The Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development has announced that Joan and Dan Silna will be honored as the 2022 Walter A. Rhulen Award recipients at this year’s Annual Meeting on September 29 at Resorts World Catskills in Monticello.

Additionally, the Partnership will recognize Kelsey Hornicek, a board member and active member, as its Distinguished Service Award winner. 

The annual Rhulen Award recognizes an individual or individuals for business excellence, community commitment, and service to humanity. 

Having experienced great memories as a child visiting Sullivan County and later continuing to frequent the Catskills to spend summers and holidays here Dan developed a true fondness for our area.  It is that deep love that drove Dan and Joan to invest an est. $40 million to build the expansive-yet-intimate resort, which includes an event space, 28 luxury accommodations, and a farm-to-table steakhouse.

Their shared goal for the project, which now supports 50 full- and part-time employees (most from the local area), has always been to create an entertainment hub for the community as well as a draw for visitors from far and wide. And so far, it has worked. Since opening in the Spring of 2021, The Eldred Preserve has been a significant driver in Sullivan County’s ongoing resurgence, welcoming visitors from both the Sullivan County community and well beyond.

In addition, the Silnas developed The Eldred Preserve Farm on a 5 acre plot of land nearby, which now supplies organically grown produce to guests across all three service lines. 

Dan, a well-known pioneer in the textile industry and the former co-owner of the American Basketball Association’s Spirits of St. Louis, has been visiting Sullivan County since he was a boy. In fact, he and Joan first met in White Lake, where they eventually built a summer home. Joan has been personally involved with the interior design of all three spaces, putting her personal stamp on the project’s uniquely rustic, yet elegant environs.

The Partnership will also honor Kelsey Hornicek, a lifelong resident of Sullivan County whose family has lived and worked here for generations as teachers, skilled laborers and business owners, with its Distinguished Service Award. 

A graduate of Sullivan West High School, SUNY Cortland’s Environmental Science program and Marist College’s Masters in Public Administration program, Kelsey has dedicated the past 10 years working in the public and private sectors administering a variety of government and nonprofit programs addressing schools, disaster recovery programs including Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. 

Kelsey is currently Deputy Project Manager for CIVIX, a public sector services firm providing administrative, IT, grant and resiliency services among others for state, city and local governments throughout the United States. 

The Annual Meeting will be held on Thursday, September 29 at Resorts World Catskills from 5:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. To RSVP or to become a sponsor, call 845.794.1110 or email Jen Cassaro at cassaro.jen@scpartnership.com.