Doty has served on several other boards — the Franklin Town Board, the Saranac Lake Central School District Board of Education, St. Bernard’s School Education Council and the Saranac Lake Civic Center Board of Directors.

On the evening of Friday, Dec. 5, colleagues in community and county leadership, friends and fans sprang a surprise party for him at the Craig Wood golf course. Gobsmacked and momentarily at a loss for words, Doty briefly looked like a deer caught in the headlights, as doling out praise to others is his ongoing mode of communication. The operative word was brief as he quickly shifted to working the room, praising and thanking others.

Doty is a self-described workaholic, a trait so well understood that many who knew and worked with him regularly called him at 7:30 in the morning. About the only time Doty wasn’t accessible was during hunting season, when he headed into camp not to shoot, but to see if he could still outfox the deer when not bantering with his friends and enjoying a bit of Irish whiskey.

A lifelong resident of Ray Brook and a 1975 graduate of Saranac Lake High School, Doty studied at SUNY Oswego, SUNY Plattsburgh and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He eventually returned to work for his parents at Doty’s Meat Market until 2001. After a stint at Hyde Fuel and learning property management skills at the Whiteface Club and Resort, he established Doty Property Management. Doty had to radically reduce his caretaking service when he became North Elba’s town supervisor, which included duties as a member of the Essex County Board of Supervisors. In Essex County, each town supervisor serves on this board as well, which handles the county-wide legislative affairs.

Doty had to hit the ground running immediately upon becoming town supervisor. That’s because the community was in the midst of preparing to host the 2023 FISU Winter World University Games, an event that would bring more athletes and officials to Lake Placid than the 1980 Olympic Winter Games, while keeping people safe on the backside of the coronavirus pandemic’s peak.

Another major challenge was the significant drop in attendance at the Lake Placid Horse Show, a highly competitive business, as other horse shows came online, some held on similar dates. Riders and stables loved the setting, quality dining, housing, shopping and recreational amenities for family members. However, the Grand Prix, Hunter and practice rings, along with the footings, stable area and other amenities no longer met the highest standards.

Installing state-of-the-art all-weather footings would prove critical. These upgrades that would require a significant investment, more than the town and the Lake Placid Horse Show could manage on their own.

Another vital relationship that needed to be addressed was the contract between the state Olympic Regional Development Authority and the town. Most of the Olympic venues are on town-owned land. Strengthening relations between the town and the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism, the Village of Lake Placid, and Essex County was paramount.

Doty also spearheaded investing in the western portions of North Elba, such Ray Brook and a substantial section of Saranac Lake. The latter required fostering good relations with the towns of Harrietstown and St. Armand.

An important decision of Derek’s was establishing a monthly meeting of the leaders of all the major agencies — including Adirondack Health, the Lake Placid Police Department, ORDA, ROOST and the village government. Guests also included the Essex County Department of Health, Mercy Care and the food pantry.

“These meetings opened the door to better communications and cooperation,” Lake Placid Deputy Mayor Jackie Kelly said. “They helped us tackle issues together rather than in our separate corners. That kind of leadership set an example for the future. Derek also took on tough infrastructure challenges, thinking not just about what had to be tended to today, but also about what would keep us strong in the years ahead. This practical, forward-looking approach helped both the town and the village stay focused on sustaining and improving the facilities we all depend upon.”

“Derek has been an exceptional leader, partner and true advocate for our region,” added Ashley Walden, the president and CEO of ORDA. “He’s always understood that the strength of our community and the success of our Olympic venues are deeply connected. His leadership has helped ensure that the town of North Elba and ORDA will go forward together.”

Warden went on to say that she and Derek agreed that not only does our community welcome the world daily, but people may come here for an event or a vacation and leave desiring to return, while telling others of their great experience. She felt this is possible through true partnerships, such as the one Derek launched through these monthly meetings, giving, for example, one with the town, school, and ORDA to achieve LEAD certification and its resulting long-term benefits.

ROOST Chief Operating Officer Mary Jane “MJ” Lawrence highlighted collaborative achievements made under Doty’s tenure. These include the Community Tourism Enhancement Fund, the thrift store and food pantry serving hundreds of local families and residents and the launch of a significant upgrade to the Horse Show grounds.

“Derek’s ability to build relationships and get people at the table may seem not that big of an initiative and easy to do, but in all my years — and I was born and raised in Lake Placid — this was the first time in my professional career that someone got all of us to sit at a table and talk about concerns, initiatives, and collaborations,” she said “He brought this community together.”

An example of bringing people together is the many initiatives Doty launched to address the concerns of North Elba residents living in Ray Brook and Saranac Lake. These included investing in the Mt. Pisgah snowmaking upgrades, as many town residents recreate there.

Doty’s attention was not just on the town, but on how he and the North Elba community could help make all the towns in the county stronger and more welcoming. He wanted to help them achieve their goals.

“I respect the work Derek does, the way he does the work,” Keene Town Supervisor Joe Pete Wilson said. “I value working with him, learning from him how to advocate for one’s town and how to get things done in this complicated environment. I have great respect for the work he’s done and the way he gets it done.”

“Derek’s amazing,” Jay Town Supervisor Matt Stanley said. “I’ve been able to bounce things off of him; we’ve been able to confer on a lot of issues. He’s been a great ally on the county board.”

“I am impressed by what Derek knows,” Essex Town Supervisor Ken Hughes said. “He can digest the copious and voluminous amount of material that comes our way, articulate the issues well and ask intelligent questions of department heads, the county manager and leadership — which helps us make sure we are making good decisions.”

Holly Doty, Derek’s wife, said that while he’ll give the shirt off his back to help anyone, he’s not great at accepting gifts and praise from others, so the party had to be a surprise. She thanked all present for pulling it off. Holly said Derek’s gift is that he gives everyone his full attention and listens to what they have to say in a way that ensures they feel heard.

“If he gives someone a job, he truly believes that person is the best person to accomplish that job,” Holly said.

“Naturally, it’s always good to hear compliments and everything, but no one does this job alone,” Derek Doty said. “I have friends in all of you in this room that have helped me along the way. I have full confidence in Rick (Preston). We’ve become very close over the past few years. I am close to (town councilors) Dick (Cummings), Emily (Kilburn Politi), to Jason (Leon) — we are a team.

“The team aspect is what keeps Lake Placid and the whole region successful, I hope, for eternity,” he said. “If just one person is the catalyst that gets everyone at the table, then things work. You’re saying thanks to me tonight, thank yourselves. That’s what makes us who we are.”

Doty urged the party goers to bring diverse people to the board — people with different strengths — because that diversity working together is what makes a board, and is what makes a community strong.

(Naj Wikoff lives in Keene Valley and has been writing his column for the Lake Placid News since 2005.)