Working Toward a More Welcoming Adirondacks

Tiffany Rea-Fisher aims to increase access and opportunity across the Adirondacks, helping the region better reflect the diversity of the people it serves. Her work is grounded in the belief that communities thrive when everyone has a genuine sense of belonging and the ability to participate fully in civic, cultural, and economic life. 

Rea-Fisher serves as Director of the Adirondack Diversity Initiative, a program of the Adirondack North Country Association.

In this role, she's helping communities across the region build stronger connections, encourage meaningful dialogue, and create places where everyone has the opportunity to feel at home.

Our community contributor LeeAnne Ruff speaks with Rea-Fisher about partnership efforts the ADI is undertaking involving education, law enforcement and the business community, just a few of the areas where the regional organization is focused on creating lasting change.

To learn more about the Adirondack Diversity Initiative and its programs, head to diversityadk.org.

Photographs courtesy Adirondack Diversity Initiative

Community Contributor LeeAnne Ruff

LeeAnne Ruff is a leadership speaker, coach, and author who has spent decades helping individuals and organizations build stronger communication, healthier culture, and more courageous leadership. She is the founder of ADKWoman, a growing network designed to connect and uplift professional women across the Adirondack region through community, mentorship, and meaningful relationships. Through Brightside Leadership Group LLC, she delivers keynotes, workshops, and coaching focused on practical tools that create real change. She is also the author of My Personal Best and host of the Open For Higher podcast. As a community contributor with Mountain Lake PBS, LeeAnne is committed to telling stories that celebrate local leadership and the everyday people who are building a stronger North Country.