Young Professionals 2015

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YoungProfessionals ‘FEATURING 17 UP AND COMERS IN OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY’

A special section of the SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT April 10, 2015 • Section Y • Callicoon, NY

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YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT

APRIL, 2015

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YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT

APRIL, 2015

Linda Cheng

Manager • Soy Asian Cuisine Soy Asian Cuisine, located at 512 Broadway, Monticello, will be celebrating its first-year anniversary in July.

BY MATT SHORTALL

L

Cheng could not help fall in love with the restaurant business, coming from a family involved with food. Her parents are in the distribution business, and her sister May is the manager of her own restaurant in Huntington, Long Island.

“I wanted to take it up as a challenge,” said Cheng, “so I came up here to give it a shot.”

The building where Soy is situated

sat empty for a year or two, having been a Chinese buffet eatery.

“It’s a nice community to live in,” said Cheng of her adopted village, “but I can see that the people could use some help.” Soy employs about 20 different people.

“I have a business mindset and I just want to grow in life in general,” said Cheng.

Cheng’s family originates from

To All Our Young Professionals,

Investment Advisors Creating and Preserving Wealth Philip Coombe III, CFP® Catherine Bender, CFP® Lynn McDonald

Congratulations on a job well done!

You are Sullivan County’s Future Leaders!

Office locations: Main Office:

Young Professionals ‘Featuring 17 up and comers in our business community’ Published by

Catskill-Delaware Publications, Inc. Publishers of the

(845) 887-5200 Callicoon, NY 12723 April 10, 2015 • Vol. CXXIV, No. 85

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P.O. Box 333 / 6872 Rte 209, Wawarsing, NY 12489

Ed Sykes

China, specifically Fuzhou, a coastal city, whose cultural cuisine specializes in soups and seafoods.

With summertime just around the corner, Cheng is preparing for the influx of new customers.

“We’re making changes to the menu and just waiting for the crowds,” she said.

For information or reservations, contact Soy at 707-4233.

548 Broadway, Monticello, NY 12701 Call for appointment

Phone (845) 647-4800 • (800) 4 COOMBE www.coombebender.com • Email: pcoombe@coombefinancial.com Publisher: Senior Editor: Editor: Sports Editor: Editorial Assistants: Advertising Director: Advertising Coordinator: Advertising Representatives: Marketing Director: Business Manager: Business Department: Telemarketing Coordinator: Classified Manager: Production Associates:

Distribution:

Fred W. Stabbert III Dan Hust Frank Rizzo Ken Cohen Jeanne Sager, Kaitlin Carney, Kathy Daley, Guy Harriton, Allison Ruef, Alex Rau, Matt Shortall Liz Tucker Sandy Schrader Cecilia Lamy, Barbara Matos Tera Luty Susan Owens Patricia Biedinger, Joanna Blanchard Michelle Reynolds Janet Will Ruth Huggler, Tracy Swendsen, Rosalie Mycka, Elizabeth Finnegan, Petra Duffy, Nyssa Calkin Bill Holmes, Thomas Duffy

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inda Cheng is only 23 and she’s already the manager of her own restaurant, Soy Asian Cuisine, which opened at 512 Broadway in Monticello last July.

The eatery is a melding of different Asian cultures and cuisines. The dishes take inspiration from different Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cuisines.

Cheng created the menu with help from her head chef and Sushi Chef Jackie, who was trained in the culinary arts at famous sushi spots like Nobu and Masa.

Soy’s signature sushi dishes include the Tempura Dragon Roll (shrimp tempura topped with avocado eel sauce), or the Fashion Roll (lightly fried spicy tuna, crabmeat, cream cheese, avocado topped with Masago, scallions, spicy aioli and eel sauce).

Cheng is originally from Whitestone in Queens. She went to school at Penn State and majored in hospitality.

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YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT

APRIL, 2015

Jared Kaufman Sales/Service Representative • PN Alarm STORY AND PHOTO BY MATT SHORTALL

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ared Kaufman’s office reflects a life well-lived, with many friends and hobbies. Besides lots of Yankee baseball memorabilia and photographs, a pair of caribou antlers hangs mounted on his office wall.

Kaufman is a sales and service representative at PN Alarm on North Street in Monticello. He designs and installs camera and security systems for residential and commercial clients.

“You meet a lot of interesting people in this line of work,” said Kaufman.

“We have a lot of wealthy and wellknown clients who I won’t name, but who do a lot of business with us.”

PN Alarm was founded by Jared’s grandfather, Norman Kaufman, and is currently managed by his father, Steven L. Kaufman.

“Some of my best memories on the job are of working with my grandfather,” said Kaufman. “He’s a great guy.”

The Monticello native graduated from Monticello HS in 1996 and

earned a degree in business administration from SUNY New Paltz before entering the family business.

Though being part of a three-generation firm remains his primary focus, Kaufman did admit that, “I want to become more involved in the community. I have no interest in politics, but I am involved in fundraising for different organizations throughout the county.”

Kaufman enjoys what Sullivan County has to offer, especially the outdoors.

“People ask ‘Why do you still live in Sullivan County? There is nothing to do.’ I look at them and say ‘Why would I move out of Sullivan County?’ I try to spend as much of my time outside. In the spring time I can’t wait to go for the first run, play my first round of golf or hop on my bike and ride around the county. We have some the best golf

Jared Kaufman is the third generation member of the Kaufman family involved with PN Alarm.

courses in the state right here in Sullivan County. Even in the fall I love going hiking and look at the fall foliage.

So when somebody asks me why Sullivan County, I tell them ‘Why not?’ ” Jared likes to travel, including to Florida and Israel, and attend concerts at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, where his wife Julie (neé Goodman) is the marketing director. The couple have two Golden Retrievers, “Javah” and “Sophie.”

This past February the couple were

co-chairs of the annual WVOS/WSUL Heart-A-Thon. They represented the entire Kaufman family in making a donation of $15,000 to the Catskill Regional Medical Center’s Birthing Unit in memory of David and Shirley Kaufman. Jared’s great uncle and great aunt were closely associated with the Heart-A-Thon. David was brother to Norman, who founded PN Alarm with wife Phyllis.

Asked about his work, Kaufman answered: “The most fulfilling aspect of my job is knowing that my grandparents worked so hard to establish this business over 55 years ago and I am blessed to be a part of it.

“I look forward to seeing our family’s legacy being passed down from generation to generation for many years to come. Knowing that we are keeping other families and businesses safe and secure gives me great satisfaction. Being that it is a third generation business, it makes separating business and pleasure a bit challenging, but that’s something that goes with the territory.”

For info about PN Alarm call 7946133 email jaredkaufman@pnalarm. com or visit www.pnalarm.com.

Congratulations

Jared Jeff Sanitation, Inc. – RESIDENTIAL GARBAGE SERVICE –

We are so proud of you!

Rubish Removal - Dumpsters Available 10, 15, 20, 30 & 40 yd. Rolloffs Available 27791

Love, Mom & Dad, Cousin Steven and Your Friends at P.N. Alarm

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on your well-deserved recognition as an up and coming young emerging professional.

P.O. Box 387 Jeffersonville, NY 12748

(845) 482-0926

26944

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Vice President • Robert Green Chevrolet

Robert Green Chevrolet does a lot more than just sell cars. They service commercial vehicles from all over the northeast. They upfit trucks and sell them to other dealerships.

When it comes to commercial vehicles, it’s all about retainment.

“I have a guy in Maine who I sold a truck three years ago,” said Green. “I sold the same guy another truck six months ago, and then I sold him another two trucks last week.”

Securing good business relationships with commercial businesses means return customers.

“This is a high pressure business,” said Green. “I work a lot of hours.

Yesterday I started at 4 a.m. and I didn’t get home until 8:15 p.m.”

“We work really well together,” said Green. “I get to see a lot of other family businesses and see how they interact. We have a truck right now we’re outfitting for Fair Acre Farms, for example. So I get to meet these other family business people and see how they interact with each other. My dad and I, we interact very well, and we stand by each other.”

Robbie Green with Chevrolet’s signature car, the 2015 Corvette Stingray convertible.

Besides managing the empire that Robert Green Chevrolet has become, Green has been involved with the Rock Hill Fire Department since he was in high school. He’s a Lieutenant in the department now, trying to juggle his day job with responding to fire calls.

For now, life is too busy for Robbie to think of anything other than the day ahead of him, but he plans on

staying on at Robert Green and continuing to expand on the business his father and grandfather built into one of the most impressive dealerships in the region.

The dealership also includes a Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep division and a commercial truck division. It is located at 236 Bridgeville Rd., Monticello. Call 796-4880 or visit www.robertgreenchevrolet.com.

Congratulations On Everyone’s Well Deserved Recognition!

E. DANIELLE JOSE

JACQUELINE RICCIANI

RICCIANI & JOSE, LLP ATTORNEYS

AND

AT 27215

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obbie Green has been working with his father Robert S. Green at Robert Green Chevrolet in Monticello since he was 14. “I’ve grown up with this business,” said Green.

Still three years shy of 30, he’s vice president of the firm started by his grandfather (also named Robert) in 1972 and employing some 80 employees spread across four buildings off of Route 17’s Exit 107.

Green paid his dues climbing the corporate ladder. He started out in the parts department before moving on to servicing vehicles. When he graduated from Monticello HS, he went to college at the University at Albany, earning a degree in business and finance. When he came back, Green hit the floor as a salesman, soon after being promoted to general manager.

“Work never stops,” he said while typing out an email on his phone.

He gave a tour of their four buildings spread down Bridgeville Road in Monticello.

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COUNSELORS

LAW

www.riccianijose.com 17 ST. JOHN STREET, MONTICELLO, NEW YORK 12701 (845) 791-7800 FAX (845) 791-5923

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Robbie Green STORY AND PHOTO BY MATT SHORTALL

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

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APRIL, 2015

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YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT

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Megan Kitson Registered Nurse • Roscoe Regional Rehabilitation & Residential Health Care Facility STORY AND PHOTO BY MATT SHORTALL

M For Megan Kitson, Roscoe Regional Rehabilitation and Residential Health Care is a perfect fit for her nursing skills.

egan Kitson used to visit her grandparents at the Roscoe Regional Rehabilitation & Residential Health Care Facility, but she never thought she’d be working there herself.

Kitson grew up in Callicoon and graduated from Delaware Valley Central School in 1998 and continued her education at Mount Saint Mary’s College in Newburgh.

She went back to school and earned a nursing degree at Sullivan County Community College in 2012.

There is no elevator to success; you have to take the stairs.

It’s nice for other people to see how wonderful you are.

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Love, Aunt Anna & Aunt Marie

Megan & Regina, We have been fortunate to have you both in our lives and recognize your hard work and dedication to your professions.

You’re both a true inspiration to young women from Sullivan County and will continue to demonstrate these leadership qualities in the future.

Let’s celebrate your many accomplishments soon!

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Congratulations Megan!

She’s been working at the Roscoe facility for just over two years.

“When they first hired me here I thought this would just be a stepping stone to something better,” said Kitson, “But after a while I just kind of fell into place and realized what a nice facility it is.”

The privately-run facility offers long-term care with access to skilled nursing, as well as “respite services” for family caregivers who need a short break from intensive caregiving.

“It’s really like a big family here,” said Kitson. “When I take a few days off and go away, I find that I’m miss-

Love, Mary Kate,Tera, Kristen & Laura

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT

&

like ‘Oh, here’s the master key to the building, good luck!’ ” said Kitson.

“We do almost everything they do in a hospital,” said Kitson. “We do IV care, wound care, physical therapy, medication administration…”

For Kitson, Roscoe Regional Rehabilitation and Residential Health Care is more than just a nursing home, it’s a community institution.

You get to know the people almost as if they were your own family.

“It’s such a great facility here”, said Kitson. “I would feel confident bringing my own family here knowing that they would be taken care of.”

Wishes to Thank

Megan Kitson, RN For Her Service, Commitment and Professionalism 420 Rockland Rd., Roscoe, NY

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ing the residents.”

“It’s a very community based atmosphere,” she added.

For Kitson the best part of the job is being able to rehabilitate patients and give them back their independence. “It’s great that not all the residents are long-term,” said Kitson. “A lot of residents we get to rehabilitate and see them walk out the door and back into their lives.”

The job can come with a lot of responsibility since Kitson is a registered nurse. Sometimes on the weekend night shifts she’ll be in charge of the entire building.

“It’s a little strange when you’re just out of college and you’ve never worked any job before for them to be

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Roscoe Regional Rehabilitation Residential Health Care Facility

“It’s really like a big family here.

When I take a few days off and go away, I find that I’m missing the residents.”

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APRIL, 2015

TRAILER SALES

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YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT

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Great Work Dr. Gene 27370

Love from Aunts: Cindy, Christina, Jennifer and Uncles: Stefan, Donnie, Tom and Mike Gieger, Jones, Diehl and Kurpil Families

Gene,

we are so proud!

As Dr. Burns you have been the answer to my prayers several times when dealing with Uncle Sam’s illness.

Sam & Fran Kurpil

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God Bless you... Grandma and Grandpa.

Dr. Gene Burns shows how the design of Riverside Remedies’ pharmacy counter allows for more interaction between the pharmacist and customer.

Gene, We congratulate you on becoming the Young Professional you set out to be.

Your hard work and dedication to Pharmacy is appreciated by those you serve and Callicoon is lucky to have you.

We are so proud of you !!

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Love, Mom, Dad, Kathleen & Meg

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT

APRIL, 2015

Dr. Gene Burns Supervising Pharmacist • Riverside Remedies

D

r. Gene Burns is a healthcare professional drawn between two worlds. On the one hand he embraces the technology which is making his job more effective and efficient and helping to keep track of an ever-changing field. On the other, he still loves the personal touch a local pharmacist can provide and the interaction with customers who need advice and help with their personal healthcare needs.

The 26-year-old doctor is a 2006 graduate of Liberty Central School who first thought that engineering might be his calling because of his love of math and science.

“My dad said what you should really look at is healthcare,” Gene said.

So the Liberty High School senior asked his mom, Julie Burns, if he could go to work with her. At the time, Julie was a pharmacist at Catskill Regional Medical Center.

“Being a pharmacist at a hospital is really exciting stuff,” Gene said.

“From emergency care, to operative, to chemotherapy, to checking charts,

there is a lot going on every day.

“It was so cool to see so many applications,” he said. “It really pointed me in the right direction.”

From there Gene enrolled in Albany College of Pharmacy, one of the premier pharmaceutical colleges in New York State, which has a six-year program of study.

Congratulations to Gene!

We are so happy to have you here!

In 2012 he earned his degree, passed the rigorous boards and returned to Sullivan County as one of 35 registered pharmacists in the county.

“I have roots here, my family has been here forever… and I like the summers,” Burns said of his return to Please see BURNS, page 17Y

Thanks Gene! Keep up the good work!

from All of Us at

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One Fairchild Pl. Monticello, NY 12701 (845) 794-6423

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STORY AND PHOTO BY FRED STABBERT III

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

20 Gregory Street, Callicoon, NY 12723 (845) 887-6423

39 Lower Main St. Callicoon, NY 12723 Hours M-F 8:30-6 Sat 9-3

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Caring for our Community shop local î spend local

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YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT

APRIL, 2015

Richard Glisson Director of Marketing • Monticello Casino and Raceway, Empire Resorts STORY AND PHOTOS BY ALLISON RUEF

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L

Give the world the best you have, and the best will come to you!

15696

Kristt Company featuring Kyocera TASKalfa & Ecosys color

845-794-6639 Ask for Les or Gene

we have to be last in things – health, job creation, growth. I don’t think that’s true. The challenges of our past don’t have to be the obstacles of our future. This is a place worth fighting for. If we want to get better, we will get better.”

ike many Sullivan County residents, Richard Glisson came here from somewhere else – Augusta, Georgia, to be exact. Which is why he finds it ironic and rather perfect that a southerner from the deep south just bought his first home on Yankee Lake.

Glisson came to Sullivan County in 2010 to, in his words, “take advantage of an opportunity” as the Director of Marketing at Monticello Casino and Raceway, Empire Resorts.

Five years later, he says “I found where I want to be and what I want to do – right here in Sullivan Coun- Richard Glisson believes that “the challenges of our past don’t have to ty. I get paid to be the obstacles of our future.” help people When he’s not promoting the casino have fun and create world class experiences. What could be better than and raceway, Glisson is busy serving his community. He is a Sullivan Counthat?”

Before coming to Sullivan County, ty Visitors Association Board memGlisson was responsible for establish- ber, a member of the Town of ing the marketing department at the Mamakating Planning Board and an then brand-new Rivers Casino in Pitts- active member in the Yankee Lake burgh, Pa. That position came about Home Owners Association. The only from his gaming career in the south negative opinion he has of his new where he worked his way up from a home is of the cold weather, although media buyer at Pearl River Resort to an he says he’s trying to “embrace” the event and marketing coordinator on a snow.

Glisson says moving here was a river boat casino for Horizons Resorts & Casinos. Glisson holds both a bach- gamble, the perfect analogy for someelor’s and master’s degree in Southern one in his line of business. “I took a Studies from the University of Missis- chance and came to Sullivan County sippi and studied Casino Marketing at and in the end I was lucky – I got everything I hoped for and more,” he Tulane University.

Glisson, who turned 34 on April 8th, said. “My journey speaks volumes. is one of Sullivan County’s biggest You have to be willing to take a cheerleaders. “For too long, Sullivan chance, adapt and be flexible. If I can County residents have accepted that do it, anyone can.”

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT

Lou Formato

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ou Formato has always been a self-professed motorhead. He gets it from his father, Dominic, who was a truck driver before he retired and became a Mustang enthusiast. These days, Formato has found a way to turn work into play by becoming the head marketing director at M&M Auto Group in Liberty.

Formato diplomatically describes himself as an “American car guy,” and he stays loyal to Ford, driving an F150 pickup truck.

Formato is originally from Fresh Meadows in Queens, but his family moved to Roscoe, where he graduated from high school in 2002. He received a degree in marketing from SUNY Oneonta in 2006.

When it comes to marketing, Formato likes to take an unconventional approach.

“It’s all about a concept called ‘top of

- Winston Churchill

Lou,

mind’ marketing,” he explained.

“When you think about burgers and fries, for example, most people’s minds automatically go to McDonalds, because that’s a company that’s synonymous with the product. We want to be the same way. When it comes to cars, trucks, or ATVs, we want all of them to be synonymous with M&M.” Not only is Formato the marketing director for M&M’s regular vehicles, he’s also promoting M&M’s sportsman collection of ATVs , as well as Rocky Ridge and Polaris vehicles.

M&M does a lot of local event advertising and community outreach projects, such at their M&M Mega Ticket promotion in conjuction with Bethel Woods Center for the arts.

Formato was out at the King of the Ice fishing tournament this year, handing out hand warmers in negative 30 degree weather, courtesy of the Sul-

You’ve provided loyalty, integrity and intelligence to those who’ve known you, both personally and professionally, for as long as we can remember.

It’s no wonder you’re being recognized as the young business professional of Sullivan County.

We couldn’t be more proud!

! i r u g u A i t Tan

All our love, Mom, Dad, Anne and Dom

Please see FORMATO, page 13Y

DRIVE. FORWARD.

Congratulations to our ver y own Lou Formato.

YOU’RE THE CADILLAC OF YOUNG PROFESSIONALS IN SULLIVAN COUNTY.

PERSONAL AT AATTENTION TTTENTION • FFAMILY FA AAMILLY LY OWNED FOR 25 YEARS YEAARS • LARGEST DEALER GROUP GRO OU OUP UPP IN SULLIVAN SULLIV SU SULLI LLI LLIVVVAAAN N COUNTY COU COUNT NTYY

www.MMAutoGroup.com www .MMAut .MMAutoGr toGroup.com 25719

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“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

Marketing Director • M&M Auto Group

STORY AND PHOTO BY MATT SHORTALL

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

845.292.3500 8

LIBERTY, LIBERTY Y, NY Y,

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YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

Mike Preis, Inc. Insurance Agency

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT

Regina Coulter

APRIL, 2015

Personal lines account manager • Mike Preis Insurance

REGINA, Thank you for serving our country and for your daily dedication and professionalism as a member of the Mike Preis Team!

Regina Coulter of Mike Preis Insurance is at home with small town life. She returned to the area after serving in Kuwait during the Iraq conflict.

Auto ~ Home ~ Business Life ~ Annuities ~ Long Term Care Group Life & Health Individual Accident & Sickness Policies

Callicoon (845) 887-4210 Jeffersonville (845) 482-5510 Roscoe (607) 498-4301 www.mikepreis.com 27290

Congratulations

Regina!

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Great Work, Regina!

Love, Mom, Mike, Ray, Tara, David, Colleen & Kerry

We are all so proud of you and all of your accomplishments!

We wish you nothing but the best and are all excited to see how far your hardwork and dedication will bring you!

from all your friends at

SULLIVAN OVERHEAD DOORS 27774

845-482-3277

27369

Congratulations Regina!

10 Creekside Dr., Jeffersonville, NY 12748

Best Wishes!

Love, Matt, Debbie, Jake & Sean

STORY AND PHOTO BY MATT SHORTALL

R

egina Coulter has worked at Mike Preis Insurance for five years now and she’s never forgotten why she started working there in the first place: the people.

She is a personal lines account manager and handles lines of insurance such as home, auto, boat, ATV, condo, and others. “I do a lot of motorcycle insurance,” said Coulter. “The first day of spring when it’s nice outside is when I start seeing motorcycles everywhere.”

Working in Jeffersonville, you run into the same faces a lot. But Coulter is used to the small town charm. She grew up in Hankins and was in the next to last class to graduate from Delaware Valley Central School in Callicoon (in 2002; the last graduating class was in 2003).

Following graduation, Coulter went straight into the army. Her dad, Artie, was in the navy for many years.

“I kind of wanted to follow in my dad’s footsteps,” said Coulter. “It was scary, at first, but it was really the best time of my life.”

Coulter was stationed in Kuwait during the Iraq conflict as a Patriot missile specialist. Luckily for Coulter, her deployment wasn’t as perilous as she expected. “We were supposed to cross over into Iraq, but we never went. We just stayed in Kuwait,” she said.

After getting out of the military in

August, 2005, Coulter returned to Sullivan County to work as an assistant to an oral surgeon in Monticello. “As it turns out, oral surgery is completely different from firing missiles,” chuckled Coulter.

By 2010 she wanted a career that she knew she was going to stay in and the local agency, owned by Dave Bodenstein and a fixture for decades in our area, beckoned.

“My favorite part about working here is interacting with the clients,” said Coulter.

“I like seeing the same people everyday when you walk down the street and they stop and say ‘Hey, how are you?’ ” said Coulter.

She’d like to continue working at Mike Preis and expand her level of knowledge and expertise by taking professional classes in her insurance field.

Outside of work, Coulter enjoys hiking and movies, and spending time with her two nieces, Colleen, 3, and Kerry, 4. She is a member of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, and though not a firefighter, volunteers at Jeffersonville Fire Department functions.

After traveling halfway around the world and working in several fields, Coulter believes she’s finally found her niche. “It will be five years this July that I’ve been working at Mike Preis,” said Coulter. “I love it and I plan on being here for a good long time.”

For info, call Coulter at 482-5510 or email rcoulter@mikepreis.com.

CONGRATULATIONS REGINA

on all your hard work and achievements Love, Patrick

Pat Murphy

(845) 707-3014

Owner/Operator

Murph’s Mowing

Quality Affordable Lawn Care PO Box 343 Jeffersonville, NY 12748 Patrickmurphy930@hotmail.com

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Lou Formato with one of Ford’s signature and classic cars – the Mustang.

FORMATO:

CONTINUED FROM 11Y

livan County Conservation Club. “We try to support the community because at the end of the day they’re what supports us,” said Formato.

When he’s not at the office or at some local community event, Formato enjoys hiking, riding his four-wheelers and ATV, hunting, and

skeet shooting.

“If it’s got anything to do with the outdoors, engines or guns, I’m probably interested,” said Formato.

When it comes to work, Formato lives by the words of legendary UCLA Coach John Wooden: “If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?”

For info call 292-3500 or visit http://www.mmautogroup.com.

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Display Congratulations Bill Chellis Regina Coulter and all the PDFs:27578.pdf; 537; No; No; No; Lee Mall Plumbing & Heating

Lee H. Mall Plumbing & Heating Inc. Family Owned & Operated

Phone & Fax 845-482-5424 Over 30 Years of Experience New Installation • Re-Modeling • Modular Homes • Service Work • DEC licensed for Well Water Pumps • Radiant Heating • Wood & Coal Boilers • Full Line of Wolverine Brass Faucets in Stock • Underground Repairs

Jeffersonville, NY 12748

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YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT

APRIL, 2015

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YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

Travis O’Dell

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT

Resource Specialist/Sales Associate • Upper Delaware Council/Coldwell Banker Timberland Properties

STORY BY DAN HUST

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ou could say hard work is in Travis O’Dell’s blood.

He’s the sixth generation of his family to run what is known as the Milk Homestead, a 100-acre farm sitting astride a Catskills ridge just north of Long Eddy.

“My mother was a Milk,” he explains.

“The house was built in the 1850s, and the farm and family have kept me in the area.”

Now raising his own family within that same house, Travis is invested in the land and local life like few other 30year-olds.

“There is opportunity here if you want it,” he affirms.

He’s certainly found it.

A graduate of Roscoe Central School and SUNY Cobleskill (where he earned a bachelor’s of technology in wildlife management), Travis has built an impressive resumé spanning not just the state but the country.

He’s worked at the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory in Colorado as a

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Travis O’Dell – farmer, real estate salesperson, land use expert, and more.

waterbird field technician, spending much of the time in South Dakota conducting surveys to develop a waterbird management program there.

He’s studied wetlands and waterfowl in Chantilly, Virginia and Nanuet, NY. He’s even been a park ranger for the NY Dept. of Environmental Conservation.

But such surveys and studies tend to be seasonal, so for four years, he did carpentry. It was good but physically punishing work.

CONGRATULATIONS TRAVIS

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We are so proud of all your accomplishments!

Love, Dad and Pat

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Perhaps his most challenging job, however, was the one he took as the Upper Delaware Council’s Resource Specialist.

“It fit more with my college degree than carpentry did,” he noted drily.

But it required Travis to draw on every skill he’d acquired, from preparing technical reports to dealing with the public to maintaining the UDC’s website.

Two-and-a-half-years in, he’s become a trusted go-to guy on land use, zoning and planning issues in the Upper Delaware River Valley – not just with the UDC, but with individuals, businesses, and local, state and federal governments (the river corridor, overseen by the National Park Service, spans New York and Pennsylvania).

The challenge is not only to coordinate studies and grants but to get the involved groups to collaborate on sometimes very sensitive issues.

“It can be contentious,” Travis admits of the inherent tension between conservation and development. “Sometimes it’s a fine line, but that’s my job to strike that balance.”

Guiding him is the River Management Plan, created when the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River designation came into effect three decades ago. The UDC, comprised of local towns and agencies, administers that plan.

“Through strong partnerships with member towns, projects can move forward in ways that complement economic development and protect the unique resources in the Upper Delaware,” Travis relates.

Every case is different, he says, and he approaches each one with a sensitivity born of his upbringing.

“I don’t want to be too nitpicky on projects,” he admits, hoping to protect the Delaware’s beauty and resources while accommodating much-valued local jurisdiction and development.

“No developer wants to degrade our resources,” he explains – and you can count Travis as one of them, as he’s guiding the family farm, high above the Delaware, into the 21st century.

“I’m scaling up,” he notes, expanding beyond Icelandic lamb production into grass-fed beef & pastured poultry.

Wife Kayla and daughters Alynn (nine months) and Lilyana (2 years, eight months) share in the healthy food he’s now marketing direct to consumers.

An avid outdoorsman, he also harvests sustainably managed hardwoods for custom orders on his sawmill as part of the family business.

Utilizing that vast skillset, Travis has launched himself into real estate, representing properties throughout the Catskill Mountains with Coldwell Banker Timberland Properties.

“It’s the perfect fit, from my experience in land and resource management, planning, zoning and carpentry – real estate just naturally jives.”

Travis shares his knowledge not just for profit but also via one that’s purely volunteer – as president of the Basket Historical Society in Long Eddy.

Invited to get involved due to his family’s deep roots, he has become a vital part of the nonprofit, including its popular newsletter, The Echo.

So which is his favorite job?

All and none of the above, in fact.

“I love being a father,” Travis smiles.

“I think that’s why I’m put on this planet. It is amazing watching a person grow!”

STORY AND PHOTO BY KAITLIN CARNEY

K

arl Bressler graduated from Livingston Manor School as Salutatorian of the Class of 1997 and accomplished athlete – especially in the running sports. The son of Ralph and Cynthia would go on to Hamilton College, near Utica, graduating as part of the class of 2001.

Deciding to go into the field of law, Karl attended the University of Richmond Law School in Virginia, and graduated in 2006. He was admitted to the bar shortly thereafter, and began practicing law in Richmond. Karl and his wife Kathleen, also a Manor graduate, got an offer in 2011 that they could not resist.

Karl and Kathleen were about to become parents for the first time.

After the passing of his grandmother, Mildred Bressler, Karl received a call from his father that would pave the road back to Manor. Karl and Kathleen were offered the family farm in Bethel, a place full of fond memories for Karl and where his father grew up. Grandfather Herman Bressler had gained renown for his community involvement and the more than 20,000 bluebird nesting boxes he had given away.

The opportunity to come back to Sullivan County and keep Kathleen’s horse on their very own farm, while having both sets of son Bryce’s grandparents and their friends and family nearby, was too much for the couple to turn down. Bryce was born in February of 2011, and Bressler

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

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Attorney at Law • Law Office of Karl Bressler opened his law office in Livingston Manor in November of the same year.

“My practice is general law, with the bulk of my work being real estate. I also do family court, estate planning, or anything I can help someone that comes to the office with,” he said.

Now a father of three, Karl is enjoying practicing law in the same small town where he rode his bike and played basketball with his friends.

He’s also enjoying watching Bryce and twins Lukas and Lillian play in the woods and fields where he and his father grew up.

“My parents and in-laws still live here. It’s nice to know everybody, and to give back and help out the community I grew up in,” he said.

Kathleen also works locally as the assistant director of Student Services at Liberty Schools.

The family has been renovating their Bethel farm on Dr. Duggan Road, one project at a time.

“My grandfather built most of the house, so structurally, the layout and the structure itself are sturdy and in awesome shape,” Karl said. “We’ve just been updating it as we go along.”

As for the future of his law practice, Bressler is “committed to being in Manor for the long haul. I’d like to work on the practice, keep my business here, hire young local kids to help in the front of the office and encourage them when they go off to college to learn new things.”

The Law Office of Karl Bressler can be found at 62 Main Street in Livingston Manor, and reached by telephone at 439-6049. You can also check out www.kbresslerlaw.com.

An opportunity to raise his family on the family farm brought Karl Bressler back to Sullivan County to practice law.

Karl A. Bressler Attorney & Counselor at Law 62 Main St., P.O. Box 958, Livingston Manor, NY 12758 Email: KBressler@hvc.rr.com www.KBresslerLaw.com 845-439-6049 fax 845-439-6052 “Serving All Your Legal Needs.”

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Karl Bressler

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT

Congratulations Karl on returning to Sullivan County and establishing a successful law practice.

We are very proud of you and your inclusion in this years’ Young Professionals.

We wish you continued success for many years to come.

Love from your whole family.

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YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT

APRIL, 2015

Nicole Slevin CONGRATULATIONS NICOLE,

Public Affairs Coordinator • Cornell Cooperative Extension STORY AND PHOTO BY DAN HUST

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YOU WERE BORN TO DO GREAT THINGS, AND HERE YOU ARE! CONTINUE TO FOLLOW YOUR VERY SPECIAL PATH, AND HAVE FUN ALONG THE WAY. WITH LOVE AND PRIDE,

ZAC & EMILY, COMPASS AND SKAT.

ornell Cooperative Extension’s Nicole Slevin packs a lot into one title.

Marketing, social media outreach, website administration, fundraising, event planning, technology support, graphic design, writing, photography – it’s all within her role as CCE’s Public Affairs Coordinator.

Being a jack-of-all-trades comes with the territory, and not just for Nicole.

“No one says, ‘No, that’s not my job,’” she explains. “It’s a team. There has to be, because we’re serving a wide array of people.”

Make that all of Sullivan County, in fact. CCE’s role has evolved over its century of existence locally, but it remains a learning and gathering destination for no less than 1,000 square miles.

Nicole has worked for six years in the very heart of that effort, the Gerald J. Skoda Extension Education Center on Ferndale-Loomis Road in Liberty.

She grew up just down the road in Youngsville, where she still makes her home with her dog Compass, cat Skat, ball python Dread Pirate Roberts, and geckos Chinacat Sunflower and Sunshine Daydream.

Her love of the natural world has guided much of her 28 years of life, including four years spent at SUNY Plattsburgh, where she earned a bachelor of arts in cultural anthropology and spent a semester in Cape Town, South Africa.

Nicole Slevin, Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Public Affairs Coordinator, stands amidst the beautiful flowers and trees being carefully cultivated within CCE’s new greenhouse in Liberty.

“I’ve always been drawn to travel and different cultures,” Nicole explains, even dabbling in archaeology whilst there.

A fluent speaker of Spanish, she has visited Mexico, the Caribbean, Senegal, Canada and soon will travel to Costa Rica.

So it’s little surprise that in 2008, after just a year at an upstate insurance firm, she decided upon a new adventure.

“I wanted a career change,” she acknowledges, “and I wanted to

We Love You Nicole!

We are so proud of you & everything you have accomplished.

Keep up the good work Baby Girl!!

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BRYAN & JANE, CHRIS & ALANNA, ELENA,

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MOM, GLENN, GRANDMA, GRANDPA,

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Love, Rob, Ann & The Girls

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APRIL, 2015

return home. All of my family is here.”

This was no step down, however.

Nicole soon found that the Memberships and 4-H Youth Development Events Assistant for which she’d successfully applied required her to gain a deep understanding and mastery of CCE’s complicated, interconnected systems.

“As an assistant,” she notes, “you learn every facet of the organization ... and you can do a little bit of everything.”

Her coworkers took notice of her ambitious, can-do spirit, and within three years, she was a full program educator in the Family and Consumer Science division, in addition to duties in marketing, technology support and public relations.

Director of Communications soon followed, and with the addition of leadership responsibilities in fundraising, social media and interoffice tech, Nicole became Public Affairs Coordinator in 2015.

She’s seen CCE through some of its leanest years, an integral part of the team that can now proudly say the nonprofit community resource is gaining back its stride, both financially and physically.

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his birthplace.

An avid bicyclist, he enjoys the rolling hills, natural beauty and friendly atmosphere Sullivan County provides. A resident of Roscoe, Gene said he has embraced the community and its friendly atmosphere.

Gene’s path to Supervising Pharmacist at Riverside Remedies in Callicoon is one of fate.

While working for Medicine Shoppe in Liberty, Gene was tasked with helping to open up the company’s new pharmacy in Roscoe.

“The best part of working in Roscoe was meeting the people,” Gene recalled. “It was not as big a team [as he has in Callicoon] so I got to hear everybody’s stories. It was very rewarding.”

From there came the idea of opening his own pharmacy and soon Callicoon was on his radar.

While he was exploring the idea he learned that Jeffrey Weir was already in the process of opening a pharmacy on Main Street – and the rest they say is history.

Nicole’s activities aren’t restricted to CCE, however. She currently sits on Sullivan Renaissance’s Steering and Bilingual Advisory committees, the Upper Delaware BioBlitz Steering Committee, the Delaware Highlands Conservancy Board, chairs its Eagle Conservation and Education committee and volunteers for its Eagle Watch program, in addition to being a volunteer with National Park Service, and the Basha Kill Area Association.

“I really like the outdoors in general,” she affirms, “and I’ve found lasting friendships here.”

CCE hasn’t missed out on the benefits of Nicole’s outdoor adventures, from her integration of composting to her rehab of the nature trail at the Liberty headquarters.

“I always think of my work as a sculpture,” she explains. “It has this shape ... and I’m working at it to make it look the way everyone wants it to.”

True to form – and Cornell University’s goal in creating the Extension service – she’s also eagerly updating her skills and capabilities.

“Education is our thing, so we follow through with that in our lives,” Nicole remarks of herself and her 13 coworkers. “I’m still learning.”

“Jeff and I were able to brainstorm on how to set up the pharmacy and we wanted to do something really unique,” Gene said. “Our design, where customers are able to walk back and talk with the pharmacist, harkens back to what was.

“The raised floor is also a throwback,” he said. “Customers can talk with us and if needed, we have a private consultation area.”

Gene and the entire Riverside Remedies team has been embraced by the Callicoon community, which was without a pharmacy for more than a decade.

“I’m looking forward to the future,” Gene said. “It’s interesting how pharmacies are changing and the advent of medication therapy management.

“We will eventually be able to build a patient chart based on information we have and interact with a physician,” he said. “The ultimate responsibility of all the regulations and legislative compliance rests on the supervising pharmacist’s shoulders.

“It’s a lot of responsibility and an important part of the job,” he said.

“It’s nice to provide a service [so needed in the community].”

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

17Y

Tyler Gold General Manager • Woodbourne Landscape Supply

A

fter a long cold winter, spring is in the air. Soon, Woodbourne Landscape Supply will bustle with the business of the season. Manager Tyler Gold is stocking up on everything from mulch, pavers, ball field clay, grass seed and other landscape items, getting ready for homeowners and professional landscapers.

But even in the off-season Tyler is busy selling winter items such as rock salt, calcium chloride, wood pellets and coal. As the general manager he takes care of everything from answering the phone, meeting with customers, giving job estimates, loading trucks and making deliveries.

In the summer season, Tyler and his staff are run ragged for a few months.

It’s a short season, so once the weather breaks everyone wants to start projects immediately. “We really try hard to please our customers,” Tyler said.

Pleasing their customers means carrying products that customers request, which in turn helps their contractor customers grow their business.

“We started carrying Cambridge Pavers because people asked for them. We added a new product line of trees and shrubs last year, too. We’re grateful that our customers share with us what they want – it helps us serve them better,” Tyler said.

In addition, Woodbourne Landscape Supply carries a variety of landscaping products including decorative stone, mulch, cultured stone, concrete block, cement, filtration and stabilization fabrics, grass seed, pavers, retaining

ALLISON RUEF | DEMOCRAT

Though spring and summer are the busiest seasons, Tyler Gold is busy year-round managing Woodbourne Landscape Supply.

wall block, fieldstone, bluestone and more.

Tyler is a Tri-Valley CS graduate. He and his wife Trish enjoy the outdoors in their off time.

“I like to snowmobile, ride motorcycles – anything outdoors,” he said. “We just built a new house and working on that takes up a lot of our time, but our house adjoins about 200 acres of land, so we like to explore it with our dogs when we’re home.”

“I’m looking forward to the hustle and bustle of the new season,” said Tyler. “Our location is a little off the beaten path, but somehow people find us and our business keeps growing, so I guess we’re doing something right.”

GREAT JOB, TYLER! KEEP

UP THE GOOD WORK. - Dad

• Mulch • Beach Sand • Decorative Stone • Bluestone • Field Stone • Cultured Stone • Landscape Fabric • Retaining Walls • Patio Pavers • Cement Block • Coal • Wood Pellets • Grass Seed • Ballfield Clay • Much More ....

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845-434-6690 Fax 845-434-6691 PICK UP OR DELIVERY 5858 STATE RT. 42, WOODBOURNE, NY

www.woodbournelandscapesupply.com

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YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT

William H. Chellis

William H. Chellis, Esq. ATTORNEY AND COUNSELOR AT LAW

Attorney/Minister • Chellis Law Offices, United Methodist Church

PO Box 624, 27 Maple Ave., Jeffersonville, New York 12748 (845) 482-3405 whchellis@gmail.com

• General Practice

• DWI

• Workers Compensation

• Estate Planning

• Social Security Disability

• Real Estate

APRIL, 2015

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Congratulations Bill from

Lori Bertsch ATTORNEY-AT-LAW 845-482-4288

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4920 State Route 52, Jeffersonville, NY

Congratulations

William Chellis, with his “Olde English BullDogge,” “Matilda,” sits on the elaborate staircase in his home, which dates back to 1903.

BILL!

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- Mom & Dad

CONGRATULATIONS PASTOR CHELLIS! International Tax Advisory Services, LLC Susan Brown Otto, CPA 118 Old Taylor Road Jeffersonville, New York 12748 845.482.3661 www.InternationalTaxAdvisoryServices.com

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We are so proud of all of your accomplishments.

Specializing in the taxation of Americans abroad, foreigners in the United States, Report of Foreign Bank & Financial Accounts (FBARs), FATCA and FIRPTA Compliance, ITIN Applications and other international, individual income tax matters.

STORY AND PHOTO BY MATT SHORTALL espite the old adage, William H. Chellis proves that you can, in fact, come home again.

Chellis is an attorney and minister who lived in Rochester before moving back to Jeffersonville three years ago with his family to open his own practice and pastor local churches.

Among other things, Chellis Law specializes in workers compensation, family law, personal injury, wills and trusts, DWI, real estate and Social Security disability.

Chellis is a seventh generation son of Jeffersonville, with a long lineage of businessmen, dentists, and farmers going back before the turn of the century.

Chellis earned his Juris Doctorate from Villanova University School of Law and his Master’s of Divinity from the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

He and wife Katrina (neé Hoering, also a local) and three children live in

an historic house on Maple St. in Jeffersonville that dates back to 1903.

The renovations are a testament to the value of knowing where you came from and keeping your history alive for future generations.

“As a kid, I remember it being the nicest house in town,” said Chellis of the structure that once housed the Griffin House Bed & Breakfast. The dark wood paneling is illuminated by the glow from the fireplace to give the room a warm, relaxed feel. The staircase is decorated with ornate carved bannisters and there are also vintage stained glass windows.

The Chellises, who love history and antiques, checked into the background of their home and discovered a personal connection. As William told the Democrat in 2012: “We found that the land to build the house was purchased in 1890 from my mother’s great-great-grandfather, Pierre Durr,” Chellis said.

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APRIL, 2015

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Anya Novikov Coordinator of Events and Fundraising • New Hope Community STORY AND PHOTO BY ALLISON RUEF

W

hen Anya Novikov began her career at New Hope Community (NHC), she was, in her words, “a broken 19-year-old girl with no direction.”

While away at college, right after graduating from Livingston Manor High School in 1999, her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Not wanting to disturb her daughter’s education, her mom never let on how bad it really was until Novikov was called home to say goodbye. Devastated, she left school and moved back to Livingston Manor. Not knowing what to do next, she got a job as a Direct Support Professional at NHC. The work was challenging, especially since the home she worked in was home to some of New Hope’s more senior residents. “I spent a lot of time in hospitals during the first year, helping the people I supported through illness and some in their final days,” she said. “As women, we are just naturally caregivers, and I took that role very seriously. It was about quality of life.”

For the broken girl, “New Hope was my New Hope,” she said. “Working here helped me deal with losing my

Anya Novikov found “new hope” at the New Hope Community, which helped her recover after the loss of her mother.

mother. Working closely, at times in a hospice-type situation was comforting – it allowed me to do for them what I wasn’t able to do for my mom – be there at the end and give them comfort.”

Having worked her way up the ladder to house manager, Novikov felt as if she were ready to move forward with her education. In 2007, through Empire State College, Novikov began

working on and eventually earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Marketing. She then returned to New Hope as a Marketing

and Communications Associate, and a few months ago was promoted to Coordinator of Events and Fundraising. Today, she is studying for her Master’s Degree in Strategic Fundraising and Philanthropy through Bay Path University.

During her second time around at New Hope, she hopes through her new role to bring “new hope” to others through a culture of philanthropy via the NHC Foundation. “The Foundation plays host to a number of events and campaigns, like our Wallace Berkowitz Cup and our 40th Anniversary, which raises and distributes money in support of New Hope Community’s mission to enhance the live of people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities,” said Novikov.

“The Foundation’s focus is ensuring quality of life, and I am grateful for this opportunity and to have the chance to, yet again, be a missionbased steward,” she added.

CHELLIS: ‘We’re from this soil’

When Chellis isn’t running the law practice with his wife, they’re raising their three children: Elizabeth, William and Mary.

As an ordained minister, Chellis delivers sermons at his two parishes, the Jeffersonville and Kenoza Lake United Methodist churches.

“My favorite sermon, without question, is the one I am working on any given week,” said Chellis. “Working on sermons is intensely challenging.

The challenge is to understand what my text is saying: what it was saying to its original audience, what it is saying to me, and what it will be saying to the people I am preaching to that week.

The challenge always fills me with excitement as I think about the text

and play with it in my mind.”

In addition to his law practice and ministry, Chellis is also on the Board of Directors for JEMS (Jeffersonville Enhances More of Sullivan), a Sullivan Renaissance group that for more than a decade has sought to beautify the village.

Bill and Katrina, married since 1999, have deep roots in the area and want to be a part of its future.

“We’re from this soil,” Chellis told the Democrat in a 2012 interview.

“We are very excited to be home, to be around family and the graves of those who went before us. We want to take our own place in the community.”

For more information call 482-3405, email wchellis@chellislaw.com or visit www.chellislaw.com.

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YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

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APRIL, 2015

Gabrielle Scott Ingber

Congratulations Gabby,

Marketing and Sales Manager • Service Scaffold

on such a wonderful accomplishment!

We are all extremely proud of you and wish you continued success in your future endeavors.

STORY AND PHOTO BY ALLISON RUEF

I

“This is where we want to raise our children and be an active part of our amazing community. This is our home.”

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Love, Dad, Mom, Courtney, Sean, Cindy, Joey, Andrew and the rest of the Scott clan!

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n 2008, Gabrielle Scott Ingber was living a young professional’s dream – with a bachelor’s degree in International Business and Marketing from Fordham University and a marketing internship at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, she began her career in earnest as the performing arts center’s marketing manager just days after graduation.

Then in the fall of 2011, her best friend, Allyson Strong, with whom she graduated from Monticello High School in 2004, lost her battle with a rare form of cancer at age 25. The loss

of her longtime friend was traumatic, and according to Ingber, “I needed to take some time. I had been going non-stop since college ended and losing Ally was the most difficult thing I’d ever dealt with.”

During this break, Ingber’s husband Cory, who worked for his family’s business, Service Scaffold, often asked her to join the family business.

“But I was always skeptical,” she admits. “I didn’t know if working together would be bad, but it turns out to have been the best thing that ever happened to our relationship.”

Today, Ingber is the Marketing and

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48 Bridgeville Road, Monticello, NY 12701 845-794-2100 Gabrielle Scott Ingber had to work her way through grief after the death of her close friend Allyson Strong. She and husband Cory are expecting a baby next month.

Sales manager for the company. It’s a job she loves and on any given day she can be found doing any number of things outside the realm of her title.

“My duties include IT, being a professional organizer or a private chef – if I feel like cooking for the guys,” she explains, with a smile.

Preparations for a major construction boom, thanks to Empire Resorts Montreign Resort & Casino, have begun at Service Scaffold and the new construction supply and equipment showroom opens in the summer of 2015. Ingber hopes to build on that by developing a complimentary green building construction supply business in the future.

In addition to work, Ingber is on the Board of the Brian Ingber Foundation, which provides scholarships and other opportunities to local youth and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Allyson Whitney Foundation, a not-for-profit established by her best friend’s family to honor the short but vibrant life of Allyson Strong.

“Losing Ally was very difficult, but

hopefully, through this foundation, we can bring light and hope to other young adults battling rare cancers,” she said. “It is our way of honoring the amazing person that she was and always will be. It gives us a chance to continue her legacy.”

Ingber, who is eight months pregnant, plans on taking time off after the baby is born, but expects she’ll also work from home. She’ll also be busy adding a new section about motherhood to her blog, www.onehundredmilesnw.com, which she started as a way to creatively express her thoughts about living back in Sullivan County.

“It’s funny,” she says, wistfully. “I always dreamed of living in New York City, but after I met my husband, I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. This is where we want to raise our children and be an active part of our amazing community. This is our home.”

For info on Service Scaffold products and services call 434-8888 or visit www.servicescaffold.com.

Shoulder/Arm

No Charge Introductory Visit: 13352

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APRIL, 2015

Dr. Joseph D’Abbraccio Veterinarian • Catskill Veterinary Service, Mobile Vet Service STORY AND PHOTO BY ALLISON RUEF

W

hen Dr. Joseph D’Abbraccio finished his education to become a licensed Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, he knew exactly where he wanted to work – back home in Sullivan County.

However the recent college grad made a startling and rather disappointing discovery – there were no jobs here.

So he set off to Orange County for a while, and then worked at an emergency veterinary hospital in Poughkeepsie and Kingston, but neither were the right fit. “I really wanted to work here,” he said. “So I did what I had to do to be able to work here.”

Dr. Joe,

PO Box 88, Monticello, NY 12701

|

845-866-2203

Amy & Joanne

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Thank you for all you do for C.A.R.E. Congratulations!

A practicing veterinarian for just under three years, 26-year-old “Dr. Joe,” took matters into his own hands and started Catskill Veterinary Service, a mobile service that caters to animals both big and small, from family pets to livestock and horses.

With over 450 clients, Dr. Joe has a reputation for being a concerned, careful physician to well-loved “family members,” which he attributes to the mobile service. “When you visit a person’s home, you are becoming a part of their lives,” he explained, “and the animal is more comfortable because you are in their space, not the other way around. It’s a different environment completely and I feel privileged to have the experience of

“We Make House Calls” Will Travel To YOU! Any Size And All Kinds Of Animals.

Hospital Consultations available at Wurtsboro Veterinary Clinic

845-807-8380

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Joseph A. D’Abbraccio, D.V.M, Veterinarian jdabbracciodvm@icloud.com

With a tenacious attitude and a caring heart, Dr. Joe D’Abbraccio’s mobile veterinary clinic fills a void and builds trust.

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT

the Board of the Hudson Valley Veterinary Medical Society, volunteers with the local 4-H program, Catskill Animal Rescue and Guiding Eyes for the Blind; provides veterinary services for the local police dogs in Orange and Sullivan counties and is a member of the Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce.

His biggest challenge?

Dealing with the “hard stuff,” like an animal with a terminal illness or the death of a client’s beloved pet. “I try to help my clients deal with their grief as best I can,” he said.

The vast expanse of Sullivan County is also a challenge. In one year, D’Abbraccio has put 25,000 miles on the truck that serves as the mobile clinic.

“The logistics can be tough. It’s hard to be in so many places at once, but I’m always up for the challenge.”

For info call 807-8380 or visit http://catskillvetservices.com.

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With over 450 clients, Dr. Joe has a reputation for being a concerned, careful physician to well-loved “family members,” which he attributes to the mobile service.

COME SEE US FOR ALL YOUR AUTO SERVICE NEEDS!

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being more than a veterinarian to both the owner and the animal.”

A 2006 Monticello High School graduate, D’Abbraccio attended SUNY Delhi, SUNY New Paltz, St. Matthews University and North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine. At the end of 2013, he joined the Wurtsboro Veterinary Clinic, owned

by Drs. Linda and Dean Tintle, and continues to operate his mobile clinic with the help of his brother Michael.

“He assists me with everything from house calls to pick-ups,” said D’Abbraccio. “He’s a really important part of the business and I’m so grateful for his help,” In his free time, D’Abbraccio belongs to numerous local and professional organizations including the Monticello Rotary, where he is the president-elect, is a Board member for Pets Alive Animal Sanctuary, is on

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Lane

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

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SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT

APRIL, 2015

Niko Niforatos Owner/mechanic • Niko’s Auto Repair, LLC

N

iko Niforatos’ parents, George and Mary, always knew their son would become a hardworking adult with a mechanical job.

From infancy he loved to take things apart and put them back together, and he never wanted plastic tools, always saving his money for the “real” thing.

His first job was working with his father at G&N Lawn Care. While a student of the Roscoe Central School, Niko took classes at BOCES for automotive repair and started to fine tune his lifelong interest into a career path.

Niko also joined the Roscoe Rockland Volunteer Fire Department, where he currently is an interior firefighter.

After graduating from Roscoe, Niko continued his schooling at SUNY Delhi and furthered his studies at SUNY Morrisville, where he focused on diesel mechanics.

After completing school, Niko returned to his hometown of Roscoe and began working at the Monticello Central School District bus garage, where his primary role was servicing the district’s fleet of buses. Even though he was doing something he loved, Niko knew he wanted more, noting, “I always wanted to open my own business.”

In a twist of fate, a business where Niko had worked during the summers came up for tax sale. The now 23-year-old saw the opportunity and ran with it.

“I had the opportunity when the business came up for sale, and I invested my own money into buying it and renovating the property,” Niko said.

After a summer of cleaning up the property, removing a building, and cleaning out the two-bay garage and office, Niko’s Auto Repair was ready to open its doors on October 13, 2014. A 892 State Route 17B, P.O. Box 190 Mongaup Valley, NY 12762 Phone: 845-796-1800 Fax: 845-796-1826

www.cooperarias.com

133 Route 304 Bardonia, NY 10954 Phone: 845-623-0300 Fax: 845-623-0350

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10 Silver Lake Scotchtown Rd Middletown, NY 10940 Phone: 845-343-2215 Fax: 845-343-2811

before-and-after photo album shows have set their sights high, and hope just how much work had to be done to continue to grow the business they before Niko could open the doors of love right in their hometown. his shop. When he did, the young Niko’s Auto Repair, LLC is located at entrepreneur was touched, and happy 173 Rockland Road in Roscoe. Call by the response to his business.

607-290-4048.

“I grew up right down the road, and when I opened the doors we had a line of cars down to the sign. I had always done some side work for people and they were very supportive in coming to the business,” Niko said.

The mechanic will admittedly work on anything that comes in the door, but especially loves the intricacy of electrical jobs. He hopes in the future to add more staff and additional bays.

For now, he’s enjoying the hard work and challenges that owning your own business at 23 brings. His fiancée, Emily, works the front desk at the shop, helping Niko to manage appointments, orders, and front of house detail.

You might catch his parents checking in or helping out as well, always beaming with Niko Niforatos, owner and operator of Niko's Auto Repair pride at their son’s work LLC in Roscoe, is pictured with his fiancée Emily. The couple ethic. Niko and Emily work together at the shop, and plan to marry in August.

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STORY AND PHOTO BY KAITLIN CARNEY