CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT

• Staff implemented proactive public communications about regional economic development initiatives, opportunities and issues through use of the internet, press releases and public forums.
• ANCA's Board of Directors developed a statement in response to the NYSDEC Draft ATV Policy for ATV Public Access with ANCA’s position posted at ANCA’s website www.adirondack.org.
• Staff outlined graphic design changes to ANCA’s website to present information about North Country businesses, ANCA’s programs, press releases and current news in an easily accessible format.
• ANCA partnered with Comlinks in providing promotion, workshops and technical assistance services to the Women’s Business Entrepreneurial Center.
• ANCA partnered with the Plattsburgh and Watertown SBDCs in presenting workshops.
• ANCA partnered with the City of Oswego Community Development Office to present the Marketing Toolkit to downtown retailers in Oswego.
• ANCA developed a partnership with Katy Curyn, Director of Retail and Market Access, WREN, New Hampshire to present a Marketing Toolkit workshop in Bethlehem, NH in March, 2006.
• ANCA partnered with Oswego’s Community Development Office to present a follow-up Marketing Toolkit workshop in late January 2006.
• Staff presented ANCA’s craft program at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Community Exchange Program in Saranac Lake in October.
• ANCA staff facilitated a workshop on the Marketing Toolkit at the ComLinks sponsored Small Business Tourism Conference in Akwasasne in October.
• ANCA continued partnerships with the Friends of the North Country, Wildlife Conservation Society, Tug Hill Commission and North Woods Engineering in the development and completion of the Adirondack and Olympic Corridor plans.
• ANCA initiated email transmissions to planners, city/town/village government officials, tourism representatives, businesses, civic groups and organizations, and economic/community development organizations. In June staff transmitted an Adirondack/Olympic Community e-newsletter to 300 recipients with information about summer travel season predictions, information about the Department of State’s Waterfront Communities program, and recreation promotion information about June as the "Great Outdoors Month." In October the transmission highlighted the announcement for Quality Community funding available through NYSDOS. In November the announcement highlighted the NYSDOT 2006 Scenic Byway Program grant program available through the Federal Highway Administration.
• ANCA assisted in the submission of project applications to NYSDOT on behalf of communities along the Olympic, Central Adirondack and Adirondack Byways.
• ANCA sponsored the Lewis County Cornell Cooperative Extension to attend the New York Food Show and provided North Country products for display.