Wendy Austin (Photo provided)

SARANAC LAKE — The North Country Healthy Heart Network welcomes Wendy Austin to its growing team.

Austin takes up the new position of program assistant. In this role, she will support the Heart Network’s three key programs: Creating Healthy Schools & Communities, Health Systems for a Tobacco Free NY, and the North Country Chronic Disease Prevention Coalition.

“The Mobile Farmers Market is feeding people in the region’s most rural areas,” Ann Morgan, the Heart Network’s executive director, said in a press release. “Communities like Malone are embracing and instituting Complete Streets policies, prioritizing the safety and health of pedestrians. And we’re seeing lawmakers and politicians step up and lead to protect our youth from the dangers of tobacco use. But we need to do more — with passionate staff like Wendy, we can continue to deliver on our promise of building foundations for healthier communities.”

Austin returns to New York after spending 10 years in the Midwest, where she worked for the Nebraska Department of Transportation as an environmental compliance specialist and program manager. She holds undergraduate degrees in music and wildlife management, and a graduate degree in geography.

“I’m a constant food label reader,” Austin said, “and I’m looking forward to investing in the greater North Country community to advocate for making better choices for a healthier lifestyle.”

Austin lives in Saranac Lake with her wife and can be found hiking area trails, reading or visiting local microbreweries.