Bianca Fraser-Johnson spent 20 years in the financial services industry. Upon graduating from Georgetown University, she joined MBNA America through their Accelerated Management Development Program, and worked in Business Development, Affinity Management, Customer Delight, eCommerce Acquisition, Customer Satisfaction, Collections, and Business Lending. She remained at Bank of America, after the MBNA acquisition, until 2019 when she retired as a Senior Vice President, and Head of Employee Financial Services.

Passionate about leadership development, Bianca founded the Delaware Chapter of LEAD (Leadership, Education and Advocacy) for Women at Bank of America in 2007, developed the LEAD Professional Development Forum, and chaired a national LEAD Strategic Growth committee to expand chapters across the country. She completed her fellowship with Leadership Delaware in 2010, launched the Leadership Delaware Alumni Council which she chaired until 2014, served six years on the Board until 2017, when she transitioned to the Advisory Board. Bianca most recently was a member of the Transition Taskforce and chaired the LDI 2020 Graduation & Strine Celebration. She is also currently a member of the Executive Board at The Independence School.

An avid volunteer, Bianca was recognized as the recipient of the Wilmington Jaycees 2014 “Outstanding Young Wilmingtonian” Award, the Delaware Business Times first “Achievers and Innovators Under 40” Award, and Bank of America’s 2011 Volunteer Service Award for Delaware. She launched the Bank of America Community Volunteers Delaware Chapter in 2006 and chaired their annual Family Volunteer Day event for over 12 years. Bianca served on the board of the Delaware Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and was recognized with the Volunteer of the Year Award, Dinner of Champions Individual Honoree Award and Hope Award. She was inducted into the National MS Fundraising Hall of Fame as the youngest ever inducted and founded the Delaware Chapter MS Emerging Leaders Council. Bianca is also active with Easter Seals of Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and the Delaware Make-A-Wish Foundation. She received the Delaware 2004 NSFRE Philanthropy Award and the 2008 YWCA Women of Distinction Award. She formerly served on the Grants Committee for the Delaware Community Foundation and on the board of the Delaware Youth Leadership Network, which she helped co-found.

She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 2002 from Georgetown University, with a double major in International Business and Marketing, and a French minor. She also studied abroad at the Chinese University of Hong Kong for an Asian Business concentration.

A Delaware native, Chelsea is driven by her desire to better the community in which she has grown. Chelsea graduated from Caesar Rodney School District and continued her education in the first state with a B.A. in Psychology from University of Delaware.

She has spent the last 12 years working for L&W Insurance Agency in Dover, DE. L&W Insurance is a full service agency and respected organization operating throughout the state of Delaware for the past 87 years. In addition to her role as Personal Lines Agent, servicing the insurance needs of incoming personal clients, Chelsea currently holds the position of Community Relations & Development Director, where she oversees the agency’s community outreach, marketing and local partnerships.

Chelsea feels honored to volunteer her time as the Charity Liaison for the Gals That Give Organization where she coordinates and executes monthly fundraising events that highlight & support a different local charity at each event. In her 3 years with Gals that Give she has worked closely with more than 25 non-profit organizations that are committed to their presence in Kent County, Delaware, including Down Syndrome Association, Big Brother & Big Sisters, Kent-Sussex Industries, Make-A-Wish Delaware, Hope Medical Clinic, and many more. Chelsea also volunteers her time with Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition as a board member for their annual Lights of Life Gala.

She and her husband Allen reside in Camden, DE with their wildly different twin daughters.

Ms. Cindy Bo has worked in healthcare strategy for over 23 years, ranging across the provider, payor and life sciences sectors. She is named by the Becker's Hospital Review in 2017, 2016 and 2015 as one of the top 130 women hospital and health system leaders to know in the United States. She is named as one of 2017 Delaware Today Top Women in Business Honorees. She is also a TEDx Speaker as well as a speaker in national conference such as Becker’s and the Children’s Hospital Association.

Cindy has expertise in strategic planning, business development, mergers and acquisitions and finance transformation. She has worked collaboratively with executive leaders across the healthcare industry to improve the viability of healthcare delivery and management of population health. Currently, she is the Senior Vice President, Delaware Valley Strategy & Business Development for Nemours Children’s Health System, Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children. At Nemours, she manages the strategies and business development processes in support of new growth and integration opportunities for both the hospital and practice in the Delaware Valley. She also develops new strategic partnerships with clinical partners and other healthcare vendors. Cindy drives the business planning and strategic growth process for clinical services and programs. A few examples are the Nemours Cardiac Center; Nemours Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders; Orthopedics (Spine); Mother/ Baby (Perinatal / Fetal Cardiac / Advanced Delivery Program); Solid Organ Transplantation; Behavior Health and Lymphatics Disorders Strategies. Cindy co-leads the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospital Survey for the enterprise. She also structures practice acquisitions and identifies new practices / sites.  She is also overseeing Global Health Services / International Strategy and the Office of Health Equity and Inclusion. Having found the Value-Based Services Organization four years ago, Cindy is continuing to work with leadership to help Nemours transition to value and population health, driving health equity for all patients we care for.

Cindy is currently also the Nemours Enterprise Leader for the Diversity, anti-Racism, Inclusion, Value and Equity (DRIVE) Strategy. DRIVE strives to create an environment of inclusive excellence valuing all associates and empowering them to address racism, health equity and social justice to create the healthiest generations of children. She leads a task force of 100+ Associates from all over Nemours, enterprise wide that manage eight work streams to drive impact for not only our 8,500+ Associates but also our external stakeholders. Eight work streams include Pipeline, Child and Family Impact; Education, Development and Programming; Recruitment and Onboarding; Associate Engagement and Retention; Policies, Processes and Culture; Community Engagement and Health; Research and National Prominence; and Marketing and Communications. To date, there has been transformational culture change for Nemours to be an anti-racism organization.

Prior to joining Nemours, she was a Senior Manager and an Ellen Gabriel Fellow at Deloitte, in the Healthcare M&A Practice. At Deloitte, she led the strategic transformation for large regional health systems; led the M&A deals for national and regional health plans, health systems and pharmacy benefit managers; and led revenue cycle management for major provider systems around the US. Cindy was also a Director at Novartis, leading the Business Planning & Analysis, Center of Excellence where she managed the strategic planning for Novartis’ North American Primary Care portfolio.

Cindy is an Aspen Institute Health Innovators Fellow, Malcolm Baldrige Executive Fellow and a graduate of the Disparities Leadership Program, working with Massachusetts General Hospital. She is also an Aspen Institute Spotlight Health Scholar as part of the 2016 Aspen Ideas Festival. She is also an appointed Member by Governor John Carney on the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council (DEFAC). Cindy is currently serving on several distinguished Boards. She is a Board Member for The Clinic for Special Children in Strasburg, PA; Mercy Health Mercy Kids Board of Trustees; the American Lung Association for the Mid-Atlantic; and the Delaware Center for Health Innovation (DCHI). She currently volunteers for the Nemours Children’s Health System, Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children and the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware. In the past, she has volunteered for City Year in Philadelphia, PA; Dekalb Community Service Board in Atlanta, GA; and The William J. Clinton Foundation in New York, NY.

On the personal side, she is a runner and swimmer, writes children’s stories, creates greeting cards, bakes and enjoys spending time with her husband, David, and sons, Matthew (age 21) and Lucas (age 7).

Cindy has earned her MBA, with high distinction and honors, from Columbia Business School and her BS, summa cum laude, from Binghamton University School of Management.

It was a little more than 25 years ago when Dave Tiberi challenged undefeated world middleweight champion James “Lights out” Toney for his title at Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City. Although the controversial split decision on ABC Wide World of Sports deprived Tiberi of the title, the outrage that followed by Former Delaware US Senator Bill Roth, Former VP Joe Biden (then Senator) and Former Senator John McCain resulted in legislation that created stronger health and safety rules for fighters across the nation that was signed by then President Bill Clinton. However, Dave earned the title of ‘’The Uncrowned Champion’’.

Mr. Tiberi, who has been inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame in both Delaware and Pennsylvania continued his fight outside the ring. Dave served for 9 years on the St. Francis Hospital Foundation Board, Sunday Breakfast Mission Homeless Shelter Board, Goodwill Industries Annual Luncheon and Connections CSP addressing the complex problems of mental health and substance abuse. He also co-founded and served on the board as a volunteer at The Dave Tiberi Youth Center for 22 years.

Today Dave is President of Emergency Response Protocol (ERP), a security company serving a multi-state area. Emergency Response Protocol focuses on bringing safety and security to all areas of Business, Schools, non-profit and Government. ERP offers various services such as: installation, engineering, maintenance and management, service, live video monitoring, access control and IT. ERP specializes in providing commercial systems for towns, cities, educational buildings, financial institutions, non-profit organizations, industrial parks, health facilities, government, etc.

Dave is founder of the Delaware Decision Makers which is a gathering of leaders that meet monthly network and then hear a panel discussion on topics that will move Delaware forward. The group come from Business, Government, Healthcare, Education, Public Safety and Non-Profit throughout Delaware. Dave is an active motivational speaker in the Corporate, Educational and Public Safety Circles. He presently serves on the Board for the Delaware Boys and Girls Clubs, Delaware Police Chiefs Foundation and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Dave’s commitment to the community that he lives in is evident through the awards that he has received.

1991 “Delaware’s First ProfessionalWorldBoxing Champion” Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame
1992 to Present: Dave received a Gold Badge for his commitment as defensive tactics trainer for the Delaware State Police and Municipal Recruits for 27 years
1995 Voted One of ‘’Ten Outstanding Young Americans’’ by the United State Junior Chamber of Commerce. Some prior inductees were Elvis Presley, Former VP Joe Biden and Tony Robbins
1995 New Castle County Chamber of Commerce ‘’Wallace Johnson Community Service Award’’
1998 Voted National Italian American Federation Young Italian American of the Year
2009 Voted in the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame
2012 One of the most 50 influential Delawareans of the past 50 years
2017 One of 36 Intriguing Delawareans by Delaware Today Magazine

A U.S. Naval Academy graduate, Desa spent 10 years as a Surface Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy and Naval Reserve. She later earned an M.B.A. from Florida International University and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she served as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of
International Economic Law.

Prior to coming to Zip Code, she was the Assistant General Counsel of Intellectual Property at InterDigital, Inc., where she served as the senior transactions counsel for research and development, technology innovation and government contracts.

Delaware’s Director of the Delaware State Housing Authority, Eugene R. Young, Jr. was appointed to
his current position by Governor John Carney in May of 2021. In cooperation with other state agencies
and advocates, Director Young drives DSHA's mission to provide and assist others to provide, quality,
affordable housing opportunities and appropriate supportive services to low- and moderate-income
Delawareans.

Prior to his appointment, Director Young served as the President and CEO of the Metropolitan
Wilmington Urban League and co-founded Network Delaware, a grassroots, member-led organization
of community members, leaders, organizers, and activists joining together to bring real, sustainable
change to Delaware.

Director Young began his career 16 years ago, co-founding Delaware Elite, a youth leadership
development program that provided inner-city youth with academic enrichment, leadership training,
and college access. He has experience working in the non-profit sector, as well as for the city, state, and
federal government, serving as an aide within the Delaware General Assembly, and then as a close aide
to New Jersey Mayor and current United States Senator Cory Booker.

Director Young was born and raised on the Eastside of Wilmington, Delaware. He graduated from the
University of Maryland Baltimore County with a dual major in Information Systems and Sociology. He
received a Master’s in Public Administration from Wilmington University and Studied Nonprofit
Management at the University of Delaware.

Director Young lives by the words of Cornel West, “You can't lead the people if you don't love the people.
You can't save the people if you don't serve the people.”

Prior to joining Leadership Delaware, Jennifer Cohan led the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) under two Governors, where she led agency wide reforms and produced the largest capital program in the State’s history. Prior to her appointment as Secretary, Jennifer served as the Director of the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles as the first woman to do so. Her state public service career spanned more than 31 years.

Her previous work includes serving as the Financial/Program Manager at the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) managing the state’s Clean Water Program and working with the Delaware State Legislature within the Office of the Controller General. Jennifer graduated summa cum laude from Wilmington University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and a Master of Science in Public Administration and attended the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania. She remains involved with Wilmington University as an adjunct professor teaching Leadership and Public Policy in the master’s program for over a decade. She has held an array of national and international leadership roles in Transportation, Leadership, Public Policy, and Motor Vehicle and Personal Identity Administration, always with a focus on customer service.

Beyond her professional duties, Jennifer is a board member of the Greater Dover Boys and Girls Club and State Board of Trustees, serves on the Delaware American Heart Association Board of Directors, and is a board member of the Hope Medical Clinic. In 2016, Jennifer was honored with the Kent Distinguished Citizen Award by the Del-Mar-VA Council of the Boy Scouts of America for her commitment to public service and is a 2021 inductee of the Delaware Women’s Hall of Fame.

Joel M. Brown II, CEO of Arrived Leadership, is a highly sought-after executive coach, speaker, and advisor to organizations and leaders. He has extensive experience as an executive at several large healthcare organizations and as chair of the board for several multimillion-dollar non-profits. Joel is passionate about developing high-performing CEOs, entrepreneurs, leaders, teams, and organizations. He has received international recognition for his TEDx Wilmington talk "What's Next For You," as well as his keynote addresses, leadership and clinical lectures, publications, and podcasts. Joel is also a board member and Fellow of the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC), Chair of the Board for Leadership Delaware, Inc.(LDI), an International Coaching Federation (ICF) member, and a Certified Executive Coach from the Center for Executive Coach.

Previously, Joel served in the U.S. Army Reserve as a Medic, Chair of the Delaware Department of Professional Regulation’s Respiratory Care Practice Council, and advisory board member for several state and community colleges’ respiratory care programs. He holds a BS in Biology/Respiratory Care from Millersville University, an MS in Health Care Management from Wilmington University, and a Lean Six Sigma Certification from the University of DE.

Joel's dedication to philanthropy is as impressive as his professional accomplishments. He and his wife founded The Brojora Foundation, a scholarship/mentoring foundation, demonstrating his commitment to giving back. Additionally, he hosts the Knowledge Discussions Podcast (aka the KnoD), a platform that further showcases his dedication to sharing knowledge and empowering others.

Kevin Dombrowski is a Partner at Grey Fox Wealth Advisors. Kevin formerly worked for a private wealth company outside Philadelphia where he helped manage over $600 million of clients’ assets. Before that role, Kevin served as Senior Vice President for Morningstar and managed several of its largest strategic partnerships. He has been in the financial services industry for over 15 years.

Kevin is passionate about making a positive impact in the community. He serves as a board member for The Independence School, a private co-educational day school for ages 3 through 8th Grade. He also serves as a board member for Delaware Guidance Services, Delaware’s largest provider of non-residential mental health services for children and families. He serves as a board member for the Pete du Pont Freedom Foundation. Kevin was a 2016 Fellow and serves as an active board member for Leadership Delaware. Additionally, Kevin serves as the Chairman of the Finance Committee at his church.

Kevin holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Kevin was a recipient of the Delaware Business Times “40 Under 40” award in 2016.

Kevin currently resides in Wilmington with his wife, Kaitlyn, and their four young children: James, John, Charles, and Grace.

Kristin Moore, a native Delawarean, is a Senior Vice President of the Institutional and Corporate Trust business at WSFS Bank. She has over 20 years of experience in Corporate Trust operations and administration. Kristin’s work includes trust operations, securities processing and administration of a wide range of complex corporate trust transactions. She works closely with law firms, corporate influencers and other industry participants and enjoys the collaborative environment. Kristin’s current focus is to continue growing the business while ensuring scalability and mentoring her team as they grow and develop.

Kristin sits on several committees of industry organizations and enjoys being a player in helping shape the future for corporate trust as it relates to market issues and emerging technology. She is a co-chair of the STA Debt Committee; a member of the Steering Committee for the Trustee Committee of SFIG and a member of several other industry organizations. She is certified by the American Bankers Association as a Certified Corporate Trust Specialist, graduating with honors from The Cannon Trust School.

She was a member of the Best Buddies of Delaware board for 3 years and is currently a board member of the Corporate Contributions Committee at WSFS Bank. Kristin is a mentor through the TeenSHARP program which prepares talented students of color to attend and thrive at top colleges. Kristin resides in Wilmington with her husband Jeff Moore.

Raised in Wilmington’s West Center City neighborhood, Logan knows that other people helped guide him to success, and his goal is to pay it forward. Logan started his work in the Riverside neighborhood of Wilmington in 2016 as the Executive Director for Kingswood Community Center (KCC), which serves the young and old alike, including an early learning center, before and after care, teen programming, and senior center. REACH (Redevelopment Education & Community Health) Riverside, is a non-profit community development corporation created to lead the $250 Million revitalization of the Riverside neighborhood under the nationally acclaimed and Warren Buffett funded Purpose Built Communities model, to include 600 units of mixed-income housing and a new state of the art KCC; REACH has been officially named as the 19th network affiliate of Purpose Built Communities (28 total affiliates).

REACH and KCC are working in partnership with The Warehouse, a co-working facility and network for teen-serving organizations designed to address violence, academic performance, and workforce readiness amongst Wilmington’s youth by providing them with access to more than 130 teen-focused program and service providers. Capital One donated the former 43,000 ft Prestige Academy building (in Riverside) to The Warehouse.

Logan has also been recognized in the Delaware Business Times 40 Under 40 class of 2018, which pays tribute to ambitious professionals who are making a name for themselves through professional excellence and community involvement. The honorees represent the best in a wide range of fields such as finance, law, non-profit, hospitality, education and technology.

A native Delawarean, Mike Hoffman is a Partner with Connolly Gallagher, LLP in Newark practicing in a variety of areas, including administrative and government law; land use and real estate; and general litigation. He currently serves as Legal Counsel for the Lewes Board of Public Works, a State-charted utility board providing utility services to the City of Lewes and surrounding area. Having represented both municipalities and developers on a wide range of issues, Mike has a keen understanding of the administrative process and a proven ability to manage complicated and sensitive matters. And as a former legislative attorney for the Delaware House of Representatives, Mike has a robust understanding of statutory construction and application.

Prior to joining Connolly Gallagher, he guided many of the area's most notable developers and builders on a variety of sophisticated projects. Mike is also a former adjunct instructor with the paralegal program at DelTech, teaching courses in Law and Real Estate. He has been recognized as a Delaware Today Top Lawyer for Land Use, a 2016 Delaware Business Times Top 40 Under 40 Honoree, and he was named by the Delaware Business Times as an inaugural Delaware 222 Honoree, which highlights some of Delaware's most impactful leaders.

Mike graduated from the University of Delaware with an Honors Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics and received his law degree from Villanova University School of Law. He currently resides in the Middletown area.

A Board Member of OperaDelaware, past president of the Dover Art League, and a casual trombone player, Mike is passionate about the arts. He also gives back to the community as a Board Member for Leadership Delaware. He previously served as a Board Member for the Delaware Military Academy and as an Advisory Board Member for the University of Delaware Department of Political Science and International Relations.

Mike Eppehimer, MHA, LSSBB, FACHE is an executive, author, speaker and improvisor with over 20 years of experience in healthcare strategy, operations and consulting. He is the Founder of ThreefoldYes, LLC, which focuses on transforming individuals, organizations and communities through leadership, health and equity. He served most recently in leadership roles at ChristianaCare, including President of the ChristianaCare Medical Group, SVP, Service Line Operations and VP, Medicine. He also served in leadership roles at the George Washington University Hospital and the Advisory Board Company in Washington, DC. Mike has three decades experience studying, performing, and teaching improvisational theater starting at the University of Maryland continuing in Chicago and Washington, DC. Mike earned his Master of Health Administration from George Washington University and BA in Theater and Communication from University of Maryland.

He is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt from the American Society for Quality and a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Patti Grimes is the Executive Director of the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation. Based in Selbyville, DE
and serving the entire Delmarva Peninsula, the Foundation’s purpose is to create opportunities that
elevate the human spirit. Patti is a fierce advocate for the arts and passionately believes in the impact
that the arts can make to quality of life for residents and visitors, in addition to being a source of hope
and joy for the community. She leads the organization in building and sustaining relationships with the
communities that the Foundation serves while overseeing programming at the Freeman Arts Pavilion,
formerly known as The Freeman Stage, which has had an economic impact of $73 million for the local
community since our first performing season in 2008. Since inception, the organization has impacted
nearly 636,000 people, including over 162,000 students through the Arts in Education program. That
success is made possible by the help of our strong corps of volunteers who have served a total of 92,500
hours since 2008.

Patti is also the Executive Director of the Carl M. Freeman Foundation, a private family foundation
which provides grants and guidance to nonprofits in Sussex County, Delaware and Montgomery
County, Maryland. The Foundation, established in 1960, seeks to honor their founders’ legacies and
passions by endorsing excellence and leveraging resources. Since inception, the Foundation has granted
nearly $42 million to nearly 900 nonprofit organizations, both large and small.

Additionally, Patti also serves in leadership roles for a number of organizations across the state,
including Vice Chair for both Delaware Technical Community College and the Delaware Alliance for
Nonprofit Advancement.

Terry M. Murphy received his bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Belmont Abbey in 1982 and a master’s degree in health services administration from The George Washington University in 1985. He was appointed president and chief executive officer of Bayhealth, Inc., and president and chief executive officer of Bayhealth Medical Center, Inc., in October 2009, after holding previous titles as Bayhealth Medical Center executive vice president and chief operating officer and, prior, vice president of Bayhealth’s southern region. Murphy is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of Bayhealth Kent and Sussex Hospitals. He currently serves as chairman of the Bayhealth Medical Center Board, vice chairman of the Board of Trustees for the University of Delaware and a member of the Delaware Business Roundtable. Murphy is also a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association. In 2008, he was recognized with Regent’s Award for Senior-Level Healthcare Executives from the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Joe Purzycki is currently the President & Partner of the Alliance Companies, a payments company headquartered in Portsmouth, NH. Prior to his current position he was Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Barclaycard US, a division of Barclaycard International. As Chief Operating Officer, Joe was responsible for all operational aspects of the business including Customer Care, Bank Operations, Customer Support, Technology and Marketing Operations and their supporting budgets. 800 of Barclay’s 1200 US colleagues reported to Joe’s organization. As Vice Chairman and member of the Board of Directors, Joe was directly involved in the management and strategic direction of the company.

Prior to becoming the Chief Operating Officer of Barclaycard US in 2007, Joe managed Customer Care and Bank Operations for the company. Prior to joining Barclays Bank, Mr. Purzycki was Executive Vice President of Chase Card Services from 2001-2006 and was a member of the Card Services Senior Management Team. Mr. Purzycki managed the Business Development Segment, One/Chase re-emerged as a leader in the co-brand industry with the signing of companies like Disney, Amazon.com, Starbucks, Sony and Circuit City.

In 2001 Joe spent a year with an Internet start-up company, Ultimatebid.com and served as President of the San Francisco based entity. Ultamatebid.com partnered with IMG and SFX to deliver unique experiences to customers on its eBay serviced platform. Mr. Purzycki began his credit card career at MBNA America Bank in 1990 where he was an Executive Vice President. Mr. Purzycki managed the credit businesses for MBNA’s transportation business (NASCAR), its sports, business (National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Hockey League) and its college and university business. Joe has a Master’s degree in Education Administration and a Bachelor’s of Science in Education from the University of Delaware.

After receiving his Bachelors of Science and Master’s degrees, Mr. Purzycki went on to become the head football coach at Delaware State University and James Madison University. Mr. Purzycki has served as Chairman of the Board of the Boys and Girls Club of Delaware and was a Board of trustee for seventeen years. Mr. Purzycki has been inducted into the State of Delaware Sports Hall of Fame, the State of Delaware African American Hall of Fame, the University of Delaware Alumni Hall of Fame, the University of Delaware’s Athletics Hall of Fame and the Newark, NJ Athletics Hall of Fame where he grew up. Mr. Purzycki also received the Order of the First State from former Governor Pete DuPont. The Order of the First State is Delaware’s highest honor for meritorious service the Governor can give out to its citizenry.

After leading Teach For America Delaware for six years, Laurisa Schutt is the founding Executive Director of First State Educate, First State Action Fund, and Act Together for Kids, a DE-based political action committee. She currently serves on the boards of the St. Andrew’s School, Leadership Delaware, the Delaware Coalition Against Gun Violence, the University of Delaware’s College of Education, chairs the board of 4th Dimension Leaders, and
co-chairs the public phase of the Faithful Friends Animal Society’s capital campaign.

Before moving to Delaware, Laurisa worked for seven years in Hong Kong for a Global 500 company, and founded and led an international accessories business devoted to “Bringing the Outside In." She has a B.A. from Harvard University in East Asian Studies and a Masters of Philosophy in Chinese from the University of Cambridge, England.

Laurisa spends her time with her husband Porter, their three daughters, and six dogs.

A native Delawarean, Penny Saridakis is a graduate of Ursuline Academy in Wilmington. She graduated from Boston College with a B.A. in Economics in 1989 and earned an M.B.A. from Columbia University in 1994.

Former Vice President in the Global Debit Business at MasterCard International and at Citibank, both in New York, Penny returned to Delaware in 2002, and has been devoting her time to enhancing the quality of life here – in the areas of healthcare, education and the arts. In addition to her work with LDI, Penny serves on the Board of Easterseals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and serves on their Governance and Development Committees. She is the Co-Founder/Co-Chair of the Young Friends of ChristianaCare, a group for high school students that focuses on leadership, learning and philanthropy and is immediate past chair of ChristianaCare Council of Advisors. Penny resides in Greenville with her husband, her 21-year old son and 19-year old triplets.

David Ripsom joined Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited (NEIL) in September 1994. He became President and CEO in June 2006. From 1994 to 2004, David served as Vice President & General Counsel responsible for all legal matters pertaining to the Company. Additional responsibilities included management of the claims function, external communications and participation in various strategic planning and project activities. In 2004, he became Senior Vice President and General Counsel with the Vice President’s of Insurance and International also reporting to him.

Prior to joining NEIL, David was a partner at Duane, Morris and Heckscher, LLP, specializing in business and commercial law, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, banking and insurance law, private placement, franchising, and Delaware corporate law. David received a Juris Doctorate from University of Virginia School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lafayette College. He also attended the Advanced Management Program at Duke University Fuqua School of Business and Reactor Technology Program for Utility Executives at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

David’s current and recent selected Board Memberships include Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited (retired), Overseas NEIL Limited -as Chairman (retired), Delaware Charter Guarantee & Trust Company d/b/a Principal Trust Company (retired), Mom’s House, Inc. of Delaware, and the Board of Trustees for Ursuline Academy (retired). He is also a member of the Steering Committee for the Delaware Leadership Prayer Breakfast, serves as President of the Catholic Charities Appeal for the Diocese of Philadelphia, and is on the Cranaleith President’s Advisory Council. In addition, David was Co-Chairman for the 1997 Governor’s Celebration of Education.

Lisa J.F. Ramone grew up in Wilmington, Delaware, before traveling to Sao Paulo, Brazil as an international student. After two years in Brazil, she graduated from Associacao Escola Graduada de Sao Paulo, and then, returned to Newark to attend the University of Delaware. She graduated in 1983 with a B.A. in Sociology and Communication.

Married in the early 80’s, Lisa, alongside her husband, Michael, built a successful Flower Shop business to eventually include a wholesale house in Wilmington; the Wilmington Florist Exchange. During those early years, Lisa also worked in marketing for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware, then as an independent contractor with Mid-Atlantic Health Systems as a health insurance plan educator.

A lifelong swim coach and mentor to children, Lisa has worked side-by-side with her husband, Michael, for over 35 years. Lisa is co-founder and co-owner of businesses which employ over 200 people throughout the year. These businesses serve the local community, as well as the tri-state region, and include; BC Communities, AMS -Aquatic Management Systems, Ramone’s Landscaping, The Delaware Swim and Fitness Centers of New Castle and Pike Creek, The Delaware Swim School, and The Delaware Swim Team. Lisa also oversees and manages the family real estate property rental businesses; BNR Investment, LLC, & Ramone Real Estate Holdings, LLC.

Lisa is an advocate for the Alzheimer’s Association, past member of the Board of Trustees of The Independence School, and the Yes U Can™ Corporation. She is also an ordained minister. She continues to teach water safety and swim lessons to children and adults of all ages.

As the wife of a State Representative, Lisa loves the state and the variety of community service work in which they are involved. The 21st Representative District is paramount in her politically charged life and has kept her engaged and interested in the Leadership Delaware program since it’s inception. Policy, politics and creating well educated, dynamic and thoughtful leaders is high on her list of priorities and will remain an important part of Lisa’s mantra for many years to come.

Shanté Hastings is the Deputy Secretary/Chief Engineer for the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT), where she has worked since graduating from the University of Delaware in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. Shanté is responsible for implementation of the Department’s $650 million annual Capital Transportation Program delivered by her team of 450 staff statewide. She also serves as the Secretary’s designee on national policy issues and is the Department’s liaison with the Federal Highway Administration.

In 2013, Shanté was awarded the Young Engineer of the Year Award by the Delaware Engineering Society in recognition of her work in the field of engineering and community service. She currently serves on the boards for Leadership Delaware, the Delaware State Fair and the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation. Shanté has enjoyed staying involved with her alma mater. She is a Past President of the University of Delaware Alumni Association and currently serves as the Vice President of the University of Delaware Kent and Sussex Counties Alumni Club. Shanté is a proud member of Sigma Kappa Sorority and has stayed active as a chapter advisor. She also enjoys singing in the Grace United Methodist Church Praise Band. Shanté and her husband, Jason, live in Millsboro with their daughters Lilly and Maya.

Rob Cook champions change that drives organizational success. He brings perspectives that stimulate creativity and produce options. With a strong ethical and business compass, he pushes the thought limits that help organizations grow and ultimately win in the marketplace – and persuades others to do the same. His gift of seeing things clearly and simply allows him to tease out the real issues and discover the right direction to go. Drawn to the entrepreneurial side of new products, new channels and new approaches, he guides companies and organizations to greater performance.

Most recently, Rob was the first non-family CEO at Speakman Company since 1869. He transitioned the company from a low-margin commercial plumbing business to a high-margin profitable branded fixture company. In this role, he more than doubled both the revenue and share value and grew profitability from a net loss in 2010 to a double-digit EBITDA in 2015. While closing two underperforming businesses, he added an e-commerce strategy that complemented commercial and industrial distribution, resulting in multi-million dollar branded programs with Amazon, Costco, Home Depot and Lowes. In 2013, he opened the Speakman Beijing, China sourcing and quality office.

Previously, with Vistage International, Rob mentored individuals and facilitated group issue sessions for CEOs and business owners. Group sessions covered issues such as Board governance, succession planning, hiring executive teams and termination of executives, defining compensation programs, technology, risk and acquisitions and divestitures. Prior to Vistage, for over a decade Rob was the President of Cook Associates, a sales and marketing consulting firm with clients including Coca-Cola Foods and McCormick. He began his career at W.L. Gore in sales and marketing where he was a member of the original team that launched Gore-Tex to the sports and outdoor recreation category.

Rob served on the Board of Directors of the Speakman Company, is an investor in several private ventures and founder of a 501-c3 philanthropic fund. He received coverage in the Delaware Business Times article, “Speakman Company Expands Market Reach”, and in an INC., article on W. L. Gore, “The Un-Manager”. He has a BA from the University of Delaware and attended the Director’s Academy at the Center for Corporate Governance at Drexel University. During college, Rob was the Captain of the University of Delaware basketball team and continued to play professionally in Europe.

Rodman “Rod” Ward III is president and chief executive officer of CSC®, elected in 2010. Over his career, Ward worked in manufacturing as president of the Speakman Company and vice president of Snap-On Inc.’s European Equipment division. He worked for FMC Corporation in operations and for Credit Suisse as a precious metals trader. With Delaware’s Governor John Carney, Ward serves as co-chair of the Delaware Prosperity Partnership (DPP), a public-private partnership for economic development. He is also currently board chair of Rodel, a non-profit that advances education, serves on the advisory board of the Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware, and is a board member of Leadership Delaware, an organization that recruits and mentors young professionals. Ward holds an MBA from University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and a B.S. from Middlebury College. He and his wife, Gina, live in Wilmington, Delaware and have three children.

Amy Walls is the Principal, Community Reinvestment for Discover Bank. In the position Amy manages community development activities including managing the bank’s charitable giving in Delaware, providing technical assistance to non-profits, coordinating volunteer initiatives, and supporting CRA investments and community development loans, totaling over $100 million annually in the mid-Atlantic region.

Amy is active with a number of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). She serves on the Board of Directors of NCALL, where she chairs the loan fund committee, and as a member of Cinnaire’s New Markets Tax Credit Advisory Committee. Amy is also a board member of Philanthropy Delaware, Easter Seals of Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Diamond State Community Land Trust and the Leon N. Weiner Education Foundation. Amy is also a member of the Consumer Banker Association’s CRA Committee.

Amy was honored in 2013 with Housing Opportunities of North Delaware’s (HOND) Leon N. Weiner Fair Housing Award and in 2011 with the James H. Sills Jr. Leadership Award by the Delaware Community Reinvestment Action Council for her personal and organizational commitment to the state of Delaware and the council. Additionally, the bank was honored by the Consumer Bankers Association with their Joe Belew Award for Community Development in 2011, 2014 and 2018 for projects where Amy served in a leadership capacity.

Before coming to Discover Bank, Amy worked at a small retail bank and as the Economic Development Manager for the largest municipality within Sussex County, DE. Amy is a graduate of Salisbury University. She lives in Sussex County, Delaware.

David Singleton has divided his professional life fairly evenly between the public sector and the private sector.  In the public sector, he has held senior appointed positions in city, county and state government, as well as an advisory position with the federal government.  He served as chief of staff to the Mayor of Wilmington (1977-84), Secretary of Finance for the State of Delaware (2001-04), Chief Administrative Officer of New Castle County (2005-06), and a member of the Internal Revenue Service State-Local Government Advisory Board (2002-05).   In the private sector, he served as managing director for JP Morgan & Co. (1984-1999), executive vice president for MBNA America Bank, which later merged with Bank of America (1999-2001), and vice president, University of Delaware (2010-13).

He has served as a director of a variety of organizations.  Currently, he serves on the boards of Delaware Performing Arts Center, Delaware Community Foundation, American Friends Service Committee and Women’s Project Theatre.  In the past, he has served on numerous other boards, including Swarthmore College, Wilmington Friends School (board chair), the Delaware State Pension Board, the Delaware Healthcare Commission, the Riverfront Development Corporation of Delaware, Delaware Theatre Company, Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association, Lower Manhattan Business Improvement District, Borough of Manhattan Community College Fund and the Lower Eastside Tenement Museum.

He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Swarthmore College.  Upon graduation, he received a National Institutes of Mental Health fellowship to study at the University of Pennsylvania and has subsequently studied accounting at the Wharton School.

He was born in New York City, and is married to Elaine Hughes Singleton.  They have two daughters and four grandchildren.

Fred C. Sears II is the past President and CEO of the Delaware Community Foundation. Through his work with the Foundation, he encourages individuals, businesses and organizations to engage in long-term charitable giving to improve the statewide community, now and in the future. Fred has served as a community leader in the greater Wilmington area and with organizations serving residents throughout Delaware for over forty-five years.

Prior to taking on the leadership of the Delaware Community Foundation, Fred had a 38-year career in banking, most recently as president of Commerce Bank / Delaware. Early in his banking career, Fred took time out to serve as Finance Director and Director of Commerce of the City of Wilmington and Director of the Port of Wilmington. He was elected to City Council from 1976 through 1984 and has continued to be politically active by serving on the transition team for Mayor James Sills, co-chairing transition teams for Governor Ruth Ann Minner and New Castle County Executive Chris Coons, and chairing the Budget and Finance subcommittee for Governor Jack Markell. Fred has been a member of the Board of Directors of more than forty community nonprofit organizations.

He currently serves as chairman of the Wilmington Economic and Financial Advisory Council and advisor to TD Bank. He is a director of Christiana Care Medical Center, Delaware Alliance of Nonprofit Advancement, Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, Diamond State Port Corporation, Leadership Delaware, Delaware Grantmaker’s Association, Fraunhofer USA Delaware, Rodel Foundation of Delaware, the Wilmington Housing Partnership, and the United Way of Delaware. He is a member of the Delaware Anti-Hunger Coalition, Delaware Business Roundtable, State of Delaware Council for Development, the Nemours Health and Prevention Services Advisory Board and the Wilmington Rotary Club. Fred has also served as chairman for numerous golf tournaments and other fundraising activities for more than 25 different nonprofit organizations throughout Delaware.

Fred has been honored by several organizations for his business and community leadership, including the Destiny CDC Community Award; State Farm Insurance Good Neighbor Ujima Non-Profit Leadership Award; Goldey-Beacom College Ethics in Business Award; Goldey-Beacom College Honorary Doctor of Business Administration; NCCJ Annual Award; Association of Fundraising Professionals Lifetime Achievement in Philanthropy Award; Opportunity Center, Inc. Founders Award; Wilmington Rotary Club
Distinguished Service Award; United Negro College Fund Distinguished Service Award; the Wilmington Junior Chamber of Commerce Young Man of the Year Award in 1977; and, the Marvin Gilman Superstars in Business Award. The Delmarva Council, Boy Scouts of America, named Fred its first Citizen of the Year in June 2005.

Fred is a Delaware native who has always lived in the Wilmington area. He has undergraduate and graduate degrees in Business Administration from the University of Delaware.

Carolyn Burger began her career at The Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania in 1962, as a management trainee after having graduated from Wilson College.  She holds Masters Degrees in Business from the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Illinois.  During her telecommunications career she served in a variety of managerial positions with increasing responsibility in the operations, personnel, regulatory and financial departments.  She was elected Vice President Secretary and Treasurer of Bell Atlantic Corporation in 1988 and President and C.E.O. of Bell Atlantic - Delaware, Inc. in 1991.  She is one of the few women in the United States to ever head an operating telephone company.

After more than 34 years in the telecommunications/information management business, Ms. Burger managed her consulting firm from1996 through 2002, specializing in regulation and legislation, information technology deployment for senior executive teams, and assisting high potential women achieve success in senior level positions in major corporations.

Ms. Burger served as director of Wilmington Trust Corporation (Audit Committee; Compensation Committee and Chair of Nominating and Governance Committee and Audit Committee).  She also served as President and Director of The Delaware Art Museum; Trustee of the Christiana Care Health System and Board Finance Committee; and The Curtis Institute of Music (Audit Committee- Chair and Executive Committee).  Her other directorships included: PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (Audit, Reliability and Chair of Human Resources Committees); GDE Systems, Inc.; BetzDearborn; Rodel, Inc.; Bell Atlantic – Delaware, Inc.; The Delaware Business Roundtable, Chairman; The Philadelphia Orchestra Association Executive Committee, Director Emeritus; The Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies; The Delaware State Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee; the Delaware Community Foundation; the Delaware Economic Financial Advisory Committee (“DEFAC”); WHYY Public Broadcasting; and the Brandywine Conservancy – Finance and Investment Committees. Ms. Burger was also an initiator and original founder of the Fund For Women (“FFW”) endowment and the Swingin’ With A Star golf tournament (net proceeds exceeding $1.2 million in twenty years).

Ms. Burger was the 1998 laureate of the Delaware Business Leaders Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Delaware Women’s Hall of Fame in 2007.

Robert W. Perkins is Executive Director of the Delaware Business Roundtable, a position he assumed in 2014.  He also is Executive Director of the Wilmington Leaders Alliance.  In 2012 he founded and is President of a consulting firm, Brandywine Public Strategies, LLC.  The firm develops innovative strategies for dealing with challenging public issues by working at the crossroads of policy and politics.  He has worked for three decades in the private sector, the non-profit sector and government.

In the private sector, he worked at several major companies leading innovative public affairs strategies designed to drive shareholder value and favorably impact reputation with key stakeholders. He served as Vice President of Global Public Policy at AstraZeneca, leading the company's efforts to enhance transparency, create industry-leading access to health programs and create external messages on the value of pharmaceutical innovation to drive the company's global policy advocacy. At DuPont Pharmaceuticals, he created an innovative nationwide initiative on patient safety that protected patients and dramatically improved sales performance.

In the non-profit sector, Mr. Perkins served as Executive Director of Together Rx, a coalition of major pharmaceutical companies offering senior citizens discounts on prescription drugs prior to the advent of Medicare Part D.  Under his leadership, Together Rx became the largest private sector prescription drug savings card in the US with more than one million cardholders.

In the government sector, he served on the staff of two Delaware Governors, Pierre S. du Pont IV and Michael N. Castle. He was Deputy Campaign Manager for Pete du Pont for President during the 1988 Presidential campaign.

Mr. Perkins has been active over the years in a number of professional and civic organizations, including the Board of Directors of Easter Seals of Delaware, the New England Healthcare Institute and the Center for Healthcare Transformation.  He also served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Delaware Public Policy Institute, an affiliate of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce.

A visionary and collaborative health care leader, Janice E. Nevin, M.D., MPH, has served as president and CEO of ChristianaCare since 2014, leading a transformation from a health care system to a system that truly impacts health. She is nationally recognized as a pioneer and thought leader in value-based care and population health, and for her assertion that truly great health care is built on the values of love and excellence. These values are exemplified in her commitment to health equity and anti-racism, and to improving health, making high-quality care more accessible and lowering health care costs for everyone in the communities that ChristianaCare has the privilege to serve. Her leadership has also vaulted ChristianaCare to national recognition for its advancement of caregiver wellbeing through the work of the Center for WorkLife Wellbeing.

Under Dr. Nevin’s leadership, ChristianaCare developed the unique data-driven care coordination platform CareVio™ to proactively address patients’ social and behavioral health needs in addition to their medical needs. This program supports patients across the continuum of care and is demonstrating better health outcomes while reducing the cost of care. It earned the 2017 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award, the nation’s preeminent recognition for quality and safety in health care, and a 2017 Stand Up for Patient Safety Management Award from the National Patient Safety Foundation.

Dr. Nevin also led the development of eBrightHealth ACO, an accountable care organization to improve care coordination, clinical quality and value in Delaware and the region.

Dr. Nevin was selected as one of Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Women Leaders in 2019, and in 2020 she was named to Modern Healthcare’s 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives. Dr. Nevin has been inducted into the Delaware Women’s Hall of Fame and was recognized among 100 Great Healthcare Leaders to Know in 2018 by Becker’s Hospital Review.

For her commitment to the community, she received the 2020 Citizen of the Year Award with the Del-Mar-Va Council Boy Scouts of America; the Humanitarian Award from the Limen House in 2018; and Delaware’s Grassroots Champion Award from the American Hospital Association and the David Menser Award from the Wilmington Senior Center, both in 2017.

Dr. Nevin serves on the Board of Trustees of the American Hospital Association (AHA) and is a member of the AHA Committee on Health Strategy & Innovation. She is serves as secretary on the board of directors for America’s Essential Hospitals and is a member of the executive committee, the compensation committee and the finance committee for America’s Essential Hospitals and serves on the boards of directors of Cross Country Healthcare and the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Nevin is a member of the United States of Care Founder’s Council, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Economic and Community Advisory Council, the CEO Council for Growth of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia and serves as an Advisor with Cedar. She also chairs the Delaware Business Roundtable Executive Committee.

Dr. Nevin graduated from Harvard University and earned her medical degree with honors from Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. She completed her family medicine residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and her Master of Public Health degree at the University of Pittsburgh. She joined ChristianaCare in 2002, as Chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine.

Dr. Nevin is a Professor of Family and Community Medicine at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University.

Robert F. Martinelli, 64, is CEO and President of Today Media, a family owned media company that specializes in regional publications, events, websites and custom communications that help people get the most out of living in their communities. Rob started in the second-generation family business in 1982 as Publisher of Delaware Today magazine. In 1996 Rob started Main Line Today magazine. In September 2014 Today Media launched the Delaware Business Times serving the Delaware market with local business information in print, online and in-person with numerous events. Today Media has been publishing the Delaware Valley Italian American Herald for the past six years.

Rob holds a law degree and is admitted to the New York State Bar. Rob does not currently practice. He is a graduate of Holy Cross College in Massachusetts and Pace University School of Law in New York.

Rob is a member of the Past President’s Council of the City and Regional Magazine Association the largest trade organization for city and regional magazines. He served as President in 2003 and in 2012 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the organization.

Rob is active in his community. He is past president of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Delaware and currently sits on their Board of Directors. Rob is president of the Today Media Charitable Foundation which runs the Best of Parties for the local magazines. These parties have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for children charities and cultural arts groups. In July 2000 Rob received the Delaware State Chapter of the March of Dimes Medal of Honor – its’ highest award for service and commitment and in November 2000 the Jane Maroney Advocacy Award in recognition of tireless efforts in advocacy for Delaware’s mothers and babies. In 2014 Rob was named the Man of the Year by the Delaware Christopher Columbus Monument Committee. Rob is also a member of the Board of Trustees and Nominating Committee of Christiana Care and a member of the board of the Pete du Pont Freedom Foundation.

Rob is an avid golfer and enjoys listening to music. He is married to Alice, has a daughter Christen who is a graduate of Widener Law School in Delaware and is practicing elder law in NJ and a step daughter Jackie who has a Masters in Broadcast Journalism and is working for CBS 60 Minutes.

Glenn C. Kenton has recently retired as a director (partner) of Delaware’s largest law firm, Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A., where he represented many major U.S. corporations, insurance and financial firms doing business in Delaware including General Motors Corporation, American International Group, Nissan, Discover Bank, Caterpillar, JP Morgan Chase, Sallie Mae and Wells Fargo Bank. In Delaware, he represented Christiana Care, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Delaware, Delmarva Power and Wilmington Trust Company/M&T Bank.

Glenn is currently an adviser to Burris Logistics, the 6th largest frozen food distributor on the East Coast with over 1,800 employees at 14 locations in 8 states and Honor Foods, headquartered in Philadelphia.

From 1977 through 1985, Glenn served as Secretary of State of Delaware, overseeing Delaware’s corporation division, the nation’s largest regulator of corporations. While Secretary of State, Glenn was a leader for Delaware’s effort to deregulate the nation’s banking industry, a step that led to the relocation to Delaware of many of the nation’s largest commercial banks. After his tour as Secretary of State, Glenn was Chairman of Gov. Pete du Pont’s Presidential Campaign of 1988.

Glenn is a graduate of Swarthmore College (1965) and Georgetown University Law Center (1968). Glenn is also a member of the Leadership Delaware Advisory Board.

Richard J. Julian is Owner and President of Eastern States Constructions Service, Inc. Eastern States Construction Service, Inc. is a family-owned business serving Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland. Specializing in public sewer, water, site development, and heavy highway construction projects, Eastern States has performed construction service for major public and private clients as well as for regional construction managers and private developers.

The company was founded as Eastern States Construction Company, Inc. in 1953 and became Eastern States Construction Service, Inc. in 1983. Francis and Richard Julian are the second generation of Julian family members to manage the business. They continue the family’s commitment to the consistent, safe delivery of on-schedule, on-budget, high-quality construction services to all Eastern States’ clients.

Emeka Igwe is a 2002 graduate of the University of Delaware, where he majored in English with a concentration in Business and Technical Writing. In addition to academics, Emeka was a member of the Delaware Student African Association as well as a member of the University of Delaware Track Team.

After graduating from the University of Delaware, Emeka attended law school at Widener University School of Law where he earned a Juris Doctorate degree in 2005. In 2007, Emeka received his LLM (Masters of Law) in Trial Advocacy at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law.

Emeka began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office in 2005. As an Assistant District Attorney, he prosecuted major felony cases including rape, attempted murder, robbery and burglary, possession with the intent to deliver, and gun possession crimes. After leaving the District Attorney’s office, Emeka worked at Allstate Insurance Company. While there, he quickly established his reputation as a premier trial attorney by never losing a jury trial case. Several of Emeka’s winning verdicts were published in Verdict Search Magazine.

Emeka is a member of the Wilmington Rotary. He is also the President of the United Way of Delaware Young Impact Professionals Board. Currently, Emeka has his own law practice, The Igwe Firm. In addition to maintaining his law practice, Emeka is a Judge Advocate General (Military Lawyer) with the Delaware National Guard. Emeka and his wife MaryJane live in Middletown, Delaware.

Copyright 2018

Bob Hill is President of Emory Hill and Company, and Vice President of Emory Hill Real Estate Services, Inc. In 1981, Bob joined with Clay Emory to establish Emory Hill and Company, and subsequently, Emory Hill Real Estate Services, Inc. Emory Hill has built and developed over 12 million square feet in four Mid-Atlantic states and has grown to be one of the largest and most reputable full service commercial real estate firms in the region. Bob is the immediate Past President of the University & Whist Club, President of the Arnold Fish and Game Preserve in Quebec, Canada, and Past President of the Delaware Contractors Association. He is a member
of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, and the Commercial-Industrial Realty Council. Bob is a former member of the Board of Directors for the Cancer Support Community Delaware, the Committee of 100, and Associated Builders and Contractors.
A graduate of the University of Delaware and the Sanz School of Language, Bob served in Vietnam as Mobile Team Leader in 1969-1970.

Bob Fraser has been an integral part of Leadership Delaware since its founding, and served on the board for many years. He is very passionate about the LDI mission and the impact Fellows are having on our communities.

Bob was formerly a Vice Chairman of MBNA America Bank. While at MBNA, he led a number of different Technology functions; the Personnel, Education, and Compensation Division; International; Insurance Services; Consumer Deposits; Travel Services; Statement Marketing; and Corporate Products (Business Lending). He was on the bank Management Committee, Personnel Committee, and Operations Risk Management Committee. Prior to that he served in a number of senior executive roles at Hercules Incorporated including: Senior Vice President of International and Science and Technology, Group Vice President and President of Hercules Food and Functional Products, and Executive Vice President. He served as an Advisory Member of the Board of Directors, and a member of the Hercules Management Committee.

Now retired, Bob has been active on a large number of corporate and nonprofit boards in the U.S. and Canada. He served as Chair of BofA Canada Bank, Blueprint Software Systems, Campus Partners, the Conference Board’s Global Business Management Council, and Easterseals Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore, to name a few. He has also served on the boards of: Eco Concepts Inc., United Way of Delaware (where he was General Campaign Chairman), the Grand Opera House, the World Affairs Council of Delaware, the Delaware Symphony, the International Strategic Planning Group for the State of Delaware, the United States – China Business Council, the Regional Advisory Board of the Benedictine Homes of Delaware, the Canadian Chemical Producers Association (CCPA) and the Society of the Chemical Industry (SCI) of Canada.

He has a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of British Columbia, and an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University in Canada. He was a lecturer in Marketing Management and Industrial Marketing at McGill University. Bob was a longtime member of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) in the U.S., and the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) in Canada.

Ben duPont, is co-founder and managing partner at Chartline Capital Partners, a Venture Capital Fund that has 20 portfolio companies and invests in enterprise technology companies in: Digital Health, Retail Analytics, Telecom Infrastructure, Digital Industrial and Food Supply Chain.

Prior to Chartline Capital Partners, Ben co-founded yet2.com, an open innovation, technology scouting and patent pooling firm, holding the position as president from 1999 to 2016. In 2000, yet2.com was funded by Siemens, Bayer, Caterpillar, P&G, Honeywell, DuPont and NTT.

For several years, Ben worked for DuPont, a global materials science, chemical and agriculture company, and held various management positions across business units including automotive, fibers, specialty chemicals and engineering.

Board Appointments

• Board of Directors, Ecrio
• Board of Directors, GigSky
• Board of Trustees, Longwood Gardens
• Board of Directors, Unidel Foundation
• Board of Directors, Vorbeck
• Board of Trustees, Tower Hill School
• Technology Advisory Council, Wawa
• Co-founder and Board of Directors, Yet2.com
• Co-founder & Vice President, Zip Code Wilmington
• Advisory Board, Leadership Delaware
• Advisory Board, IP Group
• Co-chair, A Better Delaware
  

Education

• B.S. from Tufts University in Mechanical Engineering

Ernest (Ernie) Dianastasis is Founder and CEO of The Precisionists, Inc., a global administrative services and information technology company focused on employing 10,000 people with disabilities by the year 2025.

In addition to being a successful business leader and entrepreneur, Ernie has a passion for the community and is extremely active within the region.

Ernie is Chairman of First State Innovation; a private sector led non-profit initiative to foster a more entrepreneurial environment in Delaware. He has been a member of The Delaware Business Roundtable since 2001 and currently serves on the executive committee. He is a member of the Delaware State Chamber Board of Governors and also serves as the Chairman of the State of Delaware’s Vision Coalition effort focusing on improving the future of public education in Delaware. He also serves on the boards of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, and Select Greater Philadelphia’s Strategic Operating Committee. He has also served from 2009-2012 on the Board of Leadership Delaware. Ernie also served on The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Economic Advisory Council from 2013 to 2016. In 2011 Ernie was recognized by the Delmarva Chapter of the Boy Scouts of America as Citizen of the Year.

In April 2016 Ernie joined the Board of Directors of Pepco Holdings, Inc., a major public energy company which includes Potomac Electric Power, Delmarva Power and Atlantic City Electric under its umbrella of companies.

Ernie and The Precisionists are involved in a number of local charitable causes. He is a board member and former Chairman of the Board for Easter Seals of Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore. He is also former Chairman of the Board for Saint Edmond’s Academy, an independent, Catholic school for boys in Wilmington, DE. Ernie also served for two years as a Board member of Specialisterne USA, a global non-profit firm focused on employing over 1 million people on the Autism spectrum into technology jobs.

Ernie and his wife Jennifer reside in Wilmington, Delaware, with their two children, John and Paisley.