I've lived in Saranac Lake and Plattsburgh, Adirondack North Country communities, for most of my life. I've also lived in Montreal, Canada, and Geneva, Switzerland and continue to travel frequently.
Photos of some of my found object pieces are reproduced as notecards.
Project Objectives
Develop need-based micro-craft business group projects.
Project themes tend to highlight, conserve and enhance the existing Northern New York State community while sustaining and improving its economy.
Projects actively discriminate in favour of "a site here to sell here" policy for manufacturing and services; localising money so that the majority of it stays within its place of origin, and the rebuilding of local economies and local control with an emphasis on co-operation for the best, not competition for the cheapest.
Project participation develops increased self-reliance of people, community groups and businesses gained from re-diversifying their own local economies. Re-diversifying local economies increases community cohesion, reduces poverty and inequality, improves livelihoods, social provision and environmental protection and provides a sense of security.
Good communication skills and easy collaborative style with focus on information-based decision making. Self-initiater. Attention to detail and timely follow through.
Develops long-term partnerships with service organizations and businesses.
Experienced with Microsoft Publisher, Photoshop Elements, Excel, Outlook Express and Works database. Experienced with open source, html, php and css code, ftp and blogging.
Projects
Online:
Objective - Strengthen sense of community and increase economic exchange and business education within the region's craft community.
Email Newsletter
Compile email addresses of more than one thousand artisans, retailers and service organization staff.
Frequently email News For and About the Region's Artisans and Retailers which is a compilation of news about individual business achievements and changes as well as service organization programs. Project ongoing since 2002.
Compile and maintain regional portal website AdkNCcrafts.com:
Portal features fifty pages of business resources and market opportunities,
includes links to regional and national service organizations and marketing initiatives,
highlights on the home page; regional artisan and retailer businesses, with photos and links,
and links to more than 250 regional craft businesses, studios and shops, at Looking for A Gift.
Workshops:
Objective - provide business education, particularly marketing, which validates the value of regional business experience.
Workshop format includes hands-on experience, peer feedback, regional businesses owners as copresenters, and is reinforced with a packet of handouts of industry specific articles from regional and national sources.
Identify and Market What Makes Your Business Unique
Workshop participants write copy for a number of marketing vehicles: ie., 35 word business description, newspaper display ad, press release, logo/tagline, website home page, brochure copy, etc. Copy is reviewed by participants who provide feedback while learning essential marketing techniques. 45 page packet. Present 6 workshops with 33 participants. Developed in partnership with WEBC/Comlinks during 2007.
Marketing Toolkit Workshop:.
Workshop report compares regional best practices, based on interviews with 12 successful regional businesses, to industry averages. Compiled, summarized and edited the 45 page Marketing Toolkit for Gift Shop and Studio Owners in Rural Areas. 45 page packet also posted online.
Presented Marketing Toolkit findings in 17 workshops to 158 small businesses throughout region. Workshops included hands-on critiques of 33 shops by attendees.
Presented seven of the workshops in partnership with the City of Oswego Community Development Office, the SBDCs of Watertown and Plattsburgh, NY; WEBC/Comlinks of Malone, NY and WREN of Bethlehem, NH. Funding by NYS RBEG was administered by the Adirondack North Country Association and The Northern Forest Center in partnership with the Businesses for the Northern Forest. Korths provided key project components and background to grant writer. Project started January 2005 and completed in June 2006. Workshop now funded by participant fees.
Design a Portfolio Website in a Day Workshop:
Designed and presented six workshops to 45 small businesses.
Workshop participants used prevalent, already available free software; Notepad and Internet Explorer, open source filezilla ftp and worked directly with html code to create and upload linked pages.
Partnerships with SBDC Plattsburgh, NY and WEBC/Comlinks, Malone. Funded by SDBC and WEBC/Comlinks and participant fees. Since 2004.
How to Establish and Maintain Wholesale Accounts Workshop:
Designed, coordinated and presented 17 workshops to 230 small businesses from region and the Catskills. Four hour workshop reviews packet of articles in first two hours and then provides peer review of attendee product. Geared for those new to wholesale and/or attending Buyer Days for the first time. Funded by participant fees. Since 2000.
Markets:
Objective - create new market opportunities and develop existing market opportunities.
Program descriptions and, in most cases, applications at AdkNCcrafts.com:
Each of the website's 50 pages highlights links to regional shopping opportunities for those wishing to buy regionally made and regional markets for artisans and retailers. 2006.
Market Descriptions: Handmade in the Northern Forest: a guide to fine art and craft traditions in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York.
As founding NYS steering committee/ANCA representative, provided contact information, verified and edited descriptions of the 85 Northern New York participants and developed the five NYS driving tours for guidebook Handmade in the Northern Forest: A Guide to Fine Art and Craft Traditions in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York. Funding by NYS RBEG administered by Adirondack North Country Association and The Northern Forest Center. 2006 - 2001.
Promote guidebook release by curating two-month exhibit featuring works from participants of Lakes Driving Tour. Early 2006
Coordinate annual tradeshow, ANCA's keystone crafts program. The handmade gift show generates one million in annual sales and resales in the region. Funded by participant fees.
Expanded show to two days in 1999 which resulted in a 100% increase in attendence by shopowners and 50% increase by vendors.
Show is juried for made-in-region and/or made by small manufacturer. Minimun exhibitor reselling allowed. Korths and ANCA have annually renewed contract since 1997.
All participants make and/or sell at least 50% made-in-region product.
The stylized graphic full color 8 page 8.5 x 11.5 publication is duplicated online in a printable format.
Korths has increased the number of distribution sites, regional lodgings and chambers, by 100%,from 800 to 1600, since 2003 and, in 2006, increased the distribution in from 30,000 to 40,000.
Initiated design and solicitation partnership with PolarEdge Designs in 2004. Korths and ANCA have annually renewed contract since 1998.
Database Management:
Increase database size from 300 to 1500 artisans and from 600 to 4000 giftshops. Each business record contains information about type, media, county, program usage, email, website and phone number. Develop and maintain a database of 1600 regional lodgings and chambers. Since 1995.
Books/Articles/Reports/Interviews/Websites
Handmade in the Northern Forest: a Guide to Fine Art and Craft Traditions in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York.. 265 pages. 2006. Founding steering committee member/editor/participant reviewer.
North Country Public Radio. April 2006. Handmade in the Northern Forest: a Guide to Fine Art and Craft Traditions in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York.. 2006. Book review interview.
Absolutely Business, February 2006. Interviewed for article Crafting Opportunities for a Steady Cash Flow by Laurie Marr.
Marketing Toolkit for Gift Shop and Studio Owners in Rural Areas. 45 pages. 2005. Author.
Adirondack Atlas by Jerry Jenkins. 275 pages. 2004. Research.
Bicycle Master Plan for the Adirondack North Country Region of New York State, by Holmes and Associates. 1994. One of 5 principal authors.
Subscriptions:
Niche
The Crafts Report
American Craft
Woodshop News
Country Business
Adirondack Life
Absolutely Business
Fast Company
Mother Earth News
Conference/Institute/Workshop Attendence/Craft Related Travel:
Craft Organization Development Association/CODA Annual Conference. Calgary, Alberta. June 2007 One of twelve presenters in 3 Minutes of Fame program.
Craft Organization Development Association/CODA Annual Conference. Portland, Oregon. June 2006. One of twelve presenters in 3 Minutes of Fame program.
Handmade in the Northern Forest Guidebook Marketing Conference. Franconia, NH. May 2004.
New York Direct Marketing Conference. Binghamton, NY. January 2004.
Annual Leadership Exchange Conference. Burlington, VT. November 2003. Presented work group summary to conference attendees.
Handmade in America Community Solutions Institute. Asheville, North Carolina. Presenter: Becky Anderson, Director, Handmade in America. May 2001. One of 7 who participated in intensive 3 day program.
Visit various guild, non-profit and state retail venues along the East Coast twice a year.
Member:
Craft Organization Development Association/CODA, Liasion/ANCA 2006
Saranac Lake Art Group 2000 - 2005
Adirondack Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) 1996 – 1998
Historic Saranac Lake 1992 – 96
Other Projects and Previous Work History
Manage Saranac Lake Free Library Cantwell Community Room Gallery - 11 shows per year. Curate one or two annual community shows. Since 2000.
Organized the June through September Third Thursday Gallery Walks featuring exhibits in 10 to 15 downtown Saranac Lake shops during the summer season. 1999 to 2001.
Managed annual summer gallery exhibit featuring four women artists at Park Place Gallery, Saranac Lake. 2001-2003.
Set up and operated a storefront art gallery in downtown Saranac Lake. 1995.
Promoted and represented 25 B&Bs and inns throughout the Adirondacks, St. Lawrence Seaway and Lake Champlain. Listed in The Adirondack Book, The Insider's Guide to NYS, Bernice Chesler's Mid Atlantic States, The Annual Directory of Mid-Atlantic Bed & Breakfasts, etc. Member of the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association (NSH&TA)from 1996 to 1999. Design the regional B&B portal, www.adirondackbedbreakfast.com, where B&Bs are listed geographically by visitor-recognized regions ie, High Peaks, Lake George, St. Lawrence Seaway, etc., with photos, brief descriptions and links to their websites. Organize annual regional B&B conference (1995 to 1997) and create and maintain database of 350 regional B&Bs. 1992 to 1999.
Event and membership database coordinator at Saranac Lake Chamber of Commerce. 1987 to 1991.
Education:
1981 Plattsburgh State University College, Plattsburgh NY
