Willie Janeway, a Department of Environmental Conservation official who heads the agency's Region 3 in the Hudson Valley and lower Catskills, is leaving for a nonprofit job in the high peaks of the Adirondacks.
The Adirondack Council, a prominent conservation group, announced Tuesday that Janeway will be taking over as their new executive director in May. In Tuesday's press release, Janeway, who headed the Adirondack Mountain Club's North Country operations from 1985 to 1994, said he's excited to get back to the Adirondacks:
Janeway said he was motivated to get started. “These are exciting times for the Adirondacks and the Adirondack Council,” Janeway said. “The challenges we face guarantee that our work, and the efforts of our partners and Park stakeholders, will be critically important, as decisions are made that will impact the Adirondacks for generations to come. I am confident that working with others we will make opportunities out of these challenges and ensure that thefuture of the Adirondack Park is bright."
“It has been an honor and privilege to work for Governor Cuomo and DEC Commissioner Joe Martens and help them advance their goals of a healthy environment and a revitalized New York economy,” Janeway said. “As the Council’s executive director, I look forward to working with partners and helping leaders at all levels of government advance an Adirondack agenda that benefits clean water, clean air, wild lands, working farms and forests, and vibrant and economically strong local communities."
The DEC's Region 3, which Janeway has directed since 2007, includes Sullivan, Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Westchester and Rockland Counties.
In a prepared statement, agency spokeswoman Emily DeSantis said that DEC engineer Thomas Rudolph would be taking over as acting director for Janeway until a permanent Region 3 director is appointed. DeSantis's statement:
Willie Janeway provided strong leadership to protect the environment and ensure that New York is open for business. Region Three includes some of the most priceless vistas and natural resources in the State and under Mr. Janeway, DEC facilitated access to state lands and waters and worked with communities to help us collectively achieve our environmental goals. We thank Willie for his 6 years of dedicated service to DEC and wish him well in his new endeavor.
Thomas Rudolph, Regional Engineer, will serve as Acting Regional Director until a permanent director is found.
Photo courtesy of the Adirondack Council.
