Raul ‘Rocci’ Aguirre (Provided photo)

The Adirondack Council has welcomed back Raul “Rocci” Aguirre after an eight-month absence.

The former conservation director will now assume the role of deputy director for the environmental organization.

“I am coming back to the Adirondacks with a renewed commitment to protecting the wild places and assisting local communities,” Aguirre said, “and a greater appreciation for just how important this landscape is as a refuge and place of sanctuary during this unique moment in time.”

Aguirre had left the council in January to take on the role of executive director of Advocacy, Policy and Science at Scenic Hudson, based in Poughkeepsie. After eight months at the Hudson Valley organization, a combination of family and personal circumstances led Aguirre and his family back to the Adirondacks.

“As hard as it was to leave Scenic Hudson and the Hudson Valley, the Adirondacks and the Adirondack Council are my home,” he said. “My family and I are deeply committed to the Adirondacks, to its communities, to its rugged landscape, and to the work that remains ahead of us. Like Scenic Hudson, the council is a powerhouse conservation organization that seeks to protect an amazing landscape, while supporting vibrant communities and working landscapes. Both are acting boldly to address the most important issues of our time, such as climate resiliency, environmental justice, and recreational overuse.

“These are the issues that I have spent the past 27 years working on,” he added. “I am very grateful for the opportunity to step back into an organization that I deeply believe in, and be part of such a dedicated and professional staff working on the most pressing issues facing the North Country.”

The Adirondack Council’s previous deputy director, Diane W. Fish, retired from the staff in February and joined the council’s board of directors in July.

As deputy director, Aguirre will be focused on improving organizational capacity and strategic planning efforts, among other efforts as the council embarks on a new phase of growth and engagement on key environmental issues.