Speakers: 2020 to Present

A.J. Schall Jr. became the Director of the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) in 2015 and in 2020 was also named the Governor’s Homeland Security Advisor. Schall brings a background in public safety to the agency, complementing it with emergency management and corporate experience.

Director Schall graduated from Marmion Military Academy in Aurora, Illinois, and then attended St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. He was Student Government President and in 1998 received a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance.

Upon graduation, Director Schall began his professional career with Bank of America, where he completed a rigorous management development program. He held multiple positions, negotiated key contracts, and has nearly two decades of experience in upper level management.

Director Schall has also been actively engaged in the front lines of emergency response, serving as the Chief of the Aetna Hose, Hook and Ladder Company (Newark, DE), and currently is Deputy Chief.

Since becoming Director, DEMA has facilitated multiple State of Emergencies, FEMA Graded Exercises and launched an UAV program. Notable accomplishments of 2019 are revitalization of the Mitigation Program and the Agency’s first Accreditation through the
Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP).

Over the years Director Schall continues his professional development, completing the US Army War College Commandant’s National Security Program in 2016, and most recently the Naval Post Graduate School Executive Leaders Program. In the winter of 2020, Schall
began as an adjunct professor at the University of Delaware.

Aaron Kupchik is a Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the University of Delaware. He holds a doctorate in Sociology from NYU, and studies the policing and punishment of juveniles in schools, courts and correctional facilities. In addition to dozens of peer-refereed journal articles, Professor Kupchik has published seven books, including The Real School Safety Problem: The long-term consequences of harsh school punishment, and Homeroom Security: School discipline in an age of fear. He is the recipient of a number of awards, including the American Society of Criminology's Ruth Shonle Cavan Young Scholar Award, and its Michael Hindelang Book Award, in addition to the American Society of Criminology Division on Corrections and Sentencing New Scholar Award. He is a former President of the American Society of Criminology Division on Corrections and Sentencing, Executive Counselor for the American Society of Criminology, and member of the Delaware State Advisory Committee for the US Commission on Civil Rights. He serves on several editorial boards and is invited regularly to present research on juvenile justice to different audiences, including legislative bodies and multiple presentations for committees of the National Academies of Sciences.

Alan Levin is currently serving as Senior Advisor to Delaware’s leading food service provider, SoDel Concepts. This came after his selection by Delaware Governor Jack Markell to serve in his cabinet as the Director of the Delaware Economic Development Office, DEDO. During his 6 and half-year term, he was responsible for the business and economic strategies for the State of Delaware. His service came during the worst recession of recent history and the state’s unemployment reached a high of 8.9% by 2010. As a result of his leadership, by the end of his service in June of 2015, Delaware was leading the region in job growth and unemployment stood at 4.5%.

Before joining Governor Markell, Levin served as President and CEO of Happy Harry's, the tenth largest drugstore chain in the United States, before it’s merger with the Walgreen Company in July 2006. During his tenure he grew the company from 16 to 76 stores, 2700 employees, and revenues increased from $66 million to nearly half-a billion.

In recognition of Levin’s service to Delaware, Governor Markell awarded him The Order of the First State, Delaware’s highest honor. He is also the recipient of the Delaware Distinguished Service Medal from Delaware's Adjutant General for his work to assist the families of the National Guard and Reserve during Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom. In 1999, Levin was named the Retailer of the Year by the trade publication, Chain Drug Review. In 2006, he was the recipient of the Ronald L. Ziegler Lifetime Achievement Award. A member of the Delaware Bar, he served in the Delaware Department of Justice as a Deputy Attorney General, and as Executive Assistant and Counsel to U.S. Senator William V. Roth, Jr. Levin is involved in numerous civic and corporate activities. In 2001, he completed a term as Chairman of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, a Washington, D.C.- based organization that directs lobbying and professional activities for the industry.

Levin served for 6 and half years as Chairman of the Board of the Diamond State Port Corporation and the Delaware Economic Development Authority. He is a past member of the Board of Directors of the United States Chamber of Commerce, and a former Chairman of the Board of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the Boards of Tangen Bioscience, George & Lynch, Inc., Wesley College, Beebe Medical Foundation, and the Freeman Stage. Additionally, he served as an advisory board member of the Delaware State University School of Business and the University of Delaware's Lerner College of Business and Economics.

Born in Wilmington, Levin graduated from Concord High School, Tulane University, and the Delaware Law School. He and his wife Ellen have 3 sons, 2 daughter-in laws, 4 grandchildren, and a Golden Retriever.

The Hon. Alan G. Davis took the bench as the fourth Chief Magistrate of the Delaware Justice of the
Peace Court in July 2005. Before becoming Chief Magistrate, he was an attorney with the Georgetown
firm of Henry Clay Davis III P.A. and served as chief minority counsel for the state House of
Representatives. He teaches Constitutional law and business organizations at Wilmington University
and previously taught criminal law & procedure at Delaware Technical and Community College.

Prior to his tenure on the bench, chaired the Governor’s Advisory Council on Shellfisheries. He clerked
for Judges Lee, Graves, Stokes and Bradley in Superior Court in Sussex County before entering private
practice. Judge Davis worked at the Delaware Department of Transportation in advance of embarking
on his career in the law, coordinating public and media relations and acting as the Department’s
legislative liaison.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and received his J.D. from Delaware Law
School at Widener University in Wilmington.

Alex lives in Dewey Beach and Washington, D.C. He is a married father of two. He works as a class action lawyer, banker, managing partner of several businesses, and is also a filmmaker, teacher, and real estate developer. Educated at Boston College, University of Miami, Boston University, and George Washington University Law School, he has government service experience with the U.S. Department of Justice, Lands Division and Antitrust Division, and also served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for HUD, and as Major U.S. Army Reserve. He is a member of Beebe Medical Center Foundation, and Community Bank Delaware.

Andrea Waters, LCSW, is the Mental Health Manager & Clinician at Pathways to Well-Being under Pathways to Success, Inc.Andrea has 34 years’ experience in the social work field and has partnered with many Delaware organizations and companies by interacting with children, individuals and families to help them maneuver challenges in life.

She is a native of Sussex County Delaware and obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Delaware State University in Dover and her Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia with a specialization in Children and Families. Andrea’s care approach consists of acting as a supportive guide, educator, and therapist. She utilizes cognitive behavioral modalities with an ecological and strength-based focus.

Andrea’s life experiences fuel her passion to help others go above and beyond. She has been instrumental at Pathways to Success in providing grass-roots services and developing Pathways to Well-Being. This is a new comprehensive behavioral health service that extends beyond the office, encompassing coordinated intensive case management which eliminates barriers to service.

Andrea also Co-Pastors with her husband of 32 years at Redeeming Love Praise and Worship Center, Inc., in Milton, Delaware. She espouses the motto of Educator Rita Pierson: “Every Child Needs a Champion.” Her own motto is that “Every Family Needs a Firm Foundation.”

Andrew Cottone, Ph.D. is the President of Adesis, a position he has held since 2016, when the Company became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Universal Display Corporation (Nasdaq: OLED). Andrew joined CB Research and Development (the predecessor of Adesis) in 2001 and co-founded Adesis in 2005. Trained as an organometallic and process chemist, Andrew’s breadth and depth of experience encompasses 5 years of industrial experience as a process chemist, ten years as a technical manager, twelve years as an entrepreneur/business founder, and fifteen years as a business executive.  As a research manager, he has been responsible for as many as 40 chemists with expertise in physical chemistry, organometallic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and organic chemistry. As a business executive/owner, Andrew has charted and steered the vison and growth of Adesis over the past 15 years and is responsible for greater than 100 Adesis employees across multiple sites.

Andrew graduated from La Salle University (Philadelphia, PA) in 1996 with a dual-bachelor’s degree in chemistry and biochemistry and received his Ph.D. in organometallic chemistry in 2000 from the University of Florida under the joint mentorship of Professors Dr. Russell S. Drago and Michael J. Scott.  His doctoral research experience of substrate-metal complex interactions has provided insights into new reactions for preparative scale functionalization of azoles. Andrew completed a post-doctoral position under Dr. Charles Riordan at the University of Delaware, and then embarked on a dual science and business career under the mentorship of Dr. Charles Beard. His personal passions include family, process chemistry, and all things Philadelphia.

After graduating from Syracuse University, Andy joined Leon N. Weiner and Associates. He then joined the Commonwealth Trust Company where his responsibilities included non-residential brokerage and land development. He formed Delaware Securities & Investments, Inc., an NASD Securities firm which offered limited partnerships in real estate and oil & gas programs.

Andy retired from the University of Delaware after having spent five years as the Director of Real Estate for the University of Delaware. He was responsible for the development of the former Chrysler assembly site into the University’s Science, Technology and Advanced Research Campus (STAR). With Andy’s guidance, the property has been transformed into a transit oriented research epicenter, establishing university/partner opportunities, collaboration with the United States Army, and other economic development-job-growth endeavors for the State, the University, and the citizens of Delaware. In addition to the Science & Technology Campus development, Andy was also responsible for all university campus and academic real estate.

Following the opportunity at University of Delaware, Andy returned as the president and founder of Delaware Financial Group, a real estate and investment consulting firm that provided real estate consulting services principally focused on economic development, job growth and retention. Delaware Financial Group was retained by or represented several public and private clients requiring expertise in land-use, zoning, environmental and regulatory issues, development and real estate acquisition and financing structuring. DFG’s clients included Brandywine Town Center, the Delaware Economic Development Office, Delaware Department of Transportation, DNREC (Parks and Recreation), The University of Delaware, and the Delaware Technology Park. Andy has assisted clients requiring work-out situations, loan modification, and real property disposition. He was also directly involved with acquisitions, leaseholds, purchase options, tax-free exchanges, and deal-structuring. Andy is now active again with Delaware Financial Group. Currently, he is assisting the Governor and his administration with the mitigating the impact of the DuPont Company’s down-sizing and eventual merger with Dow.

Andy is a Delaware Real Estate Broker. He is Chairman of the Board of Directors and an officer of the Delaware Technology Park and a member of the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council (DEFAC), the DelDOT Corridor Preservation Program, Delaware Business Roundtable, Inc., the Delaware Economic Development Office, Easter Seals Board and Real Estate Trust and the Red Clay Education Foundation. In addition to being Chairman of the Council of Development Finance for DEDO and the Lottery Commission, Andy is a director of Artisan’s Bank, Resource America, Inc. the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, and The Grand Opera House. Andy is also a Christiana Health Care System Trustee and a member of the Nominating Committee.

Angela Harvey-Bowen is the founder and executive director of 4th-Dimension Leaders, an organization dedicated to disrupting discrepancies in opportunity.

Angela began her career in education as a middle school math teacher. After seven years in the classroom and five years serving in school- and systems-level leadership roles, she spent six years working in national education non-profits, cultivating partnerships, managing development efforts in
new markets and leading program design. A proud alumna of Pahara-Aspen’s Next-Gen leadership program, Angela has more than 15 years of teaching and leadership experience, is a widely recognized adult learning facilitator, panel moderator and entrepreneurial program designer through her founding
work at ENCORE Facilitation Partners.

Angeline is proud to be the Principal of the number one high school in Delaware, The Charter School of Wilmington. She is a Delaware native who attended the University of Delaware, where she studied to be an educator specializing in mathematics and special education.

She served as an Associate Secretary at the Delaware Department of Education, overseeing efforts focused on educator preparation, licensure/certification, recruitment, placement, evaluation, professional learning, educator investigations, retention and compensation.

Angeline began teaching in September of 1995 in southern New Jersey at Middletownship Middle School serving high need students. This is where and when she decided to dedicate her life to helping children receive an excellent education. In 2001, she graduated from Rowan University with a Master’s
Degree in Educational Leadership. The next eight years she spent serving as an assistant principal and principal in New Jersey, Florida, and New Hampshire.

She returned to her home state of Delaware to serve as the head of Human Resources in Red Clay Consolidated School District. In 2012, she answered the call to serve at the state level as a Director for the Delaware Department of Education. In this role, she focused on providing support to all school
districts and charter schools for educator effectiveness practices with an end goal of increased student achievement.

Angeline lives in Middletown with her husband Joe and their Golden Retriever, Cooper. Her father lives in Newark. In her spare time, she enjoys yoga, running, hiking, dog agility, volunteering, and traveling.

Ashley Petruno graduated from St. Mark’s High School in 1998, and was part of two state championship basketball teams. She went to Wilmington University on a full basketball scholarship and was a captain of the team all three years.  In 2001, Ashley left college and joined the United States Air Force, where she served in the Iraq War as a Security Forces Member. After serving her 4-year term and being honorably discharged with the rank of Staff Sergeant, Ashley returned to Wilmington University and received her bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science.

In January 2014, Ashley began her recovery journey. Helping other addicts and alcoholics has become Ashley’s true passion in life. She has worked in crisis centers, schools, jails, probation and parole, rehabilitation centers and recovery houses with the eagerness to bring a message of hope to the individual who is suffering from this deadly disease.

Basha Silverman, Chief Executive Officer of JFS Delaware, has an exemplary career of over 20 years in non-profit social services and Jewish communal service. Prior to joining JFS, Basha was the Vice President of Strategic Expansion at Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Philadelphia where she was responsible for driving the Agency’s program development and visions for growth.

A native Delawarean, Basha has deep personal and professional connections in the First State. She is founder of Delaware’s first coalition aimed at designing a gender specific, health focused response to victims of trauma, and has developed programs for HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, and mental health in Delaware and Pennsylvania. Basha is also responsible for implementing Delaware’s first sterile syringe access program. She was named 2013 Power Woman of the Year by Main Line Magazine and one of Delaware Today’s 2019 Women in Business. Basha is a graduate of Brandywine High School, University of Delaware, and Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research. She and her husband Jesse have two daughters, Noa and Mira.

Beatrice “Bebe” Coker is a community activist of over 50 years who continues to make an impact in Delaware. She is a playwright, poet and lyricist and a strong advocate for high-quality public education. Her plays have appeared locally and off-broadway.

She is the Founding Director for the Black Heritage Educational/Theater Group, an organization that collaborates with literacy programs all over the city and county for African American youth.

She was appointed by former Gov. Pierre S. du Pont to join the Citizens Alliance for Public Education to help ensure the peaceful desegregation of schools. She is a graduate of Morgan State University and has worked in social services, public and community relations and diversity training. In addition to her community service and commitment to improving Delaware’s education system, Coker is a playwright, poet and lyricist. Now retired, she has also served co-director of the Delaware Black Heritage Educational Theater Group, an organization that collaborates with literacy programs all over the city and county for African American youth, and as chair of the Stagehands of Christina Cultural Arts Center in Wilmington.

In May 2019, Coker was awarded the John H. Taylor Jr. Education Leadership Award which recognizes someone within the community who has provided sustained leadership in advancing Delaware education and who, by doing so, has also made the community a better place in which to live and work. The Partnership Inc. is the 501(c)(3) education affiliate of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce.

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

Captain Benjamin (Ben) Feldmann is a lifelong New Castle County resident; a graduate of Wilmington Friends School and graduate of the University of Delaware school of Agricultural Sciences. Captain Feldmann began his career with the New Castle County Division of Police in 2002. Captain Feldmann has served in every division of the police department during his career and has served as the commander of both the Uniformed Services Division and the Grants, Technology and Special Projects Division, and now serves as Captain, Criminal Investigations Unit.

Captain Feldmann served in the Special Operations Division as the Gang intelligence Detective and a member FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. Captain Feldmann has received extensive training on gangs, gang intelligence, gang investigations, international and domestic terrorism and hate groups from numerous state and federal agencies.

Captain Feldmann is a certified police instructor and has provided gang and terrorism training to law enforcement personnel, private industry, health care facilities, schools and other government entities. Captain Feldmann continues to serve as an instructor at the New Castle County Police Academy, and is an instructor for the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police Command and Leadership Program.

Captain Feldmann has received supervisory and leadership training from Penn State University, the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association, Leadership Delaware and the Police Executive Research Forum. Captain Feldmann received the Chief Harry Wilde award from the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police in 2012, is a 2015 graduate of Leadership Delaware, received the FBI LEEDA Trilogy award in 2016, is a 2016 graduate of the Senior Management Institute for Police and is a 2017 graduate of the FBI National Academy.

Benjamin W. Shrader is a self-advocate, activist, public speaker, occasional film critic, and rolling Star Wars encyclopedia. Born with cerebral palsy (CP), Benjamin believes in redefining independence. He wants to help create a world that views the word, not merely as a means to achieve self-sufficiency, but as a way of unlocking one’s best self through a sense of community and shared responsibility. A triplet born at 28 weeks, Benjamin navigates the world with a power wheelchair.

He graduated magna cum laude from Belhaven University with a degree in Theatre (Dramatic Writing) and a minor in Political Science. He puts those skills to use educating children about CP, through educational opportunities made possible in conjunction with his mother. Benjamin also enjoys public speaking and has had opportunities at the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine’s annual meeting, the Delaware LIFE Conference, and more.

Bethany Hall-Long was sworn in as Delaware’s 26th Lt. Governor on January 17th,
2017.

Born and raised on her family’s farm in Sussex County with her two older brothers, Bethany graduated from Indian River High School where she met her high school sweetheart, Dana. After graduation, she went on to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a nurse at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.

Upon graduation, she and her husband, Dana, moved to Charleston, South Carolina, where she pursued her MSN in community health nursing from the Medical University of South Carolina, while Dana was stationed there as a member of the United States Navy. During Dana’s last tour at the Pentagon, Bethany completed her PhD in health policy and nursing administration from George Mason University, and served as a fellow for the U.S. Senate as well as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Their love of Delaware, and desire to be close to their families caused Bethany and Dana to move back and make their home in Middletown with their son, Brock.

Bethany has been a member of the UD Nursing Faculty now for nearly twenty years. She also holds a distinguished record at the University of Delaware (UD). She was the first nursing faculty at UD to receive the University-wide excellence in teaching award and is currently a Professor of Nursing and Joint Faculty in Urban Affairs. Her research and community service record with at-risk groups such as pregnant teens, diabetics, homeless and the mentally ill, makes her a nationally recognized health scientist. From 2002-2017, Bethany served as a member of Delaware’s legislature, first as a Representative and then as a Senator. She served as the chair of the Health and Social Services committee where her efforts were aimed at ensuring a stronger, healthier Delaware by combating addiction, focusing on a stronger mental health system, fighting cancer, and health inequities in our state. She also served as a member of the capital budget Bond Committee where Bethany focused on building Delaware’s infrastructure, modernizing our schools, repairing our highways, and protecting our environment and open space. Bethany has always been, and will continue to be a strong voice for all of Delaware.

Bill Rivers is the senior writer at BP America, delivering strategic communications messages for executive leaders on energy issues within the US and worldwide. Bill
served as speechwriter for U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis at the Pentagon from 2017-19, traveling extensively and developing strategic messages in support of U.S. national security priorities.

Prior to the Pentagon, Bill held communications roles in the U.S. Senate, including deputy press secretary for Senator Pat Toomey. Bill holds an MPA from the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied as a Truman Scholar, and a BA in International Relations from the University of Delaware. He is an NBC News contributor. Bill and his wife and son live in Virginia.

Bill has lived in the Georgetown area all his life. He moved in town in 1979 and married Faye Collins West (works at M&T Bank). Bill and Faye have two daughters, Courtney and Megan. Courtney and her husband, Zach Johnson, live in North Carolina, while Megan lives in Newark and teaches in the Brandywine School District. Bill started as a Patrolman in the Georgetown Police Department in 1978 and worked here four (4) years before becoming a Delaware State Trooper. Bill has 29 years of community service for the citizens of Delaware. He has always believed that giving respect will, in turn, get you respect, and if you work for the good of the citizens in this community, the citizens will work with you for the good of the community. Bill has been actively involved in the community. He coached little league and travel softball for approximately ten years. He was a board member for the Delaware State Police Credit Union and an active committee member for the Delaware State Troopers Association. Bill was awarded Detective of the Year in 1989 by Crime Stoppers for criminal investigations. In 2002, Bill was awarded an Exceptional Performance Award for performing significantly above what would be expected in an area or event that was within his normal realm of responsibilities. He is very proud of his work ethic and looks forward to applying these standards to his position as Mayor of Georgetown.

Experience

• The Chemours Company
  • Site Manager -Oct 2020 - Present ·
    • • Site Manager at the Chemours Discovery Hub
  • Manufacturing Technology Manager - Sep 2012 - Oct 2020

• DuPont
  • Operations Area Manager - 2011 - 2012
  • Production Team Manager - 2008 - 2011
  • Manufacturing Technology Engineer - 2006 - 2008 · 2 yrs

Education

• Widener University - 2005 - 2006
  • Master of Engineering (MEng), Chemical Engineering
• Widener University
  • Bachelor of Science (BS), Chemical Engineering - 2001 - 2005

Brian DiSabatino is President and CEO of the 108 year old, EDiS Company.  EDiS Company delivers $125 MM in facility planning, design, construction and facility management to the Southeastern PA and DE areas.

Along with his partners Andrew and Rick DiSabatino, Mr. DiSabatino has overseen the planning and implementation of the companies’ plans for the sales, revenue, and geographic growth.  In the past ten years, EDiS Company has increased sales from $80M to a high of $175M while maintaining a repeat business ration of over 93%.  EDiS has been repeatedly recognized as on of the Top Construction Managers as ranked by Engineering News Record Magazine and has been repeatedly lauded by the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce as a model business.  EDiS’s staff of over 70 delivers projects to the Delaware, Southeastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey and Eastern Shore of Maryland.

For the past ten years, Brian DiSabatino and EDiS have joined forces with the Welfare Foundation and Eastern States Development to form The Town of Whitehall, a major mixed use community of 10,000 residents slated to begin in 2014 and completed in 2044.

Mr. DiSabatino was the 2014 DelMarVa Boy Scouts Citizen of the Year, the 2009 Recipient of the Bank of America Outstanding Community Builders award, The 2009 Governor’s Outstanding Volunteer Award for Healthcare, and the 2009 Catholic Charities Msgr. Thomas J. Reese Award for Outstanding Community Service.

Outside corporate activity includes Brian as a Co-founder and the Chairman of the Board of Delaware Sterling Bank and Trust Company, which was purchased by PNC Bank.  Additionally, Brian served as Chairman of the National Advisory Council for Butler Manufacturing of Kansas City, MO.

Brian has actively served the community for twenty-five years.  He recently served as the Chairman of the Grand Opera House’s $10 Million Imagine Your Grand Campaign.  He is the former Chairman of the St. Francis Hospital Foundation and an Executive Committee member of the St. Francis Hospital Board of Directors. The St. Francis Hospital Foundation created funding for its mission to serve the poor, and raised over $30 Million.

Mr. DiSabatino is Vice Chairman of the Grand Opera House Board of Directors, A Director for the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, Past Chairman of the Chester County Chamber of Commerce in Malvern, PA and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Delaware Contractors Association. Mr. DiSabatino is also a Trustee of the American College in Dublin, Ireland.

Mr. DiSabatino was Governor Thomas R. Carper’s Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Alcoholism, Mental health, and Drug abuse.  Brian was President for the Caesar Rodney Rotary from 1998-1999. Brian is a former Director of the Committee of 100 and Delaware Community Foundation.  Brian has been a Director for the Latin American Community Center, The Layton Home for the Aged, and the American Cancer Society. Brian helped found the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce’s “Young Executives Committee” and served for four years as its Chairman.  Brian is involved with several initiatives to strengthen Delaware’s Vocational Education system.   He has served in a fundraising capacity for Read-Aloud Delaware.  In addition, he has served as Chairman of the City of Wilmington's License and Inspection Board.  He has also served as a Director of the Riverfront Business Improvement District, and Co-Chaired the Young Detoqueville Society for the United Way.  Mr. DiSabatino also served as a Trustee of the Laborers Union Local 199 Pension, Welfare and Education funds.

Mr. DiSabatino attended Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Wilmington, DE, is a graduate of Garnet Valley High School in Concordville, PA and of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA.  Mr. DiSabatino graduated in 1987 with a BS, majoring in Management Information Systems with a minor in Economics.

Mr. DiSabatino’s interests include music.  During his tenure at James Madison University, he was named a two time All-American percussionist, performing twice for President Ronald Reagan.  Brian also enjoys all types of outdoor activities including hunting, fly-fishing, and golf.  Brian loves to cook and to eat!  Brian is a member of the St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Wilmington, DE.  Brian DiSabatino was born on July 21, 1965 in Wilmington, DE.  Brian resides in Wilmington, DE with his daughter Jacqueline (20), and sons Jacob (18) & Dylan (16) and Labrador Retriever… Sully.

Bruce W. Weber is dean of the Lerner College of Business & Economics at University of Delaware. He is responsible for direction and development of the College, its 200 faculty and instructors, 3,500 undergraduate and graduate students, and 24,000 alumni. Before assuming the dean role in 2011, he was a professor of information management and department chair for Management Science & Operations at London Business School, and earlier was on the faculty of the Stern School of Business at New York University. Dean Weber holds a doctorate in decision sciences (1991) from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor's degree from Harvard University (1984). Weber's research on IT strategy, financial sector computerization, and compliance systems has been published in leading academic journals and has been cited in the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times. His recent books are 'The Equity Trader Course', and 'Mastering Equity Trading through Simulation'. His work quantifies the economic advantages of digital markets, and highlights the new challenges facing traders, managers, and regulators in an increasingly computerized financial services industry.
Weber hails from Boston, is an inductee into the sports hall of fame of the Noble & Greenough School, and was awarded 10 varsity letters in cross-country and track while at Harvard.

Bryan Fisher is an Associate Vice President with Agilent Technologies in Wilmington Delaware. He leads Agilent’s Americas Service Contact Center organization which provides remote technical and application support to customers in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil. Bryan also serves as Agilent Delaware Sites General Manager, representing Agilent’s 1,000 Delaware employees both internally and externally, fostering employee engagement and community outreach. He sits on the Board of Directors of the Delaware BioScience organization. With professional experience in services operations and management, IT system design, customer service management, and supply chain management, Bryan has made his mark at Agilent by practicing authentic leadership, developing others, and distilling complex problems down to simple solutions.

An army brat, Bryan lived in five US states and a foreign country (Germany) by the age of 9, at which time his family finally settled into southeastern Pennsylvania, where he has lived ever since. Those first 9 years years of moving frequently, continually finding a new “best friend”, and experiencing other cultures were formative to Bryan’s inquisitive personality, his love of travel, and his passion for living in the moment. The past 34 years have solidified his love of the Delaware Valley and of Philadelphia sports. He currently lives in West Chester with his wife, Melissa, and their family. In his free time, he is an avid skier and golfer, and is currently attempting to teach his 3 children both sports. He also actively coaches them in youth soccer and baseball.

Bryan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Logistics from Penn State and a Master of Business in Finance from Villanova.

Bryan Tracy is the CEO and co-founder of Superbrewed Food, Inc. Prior to this, he co-founded and led White Dog Labs and Elcriton Inc., which he founded directly out of graduate school.

Bryan is a technical expert in chemical engineering, microbial engineering, molecular biology, bioprocess development and scale-up. He has published 16 peer reviewed scientific articles and is an inventor on over 45 granted and pending patents. Over the past two years, he has focused on building
Superbrewed Food, which is an emerging company in human and nutrition. The company has operations in Delaware, Minnesota and Israel, and is starting up commercial production of several lead products at their production facility, NuMake, in Little Falls, MN.

Additionally, he serves as a technology to market consultant for the Department of Energy ARPA-E, is a founding member of the American Chemical Society Biochemical Technology Leadership Roundtable and is the board chair of the Delaware Sustainable Chemistry Alliance. Bryan is passionate about public service. He is on the board of the Forum for the Advancement of Minorities in Engineering (FAME), a Leadership Delaware Fellow and an inaugural mentor to Delaware Youth Leadership Network. Lastly, he is a proud fellow of Leadership Delaware!

Bryan received a BS in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from North Carolina State University and a PhD in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Northwestern University, where he was a NIH Biotechnology Fellow.

Bryan William Shupe was born and raised in Milford, DE by William and Sheridan Shupe. After graduating from Milford High School, Bryan earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Delaware. For the next several years he worked in Wilmington for a statewide political party and several statewide and local campaigns across the state. During this time Bryan discovered his passion for public service and community.

The passion to improve the quality of life in Milford drove Bryan to start his own business in his hometown and create the city’s first hyperlocal community driven media outlet, called Milford Live. Shortly after, he met his wife Sherry Shaffer and together they opened a second business in downtown Milford called Fur-Baby Boutique & Doggie Daycare. Together they shared a commitment and desire to serve the community of Milford. Shupe currently serves as President of the Board of Directors for the Greater Milford Boys & Girls Club and volunteers and supports several local organizations including Downtown Milford Inc., Chamber of Commerce for Greater Milford and the Milford School District. He served on the Milford City Council representing Ward I and as a member of the Economic Development, Infrastructure and Public Works Committees from 2013 to 2014 and is currently a member of the City of Milford Economic Development, Police & Public Safety, Finance and Public Works Committees as Mayor. Statewide, Shupe serves as a member of the Governor’s Commission on Community and Volunteer Service and the Kent Economic Partnership. Shupe was voted by the people of Milford, DE to represent them as their Mayor on Saturday, April 26 with over 65% of the total vote count. He was sworn into office on Monday May 5, 2014 and is currently serving his second two-year term as Mayor of Milford, after running unopposed in 2016.

Linwood served 4 years as President, and 4 years as Secretary of the NAACP Delaware State Conference.

As President he worked with the ACLU Delaware and successfully reached a settlement with the State of Delaware in their education equity lawsuit. This agreement will allocate resources for Delaware children who are low income, students with disabilities, and students who are English learners, to provide equal education opportunities for disadvantaged students within Delaware's public school system.

A TV and Radio host, Linwood has spoken before hundreds of audiences on a wide range of issues including; The steps of the U.S. Supreme Court about Abolishing the Death Penalty, the Governors round table about Decriminalizing & Medical Cannabis, the Environmental Protection Agency on Emissions, and Clean Air, the National Press Club on Going Green, and the AARP De on voting rights and fraud issues.

Linwood recognizes the importance of volunteerism and has served in many capacities; He currently serves as the AARP De Lead Communications Volunteer, V.P. NAACP Wilmington branch, V.P. Delaware Press Association, and on the board of the Wilmington Drama League.

Colonel Carla D. Riner presently serves as the Commander of the 166th Airlift Wing in New Castle, Delaware. As commander, she is responsible for leading more than 1,100 people, overseeing base property and capital assets and controlling an annual budget exceeding $55 million. Col Riner directs the wing's overall missions, which include providing tactical airlift and air drop of troops, cargo and passengers using C-130H2 aircraft; providing aeromedical evacuation; supporting state, regional, and national civil engineering efforts; and conducting cyberspace operations.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Col Riner started her Air Force career in 1993 as a pilot-select at the 167th Airlift Wing in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Upon earning her commission through the Air National Guard’s Academy of Military Science, she attended Undergraduate Pilot Training at Vance Air Force Base. In 1997, she served as a C-130 pilot in tactical airlift operations in support of state, regional, and federal efforts throughout the world. In 2008, Colonel Riner was selected to serve as a maintenance officer, where she led maintenance efforts in a multitude of roles, culminating in her 2015 selection as the 130th Maintenance Group Commander in Charleston, West Virginia. In addition, to her service across the Maintenance and Operations Groups, she also served as the Officer in Charge of the United States Presidential move from the National Capital Region to Dallas, Texas for President George W. Bush’s administrative effects. Colonel Riner is a Senior pilot with more than 2,900 hours in airlift aircraft, including 121 combat and combat support sorties. She has flown in various contingencies, including Operations Shining Hope, Joint Forge, Coronet Oak, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom.

In her civilian capacity, Colonel Riner serves as a First Officer for a major commercial airline. In addition, she served more than seven years with the United States National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C., where she served in multiple roles culminating as the Deputy Chief Operations Officer. Prior to her current position, the Colonel served as the Special Assistant to the Assistant Adjutant General for Air at West Virginia Air National Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters, Charleston, West Virginia.

Carlos Asarta is the director of the Center for Economic Education and Entrepreneurship (CEEE), and associate professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Delaware. He holds Masters and Ph.D. degrees in economics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His scholarly work focuses on the areas of economic education, assessment, and economic and financial literacy. Asarta is the recipient of several teaching, service and research awards including the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska Outstanding Educator of the Year Award, the Rising Star Award from the Council for Economic Education and the Phillip Saunders Best Research Paper Award from the National Association of Economic Educators. Carlos is the author of Asarta/Butters Principles of Economics, a McGraw-Hill product that is interactive, adaptive and in alignment with how today's students seek and learn new information.

As CEEE director, Asarta oversees the annual production of more than 100 in-service and pre-service teacher training programs, graduate courses, and student programs. He leads the unique Master of Arts in Economics and Entrepreneurship for Educators degree, exponentially broadening the center's global impact, and is a dissertation advisor in the Ph.D. program in economic education. Carlos previously served as Chair of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Teaching Council and is currently a member of the Coordinating Committee on Education at the University of Delaware.

Assistant Chief Facciolo joins the Montgomery County Police Department from the Bronx District Attorney’s Office where he served as a Deputy Chief overseeing the Strategic Enforcement and Intergovernmental Relations Division. In this role, Assistant Chief Facciolo directed all intelligence and crime strategies efforts, technical investigations including crime scene, photo, cell-site analysis, and digital forensics, forensic science services, strategic technology, the planning and analysis unit, and the alternatives to incarceration bureau. Assistant Chief Facciolo served as District Attorney Clark’s liaison to federal, state, and local law enforcement, forensics, and intelligence agencies, and managed her relationships with federal and state elected officials, local legislators, The Hill, and stakeholder organizations. Lastly, Assistant Chief Facciolo coordinated the county’s response to major law enforcement incidents, the opioid epidemic, and mental health and crisis intervention services.

Before joining the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, Assistant Chief Facciolo served as a senior policy advisor with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Program. He coordinated whole-of-government violence reduction efforts across DOJ, the National Security Council, and other agencies, and co-managed initiatives to improve public safety. He was the primary architect of many national programs for the federal government including the Body-Worn Camera Program, intelligence for law enforcement, human trafficking taskforces, mental health crisis responses, and homicide and forensic investigations. He also improved crime analysis for local law enforcement and managed a large appropriations and grant portfolio. Previously, Assistant Chief Facciolo served as a senior policy advisor in the Obama White House. As a member of the Domestic Policy Council, he advised the President, Vice President, and senior administration officials on criminal justice issues, public health, violent crime, law enforcement, and civil rights.

Prior to his federal service, Assistant Chief Facciolo provided technical assistance domestically, in the Middle East, The Northern Triangle, South America, and Asia on behalf of the State Department and the US Department of Justice at the Center for Court Innovation. He began his career with the State of Delaware, where he managed the (now) President Judge’s integration of statewide behavioral health and criminal justice programs. Assistant Chief Facciolo is a graduate of the University of Delaware and Harvard University, where he is currently pursuing a Master of Liberal Arts in Government. He has worked on numerous political campaigns at the local, state, and national levels. Most recently, he served as a policy advisor to Mayor Pete Buttigieg in his 2020 Presidential Campaign and as a policy committee member for the Biden/Harris 2020 Presidential Campaign.

Assistant Chief Facciolo resides in Washington, DC with his wife.

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.

Cerron Cade was appointed by Governor John C. Carney Jr. in January of 2021 and confirmed by members of the 151st General Assembly. As the Director of the Delaware Office of Management and Budget and a member of Governor Carney’s Cabinet, Cerron facilitates the preparation and implementation of the Governor’s policy agenda by providing objective policy analysis and fiscal management. Under Cerron’s leadership, OMB is responsible for managing all of the state’s assets which includes our facilities, land, and financial resources.

Prior to his OMB appointment, Cerron served as Cabinet Secretary for the Delaware Department of Labor since 2018, expanding access to job training and strengthening labor law enforcement throughout the state. Most recently, he led Delaware’s workforce development and Unemployment Insurance programs through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout his career in public service, Cerron has worked as a Legislative Aide in the Delaware State House of Representatives, Deputy County Director for U.S. Senator Tom Carper, Projects Director for then Congressman John Carney, Legislative Liaison for former Governor Jack Markell, and as the Director of the Delaware Division of Small Business; leading the state’s efforts to attract businesses and goodpaying jobs to Delaware.

Cerron has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Delaware State University. He currently lives in Wilmington, Delaware with his wife, Kasmira, and daughters, Jonnie and Toni.

Chad Robinson is the Community Relations Director at the Food Bank of Delaware.  He has been with the Food Bank of Delaware for almost 9 years.  He received a B.A. in Political Science from Wesley College and a Master of Public Administration from Wilmington University.  Before joining the Food Bank of Delaware, Chad was the Legislative Liaison for Lieutenant Governor Matthew Denn of Delaware.  In this role, Chad was responsible for the developing the legislative agenda for the Lieutenant Governor and overseeing interactions with the General Assembly.  Previously, Chad worked in various levels of higher education, as well as with the United States Senate.

In his role at the Food Bank of Delaware, Chad manages the SNAP Outreach Department, as well as the Coalition to End Hunger and the H.E.L.P. (Honoring Experience, Launching Possibilities) task force, as well as all aspects of the government affairs, advocacy and public policy of the organization.

The Honorable Andre G. Bouchard was sworn in as Chancellor of the Court of Chancery on May 5, 2014. Before his appointment, Chancellor Bouchard spent twenty-eight years in private practice in Wilmington, Delaware, including as the managing partner of Bouchard Margules & Friedlander, P.A., a corporate and commercial litigation boutique he founded. Before forming his own firm, Chancellor Bouchard served as a corporate litigator at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. Chancellor Bouchard received his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1986 and a B.A., summa cum laude, from Boston College in 1983, where he was the recipient of the Edward H. Finnegan Award. He was selected as a Harry S. Truman Scholar from Delaware in 1981. Chancellor Bouchard is a past Chairman of the Judicial Nominating Commission, a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and member of The American Law Institute.

Command Master Chief (C/MC) Baldwin has enjoyed a distinguished career in both the military and public education. He graduated from Eastridge High School, Kankakee Illinois in 1968 and immediately enlisted in the United States Navy. After completion of Basic Training in Great Lakes Illinois he was assigned to the Alfred A. Cunningham DD752 out of Long Beach California. In June of 1969 he received orders to NTSB Cat Lo Vietnam where he served one year on the rivers in IV Corps. Upon return to the USA he reported to precom duty for the USS Luce DLG7 in Newport Rhode Island where he was a plank owner.

The next assignment took him to NSA La Maddalena Sardinia, Italy. Upon mastering the Italian language and serving as an interpreter he was assigned to RTC Great Lakes Illinois as a Company Commander. Four years later he would return to La Maddalena as Second Division LPO aboard AS 16 USS Howard W. Gilmore. A 1979 assignment to NSA La Maddalena required him to attend HRM School in Millington Tenn. Master Chief attended one of the first classes at the newly stablished Senior Enlisted Academy (SEA) Class five Brown in 1982 and served as the MEPS Director for NRD Chicago until the fall of 1985. Assigned to Comsubron 22 aboard USS Orion AS18 from 85-88. Assignment to COMNAVBASE Philadelphia 88-90 followed. 1990-1993 Baldwin had the honor of serving as CMC USS Dwight D. Eisenhower CVN 69 (where he really Liked IKE) and deployed in support of OPERATION DESERT SHIELD. December 1992 he was selected to the Final Four Candidacy as MCPON 8. When the Navy discovered they were not prepared to handle a BMCM (SW) as MCPON Baldwin retired and began an amazing career in Education and continued to serve his Navy to present as an educational consultant, leader of NJROTC’s, Chair Commissioner of Veterans Affairs for the State of Delaware, and more importantly, as a CHIEF PETTY OFFICER mentor.

In July 1993, Commandant Baldwin accepted the position of Associate Naval Science Instructor with the Seaford School District where he established the first NJROTC in the State of Delaware.

He followed this achievement with the commissioning of a second unit at Christiana High School. While at Christiana, C/MC Baldwin’s unit was recognized three times as being in the top 20% of the nations NJROTC units. He received the Christina School District Citizenship Award in 1997 and was selected as Christiana Teacher of the Year in 1998.

In 2003 C/MC co-founded and established the US Navy's first all NJROTC Charter HS. It is recognized as the flagship of the Navy JROTC program and is the largest unit in the country.

CMC Baldwin received many honors during his 25-year Navy career. For his efforts during Operation Desert Shield, as Command Master Chief of the nuclear aircraft carrier, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. In 1992, he was one of four finalists for the Navy’s top enlisted post of Master Chief of the Navy. C/MC Baldwin served in Viet Nam from October 1969 to October 1970 and in the Persian Gulf from October 1991 to March 1992.

C/MC Baldwin was recently awarded the Delaware Distinguished Service Medal by the Del- aware Adjutant General and received the Tribute of the 111th United States Congress for his work in education. The Delaware Military Academy and The Charter School of Wilmington are recognized as Delaware’s only two Blue Ribbon HS for 2018.

In 2017 he authored “Carrier to Classroom” encouraging veterans to pursue careers in education. All proceeds from his book go directly to the Delaware Veterans Trust Fund.

In February 2019 Master Chief established and endowment with proceeds from his book to sup- port the Delaware Veterans Trust.

CMC Baldwin is fluent in Italian, enjoys mountain climbing (Everest Camp 4 and summiting Kilimanjaro notably), biking, and hiking. Mentoring remains a large part of his life and currently continues to mentor over 40 of his former students.

He is married to Salvatorica and they have two children, William and Antonella and five grandchildren. They reside in Wilmington, Delaware and Ala Dei Sardi, Italy.

Charlie Horn is an entrepreneur, entrepreneurship education leader and philanthropist. After an 18 year career as an insurance industry sales executive and entrepreneur, Charlie innovated the nation’s first national retail-based consumer discount prescription drug program in 1994 that launched an industry and eventually led to CMS creating the Medicare Prescription Drug Part D plan in 2005. The company, ScriptSave, was founded by Charlie in his home office. In the year it was sold, 2013, patient/consumers saved in excess of $1.5 billion in out of pocket costs on everyday prescriptions.

In 2012, under the inspiration, guidance and funding of Charlie and his wife Patty, the University of Delaware established Horn Entrepreneurship. The programs’ initiatives have created new undergraduate and graduate level majors, minors and new cross campus Entrepreneurship certificate and co-curricular offerings for students in every college – something truly unique in American colleges. Horn’s Venture Development Center has become the campus hub at UD for entrepreneurial activity. Horn Entrepreneurship’s high school Diamond Challenge program is a Global Top 5 youth educational program that teaches the basic skills of social and business entrepreneurship to students in over half the U.S. states and 47 countries around the world and conducts an annual global business pitch competition and summit called YES! in Newark, DE.

Charlie is a member of the top ranked University of Arizona’s McGuire Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the University of Delaware’s Wall of Fame, one of only about 200 alumni out of 170,000 to be so recognized.

Charlie and his wife Patty also founded and co-chair The Touchstone Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit which provides funding to a variety of health care and family service charitable organizations, especially funding access to sanitary water in Africa.

He has a BA in Sociology from the University of Delaware, class of 1975, and served as captain of its highly successful golf team and held the career scoring record for 32 years. His wife of 43 years is Patty Horn, a former nurse and award winning singer and songwriter of children’s music. They live in Arizona and have two grown children entrepreneurs, four grandchildren, and one yellow lab.

Chris has spent his career in the Senate focused on working across the aisle to get things done for the people of
Delaware. In recent years, the Bipartisan Policy Center recognized Chris for his commitment to bipartisanship
and awarded him its Legislative Action Award and the independent congressional tracking website GovTrack
ranked Chris in the top three most productive Senators of both parties.

Chris serves on the Senate Appropriations, Foreign Relations, Judiciary, Small Business and Entrepreneurship,
and Ethics committees. He is the chair of the Ethics Committee and the senior Democrat on two subcommittees:
The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and Law and the Senate Appropriations
Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations (SFOPS). He co-founded and leads the Senate Human Rights
Caucus, the Senate Competitiveness Caucus, the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, the bipartisan Senate
Climate Solutions Caucus, the Senate ALS Caucus, and the Senate Chicken Caucus.

Before his election to the U.S. Senate in 2010, Chris served as New Castle County Council President for four years
and New Castle County Executive for six years. Prior to serving as County Executive, Chris worked as an attorney
for Delaware-based W.L. Gore & Associates, one of the 200 largest privately held manufacturing companies in
the United States. As a law student, Chris founded the Delaware chapter of the national “I Have a Dream”
Foundation, which helps low-income students make the academic journey from elementary school through
college. Shortly after receiving his law degree and clerking on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit,
Chris began working at the organization's national office. While there, he launched and ran the organization’s
AmeriCorps program, which helped recruit and train volunteers to mentor students in fifteen cities.

Chris graduated from Amherst College with a B.A. in Chemistry and Political Science in 1985. While in college,
Chris spent a semester studying at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. He returned to the continent in 1987 to work with the South African Council of Churches in the anti-apartheid movement. Chris earned his law degree from Yale Law School and has a master’s degree in Ethics from Yale Divinity School.

Chris grew up attending Red Clay Creek Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, DE, and was an ordained elder
with West Presbyterian Church. He continues to preach regularly at houses of worship across Delaware. In
February 2019, he and Republican Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma co-chaired the 67th annual National
Prayer Breakfast, a tradition dating back to President Eisenhower that brings Americans of all backgrounds,
faiths, and political parties together through a celebration of spirituality and prayer. Chris regularly participates
in the weekly Senate Prayer Breakfast.

Chris lives in Wilmington with his wife, Annie, and their three children, Michael, Jack, and Maggie.

Chris L Kenny, Esq. is a Delaware business leader and philanthropist with a mission to provide his community with engaging, action-oriented thought leadership on the greatest issues affecting the state. Mr. Kenny is the CEO of his multigenerational family business Delaware Supermarkets Inc., owning and operating 6 ShopRite supermarkets that generate $300 million in annual revenue, employ over 1,000 associates and are currently celebrating their 25^th year in business. As current and former board member for over a dozen non-profits, Chris Kenny offers unique insights into business, entrepreneurship, the food industry, Delaware issues and the state’s community. Currently, Chris is a Board Leadership Fellow within the National Association of Corporate Directors, and he is a former member of the Goodwill of Delaware & Delaware County Board of Directors and the Valley Forge Military Academy Board of Trustees.

Mr. Kenny is licensed to practice law in Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In 2017 he received an honorary doctorate degree in Business Administration from Goldey-Beacom College. Currently, Chris is the President of the St. Thomas More Society of the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington and founder and inaugural chair of the Delaware Society, an affinity club with the Union League of Philadelphia. Chris lives with his wife Teresa and their children in Wilmington, Delaware.

Christine Rawak (RAY-wok) was named the University of Delaware's new director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation Services on May 13, 2016.

Rawak spent more than a decade in athletics at the University of Michigan, where she most recently oversaw external relations and strategic initiatives while serving as executive senior associate athletic director.  In Ann Arbor, she launched the first comprehensive athletics fundraising campaign raising more than $316 million to date. She personally raised more than $170 million, including securing an unprecedented $100 million gift. Her oversight responsibilities include fundraising, ticket sales, brand management, external communications, public relations, marketing, advertising, community relations, graphic design and creative, research, analytics and database management, digital and social media, constituent engagement, radio and television, corporate sponsorship, trademarks and licensing, events and game day experiences.

Rawak is the sixth director of Athletics at Delaware since the position was established in 1940. She is the first woman to hold the position on a permanent basis. The director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation Services reports directly to the president and is a member of the University’s senior staff. The position leads the University of Delaware’s intercollegiate athletics program consisting of 21 Division I men’s and women’s sports and the University’s recreation services, which offers intramural sports, club sports and fitness opportunities to all students.

As a student at the University of Michigan, Rawak was a member of the varsity swim team and student government president before earning her bachelor’s degree in sports management and communications in 1992. After graduation, she joined the athletics department as an assistant swim coach.

Prior to assuming her role at Michigan, Rawak spent seven years in Michigan’s Office of University Development as the assistant vice president of talent management and development operations. From 1998-2004, she worked as director of personnel and business resources in the Office of Alumni Relations and Development at Northwestern University while earning a master’s degree in communication from Northwestern.

A native of Newtown, Pennsylvania, she is married to Glenn Hill, a former gymnast at the University of Michigan, and they are the parents of Blake, Evelyn and Grace.

Christine Sauers is the President of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Delaware. In this position, Christine builds awareness of the BBB in the community, works directly with the volunteer board of directors, develops and carries out strategic plans, and works with other BBBs throughout the country. She also runs the BBB of Delaware Education Foundation that focuses its energies on educating underserved Delawareans. The Education Foundation’s primary function is offering an annual scholarship awarded to students that exemplify a strong commitment to integrity and ethics.

Christine is a member, and former Treasurer, of the Board of Directors of Easterseals, Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore; a Trustee of Christiana Care Health System (CCHS) and a Member of the CCHS Nominating Committee. She also serves on the Corporate Committee for the Combined Campaign for Justice. Christine is a 2018 Honorary Commander in the Delaware National Guard. She previously held professional positions with several community-based organizations such as Executive Director of the World Trade Center Institute of Delaware and Director of Public Relations for the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce. Christine graduated from the University of Delaware with a B.A. in Political Science. Christine and her family live in Wilmington.

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.

Claire DeMatteis was sworn in as the 9th Commissioner to lead the Department of Correction (DOC) on July 15, 2019, the first woman to hold the position in the Department's history. Previously, DeMatteis served as Special Assistant working with DOC's leadership team implementing a series of reforms to strengthen security, safety, officer training, recruitment and retention, prison-based programming and services and a comprehensive reentry plan.

A Delaware attorney, DeMatteis has more than 25 years of experience working for the state and federal government and in the private sector on corporate governance, health care law, data privacy and regulatory compliance. As Senior Counsel to then-U.S. Senator Joe Biden from 1994 to 2004, she was instrumental in implementing laws and policies that enhanced law enforcement, women's rights and civil rights. From 2008 to 2016, DeMatteis served as a senior executive, general counsel and chief compliance officer for two multi-billion dollar corporations.

DeMatteis is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Delaware and serves as a University of Delaware Trustee. She was born, raised and lives in Delaware. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware and her law degree from Widener University's Delaware Law School.

The Commissioner's Office, including the executive staff, provides leadership, policy direction, moral guidance, monitoring of operations and support for ongoing activities related to the Department's mission and top priorities. Individual units within the Office of the Commissioner include:

Human Resources/Employee Development Center, Internal Affairs, Community Relations, Media Relations, Information Technology, Planning, Research, and Reentry Unit

Col. Matthew S. Husemann is the Commander, 436th Airlift Wing, Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. He is responsible for the combined C-5M Super Galaxy and C-17A Globemaster III wing providing worldwide movement of high-priority personnel and cargo. Dover AFB is home to the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations, the Department of Defense’s largest aerial port and the Air Mobility Command Museum.

Colonel Husemann received his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2000, and served in a variety of operational and staff assignments throughout his career. He served as the Distribution Division Chief, Joint Staff Directorate for Logistics (J4), Commander of the 9th Airlift and 436th Force Support Squadrons; Deputy Chief of the Corporate Liaison Branch, Headquarters Air Force Directorate of Strategic Plans and Programs; C-5 Evaluator Aircraft Commander and KC-10 Instructor Aircraft Commander.

Prior to assuming his current position, Colonel Husemann was the Vice Commander, 86th Airlift Wing,Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

He is a command pilot with more than 3,000 hours in the C-5A/B/M, KC-10A, C-37A, T-1A, and T-37B.

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Combat Readiness Medal with oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal with one device Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

Colleen Perry Keith, Ph.D. is the 14th president (and first female president) in the 134-year history of Goldey-Beacom College. Keith assumed this role July 1, 2019.

With more than 30 years of higher education experience, Dr. Keith has served as president at Pfeiffer University in North Carolina since 2015 and previously served as president of Spartanburg Methodist College from 2009 – 2015.

Dr. Keith currently serves on the The Partnership Board of Directors, the education affiliate of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce. She was recently elected to the Board of Directors of Campus Compact Mid-Atlantic. CCMA mobilizes the collective commitment and capacity of higher education in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Dr. Keith holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from State University of New York, University Center at Binghamton; Master of Education Degree, Education Counseling from University of Pittsburgh; and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Higher Education Administration and Student Affairs
from The Ohio State University.

The Honorable Collins J. Seitz, Jr. was sworn in as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Delaware on November 8, 2019. He previously served as a Justice of the Supreme Court from April 2015 to November 2019. Prior to his appointment, Chief Justice Seitz was a founding partner of Seitz Ross Aronstam & Moritz LLP. Before founding Seitz Ross, Chief Justice Seitz was a partner of Connolly Bove Lodge & Hutz LLP in Wilmington Delaware.

A member of the Delaware Bar since 1983, Chief Justice Seitz served as a board member and chair of the Board of Bar Examiners, and a board member of the Board on Professional Responsibility. Both federal and state courts often appointed Chief Justice Seitz as a Master and Trustee to oversee complex corporate, commercial and intellectual property cases. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Chief Justice Seitz received his undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware and his law degree from the Villanova University School of Law.

Zebley was appointed as a State Trooper in July of 1992 and, following completion of her academy training, she was assigned to Troop 6 in Prices Corner, New Castle County. She graduated from the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command in 2000.

A 28-year member of the DSP, Zebley received her Master of Science degree in Administration of Justice in 2003 from Wilmington University. She also become an adjunct instructor that year, and a program assistant in the University’s Criminal Justice Program.

Zebley continued her professional development as she worked her way up through the ranks of the DSP. In 2008, she became a graduate of the 235th session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) National Academy. In August of 2019, then-Major Zebley was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel by Superintendent Colonel Nathaniel McQueen, Jr, signaling her selection as his apparent successor.

Zebley now serves as the Police Superintendent for the Delaware State Police.

On July 1, 2020, Delaware State Police (DSP) Superintendent Colonel Nathaniel McQueen, Jr. announced his retirement. He begins serving as the Secretary of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security July 13.

Colonel McQueen is the second-longest-serving Superintendent in the agency’s history, having served as DSP Superintendent since December 20, 2012.

Prior to joining the Delaware State Police in 1988, Colonel McQueen served as a Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps. Holding true to the motto, “Semper Fidelis,” Colonel McQueen has remained loyal to what has been best for the citizens of and visitors to Delaware, as well as what has been best for the agency’s men and women, about whom he cares deeply.

Prior to becoming Superintendent, Colonel McQueen served in many leadership roles, including patrol Sergeant, detective Sergeant, Traffic Lieutenant, Criminal Lieutenant, Captain (Troop Commander) of Troops 9, 1, and 2. He promoted to the rank of Major for statewide operations, then New Castle County Operations, before being promoted to the rank of Colonel.

Colonel McQueen’s achievements include many items of direct service to the Delaware community. His accomplishments focus on improving the efficiency of business processes to advance public safety, and building transparency and trust.

As Superintendent, Colonel McQueen served on numerous boards and committees, including several executive councils. Their missions ranged from youth protection, criminal justice reform, combatting violence, domestic violence, and advisory boards for Delaware Tech Community College and Wilmington University.

Colonel McQueen holds his Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Science from Wilmington University and earned his Master of Science in Social Work from Delaware State University. Colonel McQueen is a graduate of the 209th session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy, the FBI National Executive Institute, and the Anti-Defamation League Counterterrorism Training.

Also extremely important to Colonel McQueen is his family with whom he resides in Bear, DE: his wife Freda S. McQueen, his son Nathaniel McQueen III, and his daughter Nayla J. McQueen.

Dr. Dan Young is a Director at the Wharton School and is the curator of TEDxWilmington, which is in the top 1% of all TEDx franchises in the country with over 600 speakers and 47 million views on YouTube.
As an “edupreneur”, he is also responsible for creating the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) Program at Goldey-Beacom College. the first online DBA class for Wilmington University, the first study abroad program for the Horn Program of Entrepreneurship and the first international internship program for study abroad at the University of Delaware.
Dan received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Marketing from the University of Delaware’s Honors Program and his Ph.D. in Marketing from Temple University. He has done entrepreneurship and executive leadership programs with the University of Delaware, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Oxford.
He has been an instructor at Goldey-Beacom College, Temple University, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, the University of Delaware, Neumann University and Wilmington University. He is currently the President of Maverick Class LLC, a holding company for a diversified portfolio of entertainment, education, and hospitatlity companies.
Dan has served on the Boards of many local organizations and currently serves as the President of Theatre N at Nemours, President of the Board of Safe Haven Healing, Membership Chairman of the Board of Governors for the University and Whist Club, Board Member of the for-profit corporation Spekciton and an advisory Board Member for the Fresh Start program and Derby Diversity Week at the Kentucky Derby.

Danny Short has a long history of public service.  He is a life-member of the Seaford Volunteer Fire Department, an organization with which he has more than three decades of service and held the post of Fire Chief.

He was inducted into the Delaware Fire Service Firefighters Hall of Fame in 1982 and also awarded the Heroic Fireman of the Year award by the Delaware State Chief’s Association for saving a life during a swimming accident.

In 1995, Danny Short began a four-year tenure as a Seaford city councilman.  He then became mayor, serving four, two-year terms, before leaving office in March 2006.

The following November, he was elected as State Representative for the 39th District, a post he has held ever since.

During most of his time in the State House of Representatives, Danny Short has served in leadership.  Between 2008 and 2010 he was House Minority Whip, and since 2012 he has been the House Republican Caucus Leader.

In the private sector, Rep. Short is the owner of Short Insurance Associates -- an independent insurance agency in Seaford.  He has more than 34 years of experience in the insurance industry and has received the “Douglas F. Bennetti” Public Service Award -- the highest honor presented by the Delaware Insurance Agents Association.

Rep. Short and his wife, Debbie, are both Seaford natives and have been married more than 40 years.  The couple has one daughter, April; a son-in-law, Aaron; three granddaughters; and a grandson.

In his spare time, Rep. Short enjoys fishing, hunting, boating and riding his Harley Davidson.

Daniel J. Elliott, M.D., MSCE, FACP is the Medical Director of eBrightHealth ACO and Christiana Care Quality Partners (CCQP), a network of physicians and other health care providers working to improve the quality and value of medical care in Delaware.  Previously, Dr. Elliott served as the Associate Chair for Research and Scholarly Activity in the Christiana Care Department of Medicine. He was the Project Co-Director and Director of Evaluation for “Bridging the Divides,” a project funded by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to develop Care Management services supported by Information Technology to improve the quality and cost of care for patients following coronary revascularization.

Dr. Elliott earned a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Duke University, where he was a Howard Hughes Research Fellow.  He earned his Medical Degree at Jefferson Medical College as a Delaware Institute for Medical Education and Research Scholar.  He then completed residency training in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at Christiana Care Health System and the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children. He served as Chief Resident in Internal Medicine at Christiana Care.  He subsequently completed a fellowship in the Generalist Scholars Program in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, during which he earned a Master’s Degree in Clinical Epidemiology with a concentration in outcomes research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

In addition to his work with CCQP, Dr. Elliott cares for patients as both a primary care physician and hospitalist, and is active with the American College of Physicians and the Society for General Internal Medicine, where he serves on the Evidence-Based Medicine Task Force.  

Darryl Scott has served since March 2019, as the Director of the Delaware Division of Unemployment Insurance. Prior to that role, he was a Director, Global Account Operations and Account Management for Sitel, a global provider of business process management services. In that role, Darryl directed operations of more than 1,000 associates providing customer engagement services.

Mr. Scott served in the Delaware General Assembly from 2008 to 2014. During his tenure in the Legislature, he was an advocate for public education and privacy rights. Two of his legislative accomplishments are the creation of the Inspire Scholarship program which provides Delaware students tuition assistance for up to six semesters to attend Delaware State University and the Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets and Digital Accounts Act which authorizes fiduciaries to access and control the digital assets and digital accounts of an incapacitated person.

Mr. Scott’s strong ties to the community are reflected in his volunteer activities. He serves as a board member on the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), Reading Assist Institute, and Delaware Coalition Against Gun Violence, and in an advisory role to Delaware Campaign for Achievement Now (DelawareCAN) and the Rodel Foundation. Mr. Scott earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Eastern Kentucky University studying Economics and Marketing. He and his wife Carol live in Dover and have two sons.

Vietnam veteran and a co-founder of the coalition. He retired from the US Navy Reserve in 2007. He is
the owner of PR Delaware LLC, a Dover-based public relations business.

Dave Skocik holds a masters degree in communication from Temple University and is nationally
accredited by the Public Relations Society of America, for which he’s served as a state chapter president,
Mid-Atlantic District Chair, and as a national educational affairs committee member.

While state PRSA president in 1997, he chartered and advised the organization’s student chapter at
Delaware State University in Dover, Delaware.

His 25 years + experience in public relations working with diverse audiences is broad and includes 11
years as executive director of college relations and assistant professor of communication at Wesley
College, in addition to owning a PR consulting business.

He co-authored “The Air Controller’s Controversy,” about the 1981 air traffic controllers’ strike, which was
republished in 2006. Dave has also served in the military as a journalist and public affairs specialist. In
January 2005 he was chosen as the military parade announcer for the White House reviewing booth at
President Bush’s inauguration.

Experienced in electronic media, he has been a radio announcer and has co-produced and hosted an
award-winning TV quiz show for Delaware high school students since 1987.
Dave has served in many public service organizations in Delaware and is a Paul Harris Fellow in Rotary
International.

Perhaps most relevant to many of his business clients is that he’s been a mechanical contractor and
understands the challenges involved in running a small business and effectively communicating with the
public.

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

Legates received a B.A. in Mathematics and Geography (double major) in 1982, a M.S. in Geography-Climatology in 1985, and a Ph.D. in Climatology in 1988, all from the University of Delaware.  His expertise lies in hydroclimatology/surface water hydrology, precipitation and climate change, spatial analysis and spatial statistics, and statistical/numerical methods.  Legates’ dissertation was entitled “A Climatology of Global Precipitation” and focused on obtaining a better picture of global precipitation by incorporating a high-resolution precipitation gage database that was adjusted for changes in instrumentation and biases associated with the precipitation gage measurement process.  His climatology of precipitation continues to be widely used as it is still the only global climatology available that addresses the gage measurement bias problem.

Upon receiving his Ph.D., Legates became an Assistant Professor in the College of Geosciences at the University of Oklahoma.  He was granted tenure and promoted to Associate Professor in 1994.  He became the Chief Research Scientist for the Center for Computational Geosciences at the University of Oklahoma in 1995.  In 1998, Legates moved to the Louisiana State University and became an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography and Anthropology as well as a research scientist with the Southern Regional Climate Center.  Legates then returned to the University of Delaware in 1999 as an Associate Professor and was promoted to Full Professor in 2010.  While at Delaware, Legates has served as the Delaware State Climatologist (2005-2011), Director of the Center for Climatic Research (2001-2007), founder and co-Director of the Delaware Environmental Observing System (2003-2011), and Coordinator of the Delaware Geographical Alliance, now known as the Delaware Center for Geographic Education (2005-present).

Legates has been invited to speak to the US Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works on three separate occasions as well as both Pennsylvania House and Senate Committee meetings focusing on climate change.  He also participated in the historic joint USA-USSR protocol for the exchange of climate information in 1990, won the 2002 Boeing Autometric Award for the Best Paper in Image Analysis and Interpretation by the American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, won First Place in the International Statistical Institute (ISI) and ESRI Paper Competition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and was awarded the Courage in Defense of Science Award in 2015.  He has received over $7M USD in grants over his career and has published more than 80 refereed articles.  He has made more than 250 professional presentations.

David Morris serves as the Executive Director for the American Heart and Stroke Association Delaware.  David has been in this role for three years, fighting cardiovascular disease and stroke in Delaware.  Prior to joining the AHA/ASA David spent three years as the Association Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations, increasing giving from $1.9M to more than $5M.  Prior to his role at Delaware Tech David served in various roles in Development and Alumni Relations at the University of Delaware for more than ten years, overseeing their marketing for Development, redesigning their leadership giving society and employee giving, generating more than $30M in support.

David earned his undergraduate degree in Marketing from Millersville University in Pennsylvania and his M.B.A. from the University of Delaware.  David is a resident of Middletown Delaware and has two daughters.

David Small brings to Duffield’s clients and projects his more than 35 years of experience in project management, policy development and implementation, communications, government relations and executive management of a diverse 1000- person natural resources management and environmental regulatory agency.

Professional experience includes:

• Environmental Consulting – Management of Duffield’s Environmental Services team that provides clients with assistance on issues including wetlands and subaqueous lands permitting, monitoring and compliance with state and federal air, solid and hazardous waste and water programs and National Environmental Policy Act compliance.
• Executive Leadership, Regulatory and Natural Resource Program Management – Small served Secretary and Deputy Secretary of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control for a combined 17 years and was responsible for leading and supporting statewide initiatives including Chairing the Cabinet Committee on Climate and Resiliency which developed a road map for Delaware’s 11 state agencies to prepare for the impacts of climate change. As Deputy he helped lead efforts to pass Delaware’s Universal Recycling legislation and supported development of the Climate Framework for Delaware that included 155 recommended actions that Delaware state agencies can use to protect public health, infrastructure, economy and natural resources under through adaptation, mitigation and flood avoidance.

On March 17, 2020, Dr. Tam assumed the role of CEO & President for Beebe Healthcare.

Most recently, Dr. Tam served as the Chief Operating Officer of Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, part of Providence St Joseph’s Health, one of the largest and most comprehensive not-for-profit health systems in the nation.

He is also a retired Captain in the United States Navy with 24 years of active service. Dr. Tam received his medical doctorate from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences. He completed his pediatrics residency at the US Naval Hospital in Oakland, California, and a pediatric neurology fellowship at the Medical College of Virginia.

“Dr. Tam is an extremely accomplished administrator and his experiences as an officer in the United States Navy and in public health afford him a unique skill set that is tremendously important, not just for Beebe, but for the entire state of Delaware as we continue to plan and implement new practices and policies to combat the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) that is truly a global health crisis,” said Rick Schaffner, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Office, who served as Beebe’s Interim CEO.

Dr. Tam is credited with managing St. John’s transition from the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth to the Providence Health system. His accomplishments include opening a new telemetry unit and ambulatory surgery centers, optimizing inpatient and ambulatory surgeries, streamlining work-flows in the emergency department, managing service lines, and improving quality and safety throughout the hospital. He also oversaw the construction of an award winning $856 million hospital, Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, California, in his previous position as the Chief Administrative Officer of Pomerado Hospital and Palomar Health Downtown Campus at Palomar Health.

Dr. Tam is passionate about issues related to social determinants of health, such as poverty, veterans’ needs, rural healthcare, diversity, as well as community and value-based care. He has been on multiple national boards, including the Institute for Diversity and Health Equity of the American Hospital Association.

Prior to his work in the civilian sector, Dr. Tam served as Chief Operating Officer for the Western Region of Tri-Care, the US military’s health insurance program that covers 2.9 million lives. He was also formerly Deputy Commander, Chief Operating and Strategy Officer at Naval Medical Center, San Diego, the military’s largest academic tertiary medical center.

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.

Dr. Kahal is an HIV Program physician at Christian Care Health System. She earned her medical degree and master’s in public health from Tulane University in New Orleans, accompanied by honors including the Tulane 34 Award, Achievement Award in Inter-American Friendship and Understanding, and an Infectious Disease Society of America scholarship.

She is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, Gold Humanism Honor Society and National Scholars Honor Society. She completed her internal medicine residency, global health track, at the University of Washington in Seattle, the recipient of a Global Opportunities Health Fellowship, followed by a year as clinical instructor of medicine at Harborview Medical Center. Dr. Kahal completed her fellowship in infectious diseases at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP).

Dr. Kahal has conducted HIV/AIDS research, co-authored an article published in AIDS and Behavior and presented lectures, teaching sessions and grand rounds at HUP, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, FACES (Family AIDS Care & Education Services) UW Medical Center Psychiatry Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, and Tulane School of Medicine.

She holds certification in FibroScan, a non-invasive transient elastography method of assessing liver fibrosis, and COPE-REMS for the care and management of chronic pain, and has completed education and training in HIV pathogenesis, antiretrovirals, chronic pain and depression, and other issues related to HIV disease and management. She is a member of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, American College of Physicians, and Infectious Diseases Society of America. Dr. Kahal speaks fluent Spanish.

Denée is the corporate communications manager for Highmark Delaware, responsible for internal, external and executive communications and press relations. She oversees the organization’s corporate giving, community affairs, and its BluePrints for the Community health grant fund; and assists with employee engagement initiatives and strategic partnerships.

Prior to joining Highmark, Denée served as communications manager at the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, overseeing production of Delaware Business magazine, and managing their social media, web presence and press relations. She managed their internship program and assisted with events and special projects. Denée has also held communications roles at the Delaware BioScience Association and Harford County Public Schools.

Denée earned her bachelor's degree in mass communications from the University of Delaware, where she was active with Gamma Sigma Sigma, a community service organization.

Current affiliations:

• Leadership Delaware: Class of 2019, Alumni Engagement committee, Modernization Committee
• Exceptional Care for Children: volunteer and mentor
• Junior Achievement of Delaware: volunteer, Young Professionals Board founder, Board member and marketing and communications chair
• Public Relations Society of America - Delaware: Board member
• MillSummit: founding committee member, advisory council member
• Gateway Lab School: Community Outreach committee
• Public Allies: Advisory Board member
• The WRK Group: Community Health, Wellness, & Safety committee
• Delaware State Chamber of Commerce: Annual Dinner 2022 Planning committee
• Delaware Community Foundation: Community Needs review committee
• Wilmington Alliance: Board of Investors, Strategic Planning committee
• KIDS COUNT in Delaware, Board member

As President of Silicato Development, Dennis Silicato has over 40 years of experience in commercial real estate and development. Dennis has developed Power centers, regional shopping centers, housing developments, industrial complexes and more.
He oversees each aspect of the development process personally, including the purchase of real estate, engineering, approvals, financing, construction and property management/leasing/sale. Dennis has become a master of commercial real estate processes and is able to execute large-scale land deals and real estate transactions at the highest level. Through his experience and approach, he has developed long-standing relationships with national and local corporations and retailers.

Dennis holds a degree in Business and Economics from the University of Delaware. He earned his CCIM designation, he is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), and is a licensed real estate broker in Delaware and Maryland. Dennis also sits on the Executive committee of Delaware’s County Bank. In his spare time, he enjoys golfing, gardening, watching sports and spending time with his grandchildren.

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.

Doneene Damon’s extraordinary leadership includes her roles as the president of Richards Layton, co-chair of the firm’s Business Department, and chair of the Corporate Trust and Agency Services Group. Doneene focuses her practice on formation and operational issues relating to Delaware statutory trusts and Delaware and New York common law trusts in all types of commercial and business transactions, representing issuers, underwriters, investors, and trustees. Doneene advises clients on the use of common law trusts, statutory trusts, owner trusts, master trusts, series trusts, and titling trusts in connection with capital markets transactions.

Considered “terrific” and praised as “experienced, careful, smart and very personable” (Chambers USA), Doneene was recently featured in an article in Super Lawyers and was honored as one of Savoy magazine’s Most Influential Black Lawyers.

Her practice includes representing banks and trust companies in connection with their trust and agency services under Delaware and New York law in various commercial transactions, including their roles as trustee, collateral agent, verification agent, custodian, master servicer, depository agent, securities intermediary, paying agent, registrar and transfer agent, and exchange agent.

In addition, Doneene represents health-care clients in all types of commercial and transactional matters, including the purchase and servicing of health-care receivables and the issuance of tax-exempt bonds.

She also served as primary Delaware counsel in a series of first-to-market structured finance transactions employing the use of blockchain distributed ledger technology.

Doneene’s varied corporate trust transactional practice includes

• asset-backed securities, including auto loans and leases, credit cards, student loans, consumer loans, residential mortgages, home equity loans, equipment leases, litigation settlements, insurance policies, and intellectual property;
• collateralized loan obligations;
• cross-border leasing transactions;
• mutual funds and exchange traded funds;
• health care receivables;
• liquidation trusts;
• voting trusts;
• independent director and independent manager;
• private equity funds;
• defeasance transactions;
• royalty trusts;
• liquidation trusts; and
• voting trusts.

She is also experienced in
• capital securities and hybrid capital securities;
• mutual funds, exchange traded funds, and private equity funds; and
• collateralized loan obligations, cross-border leasing transactions, project finance transactions, and defeasance transactions.

Leadership
In addition to her role as the firm’s president, Doneene holds leadership positions in many organizations, including:
• American Bar Association - Business Law Section
• The Business Lawyer, Editorial Board
• Committee on Trust Indentures and Indenture Trustees, Former Chair
• Committee on Corporate Director Diversity, Former Co-Chair
• Banking Law Committee
• Diversity Committee, Lawyers of Color Subcommittee, Chair
• Section Sponsorship Task Force, Chair
• Securitization and Structured Finance Committee, Vice Chair and Director for Diversity
• UCC Committee
• Committee on Partnerships and Unincorporated Business Organizations, Membership and Diversity Co-Chair
• Structured Finance Association, Board Member
• Trustee Committee
• Outside Counsel Committee
• Women in Securitization, Mentor Subcommittee, Co-Chair
• American Law Institute
• The Forum of Executive Women, Board of Directors
• Christiana Care Health System, Inc. and Health Services, Inc., Chair of the Board of Directors
• Delaware Prosperity Partnership, Board Member
• Temple University Beasley School of Law, Board of Visitors

Recognition
• American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers Fellow
• American Bar Foundation Fellow
• Chambers USA
• The Best Lawyers in America
• The Legal 500, 2021
• Super Lawyers
• Most Influential Delawareans, News Journal, 2021
• Most Influential Black Lawyers, Savoy magazine, 2018
• National Association of Professional Women, VIP Woman of the Year Circle, 2015-2016
• Jean Allard Glass Cutter Award, American Bar Association, 2015
• National Diversity Council, Leadership Excellence in the Law Award, 2014
• Pennsylvania Diversity Council, Leadership in Law, 2014
• Temple University Beasley School of Law, Gallery of Success, 2014
• The International Women’s Review Board for Excellence in Law
• YWCA Trailblazer Award

Publications
• “A Conversation with the First Women to Lead Two of Delaware’s Largest Firms,” ABA, February 20, 2020
• “Delaware’s Chancery Court: An Internationally Respected Part of The Delaware Brand,” Delaware Business, January/February 2020
• “The Alphabet Soup of the Federal Crisis Programs,” Bloomberg Law Reports, July 2009
• “The Role of the Trustee,” Practising Law Institute

Education
• Temple University School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 1992
• St. Joseph’s University, B.S., cum laude, Accounting, 1989

Bar Admissions
• Delaware, 1992
• District of Columbia, 1994
• New York, 2012

Dorrell Green has dedicated his career to serving children across New Castle County, as a teacher and as an educational leader for three of Delaware's largest public school districts.

Green's career in education began 20 years ago in the City of Wilmington, when he served as a teacher at Bancroft Elementary School and Stubbs Elementary School. After honing his skills in the classroom, he embarked on a path to leadership, serving as an Assistant Principal at Stubbs and then as the Principal of Harlan Elementary School. Green made a natural transition to district leadership in 2011, when he was named the Director of Elementary Education and Title I Services for the Brandywine School District. From 2012 to 2017, he served as the Assistant Superintendent of the Brandywine School District, overseeing district operations in the areas of transportation, discipline, nutrition, facilities, finance, and human resources.

Green joined the Delaware Department of Education (DOE) in 2017 as the Director of Innovation and Improvement. While at the DOE, Dorrell was instrumental in leading many of the Trauma Informed practices that are currently in many of our Delaware schools.

He currently serves as Superintendent of the Red Clay Consolidated School District.
Green earned his degree in elementary teaching education from the University of Delaware in 1998 and his master's degree in educational leadership and administration from UD in 2004. He is currently pursuing his Doctor of Education degree in Organizational Leadership from Wilmington University.

Known as one of the finest defensive backs and strongest team leaders in Blue Hens history, Green was inducted into the University of Delaware Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019.

A resident of Wilmington, he and his wife, Bonita, have a son (Jordan) and two daughters (Jada and Jasmine).

Dina was born and raised in the Baltimore area, only child of Bill and the late Pat Vendetti.  Dina grew up in Ellicott City and attended Lutheran Schools.  She received her B.S. in Education from Concordia, New York, in 1985, her Master of Education from Towson University, MD, in 1994, and her doctorate in Organizational Leadership, Learning, and Innovation from Wilmington University in 2010.

For 34 years, Dina enjoyed a career in Lutheran Schools, serving as a teacher and as school principal.  She relocated to Dover in 2000 to serve as the founding principal of St. John’s Lutheran School.  For 19 years, St. John’s was affectionately known by many in the area as “The Best School in the Universe.”  Her time in Lutheran Schools ended with the closing of St. John’s School in Dover in 2019.

Having fallen in love with Central Delaware and not wishing to relocate, Dina began a new career journey as the Director of Marketing and Communications for the Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce (CDCC).  In this role, she was responsible for producing the Chamber’s newspaper, any ads or press releases, and generally remaining in contact with the Chamber’s 850+ members.

In December of 2021, the CDCC president retired.  After an extensive search and interview process, Dina was promoted to CDCC President beginning in January of 2022.  The Chamber has been a marvelous place to land, and Dina thoroughly enjoys working in and for the community she is happy to call “home.”

Dina was the recipient of the “Dover’s Great Person,” award given by the Dover Post in 2006 and the recipient of “Small Business Person of the Year,” given by the CDCC in 2011. She is a graduate of the Leadership Central Delaware and Leadership Mastery programs and served as Honorary Mayor in 2017.  She was awarded The Seven Seals Award in 2022 for her strong support and volunteer involvement with the Dover Air Force base, where she served as an Honorary Commander.

Dina enjoys cooking, working in the yard, and days at the beach.  She loves to travel and dreams of living in Italy, but for now, she is thrilled to call Dover “my hometown.”

Dr. Eunice Gwanmesia is a Registered Nurse turned Diversity and Inclusion Strategist, Certified Executive Coach, Educator, International keynote Speaker and a Published Author. She is a passionate advocate of embracing diversity and cultural inclusion as a strength. She speaks with the authority of first-hand experience struggling with cultural changes and a life-changing event that sent her on a trajectory of finding her purpose in life and, ultimately, to her role as coach and speaker.

Fresh from the cornfields of Cameroon, Dr. Eunice remembers that at the age of 21, she dropped out of the French- speaking University of Yaoundé and never graduated because she couldn’t adapt to learning a different language. This experience was her turning moment.

As a black woman and nurse who has navigated cultural changes and challenges, she knows all too well the disadvantages of what not embracing cultural differences looks like. But the one thing she does know from lived experience in her life of becoming culturally mindful and socially proficient (Cultural Responsiveness) at age 21, is that embracing cultural differences allows many opportunities for personal, professional, and business growth.

The power of these experiences is what drives her passion of engaging audiences in the workplace and around the world in conversations about diversity, cultural differences and how to use them to improve organizational performances. It is clear: when we maximize diverse human capital by becoming culturally aware and accept our differences, we gain an industry advantage and shape global change. For 13 years while teaching at an institute of higher learning she designed and implemented an annual celebration of cultural heritage growing the departmental event to a campus wide celebration improving engagement among faculty and students and improved relationships with community partners and university departments. She also in 2019 designed and implemented the first Cultural Heritage Festival in partnership with the Delaware Art Museum. Over 700 people attended the event, and according to the Art Museum staff this was the largest event ever held at the Delaware Art Museum.

Today, Dr. Eunice seeks to help mitigate racial divisions through education, speaking, coaching, workshops, and conferences. Her message rings with a fiery zeal, conviction, and a powerful vision of enabling the creation of inclusive businesses and organizations. Her mission is to teach business leaders who are interested in furthering their understanding of the power of inclusion how to create inclusive workplace culture where everyone thrives.

In spite her early failures in her academic pursuit, Dr. Eunice went on to earn a Master of Science degree in Nursing Leadership, a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing. She is very involved in her community. She currently serves as a member of the health equity committee of Delaware Racial Justice Collaborative, chair of education and culture committee of the Delaware Africa Caribbean Coalition and a Culture and Tourism committee member of the Delaware Africa Caribbean Affairs Commission.

In her free time, she enjoys shopping, cooking, serving her community and spending quality time with her family. Her core belief is “don’t let anyone tell you, who you are and who you will become but be the captain of your ship.”

Ed Ratledge is a 1972 graduate of the University of Delaware (BS, MA in economics) and currently is the director of the Center for Applied Demography & Survey Research (CADSR). The Center conducts survey research and policy research for a wide range of federal, state, and local government agencies and non-profits.

As a policy fellow and associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, Ed has accumulated more than thirty years of experience working with state and local government at both policy and operational levels. His current work spans a variety of areas including healthcare, transportation, economic development, and public finance. He was a central figure in the development of the Delaware Health Information Network, which was the first statewide health information exchange in the country. Ed is a founding member of DEFAC (1977), the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council, which produces all revenue and expenditure forecasts and define the state budget parameters.  The common thread between these diverse projects is the integration of methods from economics, statistics, demography, and computer science.

Ed is currently working with William Boyer on a series of books dealing with public policy as practiced in Delaware over the past 50 years. The first volume, Delaware Politics and Government, was published in 2009. The next volume Pivotal Policies in Delaware, which examines key policy decisions and associated impacts, was published in January 2014. The third volume, Growing Business in Delaware: Politics of Job Creation in a small state is forthcoming in 2015 and the fourth currently under construction is an analysis of public education and public policy associated with the system.

Together with his colleague Joan Jacoby and others he has conducted applied research on prosecution throughout the United States. This research has focused on the theoretical and practical aspects of the prosecutor’s role in the criminal justice system from basic screening decisions to post conviction strategies. Two books are currently in progress.

While Ed was born in Alabama during in 1943 and thus is not a native Delawarean, his family traces its roots in the state from the 1700's. He grew up there and returned to finish school at the University of Delaware following military service in Vietnam in 1970.

Edward J. Capodanno has served as President of Associated Builders and Contractors, Delaware Chapter and the Construction Education Foundation of Delaware since 1993.  It is a non-profit trade association that represents commercial and industrial merit shop contractors in Delaware.

He currently serves the Chair of the Board of Directors for Jobs for Delaware Graduates. He has served on the Board and chaired many civic and educational organizations over the years including the Delaware Military Academy, the YMCA of Delaware, the Better Business Bureau, the Delaware Safety Council, the Wellness Community, Boys & Girls Club of Delaware and the Claymont Community Center.  He is a past chair of the Renovation Oversight committee for the Brandywine School District coordinating $270 million of capital improvements to schools in the district.  He also volunteers his time for Delaware Special Olympics as since 1990 and is currently the Area Director the Wilmington Wizards overseeing 16 sports and 650 athletes.  He was inducted into the Special Olympics Hall of Fame in 2010 for all his volunteer work.

Ed also serves on a number of governmental task forces, including the Delaware Workforce Investment Board, and Governor’s Workers’ Compensation Oversight Panel. He previously served on the Governor’s Procurement Council, the Governor’s Prevailing Wage task force, the Department of Education School Construction Committee, Delaware Blue Collar Jobs task force and the New Castle County Vocational School District mentoring program.

He has received numerous community and civic awards and recognition including the YMCA of Delaware Volunteer of the Year Award, the Delaware Advisory Council on Career and Technical Education Outstanding Contribution by an Individual and the Claymont Lions Club Humanitarian Award.

Mr. Capodanno is a native Delawarean, graduated from Salesianum High School in 1978 and Salisbury State College in 1982 with a B.A. degree in Communications.

First elected in 2010, Representative Ed Osienski dedicates himself to fighting for Delaware’s working families. As a single-parent and blue-collar worker, Ed understands what it means to be a middle-class family in the 24th District.

Ed is a retired business agent for the Sprinkler Fitters Local 669. He was named the Delaware Food Bank’s 2013 Legislator of the Year because he regularly organizes his colleagues in Legislative Hall to volunteer at the Food Bank’s Newark location in the 24th District. Ed was the Vice President of the Scottfield Civic Association in 2008-09. In 2011, Ed became a member of the Brookside Lions Club.

Member, DFRC Blue-Gold All Star Football Game Committee; Coordinator, DFRC Blue Gold All Star 5K Race, Lewes; Member, National Fire Protecting Association; Member, Delaware Building Trades Executive Committee; Member, Delaware Food Bank Anti-Hunger Coalition; Member, Delaware Health Fund Advisory Committee; Member, Delaware Work Force Investment Board; Member, Board of Directors Newark Senior Center; Member, FMC Biopolymyer Community Advisory Panel.

Eric B. Kmiec, Ph.D., is the Founder and Director of the Gene Editing Institute (GEI) at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute at Christiana Care Health System. The Gene Editing Institute has recently been endowed by the Ammon Foundation. His research centers on understanding the process of gene repair and gene editing with a focus on CRISPR-directed genome engineering in human cells. He is widely recognized for his pioneering work in the fields of molecular medicine and gene editing having discovered many of the molecular activities that regulate the efficiency of human gene editing. Throughout his professional career, Dr. Kmiec has led research teams in developing gene editing technologies and genetic therapies for inherited disorders such as Sickle Cell Disease. Research efforts in GEI now centers on the mechanism of action, the genotoxicity and the regulation of gene editing based and how best to translate these discoveries into novel therapeutics for Sickle Cell Disease, Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma and Melanoma using a patient-centered approach.

Dr. Kmiec received his BA in Microbiology from Rutgers University, MS in Cell Biology from Southern Illinois University and his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Microbiology from the University of Florida School of Medicine. His Post-doctoral training was done at University of Rochester. Dr. Kmiec holds faculty appointments at the University of Delaware and the Wistar Institute. He has also held faculty appointments at Thomas Jefferson University, University of California at Davis and Georgetown University School of Medicine.

Dr. Kmiec  has served as the Principal Investigator for research projects supported by the National Institute of Health (R01, COBRE and R21 grants), the National Science Foundation, the NIST-BIRD Foundation, the March of Dimes, the State of Delaware and the American Cancer Society for over 35 years. He serves on numerous editorial boards, has authored 165 peer-reviewed publications as primary or senior author, numerous reviews and has edited several books and journals in gene therapy.

Dr. Kmiec has been the primary thesis mentor for 18 Ph.D. students, 4 MS students and numerous postdoctoral fellows and residents. He has held or holds major administrative posts on various NIH regional and State biomedical research grants, including IDeA Network of Biomedical Research (INBRE) and Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) as well as NIH study sections. Dr. Kmiec was also honored as the Eminent Scholar in residence at Marshall University (Huntington, West Virginia) in 2009-2011 and was elected as an Honorary Medical Commander of the 436th Air Wing at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware for in 2013 and again in 2014. Dr. Kmiec has 15 issued patents, has founded two biotechnology companies and has received numerous service medals and awards, including the Genome Canada Lectureship, the Proudford Research Award in Sickle Cell Disease, multiple Delaware Bio Science Innovation Awards, and the Philadelphia- Israeli Chamber of Commerce Life Science Innovator Award.

Multi-dimensional Senior Executive with over 24 years of exceptional experience in leadership, strategic planning, multi-site operations, maintenance, quality assurance, cost management, procurement, and process improvement. Certified as a Six Sigma Master Black Belt and in Lean. Colonel, United States Marine Corps Reserve. Appointed member and adviser to two Governors of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Board member of several National industry associations. Representative on National Council of Six Sigma Executives. Expertise in National Level Special Operations and tactical aviation.
MBA, Mason School of Business, College of William and Mary. BS, Economics, The Ohio State University. Top Secret/ SCI Security Clearance.

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.”

Fayetta M. Blake is the founder and Executive Director of Pathways to Success, Inc. She is also an entrepreneur with several businesses throughout Delaware and Maryland. Fay started her career about forty years ago in the Lending industry with Security Pacific National Bank where she worked as a loan officer for five years. She then enjoyed a 20-year banking career at All First Financial. Fay held various positions of increasing authority at All First Financial. In 1995, she was appointed as Sr. Vice President of Operations and was the first African American to be appointed to that level in the banks 200-year history. During that time, she had global oversight of all Operations units in the Mid-Atlantic region. In 1998, Fay was recognized by this banking institution for Quality Assurance as well as being recognized
in the industry by Visa USA for Quality Service and Outstanding Customer Service.

Pathways to Success, Inc. was established in 2006 by Fay Blake. The work that Fay does as the Executive
Director is indeed her calling and passion. It embodies her need to give back to the community.

In 2014 Fay was recognized as one of Delmarva Broadcasting’s "Delmarvelous Women." In 2015 she was
recognized for her efforts to aid and assist the underserved communities throughout Sussex County with the Jefferson Award, and in 2018 she was one of Delaware Today’s top Women in Business. In 2020, Fay was inducted into the Delaware Women's Hall of Fame and the Indian River Hall of Fame. In 2021, she became an appointed member of the Public/Private Partnership Board of Directors to serve at the pleasure of the Governor. She is a board member for Habitat for Humanity, Lewes Historical Society, a member of the Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice and the DTCC Development Council. She is also a Chairperson of the DANA Public Policy Board as well as a Fund for Women
Founder. Recently, she was asked to join the MD/DE/DC ACT council that helps to shape the education and workforce landscape at local and state levels.

She holds a BS degree in Behavioral Science proudly from Wilmington University where she is a member of Phi Gamma Mu, International Honor Society for Social Sciences.

Felicia Harrington is a Senior Service Manager at CSC. She leads a team supporting compliance needs for businesses across the country.  Formerly, Felicia was the founding Co-Head of School at Freire Charter School Wilmington, a public high school focused on providing a college preparatory learning experience with a focus on individual freedom, critical thinking, and problem solving in a safe, community focused environment. She oversaw school culture and operations for five years from initial formation to full capacity. Originally growing up on a farm in rural Iowa, Felicia graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Management before moving to Delaware as a Teach For America corps member teaching 8th grade math and science. She now lives in Wilmington with her husband Ryan.

Fleur McKendell is President of the Central Delaware Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and 2nd Vice President of the Delaware NAACP State Conference of Branches. A native of Newark, New Jersey, Fleur has been a resident of Delaware since 2006. As an activist and organizer, Fleur is passionate about the development and enforcement of equity-centered policies. Fleur's many years of experience working with a variety of community and civil rights organizations focuses on creating inclusive strategies that equalize opportunities for marginalized populations and expand community capacity.

Outspoken, ambitious, and unapologetic in her pursuit for a more equitable society, Fleur has made the fight for fairness her life's work. Fleur's deliberative vision and focused intentionality is well respected and warmly embraced within her local community and has inspired a number of engaged and spirited activists of diverse backgrounds and all ages, empowering them to take deliberate action to create positive change. Fleur remains a consistent fixture in her community, providing extensive support in the areas of economic empowerment, voting rights, criminal justice reform, and health and education equity. Fleur is regularly on the forefront of campaigns that seek to expose and eradicate social constructs that perpetuate injustice and has been featured on media platforms such as WBOC, News Journal, Delaware State News, and the Highlands Bunker podcast speaking truth to power and challenging policies and practices that have disparate and disproportionate impact on vulnerable and marginalized populations.

Fleur holds two Master's degrees from Wilmington University, one in Organizational Leadership and the other in Healthcare Administration- both summa cum laude. Fleur also holds a certification in Diversity and Inclusion, accredited by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Fleur is currently employed as a Director at the Delaware Department of Insurance and as an Educator at Delaware Technical Community College. With over 20 years of combined experience in the business and education fields, Fleur’s professional work involves cross-functional leadership, project management, and designing and implementing prudent curriculum and teaching methodologies that promote student success

Gary T. Henry is dean of the University of Delaware’s College of Education and Human Development and professor in the School of Education and the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy & Administration.

A renowned researcher in the field of education, Henry specializes in education policy, educational evaluation, educator labor markets, and quantitative research methods. He has received over $27 million dollars of sponsored research funding from the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, Spencer Foundation, Lumina Foundation, National Institute for Early Childhood Research, Walton Family Foundation, John and Laura Arnold Foundation, and numerous state legislatures, governors’ offices and agencies.

He is currently examining the effects of state efforts to reform their lowest performing schools. In Tennessee, he has evaluated the effectiveness of the state’s Achievement School District and local Innovation Zones, finding the latter to have positive effects on student average achievement gains in all subjects over six years. In North Carolina, he recently evaluated the effects and implementation of the state’s third round of reform of its lowest performing schools.

He has also published several articles on teacher preparation, including a study that finds Teach For America teachers to be effective in raising students test scores. Other research found negative effects on student achievement from teacher turnover, mainly due to teacher who leave during the school year.

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.

Born in Wilmington and raised in Claymont, Governor John Carney has been working for the Delaware people for more than 30 years. From 2011 to 2017, John served as Delaware’s lone member of the U.S. House of Representatives. During his three terms in Congress, John worked with members of both parties to find solutions to the most important challenges facing the nation. He supported the revitalization of American manufacturing through the “Make It In America” agenda. He was a lead sponsor of the centerpiece of the Jumpstart our Businesses (JOBS) Act that made it easier for small- and medium-sized businesses to grow and create jobs. John also introduced legislation that was signed into law to prevent critical prescription drug shortages, and he was the lead sponsor on a successful bill to help veterans more easily enter the job market.

Prior to his time in Congress, John served two terms as Delaware’s Lieutenant Governor. Between 2001 and 2009, John developed the Lt. Governor’s Challenge to encourage Delawareans to live active, healthier lifestyles. He also created and implemented the Models of Excellence in Education program that allowed schools throughout the state to share best practices. In addition, John was a strong supporter of the Delaware smoking ban and he led the fight for a Cancer Right to Know law, ultimately passed in 2008. John also served as Chairman of the Delaware Healthcare Commission, the Criminal Justice Council, and the Delaware Science & Technology Council.

Under then-Governor Tom Carper, John served as Delaware’s Secretary of Finance and Deputy Chief of Staff. Before that, he was Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for New Castle County, and on the staff of then-Senator Joe Biden. In these roles, he helped Delaware earn its first ever AAA bond rating, played a key role in the state’s purchase of the Port of Wilmington, and worked to cut taxes nine times.

The second of nine children, John was born in Wilmington and raised in Claymont by his parents, Jack and Ann Carney, who were both educators. He attended St. Mark’s High School and led the school’s football team to its first state championship in 1973. After graduating high school, John attended Dartmouth College where he continued his football career and earned All-Ivy League and Most Valuable Player honors. When John returned to Delaware, he coached Freshmen Football on the staff of UD Head Coach Tubby Raymond while earning a Master’s Degree in Public Administration at the University of Delaware.

John lives in Wilmington with his wife, Tracey. They have two sons, Sam and Jimmy.

Greg Star is the co-founder of Carvertise - a media company specializing in rideshare advertising.

Founded in 2012, Greg has grown Carvertise into a multi-million dollar company experiencing 110% annual growth. With a data network of 550,000 drivers registered, Carvertise has launched thousands of marketing campaigns around the country for brand partners such as Netflix, 7eleven, and Draft Kings.

Carvertise, recently named an Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Company is headquartered in Wilmington,
Delaware.

Since its inception, Newark Charter School has been led by School Director Gregory R. Meece. Mr. Meece has 32 years of experience working in Delaware’s schools. He began his career with Delaware Technical & Community college, followed by a 15-year term as the Director of Development at St. Mark’s High School. In 1996, he helped launch Delaware’s first charter school, The Charter School of Wilmington. This might be considered Delaware’s first “turn-around school”: a transformation of Wilmington High School. Five years later, with the support of parents, he created the Newark Charter School. Mr. Meece holds a Master of Arts degree in Communication and a Master’s in Educational Leadership from the University of Delaware. Currently, he serves as the President of the Board of Directors of the Delaware Charter Schools Network, which represents 22 Delaware charter schools and almost 10,000 families. He has served on numerous education committees and task forces including the Leadership in Education Achievement in Delaware (LEAD) Committee; appointed by Governor Minner, and the Delaware Government Performance Review, serving Governor Markell. He is a current member, DuPont Newark Community Advisory Committee and a past member of the Rohm & Haas Community Advisory Committee. He received the Commitment to Education Award from the University of Delaware in 2005. In 2011 the Delaware Charter Schools Network selected him as recipient of its highest honor, the Catalyst in Education Award. As a member of the Community Advisory Board, Mr. Meece regularly contributes opinion pieces on education to the News Journal.

As the first Chief Wellness Officer for ChristianaCare in Newark, DE, Dr. Farley’s focus is on advancing the professional fulfillment and wellbeing of healthcare workers. She leads advocacy programs and initiatives aimed at optimizing the caregiver experience and fostering WorkLife meaning, connection, and joy.

Dr. Farley completed residency training in emergency medicine in 2005, fellowship training in administration in 2006, and earned her Masters of Health Care Delivery Science from Dartmouth College in 2018. She has previously served as the Assistant Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at ChristianaCare and was instrumental in establishing the institution’s first freestanding emergency department in 2013, subsequently serving as the medical director for 3 years. In 2014, she developed “Care for the Caregiver” one of the nation’s earliest and largest peer support programs for health care providers.

Dr. Farley is a Professor of Emergency Medicine at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. She has held several leadership positions within the American College of Emergency Physicians on the state and national level. She has coauthored multiple peer-reviewed journal articles and has been the principal or co-investigator in over 10 grant-funded studies. She frequently speaks at local, national and international venues with the goal of mutual sharing of best practices and innovations in the field of clinician wellbeing. She continues to oversee a team of dedicated and talented individuals who make the transformational work of ChristianaCare’s Center for WorkLife Wellbeing possible.

Commissioner Terry L. Pepper, the Democratic At-Large representative for Kent County Levy Court, is
currently serving in his fourth four-year term. Commissioner Pepper's first term was served from 1994
to 1998. Commissioner Pepper is a life-long Delawarean who has lived in Kent County over 50 years. He
was raised on a farm in the Hartly area and has lived in the Magnolia area for over 30 years.
Family: Terry is married to Valarie Coyle Pepper and has two grown daughters, Lauren (husband Brian
Cusick) and Heather. He has five granddaughters; Mackenzie, Brooklyn, Brielle & Harper Lee Cusick;
Quinn Pepper-Imhof; and a grandson Colton Pepper-Imhof.

Education: Graduated from Dover High School; Associates Degree in Criminal Justice, Delaware
Technical and Community College; B.S. Degree in Marketing/ Business Administration, Delaware State
University; Graduate of the Delaware State Police Academy.

Employment: Retired Delaware State Trooper; Executive Director of Delaware Crime Stoppers; Policy
Advisor/Liaison to Local Governments for Governor Minner's Administration; Policy Advisor to
Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security; currently State of Delaware Homeland
Security Advisor.

Community Involvement: Member of Holy Cross Church
Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company
Kent Conservation District Board of Supervisors
National Association of Conservation Districts Board Member
Delaware State Troopers Association
Association of Retired Delaware State Troopers
Former member Hartly Volunteer Fire Company
Former Caesar Rodney High School Band Booster and PTO
Member of Kent County Metropolitan Planning Organization

Jim Perdue has been the Chairman and advertising spokesman of Perdue Farms since 1991. He is the third-generation leader of the company founded by his grandfather in 1920.

In 1983, Jim accepted the invitation from his father, Frank Perdue, to return to the family business. Over the next eight years, he worked various plant management jobs and was then named Vice President of Quality Improvement.

Under Jim’s leadership, Perdue Food has grown from and East-Coast-centered label of premium fresh chicken to a national roster of premium protein brands, which includes turkey, pork, beef and lamb. At the same time, Perdue AgriBusiness went from a regional grain and oilseed business to a multi-faceted international player. His leadership guided Perdue to become a leader in workplace safety
and associate health, including innovative wellness programs for which the company the C. Everett Koop National Health award for innovative employee wellness program.

Jim’s commitment to earning consumer trust guided Perdue to become the first major poultry company to move all of its chicken to no-antibiotics-ever protocols. In 2016, Jim announced the Company’s Commitments to Animal Care, a groundbreaking initiative that is transforming Perdue’s approach to raising its chickens.

As Chairman, Jim is responsible for ensuring the company stays true to its vision and values, and ensuring that the company continues to build on its strong corporate responsibility programs, especially continued leadership in elevating animal care and strengthening farmer relationships.
Jim received his undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University, a master’s degree in marine biology from the University of Massachusetts at South Dartmouth, and a doctorate in fisheries from the University of Washington in Seattle and his master’s degree in business administration from Salisbury University in Maryland.

Jim is a member of the board of the National Chicken Council. He is active in the local community, serving on the boards of the Oyster Recovery Partnership and Salisbury University’s Perdue School of Business Entrepreneur Program.

Driven by a passion for innovation and commitment to excellence, James Collins is honored to serve as a member of Governor John Carney’s Cabinet as Chief Information Officer (CIO) responsible for leading the Delaware Department of Technology and Information (DTI) to fulfill its mission of providing technology services and collaborative solutions. As CIO, Collins has leveraged his extensive experience in both the public and private sectors to implement collaborative, cost-effective and scalable IT solutions that help Delaware deliver the highest quality programs and services to its citizens. Collins currently chairs the Technology Investment Council of Governor-appointed private
sector and government (Executive, Legislative and Judicial branch) members and serves on various boards and commissions involving technology, public safety, health care, and education.

Collins previously served as then-Governor Jack Markell’s Deputy Chief of Staff where his duties included acting as a legislative liaison and policy advisor on information technology. Preceding his appointment as Deputy Chief of Staff, Collins served as Deputy Secretary of State. In this role he was critical in expanding the state’s e-Government initiatives and use of information technology including the Delaware Prescription Monitoring Program and Veterans Services Directory. For a portion of his Department of State tenure, Collins served concurrently as Deputy and as Director of the Division of Professional Regulation.

Prior to joining the Delaware Department of State, Collins worked in the private sector as a senior consultant with Peregrine Systems, Inc. and MAXIMUS, Inc. where he implemented large-scale software projects for major clients such as the Pepsi Bottling Group, the United States Marine Corps, and the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority.

Collins holds degrees from Wesley College (B.A.) and from Champlain College (M.S. - Managing Innovation and Information Technology). He is a 2012 Council of State Governments’ Henry Toll Fellowship alumni and served eight years in the United States Air Force.

James J. Nolan is Professor and Chair of the Sociology and Anthropology Department at West Virginia University. His research and teaching have focused on reimagining policing, neighborhood dynamics, police procedures, crime measurement, hate crimes, and equity and inclusion in higher education. Dr. Nolan’s new book Policing in an Age of Reform: An Agenda for Research & Practice provides new ways to think about justice and the police profession.  In addition, he is the co-author of the book The Violence of Hate: Understanding Harmful Forms of Bias and Bigotry, now its 4th edition.  His recent publications have appeared in the Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Policing & Society, Criminal Justice Studies, Homicide Studies, Journal of Criminal Justice, The British Journal of Criminology, and The American Sociologist. Dr. Nolan’s professional career began as a police officer in Wilmington, Delaware USA. In 13 years with that department, he worked in a variety of divisions, including patrol, community policing, organized crime and vice, and planning and research. He is a 1992 graduate of the FBI National Academy. Dr. Nolan earned a Ph.D. from Temple University where his graduate work focused on the study of group and social processes.

A son of a Greek immigrant and first generation American, James Maravelias serves as Business Manager for one of the largest trade Unions in Delaware - Laborers International Union of North America, Local 199, AFL-CIO.

In addition, Mr. Maravelias serves as President of the Delaware Building Trades, President of the AFL-CIO of Delaware. He is the elected Business Manager of the Laborers Local 199 and Business Manager of the Laborers’ District Council of Delaware.

A proud veteran of the United States Navy, Mr. Maravelias was employed with Sikorsky Aircraft and traveled the world as a troubleshooter and as an Electrical and Avionics Technician, including a stint working in service to United States President Ronald Reagan.

True to his heritage and entrepreneurial spirit, Jim managed an Import and Export company specializing in goods from his family native country of Greece.  Mr. Maravelias played semi-professional soccer in his family homeland - and - he continues to stay involved in the Greek community as a member of AHEPA and Treasurer at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church.

Mr. Maravelias earned a bachelor’s degree from the National Labor College and studied at Cornell University.  Jim freely gives his time to a broad array of civic, charitable endeavors including The Variety Club, United Way of Delaware, the USS John Fitzgerald Kennedy Naval Memorial Committee, New Castle County Diversity Board and the 27th District Democratic committee where he sought elected office for state representative.  He resides with his wife Diane of 35 years in Caravel Farms. Together, they reside in Bear, Delaware and raised 3 daughters --- Angelique 31, Elena, 28 and Evangelia, 15.  His many personal and professional accomplishments aside, Jim's top priority is being a loving husband and good father.

The Honorable Jan R. Jurden, a Delaware native, is the President Judge of the Superior Court of Delaware.  President Judge Jurden first joined the Superior Court bench in 2001.

After proudly serving three years in the United States Army following high school, President Judge Jurden received her B.A. summa cum laude from Muhlenberg College in 1985, and her J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law in 1988, where she was an Articles Editor of the Dickinson Law Review, a member of the Woolsack Honor Society, and a recipient of the Gwilyn A. Price, Jr. Memorial Prize and the Abel Klaw Advocacy Prize.

Before joining the Superior Court, President Judge Jurden practiced law for 13 years with the law firm of Young, Conaway, Stargatt & Taylor, concentrating on corporate and commercial litigation.

In 2008, President Judge Jurden designed and launched Delaware’s first felony Mental Health Court in an effort to improve responses to justice-involved persons suffering from serious mental illnesses and to reduce probation violations and recidivism.  President Judge Jurden presided over the Mental Health Court for over eight years, during which time The Mental Health Court Team was awarded the Governor’s Team Excellence Award.  In recognition of her pioneering work on Mental Health Court and other problem-solving courts, including Veterans’ Treatment Court, the Delaware State Bar Association presented President Judge Jurden with the Outstanding Service to the Courts and Bar Award in 2011.

In 2010, President Judge Jurden was one of three judges selected to serve in the newly created Complex Commercial Litigation Division (“CCLD”) of the Superior Court.  The CCLD hears business disputes with damages in excess of one million dollars.

President Judge Jurden is a member of the American and Delaware Bar Associations and the National Association of Women Judges.  She currently serves as co-chair of the Criminal Justice Council of the Judiciary.  She also serves on the Domestic Violence Coordinating Council, Sex Offender Management Board, Fatal Incident Review Team, Human Trafficking Commission and the Delaware Criminal Justice Council.  She is a member of the Delaware Supreme Court Ethics Advisory Committee, the Women and the Law, and Multicultural Lawyers and Judges’ Section of the Delaware State Bar Association.

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.

Javier Gilberto Torrijos, PE, is a registered professional engineer in the state of Delaware with over 30 years of experience in roadway and bridge construction management. He is the founder and owner of TORREngineering LLC, a Hispanic minority disadvantaged engineering consulting firm.

Previously, Torrijos was the assistant director of construction for DelDOT, and he is a member of the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE) First State Chapter and the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). He received his bachelor of science in civil engineering from Drexel University in 1987. Some of his notable projects in Delaware include the construction of US 301, the construction of the SR1 expressway, 1-95 fifth lane widening, 1-95 Newark Toll Plaza high speed E-Z pass lane improvements, l-95/SR1 interchange construction, and 1-495 emergency bridge repairs.

Torrijos is an active volunteer, serving on the Delaware Hispanic Commission since its inception by then-Governor Jack Markell in September of 2011. In late 2012, he was named the chairman of the Delaware Hispanic Commission. In 2013, he received the Latin American Community Center's Distinguished Hispanic Delawarean Award, in 2016 he received the "Estrella" award from the Delaware Hispanic Awards, and recently was named DelTech Stanton and. He served on then- Governor Markell's task force for the Driving Privilege Card in 2014/2015 and helped advocate for the passing of the Driving Privilege Card in 2015.

Torrijos continues to advocate for English learner-equitable education and funding; he sat on the steering committee for the Department of Education's English Learner Strategic Plan Guiding Coalition, and in 2018 he was named the co-chair of Governor Carney's English Learner Advisory Council. He is a member of the Vision Coalition of Delaware leadership team and was a member of the Wilmington Area Planning Council Public Advisory Committee from 2016-2018.

Torrijos believes in serving others and building communities, and he has volunteered for various non-profit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Amazing Grace, Team Upward, and Code Purple.

Torrijos lives in Delaware with his wife of 35 years, Deborah, who has her own company, Expressions from the Heart, which specializes in providing tri-lingual and bilingual voice and sign language interpreting to serve the deaf, hard of hearing, Hispanic, and Deaf-Latino communities. They have two children, Natanael and Jose, and three grandchildren: Daniel, Eliana, and Isabella.

Jay Greenspan, MD, MBA, is Chief Executive of Nemours Delaware Valley Operations. He is a member of the Executive Cabinet reporting to Nemours President and Chief Executive Officer R. Lawrence Moss, MD. Dr. Greenspan is based in Wilmington, Del.

He is responsible for all clinical operations at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children and Nemours duPont Pediatrics including ambulatory surgery centers and all primary, specialty and urgent care practices, and prevention efforts in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland.

Dr. Greenspan is a neonatologist. He received his medical degree at Case Western Reserve University, and his training in pediatrics and neonatal perinatal medicine at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He completed his MBA at Capella University.

Dr. Greenspan previously served as chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, and Robert L. Brent Professor and Chairman, Department of Pediatrics, Nemours/Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. During this time, his research interests included neonatal pulmonary function, development and treatment, neonatal abstinence syndrome, and he was involved in research on the prevention of preterm birth, health care reform and the medical home.

Jeffrey M. Taschner is the Executive Director for the Delaware State Education Association (“DSEA”). Prior to being named to that position in November, 2012, he served as DSEA’s General Counsel since September, 2000, representing local education associations and their members in employment-related matters. Mr. Taschner also serves as President Elect of the National Council of State Education Associations or NCSEA. He is a former Deputy Attorney General having served both as a criminal prosecutor and counsel to the Delaware State Police.

Mr. Taschner tried a variety of criminal and civil matters in both state and federal courts.
He has also served as the Policy Advisor to the Secretary of Public Safety for the State of Delaware. Throughout his career Mr. Taschner has served on numerous committees and task forces focused on public safety, education, pension and health care issues. He currently is a member of the Statewide Employee Benefits Committee and the Statewide Labor-Management Committee. Mr. Taschner received his B.A. degree in Political Science and History from Dickinson College and his J.D. degree from the Dickinson School of Law. An avid sports fan, he has coached baseball, basketball (boys and girls) and soccer (girls).

Jeffrey W. Bullock was appointed Delaware’s 80th Secretary of State in 2009 by Gov. Jack Markell and re-appointed by Gov. John Carney in 2017. Secretary Bullock has held the office longer than any other Delaware Secretary of State in more than 220 years.

During his tenure, Secretary Bullock has worked to make state government more responsive to the citizens it serves, to support job creation and economic development across industries, and to grow the revenue streams that underpin the state’s core budget priorities.

As head of the most diverse cabinet department in state government, Secretary Bullock oversees nearly two dozen different agencies and divisions, whose missions range from preserving Delaware’s historical sites and collections, to supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs, to serving consumers, public employees and veterans. Most notable among these agencies is the Division of Corporations, an integral part of the Delaware franchise and the state’s preeminence as America’s “Corporate Capital.” Secretary Bullock also serves as chairman of the Diamond State Port Corporation and is playing a leadership role in expanding the Port of Wilmington and building a new port at Edgemoor. In addition, he has a number of constitutional and statutory responsibilities, including serving on the Board of Pardons.

Secretary Bullock was born and raised in Claymont, Delaware and graduated from the University of Delaware. He previously served as Chief of Staff to Gov. Tom Carper and as Chief Administrative Officer of New Castle County, Delaware’s largest county. He and his wife Susan live in Wilmington and have two daughters.

Jennifer Hudson was appointed to serve as the Director of the Delaware Division of Revenue effective October 1, 2017. As the Director, Jenn is the leader of a dynamic organization of nearly 225 personnel who are responsible for the administration and enforcement of many of the taxes imposed by the State of Delaware, and the collection of nearly two-thirds of Delaware’s annual general fund revenue. Following an RFP process to identify a vendor, Revenue recently launched an IT project that will allow the modernization of Revenue’s tax processing systems. Jenn also served as State Escheator from October 3, 2017 through January 1, 2018.

From 2012 until her appointment as Director, Jenn served as a Deputy Attorney General with the Delaware Department of Justice, representing the Department of Finance, the Division of Revenue, and the Division of Accounting. In this role, Jenn represented Revenue in connection with all tax cases pending before the Tax Appeal Board and Superior Court, worked with the Department of Finance on legislative issues, and assisted the Division of Accounting with interpretation of applicable tax laws.
While at the Department of Justice, Jenn served as a Unit Head, overseeing the unit that represented various State agencies, including DelDOT, the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Finance. In addition, Jenn served as the Chair of the FOIA Committee, and was instrumental in publishing the FOIA Manual and providing annual FOIA training to provide guidance to FOIA coordinators statewide.

Prior to joining the Delaware Department of Justice, Jenn was in private practice with the Wilmington-based law firm Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP, where she worked for 12 years as an attorney in the Tax Department. Jenn also worked in a variety of other roles at Young Conaway before entering and while attending law school. Jenn graduated from Widener University School of Law cum laude in 2000, having served as a member of the Delaware Journal of Corporate Law, and from Widener University summa cum laude in 1997.

Jenn completed the Certificate in State and Local Tax at the Georgetown University Law Center in 2017 and received an LL.M. in Taxation with distinction from Georgetown in 2018.

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.

John Bonk has more than 30 years of experience in the construction industry starting with his first position at M. Davis & Sons, Inc. as a project engineer in 1978.  He worked his way up through the ranks to then become a project manager, executive vice president and then president in 1998.  John Bonk is a seasoned business executive who has the experience to compete and win in the fast paced contracting environment.  As president of M. Davis & Sons, John is responsible for the synchronization of corporate operations to support strategic goals, as well as continuing to develop the organization framework including Sales and Marketing, Quality Control and Finance.  He directs the vice presidents in the overall business programs of the company.

John attended Drexel University and the University of Delaware.  His professional affiliations include: Associated Builders and Contractors, past president, and Associated Builders and Contractors National Board of Directors.  In the community, John is involved with New Castle County Vo-Tech Mentoring Task Force, Salem County Vo-Tech Advisory Board, Finance Committee Member, and St. Elizabeth Church.

Dr. John Byrne is the Distinguished Professor of Energy and Climate Policy and Director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy (CEEP) at the University of Delaware. CEEP’s graduate program is ranked among the three best in the field. He is also Chairman and President of the Foundation for Renewable Energy & Environment (FREE). The Foundation was created in 2011 with a mission of promoting a better future based on energy, water and materials conservation, renewable energy use, environmental resilience, and sustainable livelihoods.

He has contributed since 1992 to Working Group III of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and is among the Panel’s authors credited by the IPCC for its selection for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. Dr. Byrne is currently Distinguished Professor of Sustainable Energy at the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, a new university created by South Korea to lead its plan for green energy technology and policy development.

He is the architect of the Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU) and its innovative energy efficiency finance program, which received U.S. White House recognition as part of the nation’s Better Buildings Challenge. The Asian Development Bank has also recommended the model to its member countries. His work has been funded by the World Bank, UNEP, the Blue Moon Fund, the Chinese Academy of Science, the Korea Energy Economics Institute, TERI (New Delhi, India), the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the U.S. EPA, among others. He has published 18 books and over 150 research articles.

John McNeal is the current Director for the State Council for Persons with Disabilities (SCPD). John has extensive knowledge of the ADA rules and regulations, as well as resources and services available to others with disabilities.  In 1990 John was riding his motorcycle and, after looking over his shoulder to check traffic, realized there was a split in the road.  Due to the sudden turn, he was flung from his bike headfirst into a tree. The accident may have left John with the inability to move or feel his legs, but that has never stopped him from living the life he has wanted.

John got involved with SCPD in 1997 because he wanted to help enhance the lives of PWD any way he could. Shortly thereafter, he helped the council with its first endeavors in seeking to better the lives for people with disabilities by taking legislative action. John was instrumental in the passage of the legislation which mandated a statewide attendant services program. John assisted in organizing testimony and, along with other advocates testified many times and worked with legislators, until the bill was passed in 2001.

• During that time, John went to work as an Independent Living Specialist with Independent Resources, Inc. (IRI), until 2005. John continued to be an ardent advocate for PWD and gained such a reputation that he was asked to run for a State Representative position. While John did not win the seat against 10-year incumbent Donna Stone, he talked about the valuable experiences he had and the great people he met. This endeavor also brought great attention to the capabilities of PWD.
• John worked for the Division of Social Services from 2005–2012 but obtained a much better opportunity when he became the Delaware Department of Transportation ADA Title II Coordinator in 2012. At DelDOT, John developed the Department’s initial Self-evaluation and Transition Plan; and oversaw the implementation of the ADA Transition Plan.  In this capacity, he achieved accreditation from the University of Missouri/Great Lakes ADA Center by completing training to obtain ADA Coordinator Certification in all 5 titles of the Americans with Disabilities Act.  John has extensive knowledge of the ADA rules and regulations, as well as resources and services available which he shares with others with disabilities. He continues to be committed to working with Delawareans and our State agencies to ensure that all people with disabilities have access to State of Delaware programs, activities and services in compliance with the American with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
• Although John has been successful in ADA implementation, as SCPD Director since 2017, he committed to fulfilling the mission of the agency - uniting disability advocates and State agency policymakers to ensure that individuals with disabilities are empowered to become fully integrated within the community. He provides leadership, passion and support to serve in the best interest of the community as a whole. He truly believes his current role and all past opportunities are a privilege that he utilizes as he collaborates with others in promoting the civil rights of PWD. He uses his skills and, more importantly, life experiences to resolve issues and work on developing policies, regulation and legislative initiatives which positively impact persons with disabilities.  He does it in a way that brings people together with a mutual sense of respect and value and, therefore, has the sincere respect of state agencies, Delaware’s General Assembly, Federal Congressional Delegation, colleagues, PWD friends and family.

John received the following awards:

• 2004 John Jefferson Memorial Courage Award-Received from the Developmental Disabilities Council for demonstrating outstanding courage for going above and beyond in working to better the lives of Delawareans with Disabilities.
• 2004 Kent County Employee of the Year-Received from The Governors Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, for recognition of outstanding commitment, performance and achievement in employment.
• 2010 recognized by the Wilmington News Journal as one of “25 People Who Matter”- for contributions made to the community by creating policies that helped community members with disabilities achieve employment and have broader opportunities to more freely participate in the community.
• 2010 JEVS Inspiration Award - for contributions made in promoting the lives of individuals with disabilities.
• 2014 Governors Team Excellence Award for playing an integral role in the Improving Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities Work Group
• 2016 Governors Team Excellence Award for Leading the Pedestrian Accessibility Standards Development Teams

John is married to Susan and has an incredible child Jake who is 5.  Some may think John’s life is extraordinary but, as he says, it is just “extraordinarily ordinary”. As the previous State ADA Coordinator, John was committed to working with Delawareans and our State agencies to ensure that all people with disabilities had access to State of Delaware programs, activities and services in compliance with the American with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.   As the Director of SCPD, John remains committed to fulfilling the mission of the agency and uniting disability advocates and State agency policymakers to ensure that individuals with disabilities are empowered to become fully integrated within the community.

John has over 28 years of experience in the transit and transportation field. He holds a Bachelor’s of Mechanical Engineering degree from Villanova University and Masters of Business Administration from Wilmington University. John’s career began in 1993 in the former Railroad Administration section of Delaware Transportation Authority (DTA). He has also worked in the Technology and Support Section of DelDOT and for an engineering firm in the private sector. Highlights of John’s career include the new I-95 Welcome Center, restoration and renovation of the Biden Train Station in Wilmington, and implementing DTC’s Performance Management program.

As Chief Executive Officer of Delaware Transit Corporation (DTC), John has overseen the ongoing implementation of DTC's Transit Redesign Plan. He has played a key role in the Corporation’s efforts to rethink the way transit is delivered in Delaware, with innovative service delivery such as the launch of DART Connect, Delaware’s on-demand microtransit pilot in the rural communities of Georgetown and Millsboro in Sussex County, and the piloting of two autonomous transit shuttles. John has been instrumental in the creation of a more sustainable financial model that has resulted in improved service performance and significant green investments including the expansion of alternate-fueled vehicles. Under John’s direction, new transit centers
have been opened in Wilmington and Lewes.

Along with navigating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, John has led an effort to implement changes to support a multi-year reconstruction project on I-95 through Wilmington. Improvements associated with the change include a new bus lane, Wi-Fi on buses and at transit centers, and a simplified fare structure.

John is President/CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware. As a member of the Executive Team, Mr. Wellons works closely with the Board Executive Committee to ensure the organization achieves its mission through strategy development and implementation and sound business practices.  His direct responsibilities include managing the Finance, Resource Development, Marketing/Communications, IT and Facilities of the state-wide organization.  He has additional responsibility for board development. Prior to starting with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware in 2012, he held leadership positions with the Buccini/Pollin Group, Bank of America, MBNA America, KPMG Australia, and KPMG Consulting U.S.

John earned a bachelor of business administration in accounting from the College of William and Mary and is a former CPA in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

John is a Trustee of the Hagley Museum and Library, Christiana Care Health System and a founding board member of First State Squash.  John has served on the boards of the Delaware Community Foundation and Pilot School.

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.

Jones joined the NCC Vo-Tech School District as an assistant principal at Howard High School of Technology in 2005. He was named principal at Delcastle Technical High School in 2006, where he served until being promoted to his current position in 2013.

He has a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Delaware and a master’s in school administration from Wilmington University.
Jones said among his career accomplishments, he is most proud of his ability to build strong relationships with students, parents, staff and the community.

He was named Delaware Principal of the Year in 2010 and is the past president of the Delaware Association of School Administrators. This past year, he co-authored the book, "Candid and Compassionate Feedback: Transforming Everyday Practice in Schools."

At NCC Vo-Tech, Jones will oversee an annual budget of $82 million to operate four high schools – Delcastle, Hodgson, Howard, and St. Georges – and a comprehensive adult education division.

An accomplished prosecutor and advocate for Delaware’s children, Josette DelleDonne Manning became Cabinet Secretary of the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families (DSCYF) in January 2017. She currently leads a dedicated staff of 1,400 professionals tasked with coordinating a wide array of services for children and families including child welfare investigations and treatment, behavioral health services, community prevention programming and juvenile justice rehabilitative services.

Secretary Manning has dedicated her career to helping the children and families of Delaware. As Cabinet Secretary, she prioritizes collaboration and coordination with other state agencies and stakeholders to ensure that our communities are safe, healthy and thriving, and have access to creative, holistic programming. She is an active member of Governor John Carney’s Family Services Cabinet Council and as a member of the Council, she has championed Delaware's efforts to become a trauma-informed state. An advocate for youth touched by our juvenile justice system, Secretary Manning serves on Delaware’s Juvenile Justice Advisory Group, an organization dedicated to examining ways to provide community-based alternatives to juvenile detention facilities.

Prior to her confirmation, Secretary Manning was a prosecutor for the Delaware Department of Justice for 16 years, serving in various leadership roles, but always focusing primarily on crimes against children.  As the first Director of the Special Victims Unit, created by Attorney General Beau Biden, she oversaw all serious child abuse and child death investigations.  She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Boston University in 1994 and her Juris Doctor degree from Widener University School of Law (Delaware Law School) in 2000.

Secretary Manning resides in Wilmington with her husband, Bradley, and their three children, Claire, Conner and Charlotte.

Judy Campbell Campbell was born at Kindley Air Force Base in Bermuda, British West Indies and raised in Arlington,
Virginia where she attended Marymount University majoring in nursing and is a graduate of John Robert Powers School
of Modeling. She is the daughter of the late Esther B. Campbell Gates and step-daughter of the late Brigadier General
Mahlon “Ink” Gates.

Judy is the proud Gold Star Sister of Sp/4 Keith Allen Campbell (KIA 02/08/67). The manner in which Sp/4 Campbell lived, and died earned him our Nation’s second highest award, the Distinguished Service Cross and there is an ongoing effort to have this upgraded to the Medal of Honor. Annually the George Washington Chapter Association of the United States Army presents the KEITH A CAMPBELL MEMORIAL to an outstanding soldier in the Washington, DC area where Judy presents this award. November 14, 2006, the Fort Sam Houston Library located in San Antonio, TX was renamed the KEITH A CAMPBELL MEMORIAL LIBRARY. On November 8, 2007, The Department of the Army held the red carpet viewing of the video documentary “Army Medic: The Spirit of Courage”. This documentary is used in training of all combat medics and Keith is one of the three combat medics featured.

Judy is the Gold Star Mothers and Families Chairperson for Delaware Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 83, Inc.

Judy’s goal and desire is to perpetuate the memory of not only her brother, but also all those who have faithfully served
our Nation and to honor the families that have given them to us. Judy works tirelessly on behalf of Gold Star Families and continues to pursue a National Gold Star Program, making The First State, Delaware, the model to the Nation until every American is well versed on the meaning of Gold Star.

To date, her many accomplishments to the First State include:
1) Hometown Hero Banners, 2) Gold Star License Plates, she worked nearly 2 years to have, the then moratorium lifted, which also afforded Vietnam Veterans, Buffalo Soldiers MC, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans a long awaited license plate. 3)Passing of Honor and Remember Flag Legislation, 4) Renaming of the busiest highway in the state to Gold Star Families Highway, 5) Chairperson for the Delaware Hershel ”Woody” Williams Gold Star Memorial at DRBA, where she secured the $48,000 for this project. 6) Recipient of the Delaware Academy of Medicine Public Health Recognition Award for services provided to veterans and Gold Star Families 7) Dedication of the “Preston Marckese Memorial Interchange” Rt 1 and Rt 72 8) Assuring, all veteran organizations, include introduction of Gold Star Mothers and Families at their various services 9) Securing Reserved parking for Gold Star Families and Purple Heart recipients at the DENG.

In Judy’s spare time, she enjoys gardening, needlepoint and spending time with her husband of 50+ years, their two
children and seven grandchildren.

Judy Diogo is the President of the Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce (CDCC). Judy started with the CDCC in 2005. This year marks her 15th year with the organization.
The CDCC is the only accredited Chamber of Commerce in the State of Delaware and under Judy’s leadership they received a 3-Star Accreditation in 2009, and in both 2013 and 2018 they received their 5 –Star Accreditation which places the CDCC in the top 1% of Chambers nationwide.

Judy currently serves on the Board for the Kent County Tourism Commission, the Kent Economic Partnership, the Kent County Business Consortium, the Delaware Association of Chambers of Commerce, the Greater Kent Committee, and the Kent Advisory Committee for the Delaware State Chamber.

Katie Wilkinson is Senior Vice President & Delaware Commercial Market Executive for Fulton Bank. Prior to joining Fulton Bank in 2011 to lead the commercial banking efforts in Delaware, Katie was Vice President and Division Manager for Wilmington Trust. She is responsible for the development and cultivation of commercial relationships across the State and Cecil County. Katie is a graduate of St. Andrew’s School, has an AB in Economics from Smith College, and an MBA from Drexel University. Locally, she is the Chair of the Delaware State Chamber Board and she serves on the Board of Christiana Care Health Services. She is also active with the Delaware Banker’s Association. Lastly, Katie chairs the Board of Delaware College Scholars. Katie and her husband, David, live in Wilmington and have 2 grown daughters.

Kathleen (Kathy) McGuiness was elected State Auditor in November 2018. When sworn into office, she became the first female State Auditor in Delaware history. As State Auditor, Kathy, a Certified Fraud Examiner, is responsible under Title 29 of Delaware Code for the auditing and reporting funds raised and spent by the State of Delaware annually.

Kathy is a native Delawarean. For 16 years, she owned and operated 2 businesses in Rehoboth Beach, where she became an advocate for the revitalization of downtown, spurring its growth from a summer community to a year-round destination for tourists and full-time home for thousands.

McGuiness was first elected to the Rehoboth City Council in 2000, where she served until 2018. McGuiness's oversight of the new Rehoboth City Hall saved hundreds of taxpayers thousands of dollars. Consistently as a commissioner, she fought waste, fraud and abuse and continuously advocated for efficiency, transparency and good government.

Kathy is widely recognized as a leader and community advocate fighting for a more accountable and transparent Delaware.

During her first 100 days in office, McGuiness optimized staffing and improved organizational efficiency in order to clear audit backlogs, enhance responsiveness, and improve the agency's overall functionality.

McGuiness has brought audits back in-house, created a comprehensive risk assessment tool, and worked with the Offices of Inspectors General to centralize reports on a single web portal.

In 2021 alone, McGuiness released three reports identifying $87M in annual efficiency savings, government overspending and potential revenue sources. Given our 2021 $4.1M budget, that’s a return on investment of more than 21 times our annual budget.

When she is not at the office, Kathy is often found volunteering and giving back to the community.

Attorney General Kathy Jennings was sworn in on January 1, 2019 and serves as Delaware’s 46th Attorney General.

Attorney General Kathy Jennings was born and raised in Wilmington, she graduated from Mount Pleasant High School, University of Delaware, and Villanova University Law School, before joining the Delaware Department of Justice.

As a prosecutor Kathy has handled scores of cases including matters of domestic violence, sexual assault, and murder. In one of the most well-known cases in the history of the state, Kathy worked with the FBI, New Castle County Police Department, and the Delaware State Police to identify, arrest, and prosecute a serial killer who tortured and murdered five women. This case marked the first time that DNA analysis was admitted into evidence in a Delaware Court.

After years of service in the office Kathy was named Delaware State Prosecutor and later went on to serve as Chief Deputy Attorney General. While serving as Chief Deputy Kathy along with others created the Consumer Fraud Division to protection consumers against fraud and abuse.

After working in private practice for years Kathy returned to the Department of Justice to serve at State Prosecutor under Attorneys General Beau Biden and Matt Denn. Under their leadership, Kathy successfully sought legislation ending mandatory life sentences for people convicted of drug crimes, worked with the Police Chiefs to create a model body-worn cameras policy, and secured funding to get the life-saving drug Narcan in the hands of first responders.

As Delaware’s Attorney General, Kathy Jennings is focused on making the criminal justice system more fair and equal for everyone regardless of the color of your skin, the size of your bank account, or the zip code where you live.

Dr. Kennedy-Ratajack serves as the Dean of the College of Business. She joined WilmU as the Chair of the Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) program in August 2016. Prior to this, she served as a full-time faculty member in the DBA program, College of Business for one year and as an adjunct in the Master of Business Administration program, College of Business for more than 10 years.

Dr. Kennedy-Ratajack came to WilmU from the Federal Highway Administration in Washington DC where she served on the Program Management Improvement Team. This is a nationally recognized team designed to improve the operations and financial functions of the Federal Highway Traffic Safety Administration (FHWA). Prior to this appointment, she served as a Team Leader/ Financial Manager in the DelMar FHWA Division office in 2011. This appointment covered both Delaware and Maryland financial apportionments for transportation agencies.

Prior to her work with the federal government, Dr. Kennedy-Ratajack worked for 25 years in State government. Her most recent appointment in state government was as the Finance Director for the Delaware Department of Transportation from 2004 to 2011.

Dr. Kennedy-Ratajack is a certified instructor with the National Highway Institute and in her spare time serves as a fitness instructor for Kent County Parks and Recreation in Delaware.

Dr. Kennedy-Ratajack completed her doctoral research on the topic of tolerance for increased funding options to support transportation programs/projects in August 2015. She also holds an MBA, a Bachelors Degree in Human Resource Management and an Associates’ Degree in Computer Engineering.

Dr. Kennedy-Ratajack serves as Treasurer on the Jobs for Delaware Graduates Board and as the Program Coordinator on the Board of the Salvation Army.

Keith Hunt serves as the State of Delaware’s first Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, overseeing the Department of Human Resources’ Division of Diversity and Inclusion. Keith leads the State's efforts to define and cultivate equity, diversity, and inclusion throughout state government, including the Talent Acquisition function overseeing the States recruitment and employee retention efforts. Having served in several strategic human resources leadership roles throughout his career, Keith has extensive Human Resources experience and proven success in the private and public sectors. He has helped translate business vision and strategy into organizational capabilities for success while focusing on business process improvement, people policy development, change management, people and team development, diversity and inclusion, and human resources talent management systems.

Prior to joining the State of Delaware, Keith held key positions in leading companies, including serving as Chief Human Resources Officer at Electronic Payment Services, Wilmington, DE; Vice President of Human Resources at Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Ice-Cream, Inc., Waterbury, VT., and with CIGNA, Philadelphia, PA as Assistant Vice President of Employee Relations. In addition, Keith previously worked for the Scott Paper Company, Philadelphia, where he held several key leadership roles including Manager of Organizational Effectiveness, Product System Manufacturing Manager, and Director of Human Resources. Prior to Scott Paper, Keith worked for the Procter & Gamble Company in Cincinnati, OH, as a Senior Organizational Development Consultant responsible for contributing to the development of  the P&G workplace environment; including delivering leadership development training to managers and key business executives across engineering, research and development, and manufacturing organizations. Most recently Keith was Managing Director of Human Capital Solutions, Inc., a human resource change management consultancy focused on diversity and inclusion and leadership development within fortune 500 companies.

Keith originally hails from Washington, DC and holds a master’s degree in Community Planning, from the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Wilberforce University, Wilberforce, OH.  Keith is a certified Lean Practitioner with emphasis on large systems change management and business process improvement.

Keith and his spouse Jackie recently relocated to Hockessin, Delaware from New Jersey, where they spend their spare time entertaining friends, enjoying their art collection and their extensive Jazz and R&B music collection. 

Kelvin H. Lee is Gore Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Delaware and is Director of the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals.  He received a BSE in Chemical Engineering from Princeton and PhD in Chemical Engineering from Caltech. He spent several years in the Biotechnology Institute at the ETH in Zurich, Switzerland and also completed a postdoc in Caltech's Biology Division. Prior to his current appointment, he was on the faculty at Cornell University where he held the titles of: Samuel C. and Nancy M. Fleming Chair Professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Director of the New York State Center for Life Science Enterprise. He has been recognized in a number of ways: DuPont Young Professor award, NSF CAREER award, Cornell's Barger '50 Engineering College Excellence in Teaching award, Cornell's Menschel Award for Distinguished Scholarship, and the Dreyfus Foundation Teacher-Scholar Award. He has also been recognized by Technology Review as a Top Innovator in Business and Technology and by the designation of Distinguished Professor by the New York State Office of Science, Technology, and Academic Research. He serves as an advisor to a number of small and large biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. His research interests include: the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, the production of protein-based therapeutics and the development of technologies for protein analysis. He is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His research group has been funded over the years by NIH, NSF, USDA, NIST, New York State, Delaware, Dreyfus Foundation, GE Foundation, Michael J Fox Foundation, Institute for the Study of Aging, and a dozen companies.

Ken Simpler was elected Delaware State Treasurer on November 4, 2014 on a platform to bring transparency, accountability, and certainty to our State’s fiscal operations. He has fostered accountability in the Treasurer’s Office by implementing a value-driven and performance–measured culture. His focus on certainty has made him a consistent advocate for systemic solutions to large-scale, long-term problems. Ken has applied lessons from his 20-year career as a finance professional to improve some of Delaware’s core fiscal functions. These include: enhancing the return on investment of our $2 billion cash portfolio; restructuring the banking services through which our $10 billion in annual spending flows; ensuring the feasibility of our $2 billion of outstanding debt; and overhauling the State Employees’ $1 billion defined contribution plans. In addition, Ken has provided leadership to over a dozen committees and councils that determine state revenues, design employee healthcare offerings, preserve agricultural lands and provide capital spending for fire companies.

Prior to entering public service, Mr. Simpler served as the Chief Financial Officer of Delaware-based Seaboard Hotels. As an owner-operator, Ken assisted in developing and managing hotel and retail properties in Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach and Nags Head, North Carolina. Ken previously held the position of Managing Director at Citadel, LLC, a $25 billion global investment fund. At Citadel, he oversaw a billion dollar portfolio, managed personnel in Chicago, San Francisco, New York/Greenwich, London and Tokyo and served on the firm’s worldwide investment committee. He began his career as a corporate attorney at Kirkland & Ellis, a national law firm. Ken’s work at K&E focused on private acquisitions and capital raising transactions for corporate and private equity clients. Ken has served on the board of directors of Draper Holdings, the parent company of WBOC and Fox 21, and the finance committee of Beebe Healthcare.

Ken is a life-long learner with a passion for applying empirical research to real-world applications. He is currently enrolled at the University of Delaware’s School of Public Policy where he plans to graduate with a Masters in Public Administration. Mr. Simpler earned graduate degrees from the University of Chicago in both business and law. He received an M.B.A. with honors from the Graduate School of Business and a J.D. with honors from the Law School. He obtained his undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, from Princeton University as a political economy major. Ken attended high school at St. Andrew’s in Middletown, graduating summa cum laude and representing the school in Delaware’s 30th Annual Blue-Gold All-Star Football Game. Ken married his college sweetheart, Elizabeth, more than 25 years ago. Liz and Ken are devoted parents to their three children, Blakeley, Gillian and Emmett, and make their home in Newark. He was born and raised in Rehoboth Beach, where his family owned and operated the Avenue Restaurant for almost a half of a century.

Kenan J. Sklenar currently serves as the President/CEO of Easterseals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore since November 2013.  For 18 years he was the President & CEO of Easterseals of Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana Counties in Youngtown, Ohio.  He has a Master's of Science in Hospital and Healthcare Administration from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, and is a Diplomate (Board Certified Health Executive) in the American College of Healthcare Executives with over 30 years in the field including hospital and home care administration experience prior to Easterseals.   Ken’s responsibilities include all operational, budgetary and program development for Easterseals.

Ken is the past chair for the Easterseals Affiliate Leadership Network serving as a liaison with national Easterseals.  He also served as the Mideast Regional Leader for the organization.

Ken became a surveyor for the Rehabilitation Accreditation Commission (CARF) in 1998 and completes several surveys each year.  He currently serves on the University of Delaware’s Advisory Board for the College of Health Sciences and is a past board member of the Ability Network of Delaware.

Ken has been active as a volunteer for many organizations including the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, Boardman Rotary and Mahoning Valley Hospital.  He also served as an adjunct faculty member at Ohio University and National College.

Ken now lives in Delaware with his wife, Kathy, and their youngest son.  They also have two children who live in Ohio.

Kevin Andrade has been a radio personality for more than 25 years, including his career as a broadcaster in his native Ecuador.
Kevin Andrade made two crucial decisions in 2003. The first was to leave a successful television career in Ecuador. The second was to bypass broadcast opportunities in Latin-rich Miami and head to Delaware.

Both decisions proved the right ones.

Andrade leads the The Voice Radio Network, a group of six frequencies purchased by Andrade and headquartered in Georgetown.
Once owned by Great Scott Broadcasting, the frequencies include two stations dedicated to the Hispanic community and three that target a broader audience, including hip-hop and classic rock.

The substance of that original program, a lineup of professionals who addressed trends and issues at the heart of the Hispanic community, would be the common crux of his many roles in Delaware: business owner, radio personality and mentor.

In 2010, Andrade leased a frequency for Maxima 95.3 FM from Great Scott Broadcasting Network. That frequency now reaches 95 percent of Delmarva’s Latino Community.

In addition to offering Latin music, Andrade opted to produce and broadcast shows that featured experts in legal, financial, and faith-based areas but also met the cultural heritage of his audience.

He is committed to helping the region grow economically and culturally.

For 26 years, Kevin L. Smith has served as CEO …seeking to build homes, community and hope with
hardworking families in New Castle County.

The first paid staff member hired by the New Castle County affiliate of Habitat for Humanity, he began
his career with Habitat as a volunteer coordinator at Habitat for Humanity in Fresno, California. He
made his way out West – and to Habitat - through a Volunteer Program that is part of the Mennonite
Church.

A Newark native and UD “Blue Hen,” Kevin previously worked in the systems field for Delaware
companies such as AIG Marketing, Standard Chlorine and Synerfac. He holds a B.S. from the University
of Delaware in Business Management (Operations) and a minor in Management Information Systems.
Kevin completed Habitat for Humanity’s Leadership Certificate from Harvard Business School in 2010
and Bank of America’s Neighborhood Builders Leadership Training in 2016.

Kevin will be graduating in May 2022 with a Master of Arts in Ministry and Leadership from Lancaster
Theological Seminary in Lancaster, PA. In June, he will be commissioned in the United Methodist Church
as a Deacon (Rev.) and will continue to serve Habitat for Humanity as his primary vocation and will add a
secondary vocation as clergy for his church, Newark United Methodist Church.

Kevin and his wife Diane have been married 22 years and are blessed with four daughters and two
grandchildren.

As Vice President, Marketing and Communications since 2020, Kevin has helped central and southern Delaware’s largest health system weather the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. His authentic approach to storytelling got international recognition for Bayhealth when social media videos of exhausted yet determined Bayhealth ER physicians -- recorded during their shifts -- sharing their personal experiences treating COVID patients, went viral reaching markets in Asia Pacific region.

Tasked with reaching new audiences and growing brand awareness while serving as the Vice President of Communications - Marketing for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital/ALSAC, Kevin helped launch an internal media publishing department that focused on enrich storytelling that showcased the lifesaving work of St. Jude. During Kevin’s time with the organization, they achieved record breaking fundraising goals topping $2B.

To expand the sales force, he collaborated with the Sales, R&D, and Events teams to innovate a "culture of events". One event was a highly successful football-themed “90-Day Game Plan” campaign that incentivized them to reach a sales goal and win a trip to Paris, France. The various initiatives have positioned Isagenix' sales force to nearly triple by the end of 2015. Kevin's many game-changing strategies led Isagenix to win two coveted 2015 "Stevie" awards for marketing communications from American Business Awards.

In 2011, Kevin joined Seton Medical Center as Vice President of Business Development, Marketing, and Communications in Daly City, California. He’s most proud of influencing local voters to pass a $150 million countywide sales tax initiative that gave the organization a much needed shot in the arm for capital facilities improvements.

When he first joined St. Joseph Health System in Irvine, California in 2004 as Vice President of Corporate Communications and Marketing, each of its 15 hospitals had its own MarComm Department working independently of each other, resulting in significant gaps in resources. Kevin unified the departments and created a Corporate Shared Services model to consolidated support services.

He began his nonprofit marketing and business development career when he became Director of Marketing, Communications, and Public Relations at the United Way in Bakersfield, California, where he spearheaded an aggressive image-building PR campaign to revitalize a sustaining brand that had been losing equity in the market.

A trained media expert, Kevin’s early broadcast journalism career as a television news director and executive producer has given him the savvy to triumph in public conflict situations, turning negative spin into an opportunity to drive home the organization’s mission and stewardship.

He earned a Master of Arts in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Oklahoma.

Kevin's interests away from work include spending time with his four-year-old twins Asher and Caleb, nonprofit fundraising, dog walks/runs with his black lab Atticus.

Ask Kim to name her dream job, and she would say, “Lobbyist.”

Really, who even knew there were people like that?

Kim became a lobbyist in her own unique way. She did not get here through politics or law or a cause.
Her earliest interests had nothing to do with lobbying. She was a gymnast and a competitor in ballroom
dancing.

That led to a degree from the University of Delaware in fitness management, and that led to a position
at the University of Delaware as the coordinator in charge of the fitness class program on the campus.
From there, it was on to work at an insurance office and brokerage firm, except Kim was looking for a
new direction, and she thought lobbying would be fun.

Of course she did. She had a taste for the unexpected. She had the slow heartbeat that comes from
winning competitiveness. She had a practical foundation of business, organizational and management
experience.

Kim added in an academic component by earning a Masters in Public Administration from the
University of Delaware. One of the faculty members was Ed Freel, formerly the Delaware secretary of
state, and he connected her with Bob Byrd.

It clicked, and Kim joined the firm.

Kim’s background has been a fine fit, even her ballroom dancing. She paired with Tom Cook, who was
the Delaware secretary of finance, for a charity “Dancing with the Stars” event, where they were judged
the best dancers. See? Kim was right all along that lobbying could be fun.

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.

Lani Nelson-Zlupko is a psychotherapist and an executive coach who specializes in change management.  She is also Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania where she has been on faculty for over 20 years.

Lani received her bachelor's degree from Harvard University and her master's and doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. She has developed treatment strategies that have become a training model across the country. Her research has been published in several leading psychiatric and psychology journals.  Lani provides coaching and training to individuals and corporations regionally, nationally and globally. She guides companies, teams and leaders to handle change, gain resilience, grow cohesion, manage crises, plan for and execute major transitions, and lead effectively.

Lani is passionate about her work and her life. She is married to George Zlupko, a ChristianaCare ER physician; together they have three children. Lani prizes her family and tends carefully to her own work-life balance.

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.

United States District Judge Leonard P. Stark Judge Stark is a graduate of the University of Delaware (Honors B.A. Political Science ’91, B.S. with Distinction Economics ’91, M.A. European History ‘91), University of Oxford (Magdalen College) (D. Phil. British Politics 1993), and Yale Law School (J.D. 1996). He clerked for the Honorable Walter K. Stapleton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit during the 1996-97 term. From 1997 to 2001, Judge Stark was a litigation associate in the Wilmington, Delaware office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. Between 2002 and 2007, he served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Delaware. Judge Stark was appointed to a newly-created federal magistrate judge position for the United States District Court for the District of Delaware on August 6, 2007. On March 17, 2010, he was nominated by President Obama as a District Judge for the District of Delaware and, following Senate confirmation on August 5, 2010, he was appointed to this position on August 16, 2010. He became Chief Judge on July 1, 2014.

Federal Judicial Service:
Judge, U. S. District Court, District of Delaware
Nominated by Barack Obama on March 17, 2010, to a seat vacated by Kent A. Jordan; Confirmed by the Senate on August 5, 2010, and received commission on August 10, 2010. Served as Chief Judge, 2014-present.

U.S. Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court, District of Delaware, 2007-2010.

Education:
University of Delaware, B.S., B.A., M.A., 1991
Magdalen College, University of Oxford, D.Phil., 1993
Yale Law School, J.D., 1996

Dr. Hicks graduated from Howard University in 1991 with a Bachelor’s degree in Medical Technology. He completed his Doctor of Medicine degree at the Indiana University School of Medicine in 1995 and earned a Master’s of Public Health degree from the Harvard School of Public Health in 2001. Dr. Hicks completed his Internal Medicine (primary care) residency and was chief resident at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, MA. Following chief residency, he completed a fellowship in general medicine and faculty development at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where he served as a hospitalist from 1999-2011. He became the chief of Hospital Medicine at the University of Massachusetts, in 2011, where his team won four Champions of Excellence Awards for growth, financial sustainability (x2) and high quality care.

In 2014, Dr. Hicks was appointed to serve as Vice Chair of the Department of Medicine and Section Chief of General Internal Medicine at Christiana Care Health System.   As Section Chief, Dr. Hicks supervised the Divisions of Hospital Medicine and Ambulatory Medicine.  His work with both divisions included educational, clinical and quality initiatives such as interdisciplinary rounding and process redesign. In January 2017 Dr. Hicks became the Hugh R. Sharp, Jr. Chair of the Department of Medicine.

Dr. Hicks is the recipient of numerous clinical and research awards and is nationally known for his research on health care disparities. His research has been related to three areas: (1) The effects of patients’ racial and cultural background on the treatment and clinical outcomes of chronic disease; (2) the development and assessment of interventions aimed at improving quality of medical care and the reduction of disparities in care; and (3) community-based participatory research to identify and address healthcare disparities.

Linda is the Executive Director of the Kent Economic Partnership, Inc. trading as Choose Central Delaware which is the economic development agency for Kent County, Delaware. Linda is charged with business attraction, retention and expansion in Central Delaware along with business assistance for Kent County. Since taking on her role she has rebranded Central Delaware and works collectively with many municipalities and groups to raise awareness of Central Delaware as a prime business location.

Prior to taking her position at the KEP she was the Acting Director of the Division of Small Business for the state and prior to that position she was Director of Tourism for the State of Delaware having launched several successful marketing initiatives, including the state’s first-ever multi-platform branding campaign (including television commercials that aired across theEast Coast), a redesign of the state’s VisitDelaware.com tourism website, and digital media advertising campaigns that reached thousands of potential travelers, growing the tourism industry in Delaware from a 1.5 to 3.3 billion dollar industry.

Linda has more than 20 years of experience in the Delaware tourism, hospitality and economic development industries, including a stint as general manager of both the Sheraton Dover Hotel and Wild Quail Golf and Country Club in Wyoming, Delaware.

Additionally, Linda has served on many boards, including: Chairman, Governor’s Tourism Advisory Board; Kent County Convention and Visitors Bureau; Delaware Hotel & Lodging Association (Board of Directors); Greater Dover Committee.

Lisa Borin Ogden joined Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control as Deputy Secretary in December 2017, prior to that having served as director of the Victims’ Compensation Assistance Program and as a Deputy Attorney General in the Delaware Department of Justice. In that role, she advised the Attorney General on funding and proposed legislation, and worked with the General Assembly, the community, and the courts.

Prior to her service with the State of Delaware, Ms. Borin Ogden worked as a special assistant to President Obama, advising the President and senior leadership on Presidential appointments to the Departments of Energy, Transportation, and Interior, as well as in several independent agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Council on Environmental Quality, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the National Transportation Safety Board.

Ms. Borin Ogden served for nine years as a legislative assistant to then-Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. focusing on energy, the environment, transportation, and agriculture. Earlier in her career, she was general counsel and director of development for a non-profit corporation. Ms. Borin Ogden earned her Juris Doctor Degree from Syracuse University School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts from Emory University.

Lisa Maxwell, MD, MHCDS is a board-certified family physician. She practices at ChristianaCare and serves as the Chief Clinical Transformation Officer for the system.

Dr. Maxwell leads the design of an integrated, coordinated clinical service delivery
transformation strategy that maximizes efficiency, enhances quality and continuously
optimizes care. As an institutional transformation agent, Dr. Maxwell will promote new
ideas and new ways of thinking about clinical care delivery to accelerate achievement of
population health.

Dr. Maxwell has served as ChristianaCare’s Chief Learning Officer and Designated
Institutional Officer for the system where she oversaw the strategic direction and activities
of the Institute for Learning Leadership and Development (iLEAD), including all Graduate
and Undergraduate Medical Education. Prior to that, she worked in both student and
resident education, serving as the program director in Family Medicine, co-program
director for the Emergency Medicine-Family Medicine Residency Program and director for Undergraduate Medical Education. She has served as interim chair for the Department of Family & Community Medicine.

Dr. Maxwell completed her medical education at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Her residency training took place at Crozer-Keystone Family Medicine.

She joined ChristianaCare in 2005, completing a fellowship in faculty development with a
focus on the care of underserved populations. In addition to leading efforts in clinical
system education, she led efforts to establish the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of
Thomas Jefferson University’s Delaware Branch Campus for medical students.

She received a Master of Health Care Delivery Science from Dartmouth College in 2018.

She has held regional and local leadership positions in various organizations, including on
the board of the Delaware Institute of Medical Education and Research (DIMER). She
continues to practice primary care at ChristianaCare Family Medicine at Claymont Center.

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.

Luke Rhine is the Director of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) and STEM workgroup at the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE). He is responsible for leading the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of the statewide system of CTE in Delaware’s secondary and postsecondary institutions as well as STEM initiatives in grades k through 12. Luke is also responsible for developing and implementing educational policy.

Prior to working at DDOE, Luke was a Program Specialist in Career and Technology Education with the Maryland State Department of Education. Luke has also served as a high school Technology and Engineering teacher in Howard County Public Schools and a middle school Technology Education teacher in the Millville Public School System. Luke earned his B.S in Technology Education from California University of Pennsylvania (2002) and a M.A in Instructional Technology from Richard Stockton College of New Jersey (2005).

Luke has received several state and national awards, which includes being named as the Delaware Department of Education – Employee of the Year (2016), an ITEEA Leader to Watch (2012), the ITEEA Council for Supervision and Leadership – Supervisor of the Year Award (2011), the Technology and Engineering Educators Association of Maryland – Leadership Award (2011), and the California University of Pennsylvania – Emerging Leader Award (2009). In addition, Luke received a Japan Memorial Fulbright Scholarship in 2005 and was a member of the 21st Century Leaders Program sponsored by the Council on Technology Teacher Education, class of 2012.

Mac Macleod is the co-founder of Carvertise - a media company specializing in rideshare advertising.

Founded in 2012, Mac has grown Carvertise into a multi-million dollar company experiencing 110% annual growth. With a data network of 550,000 drivers registered, Carvertise has launched thousands of marketing campaigns around the country for brand partners such as Netflix, 7eleven, and Draft Kings.

Carvertise, recently named an Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Company is headquartered in Wilmington,
Delaware.

Major General Michael R. Berry assumed his duties as the Adjutant General, Delaware on March 1, 2019. As Adjutant General, he is responsible for the mission readiness of all Delaware National Guard units, to include over 1500 Soldiers and 1100 Airmen for both federal and state missions. Major General Berry’s military career began in September 1988 when he enlisted in the Delaware Army National Guard under the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Simultaneous Membership Program. Major General Berry received his commission through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at the University of Delaware in May 1989.

General Berry earned a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from University of Delaware in 1989. He is a 1990 Delaware State Police Graduate, obtaining his Law Enforcement Certification. He also is a 2008 graduate of the United State Army War College, receiving his Masters in Strategic Studies. While serving in the Delaware Army National Guard, Major General Berry has served in numerous command positions including: 262nd Heavy Equipment Maintenance Company, 160th Engineer Company, Delaware Army National Guard Officer Candidate School, 193rd Regiment Regional Training Institute, 72nd Troop Command, Land Component Commander, as well as Director of Joint Staff and Special Assistant to the Adjutant General, Joint Force Headquarters, Delaware. Major General Berry also served as commander of the Delaware Embedded Training Team, Bamyan, Afghanistan attached to the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Maria Matos has been the President and CEO of the Latin American Community Center, Wilmington, Delaware, for the past twenty-five years. She was previously employed by the Red Clay Consolidated School District and the Chesapeake Bay Girl Scout Council, where she held various management positions.

Ms. Matos studied elementary education at Delaware State College and human services and family counseling at Delaware Technical and Community College and The Institute of Family Counseling in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Maria earned a nonprofit management certificate from the University of Delaware.

Maria serves on numerous boards and committees, including Academia Antonia Alonso Charter School Board of Directors, JPMorgan Chase Community Partner Advisory Board, ChristianaCare Board of Advisors, and United Way of Delaware Partner Agency Council.

Maria was appointed a member of the Delaware Hispanic Commission by former Governor Jack Markell. She was elected by UnidosUS (formerly known as the National Council of La Raza) to serve as their Northeast Representative to the National Affiliate Council.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Maria has worked on many advocacy committees, including the City of Wilmington COVID-19 Working Group, Equitable Wilmington Advisory Committee, Hispanic Ministers COVID-19 Working Group, and State of Delaware Pandemic Resurgence Advisory Committee (PRAC).

Matos is listed in Who’s Who Among Hispanic Americans and Who’s Who Among Professional Americans. She has received numerous awards for her dedication and commitment to the community she serves. In 2019, Maria was inducted into the Delaware Women’s Hall of Fame.

Mariah Calagione is the co-founder of Dogfish Head and the Social Impact Leader at the Boston BeerCompany.In addition to founding Dogfish alongside husband Sam, Mariah’s role has grown from captainingDogfish Head’s grass-roots marketing, PR and social media world to ultimately focusing on her truepassion, bringing to life the social impact that organizations and brands make.Mariah has served on the boards of The Nature Conservancy, University of Delaware, Rehoboth BeachFilm Society and the Lewes Chamber of Commerce, to name a few. She is currently the Board Chair ofher and Sam’s alma mater Northfield Mount Hermon School.Mariah & Sam live in downtown Lewes, with their dog Moxie. They have 2 kids in college who they lureback home whenever they can!

Marie Holliday joined Cover & Rossiter, an award-winning CPA advisory firm, in 1997. Appointed Managing Director in 2016, Marie is responsible for the strategic direction of the firm as well as leading the firm’s tax and advisory services departments. She has guided the firm’s expansion and growth in business segments such as captive insurance, trusts and a new advisory line for growth management consulting which includes services for personal and business planning such as succession planning, budgeting, retirement planning, R&D tax credit, and data analytics. She leads the firm’s “Future Ready” initiative and is focused on creating and adopting innovative ways to operate the business. Marie is committed to developing leaders and advisors within the organization and not just technical experts.

During her tenure as Managing Director, Cover & Rossiter was a 2018 recipient of the Marvin S. Gilman Superstars in Business award which honors businesses and nonprofits for their outstanding achievements and model approaches to business and management. In addition, Cover & Rossiter was one of five firms selected from across the country to participate in the Private Company Practice Section (PCPS) George Willie Ethnically Diverse Student Scholarship and Internship Program. Marie is a member of the MAP II Group of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), a networking group of Managing Directors across the country. The group is designed to be a forum for in-depth practice management discussions and an exchange of best practices. In addition, she serves on the Board of Governors of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce and was recently selected to serve on the Professional and Personal Liability Insurance Program Committee for the AICPA. She also is a member of the Delaware State Society of CPAs, Wilmington Tax Group, and Estate Planning Council of Delaware.

A graduate of St. Marks High School and University of Delaware (BA 1988, MBA 2001), Marie has strong roots in the community and believes in “paying it forward” in regards to her commitment to service. She has served as a volunteer on the boards of Newark Day Nursery, UD New Directions Head Start, Newark Morning Rotary, Middletown Chamber of Commerce, and many other organizations.

Marie considers her greatest accomplishment in life as raising three wonderful children with her husband, Al. Her children are Meghan (28), Kristen (26) and AJ (21). She enjoys vacationing with her family in South Bethany, reading and exercising.

Mark has been executive director of The Grand since December 2014, after serving as managing director
for eight years prior. The Grand operates three nonprofit performing venues on Wilmington’s Market
Street with more than 200,000 square feet of program space between them.

Previous to his tenure at The Grand, Mark served as executive director of the South Jersey Performing Arts
Center in Camden and the Glassboro Center for the Arts at Rowan University.

Holding a B.A. in Communications (DePauw University) and M.A. in Public Relations (Rowan University),
he has worked in the nonprofit performing arts in executive and marketing positions since 1981 in
Michigan, Indiana, New Mexico, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.

A resident of Delaware since 2006, Mark also serves on the boards of the Rodney Square Conservancy,
Downtown Visions, and the Arts Consortium of Delaware. Mark was one of the founders of the IN
Wilmington Arts Marketing Campaign and has served as its board chair twice. He also co-founded the
Delaware Arts Alliance, the state’s arts advocacy organization. Mark was named one of the Most Influential
Delawareans by the News Journal in January 2021.

As a side avocation, Mark has been the film critic for Out & About Magazine since 2008, and prior to that,
wrote movie reviews and features for Arts Insight, Hot Potato, The DePauw, and WIAN-FM Public Radio.
He was an adjunct professor of film history at Rowan University from 1998 to 2019.

A native of Indiana, Mark has two young adult children, and now lives in Trolley Square with his partner
Wendy. He is an avid bicyclist, hiker, traveler, puzzler solver, gardener, and hobbyist beekeeper (with three
hives on the roof of The Grand). Mark is proud of having spent the fastest 22 minutes of his life as an
unsuccessful contestant on Jeopardy.

Dr. Mark T. Brainard, a proud graduate of Delaware Tech, was appointed the College's fifth president on August 4, 2014. Previously, Dr. Brainard spent over three decades in a series of executive-level leadership roles in the higher education, business, government, and legislative arenas in Delaware. One of his priorities as president is to employ his knowledge, experience, and leadership skills to ensure that today's students continue to receive the same foundation and opportunities he received as a student of the College over three decades ago.

After earning an associate degree in criminal justice from Delaware Tech in 1981 and a bachelor's degree in behavioral science from Wilmington University in 1983, Dr. Brainard embarked upon a career in public service that began in the Delaware legislature, where he ultimately served as chief of staff for the House Minority Caucus for seven years. In 1991, he began attending law school part time while continuing to work full time.

He left the legislature in 1993 when he was appointed director of external affairs at the Delaware Department of Transportation. After his graduation from Widener Law School in 1994, Dr. Brainard was named assistant vice president for personnel and legal affairs at Delaware Tech, where he managed all human resources programs and provided legal counsel regarding employment law and students' rights issues.

In 1999, he became executive vice president of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, where he managed the overall operations of the 3,000-member, 22-employee organization with a budget of $3 million. He left the Chamber in 2002 to serve as Governor Ruth Ann Minner's chief of staff. In spite of a difficult economy, he helped to develop aggressive agendas, which led to the passage of landmark legislation such as the Student Excellence Equals Degrees (SEED) scholarship; the Delaware Cancer Treatment program; workers' compensation reform; and a series of education initiatives including the statewide implementation of full-day kindergarten and the placement of reading and math specialists in public schools.

At the end of the governor’s term, he returned to Delaware Tech and served in a number of leadership positions until he was appointed president of the College in 2014. In a short time, he has implemented a number of initiatives, including creating a collegewide culture that embraces innovation; developing a statewide program for high school students to address the manufacturing skills gap in Delaware; and establishing a variety of support programs for veterans.

Dr. Brainard is a member of the Delaware Business Roundtable, the Delaware Workforce Development Board, and the Phi Theta Kappa Advisory Board. He is also an honorary commander with the Delaware National Guard and serves on the board of directors for the Delaware BioScience Association, and Delaware State Chamber of Commerce.

Marlena Gibson is the Director of Policy & Planning at the Delaware State Housing Authority, the state’s Housing Finance Agency (HFA), housing and community development agency, and Public Housing Authority (PHA) for Kent and Sussex Counties.

In this capacity, Marlena leads a team of Planners who support all divisions of DSHA in policy analysis, program development and evaluation, and managing key state and local government partnerships. She leads the agency’s legislative and budget advocacy, manages key state and local government partnerships, and special initiatives such as the successful Delaware Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness. Most recently, she has led implementation of the COVID-19 emergency rental assistance program Delaware Housing Assistance Program (DEHAP), which has delivered over $15 million in rental assistance to over 4,000 households since April 2020 and recently relaunched with $200 million in new federal funding.

Before taking on this role in 2014, Marlena served the agency as a Planner responsible for research, policy and program analysis, and strategic planning. Prior to joining DSHA, she has also worked with the Delaware Housing Coalition (now Housing Alliance Delaware), the state’s affordable housing advocacy organization, and with a local Community Development Corporation (CDC) and Community Land Trust (CLT). Marlena is a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research.

The Honorable Mary Miller Johnston was appointed to the Superior Court of Delaware on September 25, 2003.

Judge Johnston received her J.D. cum laude from Washington & Lee University School of Law where she served as Lead Article's Editor of the Law Review. She also has a B.A. magna cum laude in music from Wittenberg University, and an M.A. in music from Northwestern University.

Before coming to the bench, Judge Johnston served as Chief Counsel of the Delaware Supreme Court's Office of Disciplinary Counsel, prosecuting attorney discipline cases and unauthorized practice of law matters. She formerly was a partner with Morris James, LLP practicing primarily in the areas of corporate and commercial litigation. She currently is assigned as a member of the Court's Complex Commercial Litigation Division.

Judge Johnston is past chair of the Delaware State Bar Association's Women and the Law Section; a recipient of the Bar Association's Women's Leadership Award; and was a member of the Pro Se Litigation Assistance Committee. She is a member of the Delaware Supreme Court's Permanent Advisory Committee on the Delaware Lawyers' Rules of Professional Conduct, the Professionalism Committee, the Court's Commission on Continuing Legal Education, and the Richard S. Rodney Inn of Court. Her past service includes the Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee and Judicial Liaison to the Executive Committee of the Delaware State Bar Association. Judge Johnston serves as a member of the Washington & Lee School of Law Council and member of the Board of Governors of Wesley Theological Seminary. She is past president of the Board of Children & Families First.

Judge Johnston's present term ends October 28, 2027.

Dr. Matt Wilson is an Associate Professor and Director of Liberal Arts at Wilmington University. He also serves as the Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) to the NCAA for the University. Matt holds degrees in psychology, ministry, and a Doctor of Education in Higher Education Innovation and Leadership. During his time at Wilmington University, he has served on a variety of committees including Chair of the Faculty Senate’s policy committee, curriculum committee, the Middle States Accreditation Self-Study Steering Committee, and two terms as the Chair of the Faculty Senate. He also serves on several committees with the NCAA.

At the age of 29, Matt was diagnosed with early stage pancreatic cancer. Fortunately, surgery was successful and he was declared cancer-free around Christmas of that year. Since his year anniversary, Matt has been volunteering with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network on both local and national levels. Currently, he the Advocacy Chair for the State of Delaware and a member of the Community Engagement Committee of the Board of Directors.
One of Matt’s biggest passions is service work which includes building projects in Mexico, volunteering at food banks and homeless shelters, and extensive disaster relief work with clean up and rebuilding in the Gulf Coast and New Jersey/New York.

Matt is a renowned speaker having spoken in a variety of arenas nationally and internationally, including several radio, podcast and TV appearances, which include Good Morning America and Inside Edition. He has been recognized nationally for his diverse work including the Randy Pausch Award, the NCAA's FAR of the Year and being named one of Delaware’s 40 under 40.

In 2016, Matt Meyer was a sixth and seventh grade Math teacher when he first ran for public office, defeating a heavily favored three-term incumbent in a grassroots campaign to serve as the Chief Executive of Delaware’s largest county.

When COVID-19 threatened the health and safety of Delawareans, Meyer led the county government in taking unprecedented and innovative actions to keep residents safe from the virus, to protect the most vulnerable in our community and to plant the seeds for a strong and fast economic recovery. Meyer led efforts that resulted in Delaware being the first state in the country to offer open, free COVID-19 saliva tests. His innovative efforts to monitor wastewater to measure COVID-19 prevalence have been featured by CNN and by Rachel Maddow on MSNBC.

Mr. Meyer is a graduate of Brown University and University of Michigan Law School. He grew up in Cardiff, off Shipley Road, attended Brandywine School Districts schools and graduated from Wilmington Friends School. Prior to becoming County Executive, Mr. Meyer worked as a math teacher, a diplomat in Iraq, an economic advisor to Delaware Governor Jack Markell and started two successful businesses. He has worked as an attorney at the New York law firm of Simpson Thacher and as a Skadden Arps Fellow at Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. in Delaware.

Mr. Becker has been a member of the City Council since May 2004. He was appointed Deputy Mayor and
Treasurer in June 2011 and elected Mayor in May 2014. He is currently a managing partner of Stewart
Becker Properties in Lewes.

He has worked as a program manager for the U.S. Division of Special Education, the U.S. Department of
Education, and served in the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Reserves from 1978 to 1996. Mr. Becker has a
Bachelor of Science Degree from Ohio State University in occupational therapy and attended George
Washington University where he studied public administration.

Mayor Becker is chair of the Mitigation Planning Team.

After earning an associate degree in criminal justice from Delaware Tech in 1981 and a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science from Wilmington University in 1983, Dr. Brainard embarked upon a career in public service that began in the Delaware legislature, where he ultimately served as chief of staff for the House Minority Caucus for seven years. In 1991, he began attending law school part time while continuing to work full time.

Melanie Ross Levin is currently the Director of the Office of Women’s Advancement and Advocacy for the State of Delaware. In this role, she oversees Delaware's women's rights work, including building support for new legislation and advising the Governor's Office, the state legislature, and the Secretary of the Department of Human Resources. In this role she has spearheaded several groundbreaking pieces of legislation, including the best paid parental leave benefit for state workers in the country (and the only one that includes teachers) and the first ban on child marriage in the United States.

Prior to her role with the State of Delaware, Ms. Ross Levin served as the Director of Engagement and Mobilization at the National Women’s Law Center. In this capacity, she led several advocacy campaigns, including the Title IX education campaign Let Her Learn and the early learning campaign Strong Start for Children. Melanie also led NWLC’s field effort to pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first bill President Barak Obama signed. Early in her career, Melanie also served as a Legislative Fellow in the Delaware General Assembly and a Grassroots Organizer for Planned Parenthood of Delaware. Ms. Ross Levin received her master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Delaware and her bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Women’s Studies from the University of Delaware. She lives with her husband and two daughters in North Wilmington.

Meredith Stewart Tweedie currently serves as the Vice President of Government Affairs and Policy and Senior Counsel for ChristianaCare. Meredith manages a broad portfolio of federal and state legislative and regulatory affairs and external policy advocacy activity, which presently includes managing state legislative and regulatory matters in the four states in which ChristianaCare currently operates. Meredith’s legal work includes representing ChristianaCare in significant strategic business development matters, including recently serving as the lead attorney in negotiating one of the health system’s first full-risk Medicaid contracts. In 2019, Meredith successfully completed the Managing Health Care Delivery Executive Education program at the Harvard Business School, a three-week program including approximately 95 hours of comprehensive course work relating to the modern healthcare industry, general business strategy and the fundamentals of financial accounting.

Meredith also serves on the Board of Directors of the Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN), and is currently the serving as the Treasurer and a member of the DHIN Executive Committee.  Meredith also serves on the Policy Committee of the Delaware Hospital Association and the Government Affairs Committee of the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce.

Meredith served previously as the Chief Legal Counsel and Health Care Policy Advisor to Governor Jack Markell.  In her previous role, Meredith advised Governor Markell and members of the Governor's cabinet and senior staff on major legal and policy issues affecting the State, including advising the Governor on judicial appointments and managing high-profile litigation involving significant state interests. Prior to joining the Markell Administration, Meredith served as the State Solicitor in the Office of the Attorney General, managing the ninety (90) member Civil Division in its provision of legal advice to state cabinet agencies on all civil legal matters impacting the State of Delaware. Prior to her appointment as State Solicitor, Meredith served as the Health Law Unit Head in the Civil Division, and as a Deputy Attorney General in the Fraud and Consumer Protection Division.

Meredith began her legal career as an associate at Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A., where she worked on complex corporate and commercial litigation matters primarily in the Delaware Court of Chancery. Meredith also worked as staff attorney for the Delaware House of Representatives Democratic Caucus. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Meredith received a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Iowa College of Law.

Michael Curry is a native of Devon, Pennsylvania, but he has called Delaware his home for the past 18 years. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from University of Delaware in English Education, he spent ten years teaching English at Cape Henlopen High School where he was voted Teacher of the Year and also served as the English Department Chair. He then moved on to Delaware Technical Community College where he worked first as an English instructor and was promoted to the role of Instructional Designer where he helped faculty design, develop, and deliver face-to-face and online courses. Michael also taught faculty strategies for meaningful and engaging instruction and assessment in all course formats. Now Michael works for Wilmington University as Chair and Assistant Professor of Undergraduate Teacher Preparation, College of Education at Wilmington University. He is responsible for developing and delivering a rigorous and relevant teacher prep curriculum that can be delivered as face-to-face, hybrid, and online courses. He oversees coursework, scheduling, and talent acquisition for the delivery of all courses offered online and at the Georgetown and Dover campuses. In 2016, Michael successfully defended his doctoral dissertation in Organizational Innovation and Leadership where he researched whether or not course format, specifically face-to-face, hybrid, or online course formats have an impact on student achievement. He lives in Lewes with his wife, Carolyn, and their three children, Ethan, Kate, and Bennett.

Michael Fleming was appointed president of the Delaware BioScience Association in June 2020. Prior to joining Delaware Bio he spent two decades in senior strategy, marketing, communications, consulting and corporate responsibility roles in the global biopharmaceutical industry, including 18 years at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) where he was also president of the GSK Foundation.

Fleming began his career as an aide to the late US Senator William V. Roth, Jr., first as a legislative assistant on Capitol Hill and then as the senator’s Wilmington state office director. He has served on multiple boards and committees with organizations including the Children’s Health Fund, The Barnes Foundation, West End Neighborhood House, St. Patrick’s Day Society, Delaware Adolescent Program Inc., and the University of Delaware Alumni Association. Fleming was a member of the Delaware State Advisory Committee to the US Commission on Civil Rights and was appointed by the Chief Justice of Delaware to the Preliminary Investigatory Committee to the Court on the Judiciary. He is a recipient of the New Castle County Volunteer Service Award.

Fleming is an award-winning writer on history, culture and politics and together with his wife Christy, founded TownSquareDelaware.com, a community-focused digital media company they sold in 2020.

Fleming is a graduate of Salesianum School, the University of Delaware and Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He and his wife Christy Eagleton Fleming have three children and live in Wilmington. In 2012 the Flemings were named United States Tennis Association Delaware District and Middle States (DE-NJ-PA) Tennis Family of the Year.

Mike’s practice involves the representation of governmental entities, such as the Delaware River & Bay Authority and the Delaware Department of Insurance, as well as representation of banks, trust companies, insurance companies and public utilities in commercial transactions and before regulatory authorities and state, county and local governments and in legislative and public policy matters before Delaware government as well. His clients include Delmarva Power & Light Company and Comcast.

For more than 25 years, Mike has also advised numerous entities, including Fortune 500 companies, on unclaimed property issues. He has represented various companies in connection with unclaimed property audits as well as voluntary compliance with unclaimed property laws. Mike has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America from 2009-2019. He frequently speaks on unclaimed property issues and is coauthor of the recently revised Bloomberg BNA Corporate Practice Series
Portfolio, Unclaimed Property. Mike has Co-Chaired the Uniform Laws Commission Drafting Committee to Revise the Uniform Unclaimed Property Act, legislation which forms the basis for the law of unclaimed property for over 40 states.

Mike has served in numerous leadership roles with both Delaware and national business and professional organizations. He has served as President of the Uniform Law Commission, a bi-partisan organization which drafts and enacts uniform and model legislation for all of the states on a variety of topics affecting individuals and businesses and he is also a Trustee of the Uniform Law Foundation. He is the Immediate Past President of the Delaware State Bar Association and member of the board of the
Delaware Bar Foundation. He was appointed in 2017 by Delaware Governor John Carney to serve as Chair of the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council (“DEFAC”), a council with representatives from both the public and private sectors, charged with providing non-partisan and objective revenue and expenditure estimates to the Governor and General Assembly and with providing advice to the Governor and the Secretary of Finance on the State’s overall financial conditions, current and projected economic conditions and trends, tax policy and current and projected trends in the national and local economies which may affect Delaware.

Mike also serves as a member of the Boards of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, the Delaware Public Policy Institute, the Pete du Pont Freedom Foundation, Artesian Resources Corporation and the Rockefeller Trust Company of Delaware.

Active in Delaware politics for more than 30 years, Mike has advised, and raised funds for the campaigns of, Delaware Governors, Attorneys General and Insurance Commissioners as well as numerous members of the Delaware General Assembly and other Delaware elected officials.

Michael is an experienced CEO, corporate director, and business advisor with broad experience serving companies throughout Asia, Europe and the United States. The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) has awarded him its highest credential of Board Leadership Fellow® for eight years in a row and has invited him as a speaker and author on emerging corporate governance, multicultural management, and global compliance issues at many of its conferences.

From 2007 to 2016, Michael served as non-executive chairman of the board of healthcare services and logistics company AA International, the parent company of Asia Assistance, based in Kuala Lumpur, with operations in eight other countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region. After the sale of five of the operating entities to French insurance giant AXA in 2016, Michael was appointed as chairman of the board of the remaining independent companies, including AA International Indonesia, a healthcare and insurance services provider based in Jakarta.

In 2016 Michael was elected chairman of the supervisory board of the Paris-based International Assistance Group S.A.S. (IAG). IAG is a global consortium of 150+ independent companies with a combined staff of more than 7,500 that provide medical and security services on five continents. The IAG board has nine members from nine different countries. After his two-year term concluded in October of 2018, Michael was asked to continue to serve on the board’s executive committee. He stepped down in October of 2019 after 10 years of service on IAG’s supervisory board.

Since January of 2011, Michael has served as one of four independent directors on the board of Commonwealth Trust Company, Delaware’s largest non-deposit trust company with more than $15 billion in assets under administration. In addition to his board service, over the past eleven years as CEO of Global Kompass Strategies, Michael has served as an advisor to corporations and government clients in the United States, Europe, and Asia. He works closely with CEOs and senior leadership teams on
business development, cybersecurity oversight and strategic planning. He also advises boards of directors and audit committees on effective risk management measures, corporate governance, global expansion efforts, and emerging digital technology issues.

Michael gained extensive expertise in the areas of risk management, corporate governance, and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act when former FBI Director Louis Freeh asked him to serve as President of his global risk management firm, Freeh Group International Solutions, in early 2008. Applying his entrepreneurial and international business experience, Michael was integral in developing the firm’s early business relationships and engagements with several Fortune 500© and Global 500© corporations. He also assisted with the group's strategy and business development efforts in Europe.

Michael grew up in Berlin and emigrated to the United States soon after witnessing the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. He had the opportunity to lead a fast-growing technology company before being recruited to lead a new start-up venture in late 1999. Michael served for seven years as co-founder and chief executive of the health services company MediGuide and led its business development initiatives in the United States, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

Michael holds a Master’s degree from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of New England. He is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. He earned the CERT Cybersecurity Oversight certificate from the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University and NACD in 2017.

Following his personal passions, Michael currently serves as chair of the board of the American Cancer Society and, in 2020 and 2021 co-chaired the national search that led to the first woman becoming CEO of this 107-year-old organization. In January of 2022, President Biden appointed Michael to serve on the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad.

Michael J. Petit de Mange, AICP, became the County Administrator for Kent County, Delaware on April
8, 2007 after serving as the County's Planning Director for nearly 5 years. Prior to joining Kent County,
he served as Director of Planning & Inspections for the City of Dover, Delaware and as an
Associate/Branch Manager for Landmark Engineering, Incorporated. While with the City of Dover, Mr.
Petit de Mange also served a four (4) year term on the Kent County Regional Planning Commission. He
has over 35 years of experience in municipal management and regional planning. Mr. Petit de Mange, a
native Delawarean, is a graduate of the University of Delaware, and is a Certified Planner awarded by
the American Institute of Certified Planners and the American Planning Association. He has held
various offices in the Delaware Chapter of the American Planning Association including Chapter
President from 1998 through 2001, and is currently serving as Vice Chair of the Dover/Kent County
Metropolitan Planning Organization Council, as a Member of the Kent Economic Partnership Board of
Directors. Mr. Petit de Mange also serves as a member of the Delaware Native Species Commission and
was recently selected to serve on the Delaware State Fair Board of Directors. Mr. Petit de Mange is a
Member and Past President of the Dover Colonial Rotary Club and is an active member of Wesley
United Methodist Church. An avid outdoor sports enthusiast, he resides in Dover with his wife Beth and
two children.

He is a former adjunct instructor with the paralegal program at DelTech and previously served as an attorney for the House of Representatives Republican caucus. And he has been recognized as a Delaware Today Top Lawyer and a 2016 Delaware Business Times Top 40 Under 40 Honoree. He has given several presentations on various legal topics, including volunteer liability and employee handbooks.

In January of 2017, Mike Jackson was appointed by Governor John Carney and confirmed by members of the 149th General Assembly as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.  Prior to his current position, he served four years as the Deputy Controller General for the Delaware General Assembly.

Mike is a former Budget Director for the University of Delaware and previously served as the Associate Secretary, Finance and Administrative Services, for the State of Delaware Department of Education. Prior to that appointment he spent 11 years with the Office of Management and Budget, culminating in his role as Director of Budget Development, Planning and Administration.

Mike earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at Villanova University and his Master of Public Administration degree at the University of Delaware.

Michael S. Purzycki, Wilmington’s 57th Mayor, is currently serving his second, four-year term as the City’s Chief Executive. The Mayor was initially elected to office in November of 2016. He was re-elected in November of 2020 to a second term. His time as Mayor is driven by his desire to see the City run at a high level of efficiency, to increase the level of shared prosperity among its citizens, and to confront the problems too many cities experience throughout the country.

Mike Purzycki was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1945. He graduated Seton Hall Prep in 1963 and earned a football scholarship to the University of Delaware, where he played for four years and set every Blue Hen receiving record. After graduating with a degree in history, he signed a contract with the New York Giants football team for the 1967-1968 season when an injury sidelined his professional football career.

The mayor worked with IBM in Data Processing sales, as a stockbroker, and then in real estate sales and development while attending Delaware Law School at night. He was admitted to the Delaware bar and served as attorney for the Delaware State Senate and then practiced law for over a decade. He first ran for public office in 1982 and was elected to New Castle County Council where he served for nine years as Chairman of the County’s Council’s Finance Committee and wrote the legislation that created the state’s first ethics law.

In 1996, Mike Purzycki was tapped to head the Riverfront Development Corporation, and was tasked with the challenging job of resurrecting the blighted, industrial wasteland along the Christina River. He and his team did what many said would be impossible—they reinvented and reinvigorated the former World War ll shipyard into an economic, cultural, and social hub of the City which included over one billion dollars of public and private investment, including the Chase Center, The Peterson Wildlife Refuge, two miles of Riverwalk, hundreds of apartments, restaurants, hotels, and other amenities.

Mike also served for ten years as Chairman of the Wilmington Hope Commission during which he oversaw the 2014 opening of the Achievement Center, a ten thousand-square-foot building housing a groundbreaking program that helps formerly incarcerated men successfully transition from prison back into the community.

During his tenure as Mayor, the City has seen almost $1 billion of private investment injected into the local economy. Thousands of apartments, hotels, and new nightlife and dining destinations have breathed new life into the downtown and riverfront. Wilmington has invested $14 million in its neighborhood parks and public spaces. Twenty-six miles of City streets have been paved and repaired. There has been no tax increase for four years while the City’s cash position has been improved. During this same period, Moody’s removed a negative outlook from the City’s previous bond rating to improve the City’s borrowing power.

Mike married the former Bette Richitelli in 1984. They live in the Highlands with their teenage son, Gage. Their adult children—Adriane, her husband Andrew and granddaughter Pascal live in Hockessin, while Mick, his wife Ally, and granddaughter Yoyo live in Maryland.

Michael T. Scuse was nominated as Delaware Secretary of Agriculture by Gov. John Carney and confirmed by the Delaware State Senate on Jan. 25, 2017.

A lifelong farmer and native Delawarean, Secretary Scuse previously served with the U.S. Department of Agriculture as acting U.S. secretary of agriculture, acting deputy secretary of agriculture, and under secretary for farm and foreign agricultural services. As under secretary, he oversaw USDA's Farm Service Agency, Risk Management Agency, and Foreign Agricultural Services. He led initiatives to improve the competitiveness of American products in the global marketplace, create new markets to increase rural economic opportunity, and deliver arm assistance that help keep America's farmers and ranchers in business. He also served as president of the Commodity Credit Corporation, working to stabilize and support farm income and prices while helping maintain balance and adequate supplies of agricultural products.

Secretary Scuse previously served as Delaware secretary of agriculture from 2001-2008, and also served as chief of staff to former Gov. Ruth Ann Minner. During his term as secretary, he served as vice-president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture and president of the Northeast Association of State Departments of Agriculture. He previously served as chairman of the Kent County Regional Planning Commission and chairman of USDA's Delaware Farm Service Committee.

He has received the Medal of Achievement from the Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc., in 2006, and the Secretary's Award for Distinguished Service to Delaware Agriculture in 2012.

Secretary Scuse and his wife, Patrice, live in Smyrna on a corn, soybean and wheat farm that has been in their family for generations.

Michelle A. Taylor, Ed.D., is President and Chief Executive Officer of United Way of Delaware (UWDE), one of the state’s largest non-profit community impact organizations, and is also responsible for the United Way
brand in Salem County, New Jersey.

She leads the implementation of UWDE’s strategic vision for addressing Delaware’s most challenging social issues as they relate to Early Education Success, College and Career Readiness, and Financial Stability and in doing so, works through a collective impact model to engage a wide range of community-based, government, business and other partner organizations. As President and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Taylor has executive responsibility for all aspects of UWDE’s administration and operations, including strategic planning, fundraising, community and agency relations, marketing, community impact and engagement, finance, human resources, public policy, and board administration.

A career non-profit professional, Dr. Taylor holds a B.S. degree in accounting from Morgan State University,
an MBA from Wilmington University, and an Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership, also from Wilmington
University. She is a board member of several nonprofit and professional organizations. She values networking and works tirelessly to leverage UWDE’s community presence, through a wide range of partnerships and relationships.

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.

House Minority Leader Mike Ramone was first elected to the House in 2008. A lifelong Delaware resident, Mike graduated from St Mark’s High School and attended the University of Delaware. In 1982, at age 21, he opened his first business, Ramone’s Flower Shoppes. Mike and Lisa have three grown children – Brittany, Ross, and Nicholas, and grandchildren.

Mike – a true entrepreneur – founded, owned, and operated multiple local businesses with his wife, Lisa. Married in 1983, Mike and Lisa currently own six successful businesses and employ over 200 individuals throughout the year.

For 40 years, Mike’s passion has been coaching and mentoring children of all ages in swimming, and in life. He has taught swimming and coached at various community clubs and nonprofit organizations, as well as at public and private high schools throughout New Castle County.

As a businessman and Delaware resident, Mike’s commitment has been to help the community.

As a legislator, Mike works tirelessly to resolve community issues. He has repeatedly secured funding for projects throughout the 21st District.

Michael has a passion for, and a commitment to, many nonprofit communities and organizations. He supports our local fire companies, the Boy Scouts of America, Special Olympics, Yes-U-Can Foundation, the Police Athletic Leagues, Donate Delaware, Easterseals, Faithful Friends, Leadership Delaware, YMCA of Delaware, Delaware Regional Dream Center, and the Make-a-Splash Foundation Delaware, just to name a few. He served as treasurer for Delaware Chemo-Care Foundation, Past President of the Hockessin-Greenville Rotary Club, and Board Member of Yes-U-Can Foundation. Mike also serves currently as a Board Member of World Trade Center Delaware.

In Dover, as the current 21st District State Representative, Mike is the House Minority Leader. His other House Committee assignments include: House Administration, Ethics, Rules, and Veterans Affairs Committees.

Most recently, Mike served on a special committee assigned by Governor Carney – the Government Efficiency and Accountability Review Board – which was charged with identifying opportunities for cost savings in state government.

Mike has served as a member of two important Governor’s Councils: the Governor’s Mentoring Council for Children and Youth and the Governor’s Council on Health, Promotion and Disease Prevention.

He is co-chair of the House Small Business Caucus and past co-chair of the Kids Caucus in the House.

State Representative Mike Smith of Newark was first elected in 2018 to represent in the Delaware House of Representatives the citizens of the 22nd District, which includes Pike Creek Valley and parts of Hockessin and Newark.

As a member of the House, Rep. Smith serves on the following standing House committees: Education; Health & Human Development; Labor; Economic Development, Banking, Insurance & Commerce; and Veterans Affairs.

Rep. Smith’s membership affiliations outside the General Assembly include the following organizations: Kids With Confidence Board Member; Newark Morning Rotary Member; Christ Community Church-Children’s Ministry Volunteer; Christ Community Church-Business Team Member; Economic Development Council-New Castle County Chamber of Commerce; Economic Development Committee-Delaware State Chamber of Commerce; Lori’s Hands Board Member; Western YMCA U7 Flag Football Head Coach; Piedmont Assistant Baseball Coach; and Rush Soccer Head Coach.

Rep. Smith is Director of Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships at the University of Delaware’s College of Health Sciences. He and his wife, Christy, have three children.

Molly Magarik was sworn in as Secretary of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services on July 31, 2020. As Secretary, she leads the principal agency charged with keeping Delawareans healthy, ensuring they get the health care they need in a fast-changing world, and providing children, families and seniors with essential social services
including food benefits, disability-related services, and mental health and addiction treatment. She oversees one of the largest departments in Delaware's government with an annual budget of more than $2 billion.

As Secretary, Magarik chairs the Health Fund Advisory Council, and is a member of the Delaware Health Care Commission and the Delaware Center for Health Innovation Board. Secretary Magarik has served as the Deputy Secretary for DHSS since February 2017, directing and managing key priorities for DHSS, including health care financing, payment and delivery system reform; budget administration and management; and early childhood education. She also served as the Department’s chief strategy officer, and developed and maintained critical partnerships with Delaware cabinet agency leaders, the legislature, the federal delegation, advocates, and health care system leadership throughout the state.

As part of her portfolio of work, Secretary Magarik will continue to lead strategic planning efforts and coordinate with the DHSS Reorganization Committee on key recommendations, including realigning the organization with greater accountability. Over the coming months, she also will work to reorganize the Department to provide more coordinated and person-centered services for the people of Delaware. Additionally, given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Secretary Magarik, along with the Division of Public
Health, will continue to advise the Governor’s office on the pandemic response, while ensuring that the department’s critical services continue in a manner that is safe for both staff and the people the agency serves.

Following her nomination by Governor John Carney, Magarik was unanimously confirmed June 23, 2020, by the Delaware State Senate to be the state's 14th Secretary of DHSS.

Before joining DHSS, Magarik served as State Director for then-Congressman John Carney and Political Director for Beau Biden’s campaign for Attorney General. She also worked as a strategic advisor across nonprofits and government, including as Executive Director of the Delaware Democratic Party. Magarik is a candidate for a Master’s of Health Care Delivery Science from Dartmouth College, and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Women’s Studies from the University of Delaware. She and
her husband, Josh, have two daughters and live in Middletown.

Monique Martin maintains more than 20 years of experience in education focused on continuous school improvement and school turnaround, resulting in bridging gaps in education for urban and suburban school districts. While serving diverse school communities, her leadership supported increasing student achievement for underperforming student groups and intersecting categories, decreasing disproportionality, cultivating school culture and climate, increasing and sustaining parent and community engagement, and improving educator effectiveness.

Prior to serving Delaware stakeholders, she fulfilled instrumental roles in Maryland, Ohio, and Virginia, including as an award-winning leader, principal, assistant principal, professional developer, academic coach, new teacher and urban principal mentor, collective bargaining team negotiator, team leader, teacher, child and family advocate, small business owner, community activist, and national consultant.

Monique is currently pursuing an educational doctorate for Urban Educational Leadership from Morgan State University; and earned a Master of Science graduate degree from Johns Hopkins University in School Administration and Supervision, and an undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree from Bowie State University in Elementary Education.

Nick Moriello is the president of Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware and is responsible for all market functions. His leadership centers on strategic planning and implementation, innovative problem-solving, achieving business goals, relationship building, and a commitment to improving the health industry through purpose driven collaboration with providers, customers, legislators, regulators, board directors, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders.

Mr. Moriello is a champion for positive workplace culture and meaningful team member engagement. He is a respected subject matter expert and ally throughout Delaware for his active participation in both the business and nonprofit communities.

He is a 14-time recipient of the NAHU Leading Producers Round Table’s highest award, the Lifetime & Qualifying Soaring Eagle, and he received the NAIFA 2013 Carl Hill Memorial Award for dedication to the industry and community.

Before joining Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware, Mr. Moriello ran his own agency, Health Insurance Associates (HIA). HIA grew to be one of the largest independent health insurance agencies in the region before merging with Savoy and Ascela.

He is a LUMA Institute Certified Practitioner of Human-Centered Design and a Registered Health Underwriter (R.H.U.) from the American College. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Management, Summa Cum Laude, from DeSales University.

He and his wife, Carissa, have one daughter, Maddalyn.

Current Board Affiliations:
• Governor Appointee to the Delaware Health Care Commission (DHCC)
• Co-Chair, DHCC Health Care Workforce Subcommittee
• National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU), former Chair of the National Legislative Council
• Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors
• Delaware Business Roundtable
• Wilmington Alliance, Executive Board

Nikko Brady is the Deputy Principal Assistant and Policy Advisor to the Delaware Secretary of Agriculture. She has a bachelor’s degree in environmental policy, a master’s in city planning, and certification in Applied Sustainability. Nikko’s background is in public policy and program integrity. Before joining the Delaware Department of Agriculture, Nikko worked as a policy analyst with the Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General. In her role at the Department of Agriculture, she manages legislative, regulatory, and policy initiatives. Nikko advises the Secretary on policy related to the Department and the agricultural industry at large. Part of her responsibility is pursuing projects that advance the industry including promoting factual and science-based narratives about agriculture and the role of the agriculture sector to ensure health and nutrition in Delaware and throughout the world.

Nikko has worked with the Secretary to create the Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy, which is part of the Johns Hopkins national Food Policy Network. The Council is the first of its kind in Delaware and with its statewide approach, addresses food insecurity challenges in both urban and rural communities. Nikko also leads the Department’s involvement in the Delaware Integrated Data System, a state-led initiative to facilitate data sharing and coordination between state agencies. Nikko is a board member of the Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center; the Chesapeake Agriculture Innovation Center; and is Co-Director of the LEADelaware program, an agriculture leadership program.

Nikko Brady is the Deputy Principal Assistant and Policy Advisor to the Delaware Secretary of
Agriculture. She has a bachelor’s degree in environmental policy, a master’s in city planning, and
certification in Applied Sustainability. Nikko’s background is in public policy and program integrity.
Before joining the Delaware Department of Agriculture, Nikko worked as a policy analyst with the
Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General. In her role at the Department of Agriculture, she
manages legislative, regulatory, and policy initiatives. Nikko advises the Secretary on policy related to
the Department and the agricultural industry at large. Part of her responsibility is pursuing projects
that advance the industry including promoting factual and science-based narratives about agriculture
and the role of the agriculture sector to ensure health and nutrition in Delaware and throughout the
world.

Nikko has worked with the Secretary to create the Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy, which is
part of the Johns Hopkins national Food Policy Network. The Council is the first of its kind in Delaware
and with its statewide approach, addresses food insecurity challenges in both urban and rural
communities. Nikko also leads the Department’s involvement in the Delaware Integrated Data
System, a state-led initiative to facilitate data sharing and coordination between state agencies. Nikko
is a board member of the Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center; the Chesapeake Agriculture
Innovation Center; and is Co-Director of the LEADelaware program, an agriculture leadership
program.

Chief Patrick Ogden is a 33-year veteran of law enforcement.  He was selected to lead the University of Delaware Police Department (UDPD) as Chief of Police in 2009. The department consists of 188 total personnel with an authorized strength of 54 sworn police officers, 10 (911 Center) dispatchers, 20 security officers, 4 administrative staff, 50 student cadets, and 50 student emergency medical technicians who staff the department’s Emergency Care Unit (UDECU). Chief Ogden developed and executed innovated crime reduction strategies and community policing initiatives to enhance safety and decrease Part I crime by nearly 60% over the past eleven years. The department is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) for advanced law enforcement and public safety communications. Ogden currently serves as chairman of the Delaware Police Chief’s Council (DPCC), president-elect for the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) and North Atlantic regional vice-chair for the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) University / College Police Section, as well as an appointed member of the firearms committee.

Before his appointment at the University of Delaware, Chief Ogden served for 22 years with the Delaware State Police, holding various assignments, including: officer in charge of the New Castle County Criminal Investigative Unit (CIU), troop commander, deputy commander of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), task force officer with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), detective and patrol Trooper.  He also spent 16 years assigned to the Special Operations Response Team. Chief Ogden was recognized for many accomplishments throughout his state police career to include an Excellence in Government Service Award, an Exceptional Performance Award, two Superintendent’s Citations, a Valor Award and a Co-Trooper of the Year award.

Chief Ogden earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Wilmington College, attended the Northwestern University Traffic Institute School of Police Staff & Command, the DEA Drug Unit Commanders Academy, the United State Secret Service Dignitary Protection Seminar, the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar (LEEDS) and the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) Senior Management Institute for Police.

Chief Ogden is a lifelong Delaware resident, who resides in Wilmington with his wife Christine and their two daughters, Megan and Elizabeth.  His father and two of his five brothers were also career law enforcement officers.

Patrick is the Founding Partner of CompassRed, Inc. CompassRed is a Data and Analytics agency established with the vision that insights into data transform how organizations operate both internally and externally. CompassRed reaches beyond the traditional digital agency and supports clients in
building data driven strategies. Prior to CompassRed, Patrick was the co-founder of The Archer Group, a digital agency in Wilmington Delaware. He has held positions at Andersen Consulting, Hesta Data Systems, and Proximitree.

Patrick attended Drexel University, graduating with a BS in Business and Economics in 1993 - a pivotal year in the internet industry. He received his JD from Widener University School of Law in 2001. He is a member of the Pennsylvania and Maryland Bar and is Board Member of Girls On the Run International.

He is married to his wife, Jennifer, his college love and has two children: Maddie and Connor. Patrick has lived in New Orleans, San Francisco, New York, Maryland, and Delaware.

Patrick Carroll has been the Executive Director of the Delaware Humane Association (DHA) for more than 12 years. He led the organization’s capital campaign to build a new, state-of-the-art, $4.8M animal care center (opened in December 2014) and in 2017, oversaw the expansion of DHA’s opening of a storefront adoption center in Rehoboth Beach. DHA’s budget has grown to $2.2M annually with 45 employees and 350 volunteers. He is also very proud of his work to develop DHA’s One Health program, a monthly free veterinary clinic that serves clients of the Henrietta Johnson Medical Center in the Southbridge neighborhood in Wilmington. The program engages a number of partners, including the University of Delaware and the University of Pennsylvania. Most recently, Patrick has played an integral part in the process of DHA and the Delaware SPCA merging, and will serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the combined organization.

Patrick joined the DHA staff in January 2006 as the agency’s first full-time Development Director. In this role, he was responsible for all aspects of fund raising, including major gifts, grants, sponsorships, marketing, and special events. Before that, Patrick was the Executive Director of Public Allies Delaware for six years. Public Allies is an AmeriCorps program with the mission of advancing diverse young leaders to strengthen communities, nonprofits, and civic participation. Patrick led the program’s affiliation with the University of Delaware’s Center for Community Research & Service, and after that time, Delaware’s program stood as the example for the other sites to follow. Now Public Allies sites in all communities have a local operating partner.

Before Public Allies, Patrick was the Coordinator for Youth Development with Catholic Youth Ministry
(Diocese of Wilmington) for six years and a County 4-H Youth Development Agent in Northeast Ohio for four.
He has a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from the University of Delaware and a Master’s degree in
Extension Education from The Pennsylvania State University. Patrick completed the University of Delaware’s nonprofit management certificate program, as well as an advanced certificate program in corporate/nonprofit partnerships. He was President of the Board of Directors of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Brandywine Chapter from 2006-2008. Patrick was honored by the Chapter with the Rising Star in Fundraising Award in 2004. He also received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Delaware College of Agriculture & Natural Resources in 2020. Patrick is currently an active member of The AAWA (The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement).

Patrick resides in the Cool Spring neighborhood in Wilmington and lives part-time in Rehoboth Beach.

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.

Peter A. Gasparro is the Chief Development Officer for Barclays US Consumer Bank where he oversees the bank’s partner-focused strategy as well as its business and corporate development efforts in the United States.

Peter is seasoned financial services executive with more than 25 years of experience in business and corporate development, product development, merchant services, and co-branded credit card management.

Prior to joining Barclays in 2021, Peter was Head of Corporate Development for JP Morgan Chase’s auto and home lending division. During his tenure at Chase, he also served the Head of Business Development and Strategy for the bank’s auto business, Group Executive with Chase Merchant Solutions, and Segment Lead for Chase Card Services. Prior to joining JPMorgan Chase, he spent part of his career at Beneficial National Bank and Barclaycard US.

Peter is a proud alum of Seton Hall University where he earned a master’s degree in corporate communication and a bachelor’s degree in marketing. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and their four children.

Affiliations: Delaware Special Olympics; Midway Lions Club; DSTA; Delaware Sea Grant Advisory Council; Sussex County Habitat for Humanity Advisory Committee; Rehoboth Beach Entranceway Improvements Working Committee.

House Committees: Chair, House Administration; Chair, House Rules; Chair, Ethics; Gaming & Pari-mutuels; Veterans Affairs.

Formerly: Chair, Delaware State Troopers Association Golf Tournament for Special Olympics; Chair, Route One Traffic Mitigation Committee; State Representative 2002 to present

Biography: Representative Peter C. Schwartzkopf is Speaker of the House of the Delaware House of Representatives. He is a full-time legislator with an extensive background in public safety.

Rep. Schwartzkopf, who has represented the 14th district since 2002, is a retired Delaware State Police captain and troop commander with 25 years of service.  Rep. Schwartzkopf graduated from Wilmington College with a BS in Human Resource Management and continued his education with many certification courses during his career on the Delaware State Police.  Rep. Schwartzkopf is active with several nonprofit organizations including the Delaware Special Olympics, the Midway Lions Club, the Delaware State Troopers Association, the National Kidney Foundation (having donated an organ), and the Jean & Joan Fund which raises money to help families and patients who are being treated at Tunnell Cancer Center. Rep. Schwartzkopf is a member of the House Administration, House Rules, House Ethics and House Veteran Affairs committees.

As a lifeguard for many summers in his youth, Delaware’s coastal communities have always held a special place in Rep. Schwarzkopf’s heart. These days, the representative and his wife, Carol, enjoy spending time with their children and grand-children while taking advantage of all the First State has to offer to residents and visitors alike.

Peter Atwater is the President of Financial Insyghts and an adjunct professor at William & Mary and the University of Delaware. He studies the impact of changing confidence on consumer decision-making, using his research to advise investors, business leaders, and policymakers. He coined the term the “KShaped Recovery to describe the extreme confidence divide that he saw between those at the top and bottom of the economy, arising from the pandemic.

Researching confidence is a second career for Atwater. Earlier, he helped build and then ran JPMorgan’s Asset-backed Securities business and served in executive roles at First USA, Bank One and Juniper Financial.

Atwater graduated with honors from William & Mary, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Porter is a partner and serves as a portfolio manager and head of the Delaware office. He joined Brown
Advisory after 13 years at Marvin & Palmer Associates, Inc., a global equity management firm, where he
was a partner and portfolio manager for emerging markets and domestic large-cap growth equity
portfolios. Prior to that, he spent four years in institutional sales for Peregrine Securities in Hong Kong
before spending four years in Hong Kong with Goldman Sachs Asia.

Education

• University of Virginia, BA (1992)

Community Involvement

• Co-Founder, ZipCode Wilmington
• Chairman of the Board, Stroud Water Research Center
• Treasurer, Longwood Gardens
• Treasurer, Delaware Wild Lands
• Finance Committee Board Member, The Conservation Fund
• Advisory Board Member, Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Mr. Schell is co-founder and CEO of the Ocean Atlantic Companies, a diversified group of real estate development, management, construction and brokerage firms primarily focused and operating in Southern coastal Delaware. Mr. Schell serves as the Managing Member of approximately 50 limited liability companies engaged in OAC’s various real estate activities and development projects. Prior to starting Ocean Atlantic in 1997, Mr. Schell worked as an investment banker for Merrill Lynch in Chicago.

Mr. Schell is also involved in a number of not-for-profit entities. He is on the board of Leadership Delaware, Inc., a non-profit that seeks to identify, encourage and empower the future leaders of Delaware. He co-founded in 2001 the Sussex County Land Trust, a public/private partnership between the real estate community and the County with the mission of preserving open space in Sussex County, and served as its Vice Chairman for over 10 years. He is a member of the Nassau School Coalition, a non-profit seeking to preserve one of the original DuPont schools in Lewes built for African-American children in the 1920’s. Mr. Schell recently served on the board of the Lewes Historical Society, as the Chairman of the Delaware Chapter of the Nature Conservancy and is a leader in the formation, serving as the Chair of the site selection, design, and construction committees, of the Sussex Academy charter school.

Mr. Schell graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College (1996) and he has an MBA from the Harvard Business School (2002). He resides in Rehoboth Beach, DE with his wife, Kathleen, and two sons, Jack and Brady.

Randy Gaboriault is the chief information officer and senior vice president of Innovation and Strategic Development for Christiana Care Health System.  He is chair of the Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN), the first, state-wide health information exchange in the nation. He is a Board member and treasurer for Tech Impact, a global nonprofit whose mission is to ensure that all nonprofits can use technology to better serve our world. He serves on the advisory board for Safeguard Scientifics, a private equity and venture capital firm focused on health care and technology, and the advisory board for Siemens Health Solutions.

Prior to joining Christiana Care in 2010, Gaboriault was senior vice president, chief information and strategic development officer for Teleflex, a global provider of medical devices. During his tenure, he had responsibility for organizational excellence, logistics and strategic supply chain, and led the organization through $5 billion of global mergers and acquisitions activity.

He has earned many professional distinctions and honors from IT professional associations and journals. Information Week magazine in 2011 listed him as having one of 2011’s “Twenty Great Ideas to Steal" based on a tracking board developed for the Christiana Care Trauma Program. He was a Computerworld Honors Program Laureate and listed among the magazine’s Premier 100 IT Leaders award winner. He also received Computerworld’s "Top Five" recognition. He is a three-time awardee of CIO Magazine's CIO 100 Award and Becker’s 100 CIOs to Know recognition.

Gaboriault led the IT Department’s efforts that helped Christiana Care win a federal, multimillion-dollar Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation Award. He also has been nominated by the HealthTech Research Alliance & Council as “Health Care Innovator of the Year.”

Gaboriault received a bachelor’s degree from Temple University, Philadelphia and an MBA from Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H.

Rebecca Goldsmith is the Deputy Secretary of Finance and reports to Secretary of Finance, Rick Geisenberger. She was appointed in 2017 and is responsible for overseeing the Office of Research and Analysis, centralized services in IT, HR, and various other fiscal matters.  Having been with the Department of Finance for nearly 23 years she has served in a variety of senior management positions related to the Division of Revenue, the Office of Unclaimed Property, and the State Lottery.  Rebecca was the project manager for Nation’s first internet casino offering video lottery, poker, and table games which launched in 2013.  In 2018, she worked with the Advisory Panel to the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council on Fiscal Controls which created the recommendations related to the budget benchmark and budget stabilization policies.  Most recently, she was the project manager for the 2022 Delaware Relief Rebate program, which issued over 782,000 Relief Rebates to adult Delawareans.

Valerie J. Longhurst was first elected to the Delaware House of Representatives in November 2004 to
represent the 15th District. The district consists of 20,000 people living in Bear, Delaware City and St.
Georges. In 2008, she was elected as the House Majority Whip and served for four years. After the 2012
election, her caucus elected her House Majority Leader.

Valerie spent her early adult years working in the insurance industry. She formerly worked for AIG
Insurance in Chadds Ford, Pa. During her tenure, she advanced her career from corporate trainer to
quality assurance manager and ultimately to director of operations.

In addition to her responsibilities in the General Assembly, she plays an important role in many local and
national organizations, including Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee Board member, National
Conference of State Legislators- Women's Network Advisory Council member, Revenue and Budget
Standing Committee member, Redistricting and Elections Task Force member, Council for State
Governments Budget and Revenue Standing Committee member, Bear-Glasgow Family YMCA Board
member, Police Action League Board member, Delaware Sports Commission Advisory Council member.

Prior to becoming a Legislator, she volunteered for local organizations, including: Community Advisory
Panel member for Delaware City Refinery; Delaware support group leader for National Alopecia Areata
Foundation; board member, softball commissioner and coach for Bear Babe Ruth Little League; Vice
President of Emerald Ridge Maintenance Corporation.

Bill Bush is a State Representative for the 29th District. He currently is the chair of the House Economic Development, Banking, Insurance, and Commerce Committee, and the Energy Committee.Additionally, he is on the Judiciary Committee, Education Committee, Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, Natural Resources Committee, Transportation/Land Use and Infrastructure Committee, Veterans Committee, and Agriculture Committee.

Bill is an attorney and has a law firm in Dover, Delaware. He currently serves on the Delaware Prosperity Partnership, Transportation Infrastructure Investment Fund Council, and Downtown Dover Partnership.Prior to being elected as a State Representative, he was attorney for the Delaware House of Representatives, chief legal counsel to Governor Ruth Ann Minner, and policy advisor for the Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

Bill has also served on the Caesar Rodney School Board, Board of Trustees for Delaware Technical Community College, Modern Maturity Center Board, Greater Dover Boys and Girls Club Board, and Delaware Emergency Medical Services Oversight Council.

Bill and his wife Carrie have been married for 19 years and have three boys, Liam, Mason, and Jonathan.

Rhett Ruggerio, Founder and President of Ruggerio Willson & Associates (RW&A), has successfully represented Fortune 500 companies, major trade associations, national non-profit organizations, local and state governments. His experience with both major corporations and small local governments, along with his role as the former Democratic National Committeeman for Delaware, has established Rhett as a go-to person in the party, a trusted Democratic ally. He has advised and advocated on behalf of CEOs, Senators, Governors and Mayors, heads of local trade organizations and national non-profits.

A party-elected position, Rhett has served as National Committeeman for the Delaware Democratic Party since 2005 and served as one of Delaware’s Super Delegates to the 2008 National Democratic Convention. He was also appointed to Chair the Coordinated Campaign for the Delaware Democratic Party where he worked with U.S. Senator Tom R. Carper, former State Treasurer and now Governor Jack Markell and Attorney General Beau Biden.

Prior to starting RW&A, Rhett had already established a long record of government relations success. Rhett’s political career began in Wilmington, Delaware where he ran a successful campaign defeating the long-time incumbent that got James M. Baker elected to Mayor in 1999.  Rhett spent the next 5 years in one of the top appointed positions, serving as Executive Assistant to the Mayor.

During his tenure with the City of Wilmington, Rhett worked directly with the Mayor, City Council Members and City Government Department Heads to direct key policy initiatives and affect significant positive change. He was also appointed Chief Lobbyist for the City of Wilmington, a position he held for 5 years. Prior to founding RW&A, Rhett helped ensure success for the Mayor for 2 more full terms, chairing Re-Election Campaign in 2004 and serving as Senior Advisor to the Mayor’s 2008 Re-Election Committee.

When not in Dover, Rhett can be found at the Naval Jetty Pier trying to shred waves or hanging with his wife and two daughters at a local lacrosse field.

Richard has more than 25 years of experience in land use and land use litigation, commercial and real estate transactions and litigation, financings, construction and mechanics' lien law, environmental law and permitting. His appearances in Delaware courts range from making en banc arguments in the Delaware Supreme Court to expedited cases in the Court of Chancery to administrative appeals and lawsuits in Superior Court to landlord/tenant matters in the Justice of the Peace courts. He has also appeared before numerous state, county and local administrative bodies.

The primary focus of Richard's practice is land use and commercial real estate, including transactional work and litigation. He has represented a variety of owners and developers in complex and challenging land use matters throughout the state of Delaware on residential, commercial, office and industrial projects. These projects have included the successful rezoning and redevelopment of the Brandywine Town Center, a former harness race track in northern New Castle County, and one of the most controversial land use matters in Delaware history. He also represented the developers of "Westown," a 2000-acre master planned project in Middletown, DE that includes residential, commercial, office and industrial park components. Richard has also handled numerous other rezonings, subdivision approvals, variances and other Board of Adjustment proceedings throughout Delaware.

In addition to land use and transactional work, Richard's practice also involves litigation. He has handled numerous appeals to the Delaware Supreme Court and argued several cases en banc. He has handled numerous expedited matters before the Court of Chancery and litigated matters in Superior Court. He is experienced in federal civil rights claims, and, with fellow Partner William E. Manning, represented the first developer in a Delaware case where attorneys' fees were awarded under 42 U.S.C. §1988 to a developer. He also represents clients in eminent domain and takings cases, leasing disputes, breach of contract and other matters.

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Richard J. "Rick" Geisenberger was nominated by Governor John C. Carney, Jr. and confirmed by the Delaware State Senate on January 18, 2017. The Delaware Secretary of Finance is the state's chief financial officer and is responsible for promoting the State's fiscal health through fair and efficient forecasting, generation, collection and accounting of funds critical to providing essential government services. He oversees the State's Division of Revenue, Division of Accounting and Lottery Office. The Office of the Secretary is also responsible for statewide revenue forecasting, tax policy analysis, unclaimed property administration, and bond finance.

The Secretary of Finance serves on a number of important financial oversight bodies including the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council, the Delaware Public Employees Retirement System Board of Trustees, the Cash Management Policy Board and the Delaware Plans Management Committee to name a few. Rick is also the Vice Chair of the Diamond State Port Corporation.

Mr. Geisenberger, along with the State's OMB Director Mike Jackson, are the Executive Sponsors of the Government Efficiency and Accountability Review (GEAR) Board. GEAR was created by Executive Order to make annual recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly for increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the State's spending. GEAR's efforts will increase the use of strategic planning and metrics in resource allocation decisions, develop and implement cost savings for shared services across State government and public education, and boost continuous improvement practices across State agencies.

Rick previously served as Delaware's Chief Deputy Secretary of State and the Director of the Delaware Division of Corporations. Delaware is known internationally as the corporate home to 66% of Fortune 500 companies and more than 80% of all U.S. initial public offerings. During his 16 years of service, the number of Delaware legal entities increased 140% and the State's incorporation revenues doubled to more than $1.1 billion. The Division also earned ISO 9001 certification and won the Delaware Quality Award's prestigious W.L. Gore Award of Excellence in recognition of the Division's world-class quality management system. Rick also served in 2009 as Deputy Program Director of the Delaware Government Performance Review, which set in motion dozens of successful initiatives to make state government more cost-effective.

Before joining state government as an Economic Policy Advisor to Governor Thomas Carper, he held a variety of private sector positions in banking, finance, treasury, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic planning - first with Corestates Financial, then Manufacturers Hanover Corporation and later Delmarva Power. Mr. Geisenberger earned his M.G.A. degree from the University of Pennsylvania, his B.A. from Franklin & Marshall College, and has completed the Wharton Executive Program in Mergers and Acquisitions.

Richard M. Potter, Jr. serves as the State of Delaware’s Chief Diversity Officer. He oversees the Department of Human Resources’ (DHR) Division of Diversity and Inclusion and lead the state’s commitment to maintaining a state government workforce that is reflective of the state’s population.

As Chief Diversity Officer, Potter impacts every aspect of the state’s recruitment, training, mentorship and leadership development efforts. He collaborates with state agencies and serve as a liaison to constituents and community partners, implementing initiatives that promote a diverse and inclusive work culture that represents all Delawareans.

Potter completed his undergraduate studies at Sojourner Douglass College in 2008 and earned his master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Wilmington University in 2010. In 2011 he was selected to attend the National Council of Black American Affairs Leadership Development Institute in Detroit, Michigan, which prepares African Americans for executive leadership roles in higher education. He currently serves as the president of the NAACP Talbot County Branch, and the president of the Character Counts Mid-Shore Board of Directors. He co-founded the Coalition for Justice for Anton Black and was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for the Maryland Black Caucus Foundation. Potter is also a member of the ACLU-MD Board of Directors and the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. 

Rita Landgraf joined the University of Delaware’s College of Health Sciences in early 2017 as Professor of Practice and Distinguished Health and Social Services Administrator in Residence. She also serves as Director of the UD Partnership for Healthy Communities (PHC), a cross-college, cross-state initiative. Prior to joining the faculty at UD, she served as Cabinet Secretary of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services 2009 - 2017, under Governor Jack Markell’s administration. Rita currently serves as a member of the Board of the Delaware Center for Health Innovation, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware; Community Education Building, REACH Riverside, ChristianaCare Home Health, Pacem in Terris and Trauma Matters Delaware. Rita is a managerial partner for Healthy Communities Delaware. She also is on the Executive Advisory Boards of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Delaware and atTAck Addiction

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.

Mr. Buccini co-founded The Buccini/Pollin Group, Inc. (BPG) in 1993. As Co-President he is responsible for and leads the company’s residential, commercial, retail, parking, sports and entertainment development activities. Since co-founding the company, Mr. Buccini has grown the company to over $4 billion in assets, including ownership of six million square feet of office and retail space, 6,500 hotel rooms, 2,000 apartments and four live entertainment venues. In addition, Mr. Buccini co-founded and is co-owner of Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union.

Mr. Buccini is Chairman of the Wilmington Housing Partnership, a non-for-profit developer that is one of the region’s leading home builders, member of the Board of Directors for the Vice President of the United States Residence Foundation, member of the Board of Trustees for Delaware State University and the Nature Conservancy of Delaware and a member of the Cornell University Council.

Prior to founding BPG, Mr. Buccini was employed by the New York City Economic Development Corporation. Mr. Buccini received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Cornell University.

Robert E. Clark II became the 17th President of Wesley College on July 15,
2015, after 32 years of distinguished service in the United States Navy’s
Submarine Force, including spending the last five years of his military career
serving in senior executive roles at two of our nation’s most prestigious
institutions of higher learning.

Prior to accepting the Presidency of Wesley College, he served as the Joint Service Coordinator at the Pennsylvania State University while also serving on Penn State’s Undergraduate Education Leadership Council, and guest lecturing at Penn State’s Schreyer Honors College Leadership Academy. The majority of President Clark’s past five years was spent at the United States Naval Academy, where he served as the 84th Commandant of Midshipmen.

During his 32 years of operational military service, President Clark served in some of the most challenging and highest visibility positions in the Submarine Force, including Commodore of Submarine Squadron FOUR, and Commanding Officer of the nuclear powered submarine USS CONNECTICUT (SSN 22). Considered a strategic visionary, expert tactician, and one of the most motivational leaders in the Submarine Force, his commands consistently led the way in retention, operational readiness, warfighting, and innovation.

Fully embracing servant leadership, President Clark fosters an environment of education,
empowerment, inspiration, and accountability, knowing full well that excellence stems from collaboration and teamwork. Additionally, he is a true believer that the foundation of our future is set by the framework of a well-balanced education and fostered by a sense and belief that learning is a lifelong process.

President Clark holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and a Master of Science degree in National Security Affairs from the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, California. Additionally, he was part of a select group of senior leaders selected to attend the Navy Corporate Business Course on Executive Management at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.

He and his wife, Ruth Ann Clark, live in the Annie Jump Cannon House with their two Golden Retrievers, Leonidas and Bliss. The Clarks have two adult sons, both of whom are Naval Officers. Andy is with Navy Special Forces (Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) Branch) and lives in San Diego, California, with his wife Sarah and their daughter Emilia. Their youngest son, Wes, is stationed on a Cruiser in Jacksonville, Florida.

Chief Robert J. Tracy has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience with New York Police Department, Chicago Police Department, and the Wilmington Department of Police.  He has held top executive law enforcement leadership positions in both New York City and in the City of Chicago. Since April 14, 2017, he has served as the Chief of Police for the City of Wilmington, Delaware.

Chief Tracy built a distinguished record of achievement and advancement through his positions with the New York Police Department. Chief Tracy was the Commander of a newly created Firearms and Suppression Division, responsible for the coordination of tasks across several units. He has also served as the Commander of the Firearms Investigation Unit, working with the Organized Crime Investigation Division and ATF/NYPD Joint Firearms Task Force. Chief Tracy has led the Violent Felony Squad, the NYPD/U.S. Marshal Regional Task Force, and supervised the Manhattan Warrant Squad.

In Chicago, Chief Tracy held the position as the principal Crime Control Strategist. In this capacity, Chief Tracy instituted various strategies that greatly affected the crime statistics. Some of the tools that he developed, implemented and maintained included the Comp Stat process, the Chicago Police Crime Information Center (CPIC), which consists of worldwide terror/threat real-time intelligence and long-term intelligence gathering, and the Gang Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS), resulting in a significant decrease in gang related violent crime. Additionally, he instituted the Two Degrees of Association violent offender hot list, Custom Notification Program, and Link Analysis for tracking crime. During his time with the Chicago Police Department, his strategies resulted in the lowest murder rate in 50 years, a 37% reduction in overall crime during a 5-year period, and the lowest overall crime rate since 1972, for the city of Chicago, Illinois.

As the Chief of Police for the Wilmington Department of Police, Chief Tracy continued the course with his strategies. He has created and instituted the CompStat process along with developing and streamlining the department’s methods for Intelligence Based Policing. Chief Tracy has also implemented the Group Violence Reduction Strategy with guidance from David Kennedy from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. Since his arrival in Wilmington, the city has experienced a 60% reduction in shootings, a 31% reduction in murders and an overall 13% reduction in crime.

Chief Tracy has also served in the private sector, as Vice President of Security Services for Summit Security Services on Long Island and Vice President/Global Crisis Response Manager in the Office of Business Continuity for CitiGroup in New York City.

Chief Tracy holds a Master’s in Public Administration from Marist College and a Bachelor of Arts in History from SUNY, Empire State College, and has received professional training in various topics. He is currently a member of the Delaware Police Chiefs’ Association, Kiwanis Club of Wilmington, Delaware, and Downtown Visions Board of Directors, as well as numerous other groups and boards.

He has been the recipient of many distinguished awards, including Pi Alpha Alpha National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration; Police Foundation Dale Hummerdinger Award; Numerous Excellent Police Duty Awards; Meritorious Police Duty, and Unit Citations.  Chief Tracy was born in the Bronx, New York City, NY, is married, and has five children.  He currently resides in Wilmington, Delaware.

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.

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.

Rodger has been a member of the WSFS Executive Management team since joining the Company in 2006. He has held several leadership roles at WSFS including: Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Operating Officer from July 2017 to December 2018, EVP and Chief Corporate Development Officer from June 2016 to July 2017, interim EVP and Chief Financial Officer from April 2015 to June 2016, and EVP and Chief Commercial Banking Officer from November 2006 to April 2015.

Prior to his WSFS tenure, Rodger was a Senior Vice President at Citizens Bank—from 2003 to 2006—and a member of its regional senior leadership team. He began his banking career in 1986 in Philadelphia at CoreStates Financial (now part of Wells Fargo) where he led several business units over 17 years.

An active member of the Greater Delaware Valley community, Rodger lends his experience and expertise to several local not-for-profit and public-private organizations that promote economic development, affordable housing, and access to quality education for children. His community service spans memberships on several Boards of Directors, including The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, the United Way of Delaware. He also serves as a member of the Delaware Business Roundtable. An Executive Board Member of The Wilmington Alliance, Rodger also champions the revitalization and economic growth of Wilmington, Del.,where WSFS was founded and remains headquartered. Rodger was the Chairman of the Delaware Bankers Association from 2014 to 2016 and served its Board from 2011-2016.

A native of Broomall, Pa., Rodger earned a Master of Business Administration from Drexel University and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Temple University. He reinforced his leadership experiences with certifications from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Center for Creative Leadership, and Harvard Business School.

Rodger and his family reside in Greenville, Delaware.

Roshni Guerry, M.D. is a triple board certified physician. As a palliative care provider, she is passionate about providing excellent symptom management to patients living with serious illness, whatever the stage or underlying disease. Dr Guerry recognizes the need for more honest, compassionate communication in health care and to that end; she has completed specialized training with the acclaimed education group Vital Talk. She now serves as a faculty member and is a facilitator locally and nationally for the Vital Talk team.

Dr. Guerry holds a degree in chemistry from Williams College.  She then completed her medical degree at University of Rochester School of Medicine in 2006. She continued her training at University of Rochester to complete a combined Internal Medicine and Pediatric Residency followed by a fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

She was named the Delaware Quality of Life Committee’s “Outstanding Physician in Palliative Care” for 2018, and was selected to the Delaware Business Times “40 Under 40” in 2016.

Dr Guerry is the Assistant Secretary of the Delaware Theatre Company Board, and an Advisory Board Member for Autism Delaware.

Rep. Ruth Briggs King is the 37th District Representative and has served the area since a Special Election in 2009. She is a gifted and engaging presenter, as well as a consultant for not-for-profit organizations and strategic human resources. She has an extensive resume in a variety of fields including medical, education, banking and finance with an emphasis on leadership, organizational development, and strategic planning. Ruth is known for her honesty, straight forwardness, problem-solving abilities, and her focus on issues to get results. She has accepted major assignments in the Legislature, tackling Workers’ Compensative Reform, Prevailing Wage Reform, Financial Literacy, the Structural Revenue Review Task Force, the Mental Health Task Force, and educational funding task force. Ruth initiated legislative action on opiate and heroin issues in Delaware by bringing attention to substance-exposed infants. Ruth also serves on the newly formed Autonomous Vehicle Task Force,
as well as continuing to serve on not-for-profit boards including the University of Delaware’s Sea Grant board, Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition advisory board, and the Cancer Consortium.

In 2017, Ruth was invited to attend three significant leader events outside of Delaware: Civility Training in Hyannis Port, MA, Legislative Leadership at the Fels Institute with the Council of State Governments, and the National Foundation for Women Legislators, where she serves as the State Director for Delaware.

As a strong advocate on many issues, she also maintains a busy local schedule in order to be accessible and accountable to her constituents. Ruth is married to Stanley King and they have two adult sons and six grandchildren. The latest arrival, Sawyer Renee, was born on January 12, 2018.

A principled business strategist with the powerful ability to recognize viable business markets and growth
opportunities, Santosh Viswanathan is an expert at implementing techniques to grow revenues, nurture
opportunities, increase customer satisfaction, grow market share, and deliver profit improvements. Santosh
was the Time Magazine Quality Dealer Award nominee to represent the Delaware Auto Dealers at National Auto
Dealers Association in 2020.

In 2020, Mr. Viswanathan was awarded an open point in Seaford, DE by Stellantis to represent the Chrysler,
Dodge, Jeep and RAM brands. He successfully launched a new business in a market that had not had Stellantis
representation in a couple of decades. When Covid-19 hit, right as the business was launching, Mr.
Viswanathan used his 25 years of automobile experience to keep sales growing and maintained high levels of
customer satisfaction while generating a profit in his first year of operating a new business. Lakeshore Chrysler
Dodge Jeep RAM has since had a steady increase in revenues, customer loyalty plus high levels of customer
satisfaction in the Washington region.

In 2018, Mr. Viswanathan launched the web Portal, www.20groupdealertrades.com to capitalize on a major
dislocation in the market place to facilitate disposal of aged pre-owned inventory. The Portal has allowed
franchised auto dealers in the U.S. to trade pre-owned inventory amongst each other. A first of its kind, auto
dealers have been actively engaging on this Portal and relying less on the traditional auctions by dealing direct
and saving money. Santosh Viswanathan was profiled in the 2019-2020 Innovation Delaware magazine as an
entrepreneur who has harnessed technology to lower barriers, streamline business processes and cut costs.
In 2004, Mr. Viswanathan partnered with a former colleague and became the Managing Partner of Willis Ford
in Smyrna, DE. Since that time, Santosh has led the company to record results having almost doubled sales. He
has led the automation of business processes, increased customer sales and service satisfaction scores above the
national average, and implemented e-initiatives that account for 90% of sales.

Santosh served on the Board of the Philadelphia Ford Dealer Advertising Fund. He is the Chairman of the
Legislative Committee of the Delaware Auto Dealers Association.

Sarah Schenck, M.D., FACP is the Clinical Director of Practice Transformation for Primary Care and Community Medicine at ChristianaCare (CC).   In this role, she is responsible for optimizing clinical operations and infusing innovation into the 20 plus primary care practices within the system.  She is a strong believer in team-based and patient-centered care.  Under her leadership, ChristianaCare became the first in the state to earn the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) certification as a multi-site Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) in 2013.

Prior to returning to her home state of Delaware in 2007, Dr. Schenck worked as primary care physician in Boston, Massachusetts where she served as Clinical Instructor at Harvard Medical School. Her passion for teaching primary care to medical students and residents evolved, and she ultimately became the Medical Director of the Internal Medicine Resident and Faculty clinic at CC as well as the Section Chief for Ambulatory Medicine before being promoted to her current position.  Today, Dr. Schenck practices primary care at Wilson Primary Care at Christina Care and remains dedicated to improving primary care for patients, learners and caregivers.

Dr. Schenck earned a B.A. as an Echols Scholar at the University of Virginia. She earned her Medical Degree at Jefferson Medical College and then completed her residency training in Internal Medicine/Women’s Health at the Medical College of Virginia.

Sen. Marie Pinkney represents the 13th District, which stretches from the Christiana River south to Red Lion Road and encompasses dozens of neighborhoods along Route 13.

Raised by her great aunt in Wilmington and New Castle, Pinkney graduated from Howard High School of Technology. She earned her bachelor’s degree in social work from Norfolk State University and a master’s degree in social work from Delaware State University.

After graduate school, she began working at a treatment center for adolescents with mental health and substance abuse issues. She also became the foster mother to a teen mother and her young son for many years.

Sen. Pinkney currently works as a trauma social worker/case manager in ChristinaCare’s Surgical Intensive Care Unit, where she provides advocacy, discharge planning services and emotional support for patients and families. She has dedicated her career to advocating alongside families seeking quality healthcare, access to resources, educational support, and government policies that support them.

Sen. Pinkney became the first African American LGBTQ+ person ever elected to the Delaware Senate in 2020. She is dedicated to fighting the negative impacts of racial and socioeconomic inequalities, as well as the stigmas and hurdles faced by formerly justice-involved individuals and those with limited educational backgrounds.

She currently serves as chair of the Senate Corrections & Public Safety Committee, and vice chair of the Senate Legislative Oversight & Sunset Committee, the Senate Housing Committee and the Senate Agriculture Committee. She is also a member of the Senate Health Committee and the Senate Environment & Energy Committee.

She lives in Bear with her 3-year-old German Shepherd Gandhi and her 12-year-old cat Lilly.

Senator Sarah McBride represents the First State Senate District, which includes Claymont, Bellefonte, and parts of Edgemoor and Wilmington.

Raised in Wilmington in the First Senate District, she graduated from Cab Calloway School of the Arts and American University.

She has been involved in community advocacy for most of her life, including working for former Governor Jack Markell, the late Attorney General Beau Biden, and as a White House intern during the Obama Administration. Most recently, she served as a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ equal rights organization.

Prior to her service in the State Senate, McBride led the successful effort to pass a landmark non-discrimination law in Delaware, worked with state leaders to expand health care covered by Medicaid, and championed legislation protecting vulnerable youth from child abuse.

McBride has taught public policy at the University of Delaware and is the author of the 2018 memoir, “Tomorrow Will Be Different.”

For her work and advocacy, former Gov. Markell awarded McBride the Order of the First State, making her one of the youngest Delawareans granted the state’s highest civilian honor. When McBride was elected in November 2020, succeeding former state Senator Harris B. McDowell III, she became the first openly transgender state senator in American history.

As a state senator, McBride is committed to fighting for health care for all, strong public schools for every child, good paying jobs with real benefits for Delaware’s families, and safe communities where each resident is treated with dignity.

Sarah married her late husband Andrew Cray in 2014 and is the proud aunt of Juliette, Theo, Bennett, Sydney, Ben and Addison.

Senator Lawson was born on October 29, 1946, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, the tenth of eleven children.
Lawson and his siblings were raised on a farm in the Allegheny Mountains.

He enlisted in the United States Air Force and completed a tour of duty in Vietnam before being
honorably discharged in 1969. After he retired from the Air Force, Lawson settled in Harrington,
Delaware where he served as a volunteer with the Harrington Fire Company.

Senator Lawson began a career in law enforcement as a policeman with the Milford Police Department.
He sought and received a transfer to the Delaware State Police where he became a State Trooper in 1973.
He retired in 1992 and served as a Delaware State Police Range Instructor and as the Lieutenant of the
Special Operations Response Team. Lawson attended Glendale Community College, Delaware
Technical Community College, and the Delaware State Police Academy.
Following his time as a Delaware State Policeman, Senator Lawson owned and operated Shooter’s
Choice, a firearm distributor in Dover, Delaware.

Senator Lawson was first elected in 2010 and is currently serving his third term

Dr. Ernesto B. “Ernie” López is a Delaware State Senator serving the 6th District which includes Dewey Beach, Harbeson, Lewes, Milton, Rehoboth and surrounding areas.

Senator López made history in 2012 becoming the first Hispanic American elected to the Delaware State Senate.  Senator López came to Delaware as a young child from Puerto Rico with his parents and has lived in the “First State” for over 40 years. He holds a B.A. from Gettysburg College and an E.dD. in Educational Leadership from the University of Delaware where he has worked for over two decades.

Senator López currently serves on the following Senate and joint legislative committees:

• Education
• Elections & Government Affairs
• Finance
• Transportation

In 2015, Senator López drafted the landmark legislative bill: Riley’s Law, allowing children access to physician prescribed medicinal cannabis. The law is named after Rylie Maedler, a constituent of Senator López from Rehoboth Beach. In 2018, Senator López was the prime sponsor of Senate Bill 200, an internationally recognized piece of legislation, banning offshore drilling and seismic testing from the coast of Delaware. In 2020, Senator López joined as a co-prime sponsor of Senate Bill 191, the first leg of an amendment to Delaware’s Constitution, prohibiting discrimination based on race, color or national identity.

Nationally, Senator López has been called to lead alongside elected officials from across the United States.  He currently serves the Eastern Region of the Council of State Governments as chair of the Education Committee and on the Executive Committee of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators as Vice-Chair of the Healthcare Taskforce. In Delaware, the Senator serves on the Advisory Council of the Delaware Cancer Consortium and the Redding Consortium for Educational Equity.

Senator López takes great pride in constituent service and his reputation in the General Assembly as a consensus-builder and bipartisan problem solver, is valued statewide.  Senator López is active in supporting the many nonprofit and volunteer organizations in the 6th District. Among his most recent accomplishments, Senator López, working alongside Speaker of the House Pete Schwartzkopf, successfully repurposed the former Troop 7 barracks of the Delaware State Police into the only Code Purple cold weather homeless shelter in Eastern Sussex County.

The Senator lives in Lewes and is the father of two daughters, both of whom attend local public schools in the Cape Henlopen School District.  He worships at St. Edmond Roman Catholic Church in Rehoboth Beach.

Sen. Nicole Poore represents the 12th Senate District, which includes most of New Castle and Bear, all of
Delaware City and communities south of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal, including Whitehall,
Bayberry and others.

Raised in New Castle’s Jefferson Farms community, Sen. Poore graduated from St. Elizabeth’s High
School in 1990 and later earned an associate degree in criminal justice from Delaware Technical
Community College and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Wilmington University.
She joined her brother in building a successful healthcare staffing startup that was later sold to Welsch
Carson, one of the largest investment firms in the United States. Sen. Poore then became a senior client
services manager for Agile 1, where she handled workforce solutions for the DuPont Co. She also served
as a member of the Delaware Juvenile Justice Advisory Board, volunteered the Rape Crisis Center and
served as Exceptional Care for Children’s director of development. She is currently the president of Jobs
for Delaware Graduates, a nonprofit that helps students connect with sustainable, skills-based career
opportunities.
Sen. Poore’s interest in government policy began after the birth of her oldest son Nicholas, who was
diagnosed cerebral palsy. Her activism in the special-needs community led to a successful 2012 bid for
state Senate. Following her unchallenged bid for reelection in 2016, Sen. Poore was selected to serve as
Senate Majority Whip by her peers. She then served as Senate Majority Leader from 2019 to 2021.
Sen. Poore currently chairs the Joint Capital Improvement Committee and serves as vice chair of both the
Senate Health & Social Services Committee and the Senate Labor Committee. She also sits on the Senate
Elections & Government Affairs Committee.
Sen. Poore serves as a member of the Human Trafficking Interagency Coordinating Council, the
Domestic Violence Coordinating Council, the Utilities Coordination Council and the Riverfront
Development Corporation.
She and her husband Billy live in New Castle with their three children.

Elizabeth “Tizzy” Lockman was elected to the State Senate in November 2018 and represents
communities in and surrounding central and west Wilmington. Her district is one of the most diverse
and densely populated in Delaware. She was raised in Wilmington’s Cool Spring neighborhood.
Sen. Lockman has long been an advocate for education reform, originally through her local Parent
Teacher Association and then as a member of the Wilmington Education Advisory Committee (WEAC).
When WEAC established the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission (WEIC) – which
focused on better serving Wilmington’s public school students through equity-focused funding –
Lockman became the group’s Vice Chair.

Sen. Lockman entered community service through Public Allies Delaware in 2004, where she served as
Program Manager for the Hearts & Minds Film Initiative of Serviam Media. When her daughter
enrolled in kindergarten at Highlands Elementary School, Sen. Lockman joined the Parent Teacher
Association and served as the group’s president from 2010-2013.

Sen. Lockman continues to fight for reforming public education, most recently leading a grassroots
organizing effort to develop community leadership on this issue as the director of the Parent Advisory
Council on Education (PACE) initiative at the Christina Cultural Arts Center. The initiative pursues a
vision to improve effective participation in the public education system to strengthen it for students
living in the city of Wilmington with a focus on building recognized parent leadership, driven by local
outreach and a community-built advocacy agenda.

Sen. Lockman was elected by her peers as Senate Majority Whip, in 2021 and chair of the Senate
Transportation Committee and Senate Rules & Ethics committee, vice chair of the Education
Committee and serves on the Senate Executive committee. She also serves as co-chair of the Redding
Consortium for Education Equity, which is developing ways the Delaware Department of Education
and the General Assembly can improve outcomes for students in Wilmington and Northern New Castle
County.

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.

Shawn M. Garvin joined Governor John Carney’s cabinet in March 2017 as Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, leading the agency tasked with protecting and managing Delaware’s natural resources, protecting public health, providing outdoor recreational opportunities and educating Delawareans about the environment.

Secretary Garvin's career in intergovernmental affairs spans more than 25 years at the federal, state, and local levels. In November 2009, he was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as Administrator of Region 3 for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), overseeing the agency’s work in the Mid-Atlantic, which includes Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia.

Before he was named regional administrator, Secretary Garvin served as the senior state and congressional liaison for EPA Region 3, providing counsel to agency leadership on complex public health and environmental matters. Prior to his service with the EPA, he served as an aide to then-U.S. Senator Joe Biden, and also was executive assistant to former New Castle County Executive Dennis Greenhouse.

Secretary Garvin is a Delaware native and graduate of the University of Delaware.

Sheila Bravo is President and CEO of DANA, a nonprofit membership organization whose mission is to strengthen, enhance, and advance nonprofits and the nonprofit sector in Delaware through advocacy, training, capacity building, and research.

Sheila joined DANA in 2015 after serving as Executive Director of the Rehoboth Art League, a Delaware arts education nonprofit.  Prior to that, she provided board training, strategic planning, new product development and marketing consulting to small businesses, nonprofits and faith-based organizations. During this time, she served as an adjunct professor in higher education with Cedar Crest College, DeSales University, Executive MBA program and Wilmington University.

She began her career in advertising, then held several marketing leadership positions, innovating for global consumer brands such as Vlasic Pickles, Godiva Chocolatier, Pyrex Bakeware, Corningware Ovenware and Corelle Dinnerware.  Throughout her time, she was an active volunteer, and valued the passion and purpose of the many nonprofits in which she worked.  Her interests in nonprofits, led her to pursue a doctorate in leadership, specializing in non-profit governance.

Bravo has a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, an MBA in International Business from Thunderbird School of Global Management, and a BS in Business and Languages from Millersville University.

In August 2016, the Town's Mayor and Council voted unanimously to have Sheldon P. Hudson, the former assistant town manager, replace the long-serving and retired Faye L. Lingo as the municipality's chief administrative officer. A Sussex County native, Hudson's other previous experience includes serving as the director of risk management and human resources generalist for Trinity Logistics of Seaford, as a senior fiscal and policy analyst in the State of Delaware Office of Management and Budget, as an adjunct economics instructor at Delaware Tech in Georgetown, and as a fiscal analyst in the Queen Anne's County (MD Eastern Shore) Office of Budget, Finance, and Information Technology.

After attending Indian River School District schools, Hudson earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) and a master's in government from Regent University. In addition, he has 30 undergraduate credits in business administration from IWU and 12 doctoral credits in organizational leadership from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore-where Hudson was a member of the institution's chapter of the Golden Key International Honor Society.

Shelly Cecchett became the Executive Director of the Greater Kent Committee a second time in 2008.
She has worked in the nonprofit arena more than 30 years including serving as the Executive Director of
the New Year’s Eve celebration of the arts First Night Dover.

Shelly has served on many boards and committees over the years with a primary focus on serving
Central Delaware. Most recently, she has served on the executive committees of the Kent Economic
Partnership and DE Turf, is chair of the DRJC Wealth Creation Committee, and volunteers on the
nomination committee for the United Way.

As the executive director of the Greater Kent Committee, Shelly oversaw the creation of two 501c3
organizations; the CenDel Foundation and the DE Turf, helped secure the funds to purchase and
renovate the CenDel Community Service Building in the heart of Dover, participated in the
restructuring of the Kent Economic Partnership and currently serves on many community taskforces
including Ready in 6! and Delaware Work-Based Learning subcommittee.

Stephanie Smith Christiano is a native of Owings, Maryland but has called Delaware home for over 25 years. After graduating from Wesley College with degrees in Accounting and Business Administration, Stephanie joined Merrill Lynch in 1998. Subsequently, Stephanie received her MBA from Wilmington University. Professionally, Stephanie is the Delaware South Jersey market Sales Manager and she is a certified financial planner certificant, a designation awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.

She serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for Delaware Hospice and the First State Ballet Theatre. Additionally, she serves as the Secretary of Wesley College’s Board of Trustees and the President of the Hope Medical Clinic Board. Stephanie lives in Clayton, Delaware with her husband, Derrick and their daughter, Madison.

During his 32 years of operational military service, President Clark served in some of the most challenging and highest visibility positions in the Submarine Force, including Commodore of Submarine Squadron FOUR, and Commanding Officer of the nuclear powered submarine USS CONNECTICUT (SSN 22). Considered a strategic visionary, expert tactician, and one of the most motivational leaders in the Submarine Force, his commands consistently led the way in retention, operational readiness, warfighting, and innovation.

Steven H. Stein, MD is the Chief Medical Officer at Incyte Corporation. In this role, Dr. Stein’s primary responsibility is leading all the medical and scientific activities involving clinical development, clinical operations, pharmacovigilance, clinical pharmacology, scientific communications and medical affairs at Incyte.

Dr. Stein previously worked at Novartis Oncology as the Senior Vice President and Head of U.S. Clinical Development and Medical Affairs and prior to that at GlaxoSmithKline as Vice President, Global Oncology, Clinical Development and also as Head of Medicines Development for Hematology and Supportive Care.

Dr. Stein earned his MBBCH from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. He has authored more than 100 scientific papers and presentations and is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.  Dr. Stein is also an active member of several professional and scientific societies and academic committees.

Stuart Comstock-Gay has spent his career addressing issues of community, civic engagement, democracy and civil rights. Since February 2016, he has served as president and CEO of the Delaware Community Foundation. Both at the DCF, and in his prior position as president & CEO of the Vermont Community Foundation, he has focused on increasing the impact of philanthropic resources by using data and information, convening, and a deep commitment to strengthening civil society.

Prior to joining the VCF, Stuart worked in state legislatures across the country to reduce barriers to voter registration and to encourage broad civic engagement, first as executive director of the National Voting Rights Institute in Boston and then as democracy program director at New York City based Dēmos. Stuart also spent seven years in leadership positions with the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and 14 years with the ACLU, including 10 as executive director of the Maryland affiliate.

He serves as the chair of Mission Investors Exchange—the nation’s leading impact investing organization serving foundations; and on the boards of CFLeads (an organization dedicated to helping community foundations expand their leadership work) and PACE (Philanthropy Active for Civic Engagement). He also serves on the Board and executive committee of the Wilmington Leaders Alliance, and the boards of the Rodel Foundation of Delaware and United Way of Delaware. He served on the adjunct faculty at Marlboro College Graduate School, teaching about nonprofit leadership, has written for numerous national publications, been a regular radio commentator, and spoken before hundreds of audiences on a wide range of foundation, democracy, voting rights and civil liberties issues. Stuart holds a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Bucknell University.

Susan Bunting, a long-time Delaware educator and former superintendent of the Indian River School District, is Delaware’s Secretary of Education. Prior to joining Governor John Carney’s Cabinet in January 2017, Bunting led Indian River, one of the state’s largest school districts serving more than
10,000 students, for more than a decade.

After teaching in Maryland for several years, she joined Indian River in 1977 as a middle school language arts teacher, later teaching gifted education. She was named Indian River’s Teacher of the Year in 1985. She served as Supervisor of Elementary Instruction then Director of Instruction before being named superintendent in 2006. Delaware’s 2012 Superintendent of the Year, she also was one of four finalists for the American Association of School Administrators’ National Superintendent of the Year award.

She has served on and led numerous state committees, including the DPAS II Advisory Committee, Vision 2015 Implementation Committee, Governor’s ESSA Advisory Committee and Delaware STEM Advisory Council, among many others. She also served as president of the Delaware Chief School
Officer Association.

Bunting, a former adjunct faculty member at University of Delaware and Wilmington University, earned her Bachelor of Arts in K-8 education and psychology from the American University in Washington, D.C. followed by a master’s degree in education from Salisbury State University and her
educational doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Delaware.

Tariq Hook serves as the Co-Founder of Code Differently. He previously served as the Director of Technology and Education for Zip Code Wilmington Coding School. Zip Code is a nonprofit technical program that focuses on creating educational pathways to technology positions for non-traditional
diverse candidates. In his role, he is responsible for leading the educational staff, and developing the curriculum for all the programs offered.

He is also a member of the advisory board and technical lead for Open Bracket Delaware. Open Bracket is a nonprofit organization that holds an annual event centered around technology, software development and competition. Open Bracket’s goal is to brand Delaware as a desirable destination for
developers and technologist around the United States, to relocate to for professional opportunities.

Prior to his current roles located in Delaware, he spent 15 years as a software engineer in Philadelphia. In addition to software engineering, he also worked for five years as a Teacher for Temple University’s College of Engineering MESA program. In his role working for Temple, he was responsible for creating curriculum and programs for minority high school and college freshman students, to get them interested in STEM majors and careers.

Tatiana Poladko is the founder and CEO of TeenSHARP, an organization that prepares talented African American and Latino youth to attend and thrive at our nation’s top colleges. Launched in 2009 in Camden, NJ, TeenSHARP now serves hundreds of students and parents across the State of Delaware and in Philadelphia and South Jersey. Every year at least 95% of TeenSHARP scholars gain admission into the nation’s top colleges (i.e. Cornell University, Yale University, Swarthmore College, Smith College, Brandeis University, University of Delaware, to name a few) and nearly 100% of scholars persisting and on track to graduation in college. In this way, TeenSHARP is dramatically expanding the diverse talent pipeline in Delaware and beyond.

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.

Judge Martin concentrates his law practice on mediation and arbitration and on business counseling, particularly in the areas of telecommunications, public utilities and governmental relations.

Prior to joining the firm, Josh was President and Chief Executive Officer of Verizon Delaware from 1996 until early 2005, where he was responsible for all aspects of its telecommunications business within the state of Delaware, including regulatory, financial and operational matters. He first joined Verizon's
predecessor (Bell Atlantic) in Delaware in 1990 as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary. Prior to that, Josh was a Delaware Superior Court Judge for eight years. Earlier, he served on the Delaware Public Service Commission from 1978 to 1982, including three years as Chairman. A physicist by training, Josh began his legal career as a patent attorney for Hercules, Inc. from 1974 to 1982.

Michael H. Vincent serves as the 1st district councilman on the five-member Sussex County Council, representing portions of western Sussex County, including the Bethel, Blades, Bridgeville, Laurel and Seaford areas. Since his election to County government in 2008, Mr. Vincent has served as vice president and is the current president of the County Council. A native of Seaford, Mr. Vincent is a former Seaford City Council member, as well as a past chief, past president and lifetime member of the Seaford Volunteer Fire Department, and a one-time president of the Delaware Volunteer Firefighters Association. Mr. Vincent considers public safety, land use and fostering economic development opportunities among his top priorities. Mr. Vincent and his wife, Elaine, live in Seaford and are the parents of a grown daughter and grandparents to three grandchildren.

Bryan Townsend is the unabashedly proud father of Logan (3) and Landon (1), and the tremendously lucky husband of Lilianna.  If market demand is any indicator, Bryan is a talented reader of children’s bedtime stories.

Bryan also is the Majority Leader of the Delaware State Senate, where he has represented the south Newark area since 2012 and been recognized for a strong legislative work ethic.  His focus has been on health care, including: solving Delaware’s primary health care crisis; protecting women’s reproductive rights; expanding insurance coverage for fertility care; and establishing adult dental care under Medicaid.  Bryan also has led on: criminal justice reform (including transitioning away from cash bail, and reforming juvenile sentencing and expungement); the role of student testing in educator evaluations; driving cards for undocumented Delawareans; and clean water infrastructure.  Formerly the chair of the Senate Health Committee, Bryan now is the chair of the new Senate Housing Committee and is undertaking several initiatives on housing policy.  He also is a co-chair of the Healthy States National Task Force organized by The Council of State Governments, and was an inaugural recipient of the national CSG 20 Under 40 Leadership Award.

A former law clerk for the Delaware Court of Chancery, Bryan is a corporate litigator at Morris James LLP in Wilmington, where he also has served as an attorney for children in foster care and victims of domestic violence and was named a Business Litigation Rising Star by Delaware Super Lawyers from 2018-2020.  The son of a retired police officer and retired public high school teacher, Bryan is a graduate of Glasgow High School, the University of Delaware, the University of Cambridge, and Yale Law School.

Born and raised in Dunlieth with sister Paula Seeney, son of Arlene Cooke, a Colonial School District Secretary, and Franklin Cooke, a Longshoreman. One son Franklin D. Cooke III and one Grandson Gavin Cooke.

Graduate of DeLaWarr High, Cheyney State, retired New Castle County Police Officer, Executive Assistant for New Castle County Executive Thomas P. Gordon, investigator for Office of Defense Services.

Mayor Clifton moved to Newark in 1992 and won his first term on Council in 1997. He served 19 years on Council from 1997-2014 and 2017-2019 with nine of those years as Deputy Mayor. In 2019, Mayor Clifton was elected to his first term in his current position.

Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester represents Delaware in the U.S. House of Representatives and serves as an Assistant Whip for House Leadership. Lisa sits on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The committee has broad jurisdiction over health care, the environment, commerce and trade, energy policy, telecommunications, manufacturing, and consumer protection.

As the Energy and Commerce Committee’s only former statewide health official, Lisa understands health care from a number of different perspectives – as an implementer at the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, negotiator while serving as State Personnel Director, and advocate as CEO of the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League. Lisa is focused on reducing the cost of health care and prescription drugs for middle-class families, addressing the disparity in outcomes for communities of color, and tackling our nation’s opioid and addiction epidemic. She serves as a Member of the Bipartisan Heroin Task Force, comprised of more than 100 members united with the common goal of tackling opioid addiction.

Lisa is a leading voice in Congress on economic and future of work-related issues. As former Secretary of Labor and State Personnel Director, Lisa leverages her professional experience to advocate for legislation that boosts start-up business growth, removes barriers for citizens re-entering society, and addresses college affordability and ballooning student debt. She is a Member of the New Democrat Coalition’s Future of Work Taskforce and serves as the sole Member of Congress on the Aspen Institute’s National Advisory Council for the Future of Work Initiative. She is also the founder of the Congressional Future of Work Caucus.

In the 115th Congress, Lisa was a member of the House Committee on Agriculture – the first Delawarean to serve on the committee in over 120 years. In this role, she helped craft the 2018 Farm Bill, which is a five-year re-authorization that extends U.S. Department of Agriculture programs related to the farm safety net; nutrition programs that feed children, seniors, people with disabilities, and families who rely on the social support programs; land-grant and 1890 universities; and agriculture research.

As a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and a strong proponent of reforming our criminal justice system, Lisa introduced first-in-the-nation legislation, the Clean Slate Act, sealing the federal records of former nonviolent offenders that remain crime-free and have earned a second chance. This bill would provide new opportunities for Americans to earn a good-paying job, pursue education and training, and rent or own a home. According to estimates by the Center for American Progress, the passage of the Clean Slate Act could boost the U.S. economy by as much as $87 billion per year.

Traveling up and down the state, Lisa is an advocate for the needs of every community, which informs her work in Washington. Having met with homeowners in the South Shore Marina development in North Bethany Beach, she learned of an error in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s coastal mapping unit for the town – preventing homeowners from taking advantage of the National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA aid in the event of a disaster. Turning their concerns into action, Lisa reached across the aisle to work with Democrats and Republicans across the country with similarly affected mapping units and introduced the Strengthening Coastal Communities Act. She worked with allies in Delaware and Washington to help usher this critical piece of legislation into law – aiding homeowners and setting aside hundreds of acres for environmental protection.

With deep roots in the First State, Lisa grew up in Wilmington, graduated from Padua Academy, and worked her first job at the McDonald’s on Market Street. She graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University with a degree in International Relations and put herself through graduate school as a working mom – earning a master’s degree in Urban Affairs and Public Policy from the University of Delaware.

Lisa began her distinguished career in public service as an intern and later Caseworker in a congressional office where she helped Delawareans with their Social Security benefits, disability insurance claims, IRS disputes, and housing needs. Lisa would go on to serve in the cabinets of two Delaware governors and as CEO of the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League – an action-oriented, public policy research think-tank.  Lisa also served as the Senior Executive Leadership and Systems Manager for the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston where she advocated for people with disabilities in their struggle for equal opportunity and civil rights. During this time, Lisa helped expand the Institute’s global footprint and advised state agencies and employers. In part due to Lisa’s work, she helped build the Institute into a fully-fledged college at the university, the School for Global Inclusion and Social Development — focused on the inclusion of all people.

Lisa currently resides in Wilmington, Delaware near her adult-aged children, Alex and Alyssa, as well as her daughter-in-law, Ebony.

Thère is President of the Longwood Foundation, a private foundation principally supporting charitable organizations in the state of Delaware and southern Chester County, Pennsylvania.  He currently serves on the boards of DuPont, WSFS, and Burris Logistics.  He is Board Chair of both the Pete du Pont Freedom Foundation and Community Education Building.  In 2007 and 2008, he served as Senior Vice President, Operations and Chief Financial Officer of drugstore.com, a leading online provider of health, beauty, vision and pharmacy products.  Prior to that, Mr. du Pont served as President and Chief Financial Officer of Wawa, Inc., a chain of food markets on the east coast.  He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s in Business Administration from Stanford University.

Tom Horne is Managing Director and Head of Card Operations, Customer Service and New Customer Engagement in Chase’s Card Services business.  Tom leads more than 14,000 team members operating in 14 service centers across the U.S, Philippines, and India.  He is responsible for Consumer, Business and Commercial Card Operations, Card Fair Lending, and ADA. Tom also serves as the firm’s Market Leader for the Delaware location.

Tom serves on the JPMorgan Chase Diversity and Inclusion council, co-chairs the Consumer and Community Banking council, and is Executive Sponsor of the firm’s Black Organization for Leadership Development (BOLD) business resource group for the Mid-Atlantic.

Tom joined Chase in 2012 with 23 years of experience in financial services leading operational teams across businesses, functions and geographies. Prior to joining Chase, Tom spent 17 years with MBNA, and six years with Bank of America where he led a number of functions including credit, customer service, collections, fraud, and consumer finance. He also has career experience in business development, including new product launches, national sales, relationship management, and portfolio acquisitions.

Tom holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from the University of Delaware. He remains actively involved with the university, serving on the Advisory Board of the Lerner Business College, and as a member of the Executive Mentors-Scholars program. He also serves on the William Penn Advisory Board, is a past president and current Board member for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Delaware.

In this pivotal role of company President, Mr. Hanna directs the management of all company operations and strategic opportunities. Mr. Hanna’s leads the strategic planning and execution of the Harvey Hanna companies.

Under the leadership of company Chairman, Thom Harvey, Mr. Hanna has directed the company’s portfolio growth from a modest 30,000 square feet of total space in 1996 to its current scale of over 6 million square feet of space. Mr. Hanna has orchestrated hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of leasing, institutional financing, redevelopment and acquisitions over the span of over two decades. Of note, the Harvey Hanna companies experienced in excess of 1.5 million square feet of lease renewals between 2009 and 2014, during which period the company maintained a 97.8% occupancy rate. In 2008, Mr. Hanna created and established the Delaware KIDS Fund, a Harvey Hanna sponsored 501c-3 non-profit charitable organization designed to assist local area Kids in Distressed Situations. For many years, Mr. Hanna also loaned his expertise to the Centreville School’s annual capital campaign, and he helped advise this institution, a school for kids with learning differences.

Currently, Mr. Hanna sits on the Board of Directors at New Horizons (formerly Blackfeather Academy), and most recently retired as an original board member of the Newport Rowing Club, both local youth-based non-profit organizations. Mr. Hanna receives a great deal of enjoyment from his coaching of countless youth sports teams.

In 2011, Mr. Hanna was awarded The 2011 Entrepreneur of The Year by New Castle County Chamber of Commerce. He sits on the Delaware Council for ULI and is a Board Member of the Wilmington Renaissance Corporation.

Prior to joining Harvey Hanna, Mr. Hanna held various management and administrative positions with various Harvey solid waste enterprises. Mr. Hanna left USA Waste, Inc., later Waste Management Inc., (formerly Harvey & Harvey, Inc.) in 1998 to professionalize and facilitate growth in the Harvey real estate companies.

Serving as the fifth Executive Director in the Delaware River and Bay Authority’s history, Thomas J. Cook is the bi-state agency’s Chief Executive Officer and is responsible for the management and operations of the Delaware Memorial Bridge, the Cape May - Lewes Ferry, the Forts Ferry Crossing, five regional airports as well as economic development initiatives permitted by the Compact.

Mr. Cook started his career in the private sector as the comptroller for an automobile dealership. While pursuing a degree in accounting from the University of Delaware, he converted the company’s accounting records from a manual process to an electronic based format. Later he worked for Maryland Bank, N.A. as a financial recovery analyst.

Prior to taking the position of Executive Director, Mr. Cook served as Delaware’s Secretary of Finance in Governor Jack Markell’s administration. As the longest serving Secretary of Finance in Delaware’s history, Mr. Cook led the development and implementation of the state’s sports lottery system and was one of the major architects responsible for updating Delaware’s corporate tax laws to incentivize businesses to locate in Delaware.

During his nearly eight-year tenure, Delaware was one of only nine states to maintain a Triple A bond rating from all three major rating agencies. Mr. Cook also served as Deputy Secretary of Finance, Government Information Center Manager, and State Election Commissioner during his 25 years of state government service.

Mr. Cook is the president of the Greater Dover Boys and Girls club and resides in Kenton, Delaware.

Todd F. Lawson is Sussex County Administrator, the manager for all the County government's departments. The administrator is appointed by the elected County Council, and is, by Delaware statute, the chief administrative officer of the county.
The County Administrator attends meetings of the County Council, prepares and submits an annual budget, and carries out the policies and laws set forth by the County Council. In total, it is the responsibility of the County Administrator to oversee the day-to-day operations of the government, which now serves an estimated 220,000 residents, as well as millions of tourists, vacationers and guests every year.

Mr. Lawson is Sussex County's sixth administrator - and the first Sussex County native to hold the post - since the Delaware General Assembly granted Sussex County home rule in the early 1970s, converting the old Levy Court into the current Sussex County Council. Mr. Lawson began his tenure as County Administrator on Jan. 1, 2012. During his tenure, and with the support of County Council and staff, Mr. Lawson has made it a priority to streamline County processes, update technology and facilities, and improve transparency in government. Mr. Lawson continues to focus on the efficiency and effectiveness of the County’s operations to ensure staff have the tools they need to provide superior customer service.

A native of the county, Mr. Lawson was born in Milford and raised on the family farm in Harbeson. In fact, his family has deep roots in Sussex County, with the family tracing its ancestry here back to the late 1600s. His family continues to live in the area, working in local schools and operating the family farm.

Mr. Lawson's journey to the top appointed position in County government came by way of Washington, D.C., where most recently he worked for the communications and marketing firm Russ Reid Co., serving as a government relations consultant who worked on Capitol Hill to advocate for non-profit and municipal clients.

Prior to working at Russ Reid, Mr. Lawson was Deputy Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, where he was a chief liaison to Congress, responsible for managing personnel and coordinating several of the agency's programs. Mr. Lawson got his start working for a member of Congress from Ohio and, in total, spent nearly 14 years working in the federal government arena.

Mr. Lawson holds a law degree from George Mason University, as well as a bachelor's of science degree in agriculture business management with a minor in political science from the University of Delaware, where he was also a member of the football team. He is a graduate of Sussex Central High School in Georgetown, where his father served as a teacher for many years and where his brother continues the family's education tradition today.

Mr. Lawson resides outside Harbeson with his wife, Stacy, and their children, Cooper and Grier. When he is away from the office, Mr. Lawson enjoys boating, skiing and spending time with his extended family, including his parents Bob and Diana, as well as his brother Clifford and his wife Meg and their three children.

Committed to making Delaware State University the most diverse, contemporary Historically Black College/University (HBCU) in America, Tony Allen became the University’s 12th President in January 2020. With a clear mission to increase educational access and opportunity for all, the University is among the most consequential institutions in the nation, serving 5,000 students in the United States and, via international partnerships, in 23 countries worldwide.

The 1890 Land-Grant institution is home to four academic colleges and a burgeoning graduate school and is completing the acquisition of nearby Wesley College.

Tony manages a $140 MM budget, a $23 MM research portfolio, and a $40 MM endowment. He previously served as the University’s Executive Vice President and Provost, where he oversaw 220 professors in 18 academic departments.

Prior to his time at the University, Tony developed and led the corporate reputation group at Bank of America and was responsible for ongoing reputation analysis and related research. Tony also led communications for the bank’s largest divisions, including Consumer, Commercial Banking, and Wealth Management. He started his financial services career as an Executive Vice President at MBNA America.

Tony is the Founding President of the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League, Co-founder of Public Allies Delaware, and Chair Emeritus of the National Urban Fellows, widely viewed as the most prestigious fellowship for professionals in the public sector. He is also a member of the Economic and Community Advisory Council for the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.

Starting his career as speechwriter to then-United States Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Tony was tapped by the President- to lead the Presidential Inaugural Committee and to serve on the Advisory Board of the President’s Transition Team.

For his life’s work, Tony has been awarded many honors. Most notable among them is the Whitney M. Young Award for Advancing Racial Equality, the National Urban League’s highest honor; the Excellence in Education Award given by the Delaware Barristers Association; and Lifetime Achievement Awards from the National Urban Fellows and Public Allies.

Tony holds a B.A. in Political Science and a Ph.D. in Urban Affairs & Public Policy from the University of Delaware, as well as a Master of Public Administration from Baruch College (CUNY). He is the proud father of four fantastic children and life partner to his high school sweetheart, Ms. Tara Anderson.

Tracy Shickel is a collaborative leader known for her authenticity and ability to align diverse teams around common objectives that create meaningful impact. Her background includes extensive strategy development and commercial leadership with chemicals, biologics and advanced materials innovators such as Gore, DuPont, FMC, and Monsanto. Tracy founded GreenKite Marketing in 2009 to effectively leverage her success in business growth and value creation.

Tracy is a connector, supporter and facilitator of regional economic development and serves on various boards committed to creating vibrant communities including University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship (Chair – Advisory Board), the University Science Center’s Community Engagement Committee and PHLLife Congress.

Tracy earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing Management from the University of Delaware.

Trinidad Navarro was elected in 2016 as the State of Delaware’s 26th Insurance Commissioner. He was re-elected in 2020. In this role, he works to ensure insurance affordability and availability for residents as well as the accountability of insurance companies. As Commissioner, he leads the office charged with protecting, educating, and advocating for Delaware residents.

The Department offers free Medicare counseling services and works on the Health Insurance Marketplace, provides arbitration services to residents, and fights and prevents fraud. The Department also works to ensure insurance companies are financially sound, licenses more than 220,000 individuals in related professions, proposes the state’s workers’ compensation rates, helps more than a thousand companies create safer workplaces to lower their insurance rates by over $7 million, and so much more.

During the Commissioner’s term in office, the Department has made great strides. He has increased department diversity and internal promotions. In 2017, the Commissioner worked with the General Assembly to pass House Substitute 1 to House Bill 80, a signature piece of legislation that ends discrimination in auto insurance policies. The law ensures that neither race, age, gender, economic status, nor other personal characteristics impact the cost of auto policies.

In 2020, the office reduced Health Insurance Marketplace rates for the second time in the state’s history, leading to a 5% increase in enrollment, and returned $21.5 million in premiums to individuals and small businesses. The department completed two of the state’s first Mental Health Parity examinations, assessing $597,000 in penalties. Businesses saved $4 million in workers’ compensation premiums due to a double digit decrease in rates, and another decrease was approved for 2021.

A lifelong Delawarean, Commissioner Navarro has an extensive record of public service. He served for 20 years with the New Castle County Police and was elected New Castle County Sheriff in 2010. While a police officer, he received the department’s distinguished Medal of Valor.

Commissioner Navarro is a member of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and was elected by his peers to Chair the group’s National Antifraud Taskforce. Additionally, Commissioner Navarro serves on many state boards such as the Delaware Health Care Commission, the State Employees Benefits Committee (SEBC), the Plans Management Board, the Council on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, and the Primary Care Reform Collaborative.

Commissioner Navarro has two daughters, Kylie and Hannah, and one son, Jordan. He resides in Bear, DE with his wife Melissa and youngest daughter Hannah.

In the Fall of 2020, Philanthropy Delaware chose Tynetta Brown to serve as its next President and CEO. Ms. Brown will continue Philanthropy Delaware’s 10 years of work as a philanthropy service organization to expand philanthropic awareness in Delaware, assist members and other organizational partners to increase the impact of grantmaking, and ensure members have access to national best practices and philanthropic resources. She will be responsible for the day-to-day administration of the organization, including operational responsibilities, member services, educational programming, public policy/advocacy and the implementation of the strategic plan.

Recently, Ms. Brown served as the Director of Development and Marketing/Communications for the WRK Group (The Warehouse, REACH Riverside Development Corporation and Kingswood Community Center). She was responsible for implementation and collaborative oversight of fundraising efforts and the marketing and communications efforts for all three entities.

Prior to the WRK Group, she was employed at United Way of Delaware as the Director of Community Impact as well as the Associate Director of Health. She also served as staff liaison on the Public Policy Committee, as an Ally to their PRIDE Council Affinity Group, which focused on LGBTQ+ youth, adult health, and workplace equity. During her time with United Way, she also represented the organization on various committees, task forces, and conference planning teams related to youth, education, public policy, and health.

Ms. Brown has over 24 years of experience in the public health, corporate, and pharmaceutical sectors with
demonstrated skills in strategic sponsorship development, relationship management, social marketing, and
management of non-profit and government programs. Additionally, she has expertise in public policy and advocacy that emphasized health and economic equity.

Her past career also includes serving as Vice-President, Social Marketing with Ogilvy Public Relations in
Washington, DC; Director, Corporate Relations for the American College of Cardiology in Washington, DC; Senior Alliance Development Manager in the cardiovascular franchise at AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals; Executive Director of the Tri-State Stroke Network for the North Carolina Dept. of Health and Human Services and the CDC; Program Manager for both the American Heart Association and Operation Health 27610 in North Carolina.

Tynetta currently serves on the Council of Advisors for Christiana Care as Vice-Chair and is a Board member of Kids Chance of America and Kids Chance Delaware. Previous national, local board and volunteer service includes the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, The Delaware Contemporary, the National Coalition of 100 Black Women-Delaware Chapter (VP of Development), and the US-DHHS Heart Attack Expert Panel.

Awards and honors include Board Leadership Award recipient from the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, Delaware Today magazine’s 2017 Women in Business Award, and recognition by the Association of Black Cardiologists with the Commitment to Diversity and the Elimination of Health Care Disparities Award.

She has consulted on small projects in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors offering tailored solutions in strategic planning, marketing, project management, partnership engagement, and design for community environments.

Vinay Maheshwari, MD, MHCDS, received a BA in political science from Virginia Commonwealth University before completing his medical education at the Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University. After hisresidency in internal medicine at the Medical College of Virginia, Dr. Maheshwari completed fellowships in Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep medicine at the New England Medical Center at Tufts University Hospital. Prior to joining Christiana Care, Dr. Maheshwari served as the Medical Director, ICU at the Cambridge Hospital in Cambridge, MA. He was a clinical instructor at Harvard University Medical School in Boston was awarded a Teacher of the Year award.

Dr. Maheshwari is board-certified in pulmonary and critical care medicine with a sole clinical focus practice in critical care medicine. He is a Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians and member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine and National Associate of Medical Directors of Respiratory Care (NAMDRC).

Dr. Maheshwari has served in many roles at Christiana Care. Formerly he was the Medical Director of Respiratory Therapy and the Director of Medical Critical Care. Additionally, he was the Associate Chair of Specialty Medicine.

He currently serves as Associate Physician Operations Lead in the Acute Medicine Service Line (AMSL), responsible for a variety of clinical process improvements and directing teams towards optimal care delivery. As the Vice Chair of the Department of Medicine, he is responsible for a broad portfolio of activities including performance and quality review, education, peer review, budgeting, and strategic program development.

Dr. Maheshwari holds the position of Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College/Thomas Jefferson University. He was recently conferred the degree of Masters in Health Care Delivery Science (MHCDS) from Dartmouth College.

Dr. Maheshwari recently joined the Board of DELAWARE Guidance Services. He is also a member of the Citizens Budget Oversight Committee for Delaware Design School.

Kurt Foreman was appointed President and CEO of Delaware Prosperity
Partnership (DPP) in the spring of 2018. Delaware Prosperity Partnership is the
state's first public-private economic development organization created to promote the state of Delaware as a premier business location for companies considering new locations or expansions and to attract entrepreneurs and innovators eager to nurture and grow new ideas and ventures in a vibrant and supportive environment.

Foreman's extensive experience includes serving in various senior economic development roles in both chamber-based and independent economic development groups throughout the U.S., including Oklahoma, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and the Washington DC metro area. In addition, he has worked in the local and county settings and with multiple regionally focused programs. Foreman has also served as a site selection consultant working directly with companies to assess and choose locations
for their location and/or expansion throughout the nation. He was also an executive recruiter with a leading global executive search firm supporting senior level searches across many sectors.

Foreman received his bachelor’s degree at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA and his master’s degree from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC. He and his wife, Julie, have four grown children.

Wendy is Professor of Management and Deutsch Family Fellow at the Alfred Lerner School of Business at the University of Delaware. She studies how we can adopt both/and approaches to more effectively navigate competing demands in our life and work – tensions between today and tomorrow, global and local, social missions and financial pressures, work and life, competition and collaboration, etc.. Her research has been published in top academic journals including the Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Research and Administrative Sciences Quarterly as well as in leading managerial journals such as Harvard Business Review. From 2016-2019, she served as an associate editor at the Academy of Management Journal. In 2018, Wendy received University of Delaware’s Mid-Career Excellence-In-Scholarship Award. In 2019 and 2020, Web of Science recognized Wendy as a Highly Cited Researcher for being among the top 1% of scholars with the most cited research.

Wendy teaches leadership, organizational behavior and business ethics. She has taught MBAs and undergraduates at University of Delaware, Harvard, and University of Pennsylvania - Wharton. She won the MBA Teaching Award at the Lerner Business School in 2016 and 2019, and was runner-up for this award in 2018. Wendy founded and leads the Lerner Women’s Leadership Forum, a 3-day executive forum for mid-career women, as well as the Women’s Leadership Online Certificate Program. Wendy also engages with executive and senior leadership teams around the world, providing teaching, consulting and keynote talks to address the challenges of leadership, managing strategic paradoxes, and advancing in organizational change and innovation.

In 2016, Wendy co-founded the Women’s Leadership Initiative at University of Delaware, an initiative that works to advance gender equity from the classroom to the boardroom. In 2019, she received Delaware Today’s Women in Business Award.

Wendy earned her B.A. from Yale University and her Ph.D. from Harvard Business School.  She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and three children.

Bill Manning was born and raised in Wilmington and has been practicing law here since graduating cum laude and J.D., University of Louisville, Brandeis School of Law in 1976.
He is the Co-Managing Partner of the Wilmington office of Saul Ewing LLP, and is Co-Chair of Saul Ewing's Higher Education Practice Group. Bill's practice is primarily divided between two specialties: 1) corporate and commercial litigation, particularly before the Court of Chancery; and 2) service as lead outside counsel for the University of Delaware. In that role, he has represented the University in several significant matters, including leading the acquisition of the former Chrysler assembly plant, now the University's Science, Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus.

On the personal side, Bill and Martha Manning have been married for 46 years. They have four children and 7 grandchildren. His children each attended public school for some or all of their education. Because our schools need to be better, Bill has been involved in education reform for nearly 30 years. During that time, he has championed school choice and served on two charter school boards as well as the Delaware Charter School Network Board of Directors. He currently serves on the board of the Community Education Building, a foundation which has transformed a downtown office building into a site for urban charter schools. Bill collaborated with the Carper Administration on the 1995 charter school enabling legislation. From 1979 to 1983, Bill served Gov. Pete du Pont, first as legal counsel, then as Chief of Staff. During those years, personal income taxes were reduced dramatically, national banks were attracted to Delaware, constitutional spending and taxing restrictions were enacted and the State budget was brought under control.

Bill Strickland is the President and Principal of L&W Insurance Agency in Dover.
L&W is one of the largest Independent Agencies in Delaware and currently
employs 38 full-time employees. He has worked in the insurance business for over 25 years with a primary focus on Employee Benefits. In addition to his role as President of L&W, he is an active licensed Agent/Broker for all lines of insurance.

Active in the local community, Bill currently serves as the Chair of the Board for Bayhealth, Wesley College and the Kent County Regional Sports Complex. He serves on the Board of Directors for Kent & Sussex Industries and has chaired the Capital Campaign for Bayhealth Sussex Campus.