NEWBURGH – Mount Saint Mary College’s Annual Leadership Gala Reception on Friday, December 6 celebrated two outstanding pillars of the community: Alumnus Steven M. Neuhaus ’96, Orange County Executive, and alumna Christina Bart Bilsky ’85, a Mount Saint Mary College trustee.

The event held a special place in the Mount’s history, marking both the 15^th anniversary of the Leadership Gala and the 65^th anniversary of the college.

Neuhaus and Bilsky were honored with the Joseph A. Bonura Award for Leadership Excellence, which 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 restaurateur Joseph A. Bonura. 

The Gala raised more than $120,000, which will be used to support the Mount’s Donor Scholarship Fund. This fund is used as a safety net to assist students who find themselves on the brink of having to discontinue their education. The average award is approximately $2,500. 

In addition, two new endowed scholarships were announced at the Gala: The DeBenedictus Family Endowed Scholarship in Memory of Thomas C. DeBenedictus; and the McCurdy Family Endowed Scholarship in Memory of Fred and Betsy McCurdy.

The Mount, the only four-year college in Orange County, contributes approximately $21 million of its annual budget to provide institutional financial aid. More than 500 of its current degree-seeking students hail from Orange County.

Neuhaus was born and raised in Orange County and received his BA in Political Science from the Mount in 1996. As County Executive, Neuhaus has focused on revitalizing Orange County’s economic development, enhancing public health and safety, improving infrastructure, lowering the tax rate, and stabilizing the County’s budget. He has earned two warfare designations: Seabee Combat Warfare (SCW) Officer and Navy Expeditionary Supply Corps Officer (NESCO). Neuhaus has deployed to Iraq, Korea, Africa, and Japan, and served on active duty in Europe from mid-March through mid-May (2022) with the U.S. Navy’s Sixth Fleet in response to the crisis in Ukraine and is currently a Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserves.

“This institution was so transformational for my life,” said Neuhaus. “I’ve never had the attention, love, and care that the professors and staff at Mount Saint Mary College had…This place cares.”

Bilsky was born and raised in the Bronx. Her dedication to nursing was influenced by her mother’s untimely death from breast cancer. Motivated by her loss, she received her BSN from the Mount in 1985. She then embarked on a 30-year career at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). She held several positions, ultimately working as a Clinical Nurse IV in ambulatory care with Dr. Leslie Blumgart, who pioneered segmental hepatic tumor resection. Bilsky wrote critically important educational material for this new field of medicine.

“My life is infinitely better because I had the opportunity to come to the Mount,” said Bilsky. “I’m privileged to pay it forward by supporting educational opportunities through our endowed scholarship and by serving on the Board of Trustees.”

Nikki Khurana-Baugh, vice president for Advancement at the Mount, noted that Mount scholarships provide an affordable, values-based education to thousands of deserving students, many of whom are among the first in their families to attend college.

To donate to any of these funds, please contact Khurana-Baugh at 845-569-3216 or Nikki.Khurana-Baugh@msmc.edu.

Khurana-Baugh thanked the local leaders who sponsored the event, including The William & Elaine Kaplan Family Private Foundation; Christina Bart-Bilsky ’85 and Dr. Mark Bilsky; Advance Testing; the Bonura Hospitality Group; Unitex; M&T Bank; Secure Watch 24; Focused Wealth Management; Spectrum Pension and Compensation; D-Ben Securities; Dot and Stanley Bilsky; Marilyn Ejercito ’77 and Linda Dombroski ’82; Mediacom; Laborers’ Local 17; Toshi Gambhir; and many other local businesses and friends.

For more information, visit www.msmc.edu