Next Generation Council

Sophie McClelland discovered the beauty in the local community and the outdoors of the Adirondacks at a young age, with the help of her parents and brothers, who routinely pushed her out the door. After graduating from Keene Central School, Sophie attended Middlebury College, where she majored in Environmental Studies & Geography. When not working full time at the Adirondack Chapter of The Nature Conservancy to protect her favorite playground, Sophie can be found coaching for NYSEF Nordic or simply playing in the mountains with friends and family.

Dan grew up in Wilmington and attended Lake Placid Central High School, followed by attending SUNY Geneseo for a B.A. in Anthropology. He then moved to Boston to serve in AmeriCorps VISTA and then worked in the nonprofit sector for several years. He attended Brandeis University's Heller School for Social Policy and Management where he completed his MBA in nonprofit management and a Master of Public Policy and was selected to be a Segal Citizen Leadership Fellow. He has been active in local politics and currently works for the Boston Foundation where he focuses on engaging the Innovation Economy as well as supporting the Equality Fund, an advised fund that supports organizations serving the LGBTQ community.

Alex started as an Associate in the Boston office of the Boston Consulting Group in March 2017. He is a recent graduate of Middlebury College, where he studied Environmental Economics and Chinese.

Natasha joins the Next Gen Council with her passion for seeing the area succeed backed by her experience as a local involved community member, mother, and marketing guru. She is no stranger to Adirondack Foundation as she has worked extensively with them in her role as Broadcast Producer Adworkshop, an employee-owned marketing agency based in Lake Placid, NY. As dedicated as she is to her work, Natasha finds as much time as possible to enjoy all that the beautiful Saranac Lake/Lake Placid area has to offer.

Meg is a free-spirited writer living and working on the Adirondack Coast. Meg's creativity, capacity for critical thought, and love of community infuse her work as deputy supervisor at the Town of Plattsburgh where she strives to nurture the progressive, inclusive ideals our North Country is built upon.

Alex currently lives in New York City, where he is the co-founder and COO of tech startup ELUXR. He received master’s degrees in biostatistics and ecology & evolutionary biology, and has been a frequent visitor to the Adirondack Park since he was 5 years old. For the past two years, he has been a vocal, founding member of the Adirondack Council’s NYC-ADK group, and he can’t wait to make a difference with the Adirondack Foundation’s Next Gen Council.

Deirdre comes from a multi-generational Blue Mountain Lake family and is particularly interested in the intersection between the environmental and economic goals within the Adirondack Park. She lives in New York City where she works in Huron Consulting Group’s life sciences practice following her recent graduation from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. She has experience in the financial services, healthcare, and consulting industries. She loves to travel, read, try new recipes, ski, and run, especially in the Adirondacks!

Lucy was born and raised in Jay, NY on an alpaca farm. She went to North Country School where she was exposed to more farming and the outdoors. She learned to appreicate nature and wants to advocate for this beautiful area. Lucy left the Adirondacks to attend boarding high school in New Hampshire where enjoyed horticulture class working in the greenhouses and fields. After graduating in 2016, she took a gap year to travel in Europe for three months with her older sister. Returning to New York, she started at SUNY Plattsburgh where she is majoring in Nutrition. Upon receiving her bachelor's degree she plans to go to Naturopathic School. Her hobbies include reading, lacrosse, anything involving water, especially surfing, and tending to her chickens. 

Joanna graduated from Colgate in May 2014 and went on to work for a beverage start-u and later as Operations Manager for Owls Brew and Brew Lab Tea in New York City. Her family owns Asgaard Farm in AuSable Forks.

Colin is a fifth-generation native of Old Forge. He graduated from Harvard University in Spring 2017, where he studied Sociology and English, with emphasis in the areas of social networks, bereavement, and small towns. He writes poetry, and has been published in the Harvard Advocate. Colin enjoys playing golf, canoeing, and hiking.

Jeff is the nephew of Jim Herman and Dave Mason. Experienced Vice President Institutional Sales with a demonstrated history of working in the investment management industry. Skilled in Institutional Sales, building relationships, equity research, portfolio management, and asset allocation. Strong finance professional with a MSF focused in Finance from Bentley University and a CFA Level 3 Candidate.