About the Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance

Home $ About the Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance

Our Mission

Founded in 2016, the Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance, Inc., is an all-volunteer, 501c3 not-for-profit headquartered in Saranac Lake, New York primarily serving Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties in the Adirondack North Country region of Northeastern New York State.

We work to create a safe space and environment for the LBGTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Gender Queer/Non-Comforming, Intersex and Asexual) youth, adults, family members and allies to meet and enjoy being themselves.

Hosting a variety of events throughout the year, include 3 Pride celebrations in Saranac Lake, Malone, and Plattsburgh, we are an inclusive, affirming, and accepting organization who is active in our community.

Thank you to all of our participants and their allies for helping to make our organization a leader in the LGBTQIA+ Adirondack North Country community.

Kelly Metzgar

Executive Director
Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance, Inc.
A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization

Our Service Area

Our service area includes Franklin, Essex and Clinton Counties in the Adirondack Mountains of Northeastern New York state.

Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization headquartered in Saranac Lake, NY.

What We Do

We provide a variety of services and events to serve our LGBTQIA+ community, including:

  • Provide needed peer support services pertaining to personal LGBTQIA+ issues and/or referrals to other agencies for support services.
  • Provide outreach, education & advocacy on issues affecting the LGBTQIA+ community.
  • Provide Safe Place services for domestic violence, discrimination & sexual violence, as well as counseling and prevention.
  • Provide age-appropriate trainings and workshops in regional middle schools, high schools, colleges, universities, religious centers, and civic/business organizations on LGBTQIA+ issues.
  • Coordinate with local, regional, state & national organizations to provide services to LGBTQIA+ individuals, families and providers.
  • Attend and participate in local, regional, state & national conferences and events that focus on LGBTQIA+ topics.
  • Keep up-to-date on current trends and issues facing the LGBTQIA+ community so we can lend educational expertise as we are able.
Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance Pride Parade Plattsburgh NY 2023

Our Team

Kelly Leigh Metzgar, Sage Wolf, Sean Brace, Tara Lancto, Fallon Nichols, Jessie Pokorny and Chris Chamars

Kelly Metzgar

Kelly Leigh Metzgar
Co-Founder and Executive Director

Kelly Leigh Metzgar (she/hers) is a Co-Founder and Executive Director of Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance (ANCGA) and Adirondack North Country Gender Advocacy & Education (ANCGAE), both based in Saranac Lake, NY.

She was a co-founding board member of Gender Equality NY (GENY), Core Team Member Adirondack Diversity Initiative, Advisory Board Member – Travel Unity and serves on the NYS Division of Human Rights North Country Region – Hate and Bias Prevention team.

Kelly believes in allowing Transgender, Gender Non-Binary and all LGBTQIA+ people live as their true and authentic selves. She seeks to end the stigma that there is “something wrong” or “unacceptable” in being LGBTQIA+ and strives to educate the public on gender identity/expression and sexual orientation issues. Kelly’s goal is to promote an understanding and acceptance of LGBTQIA+ people in all aspects of life including in families, schools, society and employment on the job.

Kelly holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Gannon University in Erie, PA, as well as an Associates in Applied Science degree in Data Processing, Programming & Systems from Jamestown Community College in Jamestown, NY.

Kelly spent most of her professional career in the Information Technology field as a software developer, network administrator and help desk client support.

Kelly is a Pommy Mommy to Sable, Cinnamon and Artisan!

Sage Wolf
Co-Founder and Board Member

Sage Wolf (he/they) is a transgender non-binary person who loves to read and write and hopes to publish books someday. In his free time, Sage enjoys playing online games with his friends, which is his favorite activity. He is also an avid animal lover and would do anything for his pets.

Sage is transgender rights advocate. He is a co-founder and board member of the Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance, an organization dedicated to the LGBTQIA+ community. His goal is to make the future easier for queer youth.

Sage Wolf Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance
Sage has helped plan, co-host and fundraise for several ANCGA events including: Transgender Day of Visibility, held annually on March 31; Adirondack North Country Pride, held annually each fall in Plattsburgh, NY,; and Transgender Day of Remembrance, held annually on November 20th in-person and via Zoom. He has participated in and started his own protests in Plattsburgh, NY, to stand for the injustices the transgender community faces.
Sean Brace singing

Sean Brace
Board Member

Sean Brace (he/they) has been a member of the LGBTQIA+ Community for over 20 years, where he represented the North Country across not only New York State but also in Vermont, Massachusetts and New Jersey with their Stage Persona Mhisty Knights.

Sean has been a part of the Adirondack North Country Pride planning committee from September 2017, filling the role of Entertainment Coordinator and Lead Vendor for the annual Pride events. He is now currently working on Coordinating Talent for the 2nd Annual Tri-lakes Pride.

Sean has been very active in peaceful protests in the past several years, protesting against political policies that cause harm to minorities of race, sexual orientation, gender expression, bodily autonomy, domestic violence and mental health issues. They work to lend their voice to the voiceless by standing alongside them.

Tara Lancto
Board Member

Tara Lancto (she/hers) is Co-Founder & Co-Director of Small Town Pride in Malone, NY.

Small Town Pride formed in May 2021 when Tara’s then 13-year-old son had a vision of bringing love and inclusivity in their small town. He asked if he could start a Pride event to let people know that even in their tiny town that you can be who you are unapologetically. This idea grew very quickly and resulted in bringing on a few more like-minded individuals to help organize.

Tara Lancto Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance
Since then, Small Town Pride, in collaboration with ANCGA, hosts multiple events each year and continues to grow each event. Tara has found a pleasure in serving the LGBTQIA+ Community through this very special group.
Jessie Pokorny smiling

Jessie Pokorny
Board Member

Jessie Pokorny (she/they) is a jack of all trades but master of none, someone who wears many hats, an individual behind the curtain. Jessie has been called them all and for good reason! Since they were young, they wanted to do anything and everything, especially if it was technology related! Their endeavors into technology began with interest in programming when they had just entered middle school, then grew into learning about IT infrastructure while helping as a student volunteer, which then enabled them to take a step into the enterprise IT world upon entering college.
Jessie’s primary goal is to build a community around what they couldn’t have back in Oklahoma – safety, support and being visible. Prior to living in New York, they were never exposed to the LGBTQIA+ community in depth and knew they weren’t alone in that regard. They want to show the local community there is support for those who need it, those of us in the community are just as human as the next person and we live perfectly normal lives like the rest of the community. They want to be the safe person for anyone to talk to. More importantly, they wanted to make a difference in someone’s life, even if it was just one person.