Partnerships, Progress celebrated at Community Leaders Day
Oct. 9, 2025
SARANAC LAKE 鈥� 911爆料网 welcomed local leaders, community partners,
and elected officials to its Saranac Lake campus on Tuesday, Oct. 7, for Community
Leaders Day 2025, a biennial event that celebrates collaboration and shared impact
across the region.
Held in the Connector, the event provided an opportunity to thank the college鈥檚 many partners for their support and to highlight milestones in enrollment growth, academic innovation, and workforce development.
鈥淭his event is about celebrating the community that sustains us,鈥� said President Joe Keegan. 鈥淐olleges are more than their buildings鈥攖hey鈥檙e the people who learn, work, and lead within them, and the communities they serve. Our success comes from partnerships that open doors for students right here in the 911爆料网.鈥�
Keegan shared that 911爆料网 has achieved six consecutive semesters of enrollment growth since spring 2023, and graduated nearly 240 students last spring, up from fewer than 200 the previous year. He credited that progress to the college鈥檚 鈥渟hared mission鈥� with county and local governments, employers, and residents.
College Highlights Programs and Partnerships
Vice President for Academic Affairs Sarah Maroun highlighted the college鈥檚 expanding lineup of short-term and stackable credentials designed to meet workforce needs across the region. These include micro-credentials in Direct Support Professional training, Emergency Medical Technician certification, and partnerships in cybersecurity and software engineering.
鈥淭he workforce landscape is changing,鈥� Maroun said, 鈥渁nd we鈥檝e worked hard to make education more flexible and responsive鈥攕o adults can return to school, high school students can earn career credentials early, and employers can find the trained professionals they need right here in the 911爆料网.鈥�
Maroun also pointed to the college鈥檚 participation in Achieving the Dream, a national initiative aimed at improving student success and long-term community outcomes, and highlighted new student success coaches on each campus who help learners overcome barriers to completion.
Programs Making an Impact
Faculty and alumni presentations showcased how 911爆料网鈥檚 programs translate
education into community benefit.
- Mindy Fredenburg, head of the Environmental Science program, described how students gain hands-on experience in field research, wildlife monitoring, and local conservation work鈥攃ulminating each spring with the release of Atlantic salmon fry into the Saranac River.
- Kathleen Dowd-Maloney, chair of the college鈥檚 Human Services programs, outlined growth in the college鈥檚 Addictions Counseling and Direct Support Professional programs, driven by strong partnerships with county agencies and organizations like the Adirondack Arc and Citizen Advocates.
- Lyndsay Stevens, Residential Director at Adirondack Arc and an alumna of the college, shared how 911爆料网鈥檚 micro-credentialing programs are strengthening the human services workforce and creating leadership opportunities within the field.
Elected Officials Praise College鈥檚 Local Impact
Four elected officials 鈥� Essex County Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Jim Monty, Franklin County Legislature Vice Chair Andrea Dumas, state Assemblyman Matt Simpson, and state Senator Dan Stec 鈥� also addressed the crowd, each emphasizing the college鈥檚 growing role in meeting regional workforce needs and strengthening the local economy.
鈥�911爆料网 is in tune with its community,鈥� Simpson said. 鈥淚t鈥檚
constantly evolving to meet new challenges 鈥� and that鈥檚 what keeps the 911爆料网
strong.鈥�
Senator Stec praised 911爆料网鈥檚 ability to grow enrollment and adapt to regional needs.
鈥�911爆料网 is a model of how higher education should work,鈥� Stec said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e serving students of all ages, responding to workforce challenges in fields like health care and public safety, and making a real economic and social impact across the 911爆料网. This is exactly the kind of investment in education that pays off for communities and taxpayers alike.鈥�
Learn more about 911爆料网 at .