Meet the Corn Hill Navigation Team-featuring Director of Operations-Laura Mack
Meet Laura Mack, our Director of Operations. Laura joined the Corn Hill Navigation team May 2023, just before our boats hit the water for that season. Prior to becoming CHN’s Director of Operations, Laura worked in healthcare as a Case Manager.
Laura has always been involved in the non-profit sector, as she completed two years in the Jesuit Volunteer/Americorps program after college which moved her to Raleigh, NC and Portland, OR. After that program, moving back to Rochester was important to be near family. Laura has also always been invested and engaged in the local history of Rochester, growing up riding bikes along the Erie Canal with her parents, 3 siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins!
When asked about her favorite part of her job with CHN, Laura states:
“I LOVE so much about my job but my favorite part about my job involves working with others and collaborating!
We have incredible staff and board members that I get to work with on a daily basis. In this industry, there is no “I” in team. Everyone does their part on and off the boat to make us float.
I am also grateful for all the incredible connections in the community that I’ve built since taking on this role. I get to interact and build relationships with students, teachers, artists, musicians, business owners, other non-profit organizations, and Erie Canal enthusiasts… the list goes on! It’s these connections with the community that keep us an engaging and well-rounded non-profit to deliver a variety of experiences on our waterways.”
Laura was asked if she could share an interesting experience she’s had while working for CHN, and she stated she enjoys all the trips she gets to go on as a deckhand on board the vessels. One particular day she was on Riverie last October and got to see a Bald Eagle, experience the Head of the Genesee Regatta, see kayakers along the Genesee river as part of a Roc the Riverway weekend activity, and experience flutists playing classical music on board Riverie’s bow as part of an Eastman School of Music charter. All in one day!!! Incredible.
When Laura was asked what she would like for others to know about CHN she stated “Corn Hill Navigation is an incredible non-profit that is constantly thinking of new ways to improve passenger experiences on our waterways. There is a lot of heart, care, and passion in what we do and provide!”
Laura was asked what she likes to do in her free time when she is not working and she responded that she likes to create art, specifically watercolor and ceramics. She also loves to ride bikes and travel.
An interesting fact & story about Laura is that she rode the entire Erie Canalway trail just after graduating college in 2015. It took her and a friend 6 days. Then in 2018 she took 3 months off to travel the world! She spent 1 of those weeks with TDA Global Cycling as a test run to become an international tour guide with them!(She decided against it at the time but it was still a great experience!) She traveled between southern France and Spain with the group, camping in a tent and cooking meals along the coast. She also solo traveled to 15 other countries during that trip.
When you see Laura at the downtown office or on the boats, be sure to say hello!