Mount to honor local leaders at Leadership Gala

Mount Saint Mary College will celebrate two pillars of the local community at its annual Leadership Gala Reception on Thursday Oct. 16.

Alan Seidman and James P. Smith, Jr. will be honored with the Joseph A. Bonura Award for Leadership Excellence. The award recognizes individuals or organizations whose professional accomplishments, service to the community, and leadership reflect the same commitment to quality, concern for neighbors, and shared prosperity that have exemplified the career and character of local entrepreneur, Joseph A. Bonura.

Alan Seidman is a prominent figure in the Hudson Valley’s construction industry and a dedicated community leader. He holds several executive directorships: Executive Director of the Construction Contractors’ Association of the Hudson Valley since 2009, Executive Director of Fabricators, Erectors and Reinforcing Contractors of HV since 2010, and Executive Vice President of SMACNA Southeastern NY Chapter since 2016. He is recognized as one of the region’s major players in the construction industry.

James P. Smith, Jr., president and founder of Advance Testing Company, Inc., founded the business in 1984. Since that time, Advance Testing has grown to be an established, respected mid-size business with more than 150 employees. Advance Testing operates a state-of-the-art, accredited materials testing laboratory in Campbell Hall, N.Y., with additional facilities in Harpursville, N.Y., Schuylerville, N.Y., Massachusetts and Florida, which allows the firm to service projects across the Eastern seaboard, as well as in parts of Canada.

The Gala will be held at the West Hills Country Club, located at 121 Golf Links Road in Middletown, N.Y. at 8 p.m. Seating is limited. To purchase tickets or to sponsor the event, log onto www.msmc.edu/gala.

Proceeds from the event will directly support the Mount’s Donor Scholarship Fund. This fund is used as a safety net to assist students who have exhausted all financial aid options and find themselves on the brink of having to discontinue their education. The average award is approximately $2,500.