2024 Heroes of Hospitality: Bob Flacke
January 25, 1933 – November 10, 2018 | Teacher, Veteran, Hotelier, Public Servant
Bob Flacke was a schoolteacher, environmentalist, business leader and local and state government official.
He was raised in Albany and educated at The College of the Holy Cross. His college football achievements earned him a tryout with the NFL’s Detroit Lions. He turned down the opportunity to serve in the U.S. Navy, where he rose to the rank of Captain.
He came to Lake George at the request of family and friends who were investors in Fort William Henry. He revived the hotel’s business, established several businesses along Beach Road, added dozens more rooms to the hotel, and supervised construction of the five-story addition known as The Grand and the conference center.
He also helped his wife, Jean McEnaney, with her Lincoln Log Colony, and served as a Queensbury school teacher and guidance counselor.
Bob was devoted to public service. He served as Lake George Town Supervisor and was a member of the Warren County Board of Supervisors. He is the only person in New York State history to have served as both the Commissioner of Environmental Conservation and Chairman of the Adirondack Park Agency.
He was instrumental in solving challenges related to the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid and in creating the Olympic Regional Development Authority.