months to facilitate the transition and will remain of counsel to ADK for the near future.
“Michael is a proven and dynamic leader with years of success as an advocate and policy maker. We look forward to him joining ADK,” said John Gilewicz, ADK board president.“We thank Neil for his decades of service and his tremendous contribution, not just to ADK but to New York state.”
“We welcome Michael Barrett to the Adirondacks and we look forward to working with him in the years ahead,” said William C. Janeway, executive director of the Adirondack Council. “His experience will serve him well as we all work to protect the park’s ecology, beauty and wilderness, and improve public recreation.”
“For more than 35 years, Neil produced results through his dedication, passion, expertise, knowledge, vision and ability to lead volunteers and staff,” said Janeway. “Neil has had an incredible positive impact on the preservation of wildlands, protection of and opening to the public of waters such as Little Tupper Lake, the Boreas Ponds, and education of outdoor enthusiasts.”
Barrett is a former foreign language interrogator for the U.S. Army. He went on to obtain his law degree in 2002 before serving as an attorney to the NYS Assembly Codes Committee. He later held executive-level positions in both the Spitzer and Paterson governor administrations.
After moving to Missouri, he worked as counsel to the Department of Natural Resources before becoming deputy general counsel to Gov. Jeremiah “Jay” Nixon, a position he held for three years before being selected as the director of the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency.
For the past four-plus years, Barrett served as the director of the Missouri State Public Defender System, which included functioning as both the systems’ lobbyist and public information officer.
Barrett, an avid outdoorsman and paddler, will come to New York later this fall, along with his wife Sebrina, who is the executive director of the Missouri Bar, and his children.
“I look forward to building on the successes that have already been achieved by this incredible organization,” said Barrett.
ADK is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and advocating for New York state’s wild lands and waters while teaching people how to enjoy natural places responsibly. Since 1922, the organization has offered people opportunities to stay and play in as well as protect, discover, and explore the outdoors. Today, ADK has 30,000 members in 27 chapters statewide and is served by a professional, year-round staff.