Story and Photo by Autumn Schanil
Gary Silver: recipient of the Distinguished Service Award
Service above self. Three simple words that when phrased together harbor a more profound meaning, especially for local attorney and resident Gary D. Silver.
Silver, of law firm Billig, Loughlin & Silver, LLP on Broadway in Monticello, was chosen to be honored with the Distinguished Service Award at the Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development’s 23rd Annual Meeting and Celebration in October.
The award is presented each year to a person, or persons, who has provided exceptional or outstanding service to the Partnership.
“It really comes back to the same thing with [Liberty] Rotary, everything that I do and all our friends do: service above self. If you’re going to do something, you do it.
“If you are going to participate in something you should give it everything you have,” expressed Silver. “I jumped in to help the Partnership re-write their bylaws, gave them a conflict of interest policy, updated their ethics policies and other things, but that’s just what I do.”
Silver has served on the Partnership’s Board of Directors for the past three years and was recently re-elected for a second term.
Partnership President and CEO Marc Baez stated that Silver’s actions show his unwavering commitment to the economic development of Sullivan County and, “more importantly, he’s dedicated himself to helping others – both in and outside our region.”
Silver is also a member of the Bethel Woods Business Development Committee, director and vice president of not-forprofit humanitarian organization Operation Endeavor and president of the Liberty Rotary Club.
“It’s a wonderful feeling to be honored, it’s very humbling because I don’t do things for recognition. I do things because I believe it’s the right thing to do,” stated Silver. “Whether it’s helping an organization I’m a part of or helping people, for me that’s just one of the purposes of life.
“Again, it comes back to service above self.”