An open letter from Sawyer Bailey, Executive Director of AdkAction
In the Adirondacks, change is everywhere.
A store closure affects how a whole town shops. A road washout reshapes a commute. Kids grow up and graduate. New neighbors move in, new traditions are formed. Creative solutions to new challenges emerge.
At AdkAction we are always looking for change on the horizon so we can ensure our nonprofit organization stays responsive to the Adirondacks as they are and as they will be.
As we enter 2026, AdkAction is launching a new Strategic Plan that will direct our work through 2028. We keep these plans short-term because we know that change is happening more unpredictably, and more rapidly. This plan includes refreshed mission and vision statements that reflect what we’ve learned over the past fifteen years, and what the Adirondack region is asking of us now.
Our mission is clear: We make life better across the Adirondacks through partnerships and creative problem solving. Our vision looks forward: An Adirondacks where people and nature thrive together. We take action together to make it so.
For longtime supporters, we hope this plan and this mission will feel fresh, but deeply familiar. At its core are the values that have always defined AdkAction: we get things done, and fast; we believe a small group of passionate people can create real change; and we step in when communities need someone willing to take thoughtful risks and help spark ideas into action.
Focusing our impact where it matters most
The new strategic plan sharpens our focus around three areas of change, each rooted in real challenges facing Adirondack communities today, and each accomplishable in the near-term with our creative problem-solving methodology.
First, addressing basic needs.
Across the Adirondacks, access to reliable, essential goods and services shapes whether communities can remain vibrant places to live and work. Our Broadband for All project has helped expand access to high-speed internet in rural areas. Our work to improve access to groceries and local food addressed the everyday reality of families driving long distances for fresh ingredients. These projects share a commitment to protecting the systems people rely on while exploring new ways to meet longstanding needs. In a time when cost of living is rising and access to services is declining, this area of our work has never been more important.
Second, helping people respond to environmental challenges.
Environmental issues are never abstract in the Adirondacks, showing up in drinking water, road conditions, and household budgets. In 2017, AdkAction’s Road Salt Well Study helped communities see the connection between winter road maintenance and water quality. That project grew into our Clean Water Safe Roads Network, supporting towns and highway departments with tools, training, and peer learning. The lesson has been consistent: when people understand the problem and are given practical tools, they are eager to be part of the solution.
Third, responding thoughtfully to emergencies.
When emergencies disrupt daily life, AdkAction delivers quick action that bureaucracy can’t. During the COVID-19 pandemic, AdkAction launched the Emergency Food Packages project to help families access healthy food quickly. It was a rapid response built on trust, local partnerships, and a willingness to act before all the answers were clear. That experience continues to shape how we think about preparedness, response, and recovery in the Adirondacks.
Our projects evolve
One thing our new strategic plan makes explicit is something AdkAction has always practiced: our projects are designed to solve problems, not to exist forever.
We’ve launched over thirty projects over the last fifteen years. Some move at a sprint to address an acute gap and then conclude, like our Land Bank Catalyst in 2022 or our response to the SNAP Freeze in 2025. Still others grow large and strong enough to thrive under new leadership. The Beyond the Peaks Student Film Festival is now a regional cornerstone under Mountain Lake PBS. The Keeseville Community Arts Festival is in a transition year, with AdkAction supporting the Keeseville Free Library as they take the lead in 2026. Other projects evolve while remaining in our portfolio, impacting many hundreds of families, such as the Fair Food Card and Fair Share CSA programs that grew out of our Emergency Food Packages project.
Endings are part of responsible action. They create space for new beginnings. They allow us to remain nimble and intentional about the issues where we can make the greatest difference, and to use what we learn in past projects to do better work. They also allow AdkAction the capacity to investigate other problems and launch new projects. This year we are working to understand multiple new problems and launching new pilot projects we look forward to sharing with you very soon. The cycle of innovation is part of what makes us special.
Looking ahead
Curious optimism is a mindset. I find it invigorating that we have the opportunity to take action together to solve problems for our region. When other areas of our lives or our world feel stuck, let the Adirondacks be a region where change is within our grasp. I truly believe that.
As we begin 2026, I feel incredibly energized by this next chapter and deeply grateful for everyone who is a part of AdkAction’s story: past, present, and future. Thank you for believing in us, for helping us act with care, transparency, and purpose, and for taking action with us.
With gratitude,
Sawyer Bailey
Executive Director, AdkAction
