CONNECTION. COMMUNITY. LOVE.
A little more than a year ago Alison Webbinaro returned to the North Country after a successful public service career in New Hampshire. In March of this year, just about a week before the pandemic shut down order came, she opened Adirondack Yoga and Family Center with a partner. Despite the setback she has used the last few months as a catharsis of sorts and is unwavering in her desire to serve her community as a resource for wellness for all ages and abilities. In addition, she has partnered with two women to create North Country Listens, with a goal to support the community through deliberative dialogue.
Current Business & Job Title: ADK Yoga & Family Center co-owner
Hometown: Peru, NY
Age: 35
Education: Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of New Hampshire
Community Involvement: Board member of the North Country Food Co-op, member of Vinspire, co-founder of North Country Listens NY
What’s the single most important characteristic for success?
Success comes in all forms but having confidence in yourself is really important.
What’s the biggest risk you’ve ever taken?
Leaving my job to stay home with my daughter was a big risk. It was the right thing to do for my family, but there was
part of me that worried I wouldn’t find a job when I was ready to go back to work, or I wouldn’t be taken as seriously.
What’s your dream job?
To lead a powerful organization of outstanding individuals that effectively fosters community growth and sustainability.
What important lesson have you learned in your career?
Listen. You don’t always know the answer but there are people around you who do. Let them help.
What can the North Country do to make this region more appealing to a younger generation?
I think that young people are very open and attracted to differences in cultures and opinions, and that’s not always found in the North Country. I feel so lucky to have brought my family back to this area, and for my kids to grow up here, but I think there is a lot of opportunity for us to be more inclusive. There is a lot of education and conversations needed about our own biases and privilege on a personal level, and also at the community level.
What’s your biggest professional success?
I am really proud of the work I did in New Ha Hampshire, working for two wonderful municipalities, and supporting a community organization in Dover, NH that I really believed in.
As the Town Administrator of New Durham, NH, I helped navigate the Board through some difficult debt problems, and fostered trust and accountability with the employees and various Board members, which had been seriously lacking when I arrived.
As the HR Director for the City of Dover, I helped negotiate very difficult Collective Bargaining agreements during the Affordable Care Act changes. That was tumultuous for me, as well as for the employees, but we worked through it with really positive results for the employees and the community.
I hope to cultivate more career successes now that I am back in my home state and town.
What are you doing to make a difference in your community?
I recently bought ADK Yoga, at 22 US Oval, along with my friend Emily Barry. It’s a really wonderful space, and it’s a business that’s been in existence for a long time, and we are so fortunate to be able to take it over and keep it going. We are expanding our offerings to also include Kid and Teen Yoga (including baby and toddler classes) and pre- and postpartum yoga and support. We want to be a resource for the community for wellness for all ages and abilities.