Adirondack Mountain Club names new executive director

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The Adirondack Mountain Club has appointed Michael Barrett as the organization’s new executive director.

Barrett’s appointment will begin in November. The appointment was unanimously approved by the ADK Board of Directors at its Sept. 28 meeting.

Barrett is a former foreign language interrogator for the U.S. Army. He went on to obtain his law degree in 2002 before serving as an attorney to the New York State Assembly Codes Committee. He later held executive-level positions in both the Spitzer and Paterson administrations.

After moving to Missouri, he worked as counsel to the Department of Natural Resources before becoming deputy general counsel to Gov. Jeremiah “Jay” Nixon, a position he held for three years before being selected as the director of the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency. For the past four-plus years, Barrett served as the director of the Missouri State Public Defender System, which included functioning as both the systems’ lobbyist and public information officer.

“Michael is a proven and dynamic leader with years of success as an advocate and policy maker. We look forward to him joining ADK,” said John Gilewicz, ADK President.

Barrett, an avid outdoorsman and paddler, will be returning to New York later this fall, along with his wife, Sebrina, who is the executive director of the Missouri Bar, his son, Mason 13, and his daughter, Molly, 7.

“I look forward to building on the successes that have already been achieved by this incredible organization,” said Barrett.

ADK’s previous executive director and current chief executive officer, Neil Woodworth, will be remaining with ADK for several months to aid in the transition and will continue to serve ADK for the near future.

“We thank Neil for his decades of service and his tremendous contribution, not just to ADK but to New York state,” said Gilewicz.