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Focusing on the Future

By Steven G. Frederick



Standing: Megan Charland, Steven Frederick, Billy Jones, Hannah Provost. Sitting: Jaci Kelleher, Neil Fesette, Dustin Relation, Katherine Cook
Standing: Megan Charland, Steven Frederick, Billy Jones, Hannah Provost. Sitting: Jaci Kelleher, Neil Fesette, Dustin Relation, Katherine Cook


I was delighted to host Table three’s roundtable discussion at the 35th annual

Strictly Business Forum in December. Of the 22 first timers participating in this year’s event, three were at our table. The group’s energy was palpable, and all were quick to share their successes and challenges in 2024 and look ahead to 2025.


My guests were:


Katherine Cook, President/CEO, Behavioral Health Services North (BHSN), is new to the North Country and brings a wealth of knowledge from her prior executive positions around New England.

Megan Charland, Artistic Programming Director, Strand Center for the Arts is a passionate leader in the arts and believes in the benefit of arts programming for people of all ages.

Billy Jones, NYS Assembly Member, 115th District needs no introduction as he has been actively supporting the needs of the North Country even prior to becoming a member of the New York State Assembly in 2016.

Neil Fesette, Owner/Real Estate Broker, Fesette Realty and Owner of Plattsburgh RV Park is a prime example of a successful realtor/broker and entrepreneur.

Hannah Provost, Financial Advisor/Partner, Lomanto Provost Financial Advisors has taken the term “community volunteer” to the next level with a long track record of helping people succeed both personally and financially.

Jaci Kelleher, Esq., Attorney, Stafford Owens is known as the “go-to attorney” for employment law in the North Country and often shares her sage advice in local business publications.

Dustin Relation, Beekmantown Central School Superintendent may be new to his position, but he is certainly not new to education.


How did your business or agency fare in 2024?


Cook: 2024 was a transformative year for BHSN. We secured Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) status, hired over 100 employees and revamped our billing and data systems—all while navigating a leadership transition mid-year when I stepped into the CEO role. These accomplishments have laid the foundation for future growth, and I am optimistic about building this momentum in 2025.


Charland: It was an incredible year for us! Along with expanding our programming and launching a $905,000 capital campaign, we introduced full-day youth camps during school breaks. These included STEAM and CREATE Camps, which not only engage young minds, but also provide valuable support for families in the community. We also saw significant growth in our theatre programming, with over half of 2024 performances showcasing original artists—a big step forward in diversifying our offerings.


Jones: We’ve had a productive year, securing funding for workforce training programs through the North Country Chamber of Commerce. Those efforts, like welding and advanced manufacturing, have strengthened local industries and addressed workforce shortages in key sectors.


Fesette: Our businesses thrived in 2024. Residential real estate settled into a more balanced market while our commercial and business brokerage operations saw sustained growth. Plattsburgh RV Park had a busy year and continues to attract visitors from across the U.S. and Canada.


Provost: Despite significant disruptions caused by the acquisition of our broker-dealer, we had a positive year. We successfully onboarded new clients and integrated another advisor’s practice into our firm. Our team’s resilience was key to maintaining stability and achieving growth.


Kelleher: 2024 was a steady year for us, but recruiting licensed professionals to the region remains a major challenge. This is a hurdle we must continue to address to sustain our level of service.


Relation: 2024 was a good year for Beekmantown Central School.


What successes have you had in addressing workforce challenges?


Relation: At times, it has been a challenge to find educators and support staff. Transportation is a particular area that we are working to address, especially with the bus driver shortage that is not unique to our district. When it comes to teachers, we have been reaching out to graduate schools to engage and recruit prospective educators as they enter the final stages of their academic programs. We also partner with various education programs to host student teachers and internships to provide them with valuable experiences and allow us the opportunity to see them in action. We continue to explore ways we can to partner with our local colleges.


Provost: While we haven’t seen major breakthroughs, we’re exploring new strategies to address workforce challenges. One example is that we sponsor the cost for our interns to take the FINRA Securities Industry Essentials exam, moving them one step closer to a career in our field. Our current intern shows great promise.


Charland: One of our biggest successes is retaining talent locally. Over 60 percent of our staff are SUNY Plattsburgh graduates, which is significant for a rural arts organization. This reflects not only our commitment to fostering local talent, but also our ability to create opportunities for them to work in their chosen field. We need to ensure that we keep and grow the present staff.


Cook: Workforce shortages are a persistent issue, especially in rural areas. Our ability to offer competitive pay adjustments and hire over 100 new employees has been pivotal. Additionally, collaboration with other organizations in the community has helped us pool resources and avoid duplicating efforts. We need to start engaging young people in high school so we can “grow our own” future workforce. BHSN is working with Clinton Community College to begin to offer pre-apprenticeships as a great way to explore a possible career path in human services. Licensed clinicians are the hardest to find so we need to build relationships to keep the workforce.


Jones: Funding for on-the-job training and workforce development programs has been instrumental in addressing workforce gaps. These initiatives have provided local businesses with skilled workers while helping individuals find fulfilling careers. In the past four to five years there has been a focused strategy to expose high school students to career exploration opportunities. Examples are eighth grade students participating in Manufacturing Day in the IAM at Clinton Community College. SUNY Plattsburgh has a great college exposure program for eighth graders as well as CVES. Unfortunately, population decreases in local schools will have a long-term negative effect on the workforce.


Kelleher: We’ve made it a point to pay our employees near the top of the market range to attract and retain strong candidates. While this approach has worked well so far, the competitive nature of recruitment in our field remains challenging.


Fesette: It is a very competitive market for trades people, and it is hard to compete with the larger manufacturers in the area. We need qualified trades people to work in our property management area. Flexibility is key in today’s workforce. Allowing employees to adapt their schedules, combined with competitive pay, has been a winning formula for us. Showing team members they are valued is essential in retaining talent.


What is your economic and geopolitical outlook, and how might it affect your business?


Kelleher: The legal landscape is shifting. Federal deregulation and New York State’s progressive policies will create new challenges for our clients in 2025, particularly regarding compliance and regulatory oversight. One big question is what will happen at the Canadian border? Tariffs may or may not help attract Canadian business to move to Plattsburgh.


Cook: Political conflict and the potential defunding of safety net programs, inflation and the rapid development of unregulated AI tools pose significant risks to social care systems. Addressing these challenges will require robust public institutions, sound fiscal policies and collaboration across sectors.


Fesette: Policy changes on immigration and tariffs could significantly impact our region. Tariffs, for instance, might drive inflation and lead to higher interest rates, which would slow down spending and affect the real estate market.


Jones: I’m cautiously optimistic. Projects like the CHIPS Act and the bipartisan infrastructure bill are promising for our region, but concerns over federal work visas and federal funding gaps remain. These factors could have ripple effects on local businesses and workforce development. One concern I have is the announcement that four border crossings in our area will reduce their hours of operation. That may have a negative effect due to the costs of rerouting trade and commerce.


Provost: The unpredictability of the economic and geopolitical landscape underscores the importance of diversification and flexibility in our financial planning and business operations. These principles help us, and our clients, navigate uncertainty. We need to continue to educate our clients on risk management within their portfolios, get ready for the unexpected and stay flexible.


Relation: The formula for state aid funding is always monitored closely, especially this year in light of the recently released Rockefeller Institute Report. Fortunately, unlike many other schools, our student population is not declining, and proper use/management of both state and taxpayer funds will continue to be essential in providing our students with a strong educational experience.


Charland: Art has a unique way of bringing people together, even amid external turmoil. While economic uncertainty can impact public support, I’m confident in our ability to sustain and grow through strategic planning and community engagement.


How have your marketing strategies evolved, and what do you anticipate for the future?


Cook: We’re moving away from optics-driven social media campaigns and focusing on sharing measurable outcomes. This shift will better align our messaging with the value we provide to the community. We need to continue to share our success stories with the community and social media is an effective way to convey that message.


Kelleher: Our business thrives on referrals and repeat clients, so traditional marketing plays a limited role for us. This approach will likely remain unchanged.


Jones: Social media continues to be a valuable tool for connecting with constituents. It allows me to share facts and positive messages while avoiding the divisiveness that dominates national politics. Many people come up to me and say “I saw that somewhere” based on what they read in a social media post or my newsletter. It is a great communication tool, and we make a conscious decision to keep everything positive. People appreciate that much more than negative posts.


Provost: We’ve grown so much over the last several years that we’ve shifted from marketing to the public to making sure that we have great communications and relationships with our existing clients. Over time, as we are able to continue building capacity, we will revisit our strategy and make sure it aligns with our current needs.


Fesette: The real estate market is heavily digital, so 90% of our marketing budget is allocated to online platforms. This strategy has proven effective, and we don’t anticipate major changes in 2025. The big challenge is how to be unique and different from all the other people in real estate.


Relation: One of the aspects of Beekmantown that I was so impressed with during my interview process was our social media presence and the ability to tell our story. We work with a communications specialist at CVES and have reimagined one of our administrative positions to provide additional oversight and guidance regarding communications. Through working with our administrators and communications specialists, we are slowly building branded templates that we are implementing to ensure that we have a strong presence and are easily identifiable. I look forward to continuing to share all of the amazing things happening at BCSD with the school community.


Charland: Marketing is essential for nonprofits like ours, even when budgets are tight. We spend 10 percent of our budget on paid advertising, but rely heavily on free social media messaging. We’re working hard to increase awareness of the Strand’s broader offerings and to connect with audiences who may not yet know us. There certainly is no shortage of good content to share with our audience and all staff help with the messaging.

What is the most important issue facing your team in 2025?


Relation: Creating a work/life balance for faculty and staff is critical to avoid burn out and ensure that we attract and retain high-quality employees. Working longer hours does not always bring better results. In addition, we are working hard to enhance our culture and ensure that staff know how much they are appreciated. One way we have done this is through the creation of the “Eagle Pride Award” to recognize staff members for their dedication to students. So far, we have had over 65 nominations since the program launched in September. 


Fesette: New regulations requiring buyer-agent agreements in real estate will be a big adjustment for our residential clients. Educating consumers on these changes will be a priority.


Cook: Workforce shortages remain our top challenge. In rural areas like ours, collaboration is critical to maximizing resources and serving our community effectively.


Provost: Optimizing our internal processes and technology is crucial. Streamlining operations will help us better serve our clients and prepare for future growth.


Charland: Sustainable employment is our biggest issue. We need to ensure our talented part-time staff have a pathway to full-time roles, which is crucial for retention and long-term growth. I have been working with our Board of Directors to explore opportunities to attract and retain our staff.


Jones: Navigating state budget constraints is a significant concern. Additionally, federal policies affecting healthcare and education will have far-reaching implications for our constituents.


Kelleher: Meeting the diverse needs of our clients in an ever-changing regulatory and economic environment is a complex but vital challenge.


The insights from this year’s Forum highlight the resilience, creativity and forward-thinking nature of North Country leaders. As 2025 approaches, their strategies offer a roadmap for success in a rapidly changing world.


Steven Frederick is Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Clinton Community College.

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