Courtesy LADK
By Rod Bacon
A vibrant business community is created because its members are willing to contribute their time and energy to keep improving it.
To set the stage for best practices, the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce has, since 1991, offered Leadership Adirondack (LADK), a program that brings management personnel together with proven leaders across many business sectors.
Historically, it was offered every year but Covid disrupted that schedule and it is now run every other year. The most recent group is the Class of 2025, which started last fall and graduated this past February. Applications for the Class of 2027 will be accepted in the spring of 2026.
“The reason for the change is that we’ve shifted the program a little bit,” said Tricia Rogers, president and CEO of the chamber. “We’ve made it more of an intense leadership training.”
She noted that due to the more in-depth sessions, which continue to be modified to give attendees the best possible experience, the price has increased slightly over past years. The cost for members of the last class was $3,000, and Rogers foresees the possibility of a slight increase going forward. Non-profits may apply for needs-based scholarships, which are funded by the ARCC Foundation, of up to $300.
An outside leadership professional, who works with a staff liaison, is hired to run the program. Currently, the liaison is Carol Ann Conover, director of events and community engagement. Rogers attends as many of the seminars and tours as her schedule permits.
