Building Belonging

Join the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce and Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce for an event exploring how a sense of belonging in companies and communities affects talent recruitment, workforce retention and community investment. 

Learn practical insights and best practices from expert presenters and panelists at this half-day event about building belonging in your company and community.

The morning will feature a Keynote Discussion on: “Reimagining Talent in Modern Workplaces” with Netta Jenkins, CEO of Aerodei, author, and leading voice on global inclusivity.

Committed panelists and presenters include representatives from: GlobalFoundries, Saratoga Hospital, Warren County EDC, SUNY Adirondack, Saratoga EDC, North Country Janitorial, Six Flags Great Escape, Arrow Financial, Elite 9 Talent Solutions, and Adirondack Studios.

Pre-registration is required.

Thank you to our event sponsors:

Planned Agenda and Scheduled Panelists:

8 - Registration and Networking

8:15 - Program Begins

Welcome

• Tricia Rogers, President and CEO - Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce
• Todd Shimkus, President and CEO - Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce

Keynote Discussion - "Reimagining Talent in Modern Workplaces"

• Netta Jenkins, CEO of Aerodei, author and leading voice on global inclusivity

Break

Presentation: Community Belonging: Data, Insights and Potential Workforce Impacts

• Jim Siplon, President - EDC Warren County and Member of the Partnership for Community Belonging

Break

Panel: The Impact of Belonging on Talent Recruitment and Community Investment

• Moderator: Tricia Rogers, President and CEO - Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce
• Admar Semedo, Director of Human Resources - Malta, GlobalFoundries
• Greg Connors, President and CEO - Saratoga Economic Development Corporation
• Rebecca Wood, Resort President - Six Flags Great Escape Theme Park and Lodge
• Maurice "Mo" O'Connell, Human Resources Specialist - Adirondack Studios
• See all panelist bios below

Panel: Building and Sustaining a Culture of Belonging

• Moderator and Panelist: Chris Thomas, Elite 9 Talent Solutions​
• John Delate, Vice President of Enrollment and Student Affairs - SUNY Adirondack
• Brooke Pancoe, Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer - Arrow Financial
• Jill VanKuren, President and CEO - Saratoga Hospital
• Chris Barden, Chief Operating Officer - North Country Janitorial
• See all panelist bios below

Next Steps

Closing

Speaker and Panelist Bios:

Netta Jenkins, CEO of Aerodei, author and leading voice on global inclusivity

As the CEO of Aerodei, Netta Jenkins leads an AI powered inclusive performance platform. She is currently working on a doctorate in quality systems and authored "The Inclusive Organization." It was listed in Forbes. It was even shared by Arianna Huffington who has 10 million followers on LinkedIn.
With over 15 years of experience advising corporations and diverse audiences, Netta has cultivated a substantial LinkedIn following exceeding 200k. In addition, she has been interviewed by prominent publications like The Washington Post, Forbes, Fortune, McKinsey, Gartner and more. In 2022, she gave a TEDx talk titled "Reimagining the Workplace." Netta's impact in the corporate and startup inclusion landscape has garnered international attention. She has spoken in several countries including the Netherlands, Ghana, and Turkey. She discussed the practical steps that organizations take to drive tangible business results through inclusion efforts.

She has worked extensively with prominent professionals such as Marc Lore, the former CEO of Walmart, along with Preet Bharara, the former United States attorney for the southern district of New York.

But her contributions don’t stop there. In 2021, CIO views named Netta as one of the Top 10 Most Influential Black Women in Business to Follow. Netta served as an advisory board member for Betterment, an online investment company. Prior to her current role at Aerodei, she spent five years as the Vice President of Global Inclusion at IAC/InterActiveCorp. The publicly traded company had over 150 different brands including Tinder, match.com, and Vimeo. Outside of running Aerodei, she consults executives, leaders, and entrepreneurs on the app Intro. She currently resides on the east coast.
www.nettajenkins.com

Jim Siplon, President - EDC Warren County and Member of the Partnership for Community Belonging

Jim Siplon is President and CEO of EDC Warren County. Under his leadership, EDC has collaborated with the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism on research to assess interest among professionals in relocating to the Warren County Lake George area and the Adirondack region. He has also overseen updates to the EDC website, including a blog featuring success stories of investing and professional relocation. He has led expansion of social media, including creating a Facebook page, an Instagram page and a LinkedIn page for improved communications and marketing.

Prior to EDC Warren County, Jim served as chief operating officer of JUST Water, Siplon led the effort to create in Glens Falls an environmentally sound alternative to bottled water. He forged JUST’s fair trade water agreement with Glens Falls and established the company’s headquarters in the re-purposed St. Alphonsus Church on Broad Street. JUST Water now is produced in a new facility in Queensbury and is sold worldwide.

Siplon previously served as the managing director of FIJI Water, responsible for building its tropical-island production to its current world-class output. He is a former senior executive at MCI, GE, Roll International and Teleflora.

Siplon also founded Rethinkh20, a consulting firm that helps large-scale water users reduce water consumption. He served in the U.S. Air Force for eight years and holds an undergraduate degree in astrophysics from Utah State University and an MBA from Boston University. He and his wife Susan reside in Glens Falls.
https://edcwc.org/

Admar Semedo, Director of Human Resources - Malta, GlobalFoundries

Admar Semedo is the Director of Human Resources at GlobalFoundries (GF) in Malta, NY.  Admar holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration. Before joining GF four years ago, he served as a Human Resources Leader at GE Healthcare and GE Renewable Energy. 

He started his journey at GF as the HR Leader for the Module Engineering Organization in Malta, supporting around 1,200 engineering and technician employees. In 2023, Admar was promoted to HR Director for the GF Malta site. In this role, he ensures that GF attracts, develops, and retains the talent necessary to produce essential chips.
https://gf.com/

Greg Connors, President and CEO - Saratoga Economic Development Corporation

Greg is the President and Chief Executive Officer for the Saratoga Economic Development Corporation commonly known as SEDC. Unanimously appointed by the SEDC Board of Directors in August 2023, Greg is a life-long Saratoga County resident with established experience and professional credentials in both the private and public sectors specifically, real estate sales, economic development, government relations and community service.

For 10 years, Greg served as a member of the senior leadership team at GlobalFoundries in the Office of Government Relations, responsible for state, regional and local government interactions in both New York and Vermont. Prior to his time at GF, Greg was the elected Town/County Supervisor for the Town of Stillwater and with Malta Supervisor Dave Meager, created the POD legislation that formed the Luther Forest Technology Campus, now home to GlobalFoundries Fab 8. Greg was also, at the time, the author of the only tax revenue sharing agreement between municipalities (Malta/Stillwater, Ballston Spa/Stillwater School Districts) in NYS.

For over 30 years Greg was affiliated with his family's insurance, real estate and financial services company located in Mechanicville, a company founded by his father 69 years ago and now operated by his brothers and sisters.

Greg and his wife Marilyn reside in the Town of Malta and are the parents of 2 sons and grandparents to 4, all residents of Saratoga County.
https://www.saratogaedc.com/

Rebecca Wood, Resort President - Six Flags Great Escape Theme Park and Lodge

Rebecca Wood became President of the Six Flags Great Escape Resort in 2019.  She has been with Six Flags and The Great Escape for 15 years holding roles as Public Relations Manager and Director of Marketing. She is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University where she was a four-year member of the NCAA Division I women’s basketball team while obtaining her degree in Mass Communications. Rebecca completed the High Potentials Leadership Program at Harvard Business School in 2017 and was the recipient of the 2022 NYSHTA Tourism Executive of the Year. Rebecca also gives back to her community by volunteering on the board of the Tri-County United Way and the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce.
https://www.sixflags.com/greatescape

Maurice "Mo" O'Connell, Human Resources Specialist - Adirondack Studios

Since 1975, Adirondack Studios (ADKS) has provided creative solutions for designers, artists, producers and owners across the themed entertainment market. Its creations can be found in amusement parks, on the stages of performance centers and in other fantastic settings.

Adirondack Studios (ADKS) Human Resources Specialist Maurice “Mo” O’Connell offers a special presentation to attendees that pulls back the curtain and gives a behind the scenes look into the company’s headquarters in Argyle New York, its remote locations in Orlando, Pasadena and the United Arab Emirates, future plans as well as a peak into the types of careers that make up their network of artists and staff.

With its company culture rooted in theatrical production, ADKS is a world recognized collaborative partner that focuses on story and the guest experience by examining thoughtful design solutions, innovative methods and materials, and out-of-the-box thinking across the breadth of the project cycle. ADKS is a design and fabrication provider, helping clients around the world bring their visions to life.

Mr. O’Connell holds over 35 years of experience in various aspects of business development, theatrical administration, museum management, event creation, civic involvement, and volunteer coordination. His extensive local career includes Business Development for Adirondack Studios, General Manager/Director of the National Museum of Dance in Saratoga Springs, and House Manager at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. He is past President of Lakes to Locks Passage, past President of US Grant Cottage and has been involved with many other civic and not-for-profit organizations including the Feeder Canal Alliance.
https://www.adkstudios.com/

Chris Thomas, Elite 9 Talent Solutions​

Christopher J. Thomas is a seasoned executive leader with over two decades of experience in developing innovative strategies to drive success in complex organizations. With a strong background in leadership methodologies and concepts, he has built a reputation for talent acquisition and team building expertise, leading numerous teams across various industries to achieve exceptional results.

As a retired senior executive in the U.S. Marine Corps and current owner of a recruiting and workforce development company, Chris has consistently delivered impactful results, leveraging his analytical prowess to exceed client expectations. He has worked with businesses of all sizes, providing tailored solutions to drive prosperity and success.

Chris is committed to ongoing learning and professional development, pursuing a Doctor of Education in Leadership & Innovation (Ed.D) degree, in addition to holding a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Master's in Public Administration. He is also a certified Resilience-Building Leadership Professional Trainer and Everything DiSC Practitioner, equipped to develop resilient teams and leadership programs that drive organizational excellence.
https://elite9vtas.com/

John Delate, Vice President of Enrollment and Student Affairs - SUNY Adirondack

John Delate serves as Vice President for Enrollment and Student Affairs at SUNY Adirondack community college. John is also an adjunct professor of Communications and History at Purchase College. Earlier in his career John served as a teacher in the Peace Corps in Liberia, West Africa, as well as coached college football.

John earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in American History from Clark University and an M.S. in Education and B.S. in Social Sciences from Mansfield University.
https://www.sunyacc.edu/

Brooke Pancoe, Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer - Arrow Financial

Ms. Pancoe joined the Arrow Financial Corporation in 2018 as the Director of Human Resources. In her current role as Chief Human Resources Officer, she has executive oversight of the Company’s human resource strategies, which includes organizational design and succession planning, talent acquisition and retention, performance management, professional development and compensation and benefits. Prior to joining the financial services industry, Ms. Pancoe held various human resource management roles within the power generation and engineering services industry. Ms. Pancoe holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Clark University in Worcester, MA, and an MBA from the University at Albany. In addition, Brooke serves on the Board of United Methodist Health and Housing for The Wesley Community in Saratoga Springs, NY. Ms. Pancoe is also a 2024 Albany Business Review 40 Under 40 recipient.
https://www.arrowfinancial.com/

Jill VanKuren, President and CEO - Saratoga Hospital

VanKuren was appointed to the role of president and chief executive officer of Saratoga Hospital in 2022. Previously, she served as senior vice president of operations and chief operating officer at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center in Maryland, where she oversaw and aligned operations at one of the largest teaching hospitals in the Baltimore area. Collectively, she served MedStar, the largest integrated healthcare system in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area, for more than 17 years in both corporate and hospital leadership roles.

VanKuren earned her bachelor’s degree in public health and industrial hygiene from East Carolina University in North Carolina, and a master’s degree in business administration, with a specialization in health care administration, from Loyola University Maryland. She is board certified in Healthcare Management by the American College of Healthcare Executives.

VanKuren is a member of the board of Directors for the Saratoga Regional YMCA and Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, and co-chair of the 2024 Capital Region American Heart Walk and Run. She is a member of the advisory board of Women in Healthcare, the board of the National Alliance for Mental Illness Metropolitan Baltimore and has also served on the behavioral health advisory group of the Maryland Hospital Association.
https://www.saratogahospital.org/

Chris Barden, Chief Operating Officer - North Country Janitorial

Mr. Barden joined North Country Janitorial Inc. in 2011 as their Chief Operating Officer after a 13-year career with Casella Waste Management where he served in various operations management roles and as the company’s Senior Operations Analyst at the end of his tenure. Mr. Barden is a former army officer and a 1991 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. He leverages his diverse background as a soldier, a logistics professional, a leadership training instructor, and as an entrepreneur to facilitate a responsive and proactive operational setting at North Country Janitorial Inc. Mr. Barden serves on the Board of Directors of the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce and on the Board of Director’s for the Adirondack Vet’s House – a transitional house for homeless veterans.
https://www.northcountryjanitorial.com/