By Zach Hobbs, ANCA Deputy Director
When ANCA launched our new Strategic Plan, Building Shared Prosperity earlier this year, we made a very small change to our logo, replacing our previous tagline, “Growing the New Economy” with “A North Country for All.”
I’ve read a lot about strategic plans and branding, and in spite of good advice to not spend too much time highlighting very small changes, I want to tell you about this new tagline, why it’s so important, and how you’ll see it in action in the coming years.
Earlier this month, more than 50 convened for our 2026 Annual Member Meeting at Emmanuel Congregational Church in Watertown, N.Y. – a place that is truly building A North Country for All through their inclusive, welcoming space for safety, comfort and community. We discussed a range of core ANCA initiatives described in the strategic plan, including the Adirondack Diversity Initiative (ADI), Center for Businesses in Transition (CBIT), Compost for Good, and North Country Clean Energy Hub.
Using A North Country for All, we sought to drive our conversation beyond the great work and results we’ve achieved over the last year to instead explore the questions we are asking, the knowledge and resources we’re pursuing, and our vision for a future in which we can definitively see that ANCA’s work has made a positive, enduring impact in the region.
Listening to and learning from our team, it’s clear that A North Country for All is our north star – a simple guide, an inspirational goal, and a thought-provoking challenge. Our vision includes every individual’s ability to access:
- Amenities, services, necessities and jobs at locally owned and operated small businesses in vibrant communities with stable (and sustainably growing!) populations;
- Food grown and made by local farmers and producers stewarding working, agricultural lands and soils;
- Safety, comfort and affordability in homes, institutions, organizations and businesses through clean, low-cost and locally produced energy solutions;
- Communities preparing for the future through climate readiness, waste reduction, economic development and other planning opportunities;
- Thoughtful, factual and regionally-relevant information and convenings around complex issues of economy, climate and energy, food, welcoming and belonging and other related issues;
- Meaning, safety and belonging in a region with trusting and reciprocal relationships between residents and visitors and institutions that serve and support us;
- And so much more!
Taken together, A North Country for All, built through the work of ANCA and our partners, means safety, opportunity and meaning that is accessible to everyone who lives or may one day live in the region. It is prosperity, shared by all, in strong communities set amidst and in harmony with our one-of-a-kind natural landscapes.
As a member, a partner, a program participant or a friend, you are invited* to be part of this work, and we hope you’ll invite us to be part of yours. Together, we ensure everyone can thrive together across northern New York, sustaining our region’s strength tomorrow, next year and long into the future.
*We welcome you to directly support our collaborative, prosperity-building work across the region by making a membership contribution today. Learn more about membership opportunities at bit.ly/ANCAmember.
Photos: 2026 ANCA Annual Meeting Awardees exemplify our shared vision for a North Country for All: Emmanuel Congregational Church (accepted by Community Meals Coordinator Stephanie Russell) and Bob and Gabi Owens of G.R.O. Energy Solutions (pictured with ANCA’s Erin Griffin).
