2026 Annual Forward Together Conference

Presented by the Lake Champlain - Lake George Regional Planning Board

This year's conference will be held on October 1st, 2026 at The Lodge at Schroon Lake, Schroon Lake, NY

For your convenience, we've reserved a room block at The Lodge at Schroon Lake for the evening of Wednesday, September 30, 2026 with a courtesy rate of $179 + $29 resort fee (plus applicable taxes). Guests wishing to stay overnight are encouraged to book early, as rooms are available at the discounted rate until the block is full or reservation deadline is reached.

To reserve your room, please call The Lodge's Front Desk at 518-987-0708 and mention "Lake Champlain - Lake George Courtesy Rate". They'll book you within the room block for a standard room in the Main Lodge.

Registration

8:00 AM - 8:30 AM

8:30 Opening Remarks

Michael Morris, Deputy Secretary of State for Local Governments

New York State Department of State

Agenda and Speakers:

Track A - ADIRONDACK PARK: PEAK POTENTIAL

8:45 AM - 10:00 AM: Inspired By Nature, Driven By Ideas

Developing a Destination Park Within the Park - Kathryn Reiss, High Falls Gorge; Tim Bresett, Town of Ausable
From Forest to Foundation: NBRC's Timber for Transit Program - Chris Saunders, Northern Border Regional Commission & Mary Theresa Julien, NYS Department of State
Innovative Food Access: Vermont's Community Supported Enterprises Model - Ben Doyle, Preservation Trust of Vermont

10:30 AM - 11:45 AM: Forward, Together: Can't Stop, Won't Stop

Connecting the North Country: A Regional Cellular Deployment Strategy - Colleen Bisceglia, NYS ConnectALL & Brian McCann, GTA Telecom
Building Balanced Communities for the North Country: Workforce Housing Zoning Guide - Jamie Konkoski, LaBella Associates
Brownfield Redevelopment: Unlocking Opportunity in the North Country - Cailyn Locci, Weston & Sampson

Track B - FUELING RESULTS FROM THE GROUND UP

8:45 AM - 10:00 AM: Outthink the Competition

Community Project Roadmap: Planning for Success - Sarah Lang, Northern Border Regional Commission; Beth Gilles, LCLGRPB; & Jackie Hakes, MJ Engineering
Data to Dollars: Turning Numbers into Winning Grant Applications Alex Tranmer, Camoin Associates & Christa Franzi, Camoin Associates
Stack 'Em Up: Building Better Infrastructure with Layered Funding Beth Gilles, LCLGRPB & Sean Doty, Suozzo, Doty & Associates

10:30 AM - 11:45 AM: Turning State Programs into Grant Dollars

Small Steps, Big Impact: Becoming a Climate Smart Community - Elliot Lear, LCLGRPB & Amy Stypa, Village of Lancaster
Pro-Housing: Opening Doors to Opportunity - Colleen Nelson, LCLGRPB & Jenn Donovan, Fulton County Center for Regional Growth
Protecting What Matters Most: New York's DWSP2 Program - Sam Blake, LCLGRPB

11:45 am - 2:30 pm: Lunch-Hour Conversations with State and Federal Funding Agencies (Optional add-on session; extra cost applies)

An optional add-on to the Forward Together Conference, this lunch session offers attendees the chance to sit down with Program Directors from state and federal funding agencies. Enjoy a catered meal by The Brown Swan while discussing funding opportunities for projects that drive our region Forward, Together.

Attending Agencies include:

New York State Empire State Development
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Northern Border Regional Commission
New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation
National Grid
New York State Department of State
New York State Department of Transportation

Thank you to our Conference Sponsors:

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