Adirondack coalition demonstrates APA leader’s support after a critical staff letter

Adirondack Park Agency Headquarters in Photo by Ray Brook: Emily Russell

March 14, 2025 –

Adirondack leaders group provides support for Adirondack Park. This is after some APA employees have expressed anonymous accusations of bullying and intimidation at work.

Adirondack coalition demonstrates APA leader’s support after a critical staff letter

About a month ago, Adirondack Park members received a letter from the Federation of Civil Servants of New -York, an union representing the majority of APA employees.

The letter was anonymously approved by 20 APA employees and The adirondack conductor first reported. He argues that the “hostile and toxic work environment”, which he accuses the APA leadership.

Several APA staff have been publicly supported by Rice and APA management as a workplace. Molly Jordan and Matt Kendall were intervieweed on the Will Dulittle RecordFormer Reporter with Glens Falls Post Star.

Jordan and Kendall are both members of the trade union, but said they never saw a letter or have not asked before it was published.

“I didn’t know about this letter until I was told that it was published,” said Kendall. “It does not sound like a place where I work.”

At yesterday’s meeting, Rice repeated these sentiment and said he was behind his staff.

“We have wonderful people here who do great work, and they are happy and proud of what is here,” Rice said. “Don’t let anyone convince you differently.”

Adirondack Park is not a foreign conflict, although historically this conflict was out of the agency, especially between APA and Adirondack. When the APA was formed in the early 1970s, many locals feared the government overruns and invading their rights.

But this repulsion and distrust were largely evaporated. At yesterday, APA Jerry Delani from the Council from the Council from local self -government acknowledged that seismic change.

“If I did this 50 years ago, I would be released,” Delani said.

He praised Rice leadership. Ever since she took three years ago, Delani said that there was more communication and honesty between the APA and local self -government bodies.

He presented three resolutions of support from the city of Indian Lake, the Association of Cities and Villages of Adirondak and the Council of Supervisory Bodies of the Essex. Dlani read the resolution from the Essex County to the APA board members.

“The Essex County officially declares full confidence in the administration and management of the Agency of the Executive Director of Rice and wants to establish this cooperative direction of the Adirondack Park Agency for the next 50 years.”

After publishing a letter of anonymous personnel last month, APA stated that working with the state management of relations with employees to “ensure a safe work environment”.