Lake George Association dips into Adirondack Watershed Institute for new leader

Appointment of Brendan Wiltse leaves void at Paul Smith’s research group

By Zachary Matson

The Lake George Association on Tuesday named Brendan Wiltse as the group’s new executive director, leaving a leadership void at the Adirondack Watershed Institute, where Wiltse was appointed director in August.

Wiltse, a scientist who has led research on road salt runoff, harmful algal blooms and the impact of climate change on Adirondack waters, will take charge of the nation’s oldest lake association by Jan. 2.  

“There’s very good alignment between the LGA’s model of science to solutions and my own career,” Wiltse said in an interview. “The opportunity was too good for me to pass up.”

John Kelly III, chair of the LGA board, in a press release lauded Wiltse’s background and experience. Wiltse went to Paul Smith’s College, where AWI, in charge of researching all waters of the Adirondacks, is housed. He earned a doctorate from Queens University in Canada and worked at the Ausable River Association before joining AWI as its lead water scientist. 

“In addition to his academic credentials, he is extremely collaborative and well connected, a true outdoorsman, and a great communicator,” Kelly said. “He has all the skills to lead the LGA and protect our lake for many years to come.” 

Wiltse, who grew up in Watertown and spent time on and around Lake George as a kid, highlighted stormwater runoff, harmful algal blooms, road salt pollution and invasive species as key challenges facing the lake. 

He said he hoped to build on research initiatives and partnerships the LGA has developed over the years and help communicate lessons from Lake George to other watersheds in the Adirondacks and throughout the country.

“It is a nationally-recognized lake and a national treasure,” Wiltse said. “You can go all over the country and people involved in lake management will talk about Lake George.”

Wiltse will join the LGA following a year of rancorous fighting between the lake association and the Lake George Park Commission, the government agency charged with managing and protecting Lake George. 

The LGA vociferously opposed the park commission’s plan to use the herbicide ProcellaCOR to control invasive Eurasian watermilfoil, the region’s most pervasive invasive aquatic plant. The group opposed the herbicide plan in the courts and the court of public opinion, raising a litany of concerns about the unknown consequences of using the herbicide in the lake – a fight the LGA ultimately lost. 

Wiltse on Tuesday said he didn’t have a strong position on ProcellaCOR and noted efforts this fall to restore a working relationship between the two organizations. Wiltse said he intended to strengthen that collaboration. He said he wanted to see more study of the herbicide’s long term effects on the lake before forming a position about future ProcellaCOR applications in Lake George. 

“The approach the LGA and park commission are taking now is to work together collaboratively to study the application of ProcellaCOR,” he said. “I wasn’t involved with that disagreement, and I hope the park commission and LGA sees this as an opportunity to rebuild that relationship.”

Wiltse’s departure from AWI leaves the institute searching for its fourth director since 2022. 

AWI’s longtime leader Dan Kelting vacated the position in 2022 to become president of Paul Smith’s College, which was reeling from leadership instability and declining enrollment.

Kelting’s deputy Zoe Smith took charge after his departure. This summer, she was appointed vice president of strategic initiatives at the college.

AWI in August announced that Wiltse would fill the executive director position and that Bill Brosseau, who had run AWI’s park-wide boat stewards program, would become deputy director. But now both those leaders are taking new positions, Wiltse at LGA and Brosseau as the new director of the Paul Smith’s Visitor Interpretive Center (VIC). 

Kelting on Tuesday said the college planned to initiate a national search in the coming days for a new AWI director. The college did not carry out a broad search before elevating Wiltse, who had worked closely with the institute’s previous leaders. Kelting said they will be looking for a candidate with a strong scientific background, a commitment to stewardship, demonstrated leadership skills and an ability to engage and communicate with other organizations and the public.  

“We don’t have an internal candidate for it, so we will be casting a wide net for a real superstar,” Kelting said. “AWI is a flagship of the college and doing really important work throughout the region. We need a leader.”

Kelting said he suspected the position would draw interest, highlighting AWI’s research resources, student engagement opportunities and the college’s vision to establish other institutes focused on forestry, environmental justice and hospitality.  

Wiltse plans to relocate 100 miles south to the Lake George region.