Lydia Morin brings over a decade of community building experience to her role as Executive Director of the Congress of Neighboring Communities (CONNECT). Before CONNECT, Morin spent three years leading community engagement and development in the Sto-Rox area, where part of her mission was shifting neighborhood partners from a competitive mindset to a collaborative one. Morin was also founding board member of the Etna Community Organization, helping Etna gain national recognition as "The World's First EcoDistrict," and a contributor to the work of the Triboro EcoDistrict. Morin spent her first year with CONNECT in nearly 600 meetings with leaders of the region, listening to what they had to say about their challenges and collaborations. This listening tour evolved into three new cross-boundary, cross-sector working groups that are now leading multiple funded projects.