Thursday, October 1 at 6:00 pm
West Hills Country Club in Middletown, New York
Get ready for an extraordinary night out! Mount Saint Mary College invites you to an elevated evening of celebration, inspiration, and community impact at our 17th Annual Gala.
Presenting Sponsor: Pepsi Cola of the Hudson Valley
Available for Purchase
Sims Foster, Co-Founder of Foster Supply Hospitality and A Single Bite
Sims Foster is a Hotelier and Restaurateur with deep expertise in his chosen profession. He is a Co-Founder, along with hiswife and partner Kirsten Harlow Foster, of Foster Supply Hospitality. Foster Supply's current portfolio is spread across Sullivan County and is comprised of The Arnold House, The DeBruce, Kenoza Hall, Hemlock Neversink and the Sullivan County Golf Course, including Otto's. 2026 and 2027 will see new properties being opened in both Ulster and Orange County as well.
Prior to launching Foster Supply Hospitality, Sims spent two decades working in national and global hotel and restaurant operations and development, during which he opened over 40 restaurants, bars and hotels. He was a Senior Vice President at Commune Hotels and Resorts, Vice President at Denihan Hospitality, & Director of Operations of Country. Sims has been part of concepting, developing and operating hotels in New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Miami, Seattle, London, Cabo San Lucas, Playa del Carmen and many other major markets.
Perhaps most important to Sims was taking his hard-earned experience in the industry and utilizing it to bring change to the area he loves the best, the Catskills and Hudson Valley. He grew up in Livingston Manor in Sullivan County and he and Kirsten's two children are the 5th Generation to call it home.
Sims is a Past Chairman of the Sullivan County Visitor's Association, and a current Board Member of the Sullivan County Land Bank the Shandelee Music Festivaland and the Lazarre and Charlotte Kaplan Foundation. Sims holds a BA from Shepherd University in music education and trumpet performance.
He and Kirsten also are Founders and Directors of the not for profit, A Single Bite, which is working to eradicate food insecurity in Sullivan County along with building a long term educational foundation to educate children about real food and the choices they make around it.
Kirsten Harlow Foster, Co-Founder of Foster Supply Hospitality and A Single Bite
Kirsten Harlow Foster is a co-founder, along with her husband and partner Sims Foster, of Foster Supply Hospitality, which currently operates four hotels, five restaurants and a golf course in New York's Sullivan Catskills.
Prior to launching Foster Supply Hospitality with the opening of the Arnold House in 2014, Kirsten spent 10 years working as a Senior Policy Advisor at The Federal Reserve Bank of New York. With a Masters Degree in Development Economics and International Policy, Kirsten's career has also taken her to developing countries to assist in setting up small, rural microlending programs, to advising foreign officials on economics and health policy, and to serve as an advisor to the US Treasury Department. Throughout her career, she has always been dedicated to making a difference and ensuring her work makes an impact.
This passion carries through to her role in co-founding Foster Supply Hospitality, with the brand's efforts helping to define the renaissance of this storied region of the Catskills. Kirsten oversees and executes all design & purchasing for all properties, as well as leads all Marketing, Revenue, & Sales efforts, and ensuring the brand's programming strategy is focused on guest values and local partnerships.
Kirsten is also Co-Founder, along with Sims of A Singe Bite, a not-for-profit organization that the couple founded to address food insecurity in their community. In other community work, Kirsten is a Board member at the Community Foundation of Orange, Sullivan and Rockland, where she services as the liaison for Sullivan County, as well as at both the Hudson Valley Agribusiness Development Corporation and the Farm and Food Growth Fund. A passionate supporter of public and community radio, she is the former President of the Board of Trustees for WJFF Radio Catskill, where she continues an active role. She graduated from Barnard College with a BA in Political Economics & German Literature, followed by securing a MA in Development Economics and International Relations from the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of Johns Hopkins University. Kirsten resides in Jeffersonville, NY with her husband Sims, their two children, who are proud to be 5th generation Sullivan County, as well as her trusty German Shepard Zora, who is never more than 3 steps away from her if she can help it.
Joseph A. Bonura Award for Leadership Excellence
The Joseph A. Bonura Award for Leadership Excellence is bestowed annually by Mount Saint Mary College.
This Award is presented to individuals or organizations who, through their professional accomplishments and approach to management, have shown the same commitment to quality, concern for neighbors, and shared prosperity that have exemplified the career and character of Mr. Joseph A. Bonura, a highly esteemed member of the Mount Saint Mary College Community.
Proceeds from the event support the Donor Scholarship Fund
At the Mount, we encourage our students to be the spark that changes the world. Now, you can be the spark that changes theirs. Proceeds from the Gala support the Donor Scholarship Fund. This fund helps our students continue at the Mount and get the transformative education they need to make a difference in the world.
