FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: June 18, 2025
Contact: Audrey Schwartzberg, ANCA Communications Director, [email protected], 518.891.6200
Zach Hobbs Named ANCA Deputy Director, Leads Strategic Planning and Partnerships
Lauren Richard, Audrey Schwartzberg also take on leadership roles at the regional nonprofit
SARANAC LAKE, N.Y. — The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) has announced the appointment of Zach Hobbs as the regional economic development nonprofit’s first deputy director. Tasked with leading the organization’s strategic planning process, as well as identifying and coordinating opportunities for programmatic funding and growth, Hobbs formally took on the deputy director position earlier this month.
In this new role, Hobbs will expand ongoing efforts to build partnerships and support for ANCA’s work among regional stakeholders and elected officials. He will also lead planning, implementation and reporting processes for ANCA’s next strategic plan, which is set to be published in Fall 2025.
“This is a critical moment for ANCA as strategic adaptation is crucial to address the drastically changing grant funding landscape,” said Cooper. “We aim to identify the most critical needs of our communities and the core areas where ANCA provides the most benefit, while staying true to our values. Our communities will be relying on us more than ever before, and ANCA needs to be well positioned to meet that need. Zach’s expertise and leadership are helping ANCA meet this moment.”
Hobbs joined ANCA during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 to support the organization’s Center for Pandemic Response (ANCA CPR), which was funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration and The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. The two-year program provided free and low-cost technical assistance for North Country small businesses to help them build resilience and long-term stability — ultimately connecting 327 local businesses and nonprofits with services including energy improvements, strategic planning, e-commerce support, business valuation, market expansion and ownership transition support.
Starting in January 2023, Hobbs served as ANCA’s regional advocacy and workforce development coordinator. He engaged with local and state officials to grow awareness and support for initiatives that address the needs of North Country businesses and communities and built partnerships with regional entities on projects that strengthen businesses and support new and existing jobs.
Hobbs has a strong connection to the Adirondack North Country, having spent many formative years here while growing up in Saratoga County. Prior to joining ANCA, he worked in experiential education and community partnerships in the Boston and New Orleans areas, including as director of Boston University’s Community Service Center. He also served as an Empire State Fellow in New York’s Executive Office of Workforce Development. Hobbs holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Boston University and a Master’s in Education from Harvard University.
“I’m so proud to work with this ANCA team and to be part of the North Country community,” Hobbs said. “Together with our local partners, we are working strategically to empower communities that welcome all to live and thrive alongside our region’s remarkable natural environment. I believe deeply in our shared future.”
ANCA’s key areas of focus include local food systems, small businesses, clean energy, and equity and inclusion. As home of the Adirondack Diversity Initiative, ANCA aims to center welcoming and belonging in all of its programs. Hobbs said this lens, as well as a focus on collaboration within ANCA program areas and with regional partners, is critical to shaping ANCA’s goals for the next three years and beyond. He said the strategic planning process has included feedback from ANCA staff, board, partners, members and other stakeholders.
Hobbs took on the deputy director role on an interim basis in 2024 as other key staff took on leadership roles at the organization. In July 2024, Lauren Richard was named Small Business Program Director and Audrey Schwartzberg was appointed Communications Director. Richard has served over 11 years at ANCA in various programs that support small businesses, including ANCA CPR and the Center for Businesses in Transition partnership, and has organized ANCA’s annual Adirondack Buyer Days wholesale gift show for artisan entrepreneurs for ten years.
“One of the many things that makes the Adirondack North Country so special is our amazing small business community,” said Richard. “These entrepreneurs are not only providing critical goods, services, and jobs for residents and visitors, they are also major contributors to the character of our communities. ANCA is committed to supporting these businesses by helping them navigate and access services, troubleshoot, and plan for their futures. We want to see them remain open and prosperous for many years to come!”
Schwartzberg has coordinated ANCA’s public communications and outreach since 2016. Her role has grown to include development, supervision and support of ANCA’s marketing and communications strategies, event and community engagement, and fundraising and development efforts.
“This is an exciting time at ANCA, and I’m glad to be a part of it,” said Schwartzberg. “Our team is passionate and engaged, and we care deeply about our communities. We listen, learn and respond with our unique set of skills, resources and networks. I’m eager to help grow ANCA’s impact so we can continue to build a bright future for North Country residents and visitors.”
Cooper added, “We have an exceptional team at ANCA, and each member is helping move the dial toward a stronger, more vibrant regional economy. I’m grateful for talented staff like Zach, Lauren and Audrey who are building relationships and programs that strengthen our organization and the communities we serve.”
ANCA is an independent, nonprofit corporation with a transformational approach to building prosperity across northern New York. Using innovative strategies for food systems, clean energy, small businesses, and equity and inclusion, ANCA delivers targeted interventions that create and sustain wealth and value in local communities.
Two (2) photos:
Photo 1: ANCA’s new deputy director, Zach Hobbs
Photo 2: Audrey Schwartzberg, Lauren Richard and Zach Hobbs at ANCA’s 2023 Adirondack Buyer Days trade show in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
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