23 Apr Regional Office Of Sustainable Tourism announces 2025 board of directors and officers
The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) Board of Directors approved four new members at its recent annual meeting.
Board Chair Nick Politi introduced Rebecca Kelly, Juliet Cook, Dan Rivera, and Andrea Crisafulli as the most recent additions to the board. “We’d like to welcome these local business leaders to the ROOST board of directors,” he said. “Their varied backgrounds, industry-specific expertise, and local knowledge will provide significant benefit to our organization. Representation from various communities and industries is exceptionally valuable as we continue to focus on ROOST’s destination marketing and management work.”
Rebecca Kelly, artistic director of the Tahawus Cultural Center and founder of Rebecca Kelly Ballet, will serve as the Whiteface Region representative. Her experience working with local arts and cultural organizations, event management, and fundraising provides her with an understanding of business challenges and Adirondack cultural initiatives. Ms. Kelly co-founded Rebecca Kelly Ballet in 1979 in New York City; her organization was invited to begin a summer residency program at Lake Placid Center for the Arts in 1987 which ultimately led to a 33-year relationship with Lake Placid. Rebecca trained at the Washington School of Ballet and holds a degree in History of Religion / Asian studies from Bryn Mawr College. She has served on the board of the Essex County Arts Council since 2015.
Juliet Cook, an attorney with Cook and Breitenbach Law Firm, has provided her expertise to those within the Adirondack region since 2017. Her experience spans property and estate law, along with general law practice. Ms Cook brings a diverse background and varied professional experiences to the ROOST board of directors including law, retail, and environmental protection. She attended Skidmore College in Saratoga, NY along with the University of Vermont Law School before settling in the Adirondacks. Ms. Cook represents the Lake Champlain Region.
Dan Rivera, owner of Triple Green Jade Farm in Willsboro represents the Lake Champlain Region. He and his wife launched their farm-based business in 2014, offering milk, eggs, small-batch dairy products, meat, fresh-baked artisan bread and other bakery goods made with local flour milled onsite. Dan is also the co-owner of Trigo and The Harvest Market, retail sites that sell locally produced bakery and farm products. His work with the region’s agricultural community led the way for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to be accepted by local farms and farmers markets, ensuring that fresh food is available to all. Dan holds an associate’s degree from Orange County Community College. His marketing and digital design career allowed him to work with organizations in Norway, France, New Zealand, and England.
Andrea Crisafulli, co-owner of the Lodge at Schroon Lake, is an Adirondack Hub Region representative. She is the third-generation owner and president of Crisafulli Bros. Plumbing and Heating Contractors, Inc., one of the largest mechanical contracting firms serving Upstate New York. Andrea’s experience spans business and building trades, along with hotel infrastructure management and business planning. Andrea’s passion for the Adirondacks was developed over many years, as her family visited the region each summer. She is a graduate of Russell Sage College, serves on a number of boards of directors and served as chair of the Capital District Chamber of Commerce.
Elizabethtown Town Supervisor Cathleen Reusser has been appointed as the Essex County Board of Supervisors representative, a position held in 2024 by Favor Smith. According to Board Chair Nick Politi, the ROOST board of directors has been fortunate to have representatives from the Essex County Board of Supervisors serve in an ex-officio capacity, providing real-time information exchange between ROOST and the county’s board of supervisors. “We have been extremely fortunate to work with Favor throughout 2024,” he commented. “The county’s commitment to our organization along with the supervisors’ professional insight, expertise, and unwavering service has been incredibly valuable.”
According to ROOST CEO Dan Kelleher, the board of directors is responsible for defining the organization’s long-term goals, fiscal oversight and ensuring that plans support its mission and vision. “ROOST board members focus on the organization’s strategic direction and ratifying its high level initiatives,” he said. “ROOST’s mission and vision, along with the direction of its overall program of work, is always at the forefront of decisions and plans that are developed and implemented. We look forward to working with all of our board members, old and new, as we seek to improve the lives of our region’s residents.”
The ROOST board of directors also elected its officers for 2025, three of whom will serve for a second year including: Nick Politi, chair; Chandler Ralph, vice chair; Garrick Smith as treasurer. Lisa Hess-Marks will serve as Secretary. ROOST officers serve in their executive role for one year; each board term is three years, with a maximum of three terms. Each board member represents a different industry and region of the Adirondacks.
Additional ROOST board members include: Jodi Gunther from Saranac Lake, Leslie Karasin from Saranac Lake, Hillarie Logan-Dechene from Hamilton County, Alex Madden and Jon Donk representing Lake Placid, Mariann Rapple representing the Lake Champlain Region and Matt Stanley, ex-officio, representing the Essex County Board of Supervisors.
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