Her leadership has been instrumental in bringing Pride celebrations to Plattsburgh, Malone and Saranac Lake, marking a significant shift in the region's engagement with LGBTQ+ issues.
SARANAC LAKE, NY, May 29, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Kelly Leigh Metzgar has been inducted into Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Ms. Metzgar has made significant contributions to the LGBTQ+ community in the Adirondack North Country region of New York through her role as co-founder and executive director of the Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance since 2016. Her leadership has been instrumental in bringing Pride celebrations to Plattsburgh, Malone and Saranac Lake, marking a significant shift in the region's engagement with LGBTQ+ issues. Before her involvement, there were no Pride celebrations or dedicated LGBTQ+ work in these areas. Under her guidance, the organization also spearheads Transgender Day of Visibility and Transgender Day of Remembrance programs, highlighting her commitment to advocacy and visibility for transgender individuals.
In addition to her pivotal role at the Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance, Ms. Metzgar has held various positions that have contributed to her broad skill set and professional network. From 2020 to 2021, she served as a national account manager at the American Management Association (AMA) based in Saranac Lake NY, during which time she honed her skills in account management and client relations. Prior to this role, she was an account manager for public programs at the Canadian Management Centre a division of AMA from 2018 to 2020.
Ms. Metzgar's extensive experience in information technology was developed through positions at St. Joseph's Addiction Treatment Recovery Center from 1999 to 2016 and at North Star Behavioral Health Services from 1997 to 2004. Additionally, she was Director of Administrative Computing at North Country Community College from 1983 to 1997. Her entrepreneurial spirit is evident in her founding of Lichtenwalter Furniture Refinishing, a venture she created in the early 1990's. She also contributed her technical skills as webmistress for The Vanity Club an international sorority for transgender women from 2006 to 2016.
Prior to embarking on her professional journey, Ms. Metzgar earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Gannon University in 1981, followed by an Associate of Applied Science in data processing from Jamestown Community College in 1983. These educational achievements provided a strong foundation for her career and advocacy work.
Ms. Metzgar's civic engagement extends beyond her professional responsibilities. She has been a co-founding member of the Hate and Bias Prevention Unit's North Country region under the New York State Division of Human Rights since 2022 and has been actively involved with the Adirondack Diversity Initiative since 2013. Her dedication to transgender rights advocacy has led her to serve as a speaker, presenter and trainer on the topic since 2013. She was also a co founding board member and treasurer of Gender Equality New York from 2018 to 2022 and played a key role in the executive coordinating committee of the New York State Transgender Rights Coalition from 2013 to 2015.
About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Marquis celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2023, and Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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