Helping those who help those in need: new director of operations at OCO has been with the nonprofit for 26 years
By Stefan Yablonski
Kristin LaBarge grew up in the Fulton-Hannibal area. She went to college at SUNY Potsdam, graduating in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, minor in health science.
“I have been with Oswego County Opportunities since May of 1998 — it will be 26 years this May,” she said. “May the fourth — because (laughs) ‘may the fourth be with you!’”
She started at the nonprofit right out of college, at 22, at an entry level position. She was promoted to director of operations in August 2023.
In the beginning, 1998, she worked with the youth population as a caseworker, working with pregnant and parenting youth. She became a middle manager at the end of 1998 — working with the same population — and then into crisis work.
“I oversaw our crisis hotline and homeless services. That was very busy,” she said.
“Then I went to coordinator level and that is like kind of right under the director of the programs,” she continued. “So at the coordinator level you oversee multiple programs, probably five or six different ones, all dealing with at-risk youth and families.”
In 2009 through fall of 2023, she became the agency’s planning coordinator.
“I planned, coordinated and developed agency’s strategic plan; developed and implemented universal service delivery practices, methods and standards; developed and implemented the agency’s first universal database — where all programs input data into, in order to get unduplicated counts and reports of services across the agency in a consistent and cohesive manner,” she explained. “I also developed standards for universal agency reporting and alignment with agency vision, mission and guiding principles.
“That is about gathering data, implementing a universal data base and really being in charge of all of our outcomes — having the data to back up how we tell our story. That’s really what that was about,” she added. “That was about 14 years.
“And now I am in this position. I am in charge of the operations of the agency. Our facilities, our sites — not the programming,” she said. “I am in charge of our information technology department, all of our networking and all of our ‘front desk’ kind of stuff. [Oswego OCO executive director] Diane Cooper-Currier has three people, director levels, that work under her and I am one of those. A lot of what I do is putting policy and procedure into place, creating solutions — efficient solutions so that people can get through their day and deal with their issues.”
“It was very tough going through COVID. We had to think of a different way to get things done and perform in a different way,” she added. “It was definitely a learning experience. But I think some good things came out of it. We opened our eyes to different ways of doing business, virtual like telehealth.”
“OCO is pleased to have Kristin as its new director of operations. She has been with OCO for 26 years in a variety of program and administrative positions. This provides her with a well-rounded understanding of the agency and its operations,” Cooper-Currier said. “Kristin has a keen eye for detail, building positive relationships with internal and external customers, assuring quality and having fun in all she does.”
In 2015 she was honored with the agency’s prestigious Amelia Whelahan Leadership Award during OCO’s annual meeting. The award is given annually to a staff member who has made outstanding contributions to OCO and the human services profession. She was also one of Oswego County Business Magazine’s “Forty under 40” in 2006.
But LaBarge said she isn’t resting on her laurels.
Always something new
“I’d say that there is something new going on every single day — that makes it exciting and like a new ‘problem’ to solve. I like that. Things come to me ‘we need this fixed’ ‘how are we going to get through this issue?’ We are helping our programs to operate and so of course you are going to get things that have got to be done, taken care of. There is always something new going on,” she said. “When I can help our employees to run their programs, then I am helping the people that we serve. It’s all about helping and I think that is why people love OCO. You come here to help people because that is really what you want to do.”
She currently lives in the Granby-Hannibal area with her significant other (Matt) and “two adorable cats, Smokey and Moji.”
Outside of OCO, she is a member of the Zonta Club of Oswego.
“I am a member and the vice president of the board and the membership chair,” she said. “I’ve been in Zonta Club since 2015.”
She is also the second vice president of the Farnham Family Services board.
“I love to travel and love to read — I am in a book club,” she said. “I like to spend time with friends and family, that kind of thing. I don’t have a lot of free time; I am on a lot of committees.”
A private, nonprofit agency, OCO’s programs touch the lives of over 30,000 Oswego County residents each year. One of county’s largest employers, OCO employs more than 500 people and boasts a volunteer force of 1,200.
Lifelines
Name: Kristin LaBarge
Position: Director of operations at Oswego County Opportunities, Inc.
Birth Place: Oswego
Residence: Hannibal
Education: SUNY Potsdam, BA in psychology, Minor in health science
Certifications: CCAP (Certified Community Action Professional); NCRI — Nationally Certified ROMA Implementer (Results Oriented Management Accountability)
Affiliations: Zonta Club of Oswego, vice president and membership chairwoman; Farnham Family Services board, second vice president
Personal/family: “Most of my family is in the Fulton area; Been with my significant other, Matthew, for more than 13 years. He has two adult children, the younger will be graduating from college a year from now. We are empty nesters, so we have been fixing up our new house for three years now, since we moved in and I am happy to say that most of the big projects will be done by year end! We have also started gardening recently and are continuing a family tradition on my side, by growing a garlic crop that dates back 50 years to Italy! I am excited to keep this alive! We are creating our own traditions now as well, by dabbling in the bee/honey business. We will see how that goes!”
Hobbies: Traveling, reading, spending time with friends and family, and DIY projects.
