Franklin Community Center Announces Retirement of Project Lift Program Director

Colleen O’Connor Potter, left, and Abbie Aldrich. (Photos provided)

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — Franklin Community Center recently announced the retirement of Colleen O’Connor-Potter after nine years of service as the Franklin Community Center’s Project Lift program director.

According to a press release, O’Connor-Potter has been an integral part of the Franklin Community Center since 2015. Over the past nine years, she has contributed significantly to the growth and success of Project Lift, giving everything she had to the community and leaving an indelible mark on the families she has helped.

O’Connor-Potter’s accomplishments include: the expansion of the Lift Project at Maple Ave High School; supporting children through the Project Lift program from grades 1 to 5, and then returning as Project Lift volunteers when they reach high school, marking the impact the program has had on their lives; and fostering a culture of collaboration, kindness, and continuous improvement that will influence Project Lift for years to come.

Her leadership and expertise have been invaluable, the release said, and she will be greatly missed by her colleagues and clients.

“I am proud of all that we have accomplished during my time at the Franklin Community Center and am very grateful to have been a part of it,” O’Connor-Potter said in the release of her work. “The relationships I have developed with my colleagues, school district staff, donors and families have had a tremendous impact on me.”

“I look forward to hearing about the program’s continued successes, as I will always be Project Lift’s biggest fan.”

“It was a privilege to work with Colleen. She has been a mentor, inspiration and cheerleader to so many in our Franklin family and beyond,” executive director Kari Cushing added in the release. “While we will miss his brilliance in the office every day, we wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement.”

Franklin Community Center has announced that Abbie Aldrich will be taking on the role of Project Lift Program Director. Aldrich has been with Franklin for 2 years, most recently serving as Student Services Coordinator alongside Colleen. As a Saratoga Springs native, Aldrich is uniquely suited for this role.

She has consistently demonstrated her dedication to Project Lift and the families she works with, making her the ideal candidate for this promotion.