Where are you from? Brewster, NY is where I grew up, but we spent summers on Old Sweeney Farm Road in Schroon Lake, NY, where my dad was from. How long have you worked at ROOST? This week marks three years at ROOST! Job title? Dual duties: Senior Content Developer, and Grant Development and Administration. 1-2 sentence description of your job duties: I work with a great team to develop content for all of our many sites (you would not believe how many sites we have). I coordinate the weekly email that highlights a story in each of our regions, I also blog, wrangle for our freelance writers, and help secure grant money to support our sustainable tourism efforts. What do you like about working at ROOST? I think my favorite part of this job is the diversity of both the people and the projects. One day I can be sitting in the office typing away, the next day I’m out doing blog research or a photo/video shoot on the side of a mountain, or on a motorcycle, or in a plane! What's your favorite book and why? I’m going old school here. And, I’m breaking the rules and choosing two favorites; I must have read The Outsiders and Little Women dozens of times in my younger years. I can’t wait to introduce my son to Pony Boy. What are your three favorite things to do outside of work? I love to travel, hike with my family, and although I’m a horrible cook, I actually love to bake. Tell us about your pets and/or children. I have a seven-year-old son, Oliver — he’s got a crazy amount of energy, a huge heart, and he keeps me on my toes. He’s my activity companion and the inspiration for most of my family-friendly blogs. Currently we have two cats, Howard and Whitey, however a dog is currently being campaigned for quite successfully. What places are on your travel bucket list and why? What are your favorite places that you have traveled to? I would love to go to Greece and Australia. As for favorite places outside of the Adirondacks, I’d choose Vancouver (the rain forest is awesome), a few small towns in the mountains of Colorado, and basically any ocean shoreline - I love the water. What's a fact about you that you wish you had more opportunity to talk about? I have always loved to travel in non-traditional ways. In my 20s I did a few North American bus-and-truck theatre tours and managed to visit every state in the continental U.S. in under two years. It was a great experience, however, sleeping/living on a tour bus with 9 other people can make you go a bit stir-crazy. Last summer I did the official Cycle the Erie Canal tour - we biked from Buffalo to Albany (approximately 400 miles) in a week. This summer is all about getting our 1980’s-era RV out and about. What song would you sing at karaoke and why? That depends - are you trying to clear the bar? If not, don’t hand me a mic.

Saranac Lake, N.Y. - Saranac Lake-based ArtWorks is seeking artists to participate in its popular Studio Tours. The tours are self-guided and free to the public. New this 10th Anniversary year; the tours will be extended to the last weekend of months June through November. Tour hours are Friday, Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sundays Noon-3 p.m. The Studio Tours are an exciting event for artists of all mediums to meet and share their love of art, and an opportunity for travelers to be inspired by the region’s robust arts culture while touring the North Country’s gorgeous landscape. From potters to sculptors and photographers to painters, artists who work in all medias, styles and subjects, including non-ArtWorks members located throughout the region, all are welcome to participate in the events. For more information about ArtWorks, visit their website at www.saranaclakeartworks.com. To sign up for the Studio Tours or with any questions, contact Georgianne Gaffney at info@georgeannegaffney.com or 518.524.8603.

ROOST CEO James McKenna reviews results of the 2016 Lake Champlain Bass Fishing Tournament survey in Ticonderoga on May 2.5/2/17: Ticonderoga, N.Y. - The Town of Ticonderoga, the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce (TACC) and the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) are pleased to announce the results of the 2016 Lake Champlain Bass Fishing Tournament survey, and the 2017 tournament lineup.In 2016, TACC partnered with ROOST to conduct a survey of bass fishing tournament participants to gather feedback about their experiences and impacts in the region. The survey was distributed to all tournament participants throughout the spring, summer and fall of 2016, and included questions about location and duration of stay, and type and total expenditures while they were in the region, in addition to collecting demographic data. The central and southern portions of Lake Champlain have long been known as a premier bass fishery, and as a result, the area has become a favorite destination for bass fishing tournaments. Ticonderoga has long served as a primary weigh station and tournament headquarters, and the Town and TACC have worked to solicit and support these events.Town of Ticonderoga Supervisor Joe Giordano is pleased with the continued success of the fishing program. “We are fortunate to be a well-known bass fishing destination, and our region possesses the quantity and quality of fish, as well as the gorgeous scenery to draw elite fishermen to the area,” he said. “The Town of Ticonderoga is honored to partner with TACC and ROOST to ensure that this important group of annual visitors is amply supported as they enjoy both our pristine waters and our welcoming communities.” “The results of the survey indicate that Ticonderoga’s leadership in pursuing and supporting these events is having a positive impact in the region,” said James McKenna, ROOST CEO. “Overall, these tournaments represent $1.4 million in estimated direct expenditures in the communities along Lake Champlain’s Adirondack Coast in Essex County.” In 2016, respondents traveled to the region from 11 states, including one from Florida, and the Canadian province of Ontario. The survey results also showed a high rate of return visits, with 45 percent of respondents indicating the they have participated in more than 11 tournaments in the region, and 62 percent saying they have previously traveled to the Ticonderoga/Lake Champlain Region for reasons other than for fishing tournaments. An astounding 99 percent of respondents said that based on their experience, they would visit again. “These folks are valuable, and loyal to the region,” McKenna added.TACC now serves as the official fishing tournament community coordinator, a role that requires facilitating promotional and logistical details, including coordination with NYS Department of Environmental Conservation to arrange boat launch access. “We greatly appreciate the DEC staff for their ongoing collaboration,” said TACC executive director Matt Courtright. “Their participation is critical to the smooth and successful organization of these events.” Courtright expressed gratitude to former Town of Ticonderoga Supervisor Bill Grinnell for his contributions to the increase in fishing tournaments that continues today. “We continue to work closely with tournament leaders, and are excited to announce that the number of tournaments continues to increase,” said Courtright. “In 2016, the number of tournaments increased to 24, and we saw the tournament season extending further into the shoulder seasons. In 2017, there are currently 35 tournaments scheduled, and that number could still increase.” For more information about bass fishing on Lake Champlain, visit www.lakechamplainregion.com.###VIEW SURVEY REPORT

Speculator, NY - During the Adirondack Speculator Region Chamber of Commerce dinner on May 17, Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) representatives provided a marketing program status report to area officials that outlined ongoing marketing initiatives and future projects. In 2014, ROOST entered into an contract with Hamilton County to provide destination marketing services. As part of that contract, ROOST manages paid and earned marketing campaigns, associated social media accounts and the destination website, adirondackexperience.com, providing content updates, search engine optimization and hosting. The presentation provides a snapshot of marketing results for Hamilton County, featuring website statistics for adirondackexperience.com, social media reach, content development (blogs), digital ad and graphic design projects, and more. Adirondack Experience's Facebook page has seen a 58 percent increase in followers since January! ROOST has also designed and created websites for the Hamilton County towns of Inlet and the soon-to-be launched site for Indian Lake. ROOST is now working with the Adirondack Speculator Region Chamber of Commerce on a dedicated Speculator site. The following power point presentation provides a snapshot of ROOST's marketing efforts and initiatives in Hamilton County: Speculator-Chamber-Dinner

Congratulations to ROOST's Bethany Valenze on graduating with honors from North Country Community College. She earned an Associates Degree in Sports and Events Management, and was awarded the UPS Store Desktop Publishing Award and the Sports and Events Management Program Coordinator's Award. Bethany is one of ROOST's visitor service specialists and helps organize special events. Outside of work, she loves to hike, camp, play with her rescue dog, and be on the water in her kayak.