The meeting was conducted via Zoom due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Rick Hoffman is a land use planner and attorney who has worked at the municipal and state levels of government in Oregon and New York, as well in private practice. Most recently he was associate attorney for the New York State Department of State where his duties included smart growth, coastal management, non-point source water pollution, municipal law and brownfield opportunity areas. He was legal counsel to the New York City Watershed Protection and Partnership Council, and he was secretary of state designee and ex-officio member of the state Adirondack Park Agency for 10 years. He was also employed at the APA as both a land use planner and attorney.

Hoffman is principal author of “Local Open Space Planning Guide” (2004) and “Legal Aspects of Municipal Historic Preservation” (2002), both New York state publications.

Halasz holds a master’s degree in forest ecology from Cornell University and was a staff member at the APA in the Resource Analysis and Scientific Services division, where she helped with EPA-funded wetland mapping projects, local government outreach, review of large lot subdivisions in resource management areas, and review of state land unit management plans. At present, she serves on the board of Historic Saranac Lake, helps to coordinate North Country homeschooling and volunteers as a youth sports coach.

Sunita Halasz

“We are honored to add such talented, accomplished individuals to our board and group of advisors,” said Adirondack Wild managing partner David Gibson. “Both Rick and Sunita offer us great insight and work experience to guide our understanding and actions with respect to the regional planning, ecological integrity and wild character of the Adirondack Park.”