Meet Ben Dixon
A graduate of Middlebury College, Ben Dixon moved to St. Lawrence County and the North Country region of New York State in July of 2006. For the next 15 years, he worked as Coordinator of Regional Development for St. Lawrence University and as Executive Director of the Associated Colleges of the St. Lawrence Valley. In those roles, he coordinated a community sustainable development forum known as the North Country Symposium and served on dozens of boards, committees, and organizations dedicated to the economic and community development of the North Country Region. Among those board appointments was the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce.
STLC Executive Director
Ben started as Executive Director of the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce on February 1st 2021. In this role, he provides primary oversight and strategic planning for the operations and programming for the organization, forging partnerships and bringing together the Chamber’s work in membership promotion, tourism, events, and workforce, economic, community, and business development. He recently led efforts in a merger of the St. Lawrence County, Canton, Massena, and Ogdensburg Chambers of Commerce. He also is President of the St. Lawrence Leadership Institute.
Meet Tif Amo
Tif is an Ogdensburg native who returned to her roots in 2019 after spending more than a decade living and traveling throughout the USA and abroad. With strong family ties in St. Petersburg, Florida, Tif spent most of her formative years in the sunshine state and is a University of Florida graduate with a bachelor’s in Journalism and Communications.
With a deep appreciation for travel and exploration, Tif spent many years traveling and living abroad in Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia where she began her journey into entrepreneurship as the owner of her own web design business. For several years she also made her home in Eagle, Colorado where she perfected her snowboarding skills and deepened her love for the great outdoors.
Director of Tourism
After relocating in 2019 to be closer to family, Tif began working with the County Chamber on a contract for web development. She accepted a full time role as the Interim Director of Tourism in August 2023 with the amicable departure of former Director of Tourism Brooke Rouse. In January of 2024, Tif became permanent in her role.
As the Director of Tourism, Tif creates the marketing plans and tourism development strategies for the Chamber and the County, with a special expertise in web development, content creation, and digital content optimization. Tif manages the VisitSTLC.com website, oversees the creation, production, and distribution of the Chamber’s printed and digital promotional materials, and handles the Chamber’s advertising efforts for the general promotion of the County as it relates to tourism. Through the Chamber’s designation as the county’s tourism promotion agent, Tif works with contacts at I Love New York and NYSTIA, along with engaging in partnerships with local organizations in St. Lawrence County. She also works with the Adirondack Regional Tourism Council and the Thousand Islands International Tourism Council on regional marketing projects.
Meet Kathryn Puleo
Kathryn, a proud Lisbon native, returned to her roots in St. Lawrence County, New York in 2020. She brings with her a strong background in marketing, tourism promotion, event management, and community relations. Outside of work, Kathryn is an avid fan of live music and loves spending time outdoors - camping, hiking, and kayaking whenever she can. She also enjoys frequent visits to her “second homes” in Utica, NY and Boston, MA.
Destination Manager
Kathryn has been employed with the County Chamber since January 2023. As the Destination Manager, Kathryn manages the County Visitor's Center and coordinates directly with STLC tourism partners. Kathryn supports St. Lawrence County attractions, lodging entities, restaurants, and a variety of events and activities for tourism promotional opportunities. She supports tourism & marketing projects led by the Director of Tourism including VisitSTLC.com, advertising, collateral creation and distribution and more. Kathryn also provides local event management for Bassmaster Fishing Tournaments. Through the Chamber’s designation as the county’s tourism promotion agent, Kathryn works with contacts at I Love New York and NYSTIA, along with engaging in partnerships with local organizations in St. Lawrence County and tourism partners throughout the North Country.
Meet Laura Pearson
Laura is an Ogdensburg native and loves her city immensely. She works hard to promote and assist many organizations in the city. She believes that Ogdensburg is a wonderful place to live and raise a family. Laura began her career in the US Army where she met her husband, John. They have (3) wonderful children and (9) awesome grandchildren.
Laura has had a wonderful career which spans many different organizations – US Army, SLC Auto Club, Mater Dei College, St. Marguerite D’Youville Academy, SUNY Potsdam/SUNY Albany, Inverness Technologies, the Ogdensburg Chamber of Commerce and the SLC Chamber of Commerce. These positions gave her the opportunity to develop skills in leadership, management, development/fundraising, membership management, board development, accounting and budget preparation, organizational development, event planning, public relations and marketing, workforce development and classroom instruction. Laura has an Associate’s Degree in Small Business Management with a minor in Accounting from Mater Dei College.
Assistant Director
Laura coordinates signature events in Ogdensburg like Car-B-Que and Fort Fest. She manages the Ogdensburg office, assists visitors to Ogdensburg and promotes the city. She also serves on many Ogdensburg community committees - the Ogdensburg Landbank; Ogdensburg Growth Fund; Ogdensburg History Museum and Friends of the Ogdensburg Library. Laura also acts as the interim Coordinator of the Chamber's Massena operations. Laura is also coordinates and manages a range of programming in business and workforce development, including Business After Hours networking events; the St. Lawrence Leadership Institute Program; and the Center for Businesses in Transition Program (CBIT). She is involved with committees at Fort Drum and serves on workforce development committees. Laura takes a lead role in event coordination supporting Chamber events such as the Non-Profit Conference and he Craft, Food & Wine vendor shows.
Meet Tom Graser
Tom began his media career in Plattsburgh, NY, working at WEAV AM and WGFB FM as a board operator for Montreal Expos baseball games. He eventually became the morning show DJ and provided color commentary for Plattsburgh State hockey broadcasts. His newspaper career took him from Malone, NY, to Asheville, NC, to Marion, OH, and finally to Canton, where he was the editor for the St. Lawrence County and Franklin County for the Watertown Daily Times.
Community & Membership Relations Manager
In his role with the Chamber, Tom is responsible for social media, membership and community relations. He also serves as the community coordinator for Canton. His charge is to strengthen relationships with local member businesses and organizations by coordinating and communicating events, programs, and business development opportunities in the Canton area.
Meet Amanda Gordon
Amanda was born and raised in St. Lawrence County, living in both Canton and Potsdam throughout various times of her life. Amanda has spent much of her professional career working in the healthcare industry, but recently decided she wanted a change of field. While studying at SUNY Potsdam, Amanda was a dedicated member of Circle K, a collegiate service organization which opened her eyes to just how important service and involvement in the community is to her. It is with this sense of community in mind that informed her decision to join the chamber world! Outside of work, Amanda is an avid softball player and is a member of several leagues throughout the county. She also loves spending time with her son, cooking, attending concerts and playing music herself (ask about her flute and piano skills!).
Finance & Office Manager
Amanda started with the County Chamber in January 2024. As the Finance & Office Manager, she is responsible for bookkeeping, accounting, membership payments, event registrations, grant reporting and office management.