Delaware Business July/August 2014

DELAWARE

BUSINESS July/August 2014 $3.00

THE FUTURE OF

Higher Education Online Learning Guide

PLUS: • Restaurant, Meeting & Banquet Guide • Insurance & Financial Services A Publication of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce

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The 2014 Superstars in Education Awards Reception celebrated the good news in Delaware schools from the Wilmington Sheraton South Hotel on May 5. PHOTO BY BRIAN MULLIGAN.

Departments President’s Message............................... 2 The dog days of summer arrive.

Legislative Priority................................... 3 Priorities remain as legislature breaks for the summer months.

In this Issue Features

Member News and Notes....................... 5 Cover & Rossiter celebrates a milestone, National Guard 101, and Staying Safe with the American Red Cross of the Delmarva Peninsula Q&A: Patrick Delaney of the Red Cross of Delmarva Nonprofit Spotlight: Delaware Association of Nonprofit Agencies Business Spotlight: Sheraton Wilmington South

RESTAURANT, MEETING & BANQUET GUIDE............................................................ 23 Your go-to guide for some of the state’s best places to eat, party, or host an event.

Welcome New Members....................... 16 Chamber Scene...................................... 18

2014 SUPERSTARS IN BUSINESS APPLICATION...................................................... 31 Is your small business or nonprofit organization super? Apply today!

Newsbites................................................ 54

GUIDE TO HIGHER EDUCATION................................................................................. 44

Calendar.................................................. 57

The latest in online learning at our local colleges and universities.

BY STEPHANIE F. ADAMS

Chamber Committees........................... 61

FINANCIAL SERVICES............................................................................................... 50

Chamber Member Benefits.................. 62

The Community Reinvestment Act at work: How are our local banks giving back to the community? BY LARRY NAGENGAST

On The Cover

The Future of Higher Education DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ju l y / Au gu st 2 0 1 4

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For Assistance, Contact the Chamber........................................... 64

Volume 19, Number 5 / Delaware Business (USPS 012098) (ISSN 153253542) is published bi-monthly by the DSCC Center for Business Management. Subscription price is $18 a year (included in membership dues). Known office of publication is 1201 N. Orange St., Suite 200, Wilmington, DE 19801.

Periodicals postage paid Wilmington, DE 19850. Postmaster: Send address changes to Delaware Business, c/o DSCC Center for Business Management, P.O. Box 671, Wilmington, DE 19899-0671. Telephone (302) 655-7221.

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Message from the President We are now one month into the summer season, and with that, the 147th General Assembly has adjourned. The Fourth of July is upon us (or has already past us, depending on when you read this letter), as are family vacations, summer break for school kids, and Rich Heffron baseball season.

This letter is always written a few weeks before July 1, so the final results of the legislative session are not yet known. What we do know is that the state’s financial picture is not a rosy one, at least for the foreseeable future. For several months the DEFAC reports have projected flat revenue growth for the current fiscal year, FY 15 (which falls between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015), and the following fiscal year, FY 16.

The main culprit: Our state’s four leading revenue streams—personal income tax, escheat, corporate franchise and lottery—have been shrinking, and it appears they will continue to do so. Naturally, questions have arisen about the future sustainability of this current structure of revenue sources, amidst further concerns about Delaware’s economic growth, its public education, its lagging earnings growth, a growing heroin addiction problem statewide, and uncontrolled violence in its streets.

But we have faced worse problems in the past, and working together as Delawareans and Americans, we have found a way to overcome obstacles on our way to progress.

My colleagues and I at the State Chamber believe it is time for some of our leading citizens to sit down and discuss these issues and develop a path forward. This is something we will be working toward over the next few months.

Meanwhile, we at the Chamber have bolstered our government affairs department by adding James DeChene, formerly of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Mark DiMaio, a former AstraZeneca employee. James will handle DSCC committees and federal issues, while Mark will be our Dover lobbyist. Chuck James—who has been a membership executive with the Chamber for 10 years is now the senior vice president of membership, and Fred Miller, who’s spent years bouncing around various roles with the Chamber, will now be responsible for membership retention.

Over the next few months you can expect to see more changes, as we strive to increase member engagement, and to offer valuable events, programs and services that will more effectively serve our members.

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DELAWARE

BUSINESS EDITORIAL STAFF Mark Stellini Chairman

A. Richard Heffron President

Matt Amis Managing Editor

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Sylvia Banks DuPont

William E. Manning Saul Ewing LLP

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR

Ernie Dianastasis CAI

Chad Moore The Bellmoor

Hinton Lucas DuPont

Martha S. Gilman Gilman Development Company

Dennis M. Salter Summit Realty Advisors, Inc.

VICE CHAIR

Michael Houghton Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell, LLP

Gary R. Stockbridge Delmarva Power

CHAIRMAN

Mark Stellini Assurance Media

Chip Rossi Bank of America

Alan Levin Delaware Economic Development Office

TREASURER

Barry Crozier Belfint, Lyons & Shuman

Mark Turner WSFS Bank Katie Wilkinson Fulton Bank

Scott Malfitano Richelle Vible CSC - Corporation Service Company Catholic Charities of Delaware

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Linda Ammons Widener University School of Law

Rita P. Hollingsworth Bank of America

Bonnie Metz Verizon, Delaware

Julian H. Booker Delmarva Broadcasting Company

Tyrone Jones AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP

Theodore J. Prushinski Citizens Bank

Kevin C. Broadhurst Comcast

Chris Kenny ShopRites of Delaware

David B. Brown Potter Anderson & Corroon, LLP

Bernhard Koch AAA Mid-Atlantic

Timothy J. Constantine Highmark Delaware

Nicholas P. Lambrow M&T Bank

Thomas J. Cooper Cooper Realty Associates Charlie Copeland Associates International, Inc. Brian DiSabatino EDiS Company Donald T. Fulton George J. Weiner Associates Orlando J. George, Jr. Delaware Technical & Community College

Richard H. LaPenta Insurance & Financial Services, Ltd. Robert J. Laskowski M.D. Christiana Care Health Systems Renee Lewandowski Agilent Technologies Andy Lubin University of Delaware Nicholas Marsini PNC Bank, Delaware

Michael Ratchford W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. Rob Rider O.A. Newton Richard D. Rowland Rowland, Johnson & Co., PA Fred C. Sears, II Delaware Community Foundation W. Laird Stabler, III Laird Stabler & Associates, LLC Michael S. Uffner AutoTeam Delaware Clinton Walker Barclaycard US William S. Wallace JPMorgan Chase Kristine M. Wellman Capital One Financial Corporation

Dave Hargadon TD Bank

John McCarthy AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, LP

Robert W. Whetzel Richards, Layton & Finger

John E. Healy III Healy Long & Jevin, Inc.

Paul M. McConnell McConnell Development, Inc.

Harry L. Williams Delaware State University

Cheryl Corn Executive Assistant to the President, Senior Vice President, Communications James DeChene Director, Government Relations Linda D. Eriksen Accounting Associate Ken Evans Account Executive

Chuck James Senior Vice President, Membership Fred Miller Advertising/Retention Patrina Wallace Government Relations Assistant Kelly Wetzel Program & Communication Specialist

STAFF A. Richard Heffron President Marianne K. Antonini Senior Vice President John H. Taylor, Jr. Senior Vice President & Executive Director, DPPI Matt Amis Communications Manager

DELAWARE STATE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 1201 NORTH ORANGE STREET, P.O. BOX 671 • WILMINGTON, DE 19899-0671 (302) 655-7221 • (800) 292-9507 • WWW.DSCC.COM

The mission of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce is to promote an economic climate that strengthens the competitiveness of Delaware businesses and benefits citizens of the state. The Chamber will provide services members want; it will serve and be recognized as the primary resource on matters affecting companies of all sizes; and it will be the leading advocate for business with government in Delaware.

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LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY

Where Do We Go From Here?

PHOTO BY DICK DUBROFF/FINAL FOCUS

BY JAMES DECHENE

BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS ARTICLE, the 147th General Assembly Session will have ended amid discussions on Delaware’s economic sustainability and the overall future of how Delaware can and should reinvent itself as a place where businesses can grow and prosper. As we head into the summer months, election season heats up and candidates will be thinking not only of Election Day, but of the next legislative session and what awaits them there.

To recap the major issues facing Delaware, we see the economy, transportation and infrastructure investment, health care costs and worker’s comp reform needing the most work. Our economy is currently flat. As the saying goes, “when you’re flat, you’re down” because the state’s bills still need to be paid, and those costs are constantly on the rise. Unless the economy can grow enough to cover costs, the state remains behind the eight ball financially.

Delaware remains just one of five states whose revenues continue to decline in the midst of an overall economic recovery.

Transportation and Infrastructure funding remains a priority, and the Chamber supports investments in infrastructure projects because it means jobs for Delawareans. The closure of the I-495 bridge in June highlighted the fact that our infrastructure, like many parts of the country, is aging and in need of updates. We remain committed to helping solve the overall funding issues and will work with the General Assembly and the governor’s administration on ways to improve Delaware’s roads, bridges, waterways and telecommunications corridors. Earlier this year, the Chamber wrote a letter to the Governor outlining what we thought were strong first steps to take including reallocating funding for open space and agricultural land preservation expenditures, increasing the total percentage of state borrowing to support infrastructure and public transportation, apportioning a fixed percentage of the unclaimed property revenue for transportation, to begin the process of transferring the Department of Transportation staff salaries and benefits out of the Highway Trust Fund, and perhaps most importantly, guaranteeing a “lock box” for transportation spending that would preclude funds earmarked for transportation from being raided to fund other uses.

Health care costs continue to rise at precipitous rates, and much confusion remains as the Affordable Care Act continues to take effect. Businesses are grappling with how, or if, they can continue to provide coverage to their employees, and employees are learning that navigating the Health Care Exchanges is not as easy as promised. The Chamber is working with the health care industry and the state to help guide the regulatory discussion on health care, including weighing in on whether to delay Exchange programs geared specifically toward small businesses (Employer Choice) for a year.

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A bright spot is in the discussion on Worker’s Comp reform. This year saw the Worker’s Comp taskforce convene and adopt measures that would help constrain costs for businesses, and help guarantee payments to the medical community in line with their service, helping make sure those injured on the job can be taken care of. This process will continue as we examine other workers comp cost drivers.

In the midst of these challenges come opportunities, and lessons.

Delaware has faced these types of problems before. In the 1970’s and 80’s, Delaware faced an economic crisis. A stagnant economy, a high unemployment rate, a struggling business community—the headlines from those days eerily echo those of today.

In 1974 a group of concerned citizens and community groups, including the State Chamber, came together by Executive Order to create the Delaware Tomorrow Commission. Chaired by O. Francis (Frank) Biondi, that taskforce put together a series of recommended reforms including consolidating municipal services to save money and increase efficiencies, better coordination between county and state government, and to determine alternative ways that State Government could provide for effective growth, that when implemented by Gov. DuPont, helped put Delaware on the path to a strong recovery during the 1980s and 1990s.

The Chamber feels that another Delaware Tomorrow needs to be done today. While true that the state faces serious challenges to full economic recovery and growth, it also boasts the resources we can use to prosper. We have a booming tourism draw with our beaches, we are still a favorable location for businesses to incorporate, our manufacturing industry is revamping itself and growing, and we have citizens who are passionate about Delaware, and are committed to its success and continued vitality.

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Member

news&Notes

The Delaware National Guard provides the state with a well-trained workforce.

The Hometown Force with a Global Reach

GET TO KNOW THE DELAWARE NATIONAL GUARD BY STAFF SGT. WENDY MCDOUGALL, PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST, DELAWARE NATIONAL GUARD America’s National Guard is its oldest defense force, having first stood up as militias in the colonies before we were a country. The Guard’s citizen-soldiers have served as the nation’s first line of defense since America’s birth and have fought in every conflict in our nation’s history, contributing to the organization’s expansive history and invaluable legacy. Delaware’s National Guard traces its heritage to

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the militia that stood up in Wilmington to defend the Swedish colony against Dutch invaders.

In the modern world, the Delaware National Guard provides Delaware businesses with hometown heroes who are well-trained in teamwork and leadership, and who were provided with excellent education benefits.

The Delaware National Guard also has a sizable economic impact on the

state. In fiscal year 2013, federal Army National Guard spending in Delaware was more than $77 million. For the federal Air National Guard that number exceeded $45 million. That’s $122 million coming into the state via the National Guard.

What makes the National Guard unique from any other military entity in the United States is its dual mission.

While the Guard helps fight our nation’s

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news&Notes wars, it’s the only military force entrusted to support our state and homeland during times of natural disaster and emergency.

The Delaware National Guard is made up of 1,600 soldiers and 1,100 airmen who spend most of their time as civilians; they live and work in and around Delaware. These soldiers and airmen report throughout 13 different locations in Delaware. The Delaware National Guard truly is a hometown force, with a global reach. The Guard’s total end strength is 2,700 soldiers and airmen who could be called to defend the state or nation.

When Delaware National Guard units are not mobilized or under federal control, they report to the governor of Delaware, the Commander in Chief of the Delaware National Guard. Under state law, the National Guard provides trained and equipped units and individuals to protect life, property and public safety. This response includes a wide range of missions from natural disasters, civil disturbances and even events such as 9/11.

The governor can mobilize National Guard personnel to “State Active Duty” (SAD) in response to natural or manmade disasters or homeland defense missions. Throughout SAD, soldiers and airmen remain under the command and control of the governor. The Guard’s Joint Operations Center (JOC) coordinates and facilitates the application of resources through the major subordinate commands and the designated local and state agencies. The JOC is operational 24 hours per day for the duration of the response mission.

Aside from SAD missions, Delaware National Guard units or individuals may mobilize for non-combat purposes

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The Delaware National Guard is made up of 1,600 soldiers and 1,100 airmen who spend most of their time as civilians; they live and work in and around Delaware. such as the State Partnership Program, humanitarian missions and counterdrug operations. Delaware’s state partnership, established in 2005, is with the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The program is a military, governmental and economic partnership. Several times throughout the year, the Delaware National Guard and Trinidad and Tobago hold subject matter exchanges. These exchanges occur in both Delaware and Trinidad and Tobago and range from senior leader visits to the topics of communications, disaster response, counterdrug opera-

tions, along with many others.

Along with supporting the state during natural disasters and civil disturbances, the Delaware National Guard supports a host of community activities. The Guard’s largest initiative is its War on Hunger that supports the Food Bank of Delaware and Delawareans in need.

Along with that, soldiers and airmen support a multitude of other organizations, through actions such as participating in parades, speaking at various community events and providing honor guards and firing details for military themed events.

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Each year we receive about a million dollars for the Delaware National Guard Counterdrug Task Force. The mission of the task force is to support the detection, interdiction, disruption and curtailment of drug trafficking activities through the application of military unique skills and resources.

Members of the task force provide full-time support to local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and community prevention coalitions.

The Guard also has a Civil Support Team (CST) whose mission is to assess suspected weapons of mass destruction attacks, advise civilian responders on appropriate actions through on-site testing and expert consultation, along with facilitating additional military forces. The CST is on standby around the clock, with the advanced party able to deploy within 90 minutes of notification and the remainder of the team within three hours.

Along with the CST, the Delaware National Guard has a Network Warfare Squadron (NWS). The unit is comprised of airmen who protect critical network and computer systems and also provide cyber defense and superiority. The NWS performs offensive and defensive cyberspace operations, analysis, planning and operations support activities.

It delivers world-class cyberspace operations capability for the war-fighter by employing extraordinary talented cyber operators, analysts, planners, intelligence support and linguists. The Network Warfare Squadron supports the Air Force, National Security Agency, National Threat Operations Center and

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National Attack Support Services.

Due to the proximity of the nuclear power plant in New Jersey, the Delaware National Guard participates in radiological emergency preparedness. The Delaware Guard provides emergency worker decontamination centers, radiological monitoring teams, river and bay alert and evacuation assistance to Delawareans.

Along with the specialized units and teams, the Delaware National Guard has many more capabilities.

Communications, transportation, engineers, aviation, military police, medical/ dental, public affairs, the 287th Army band, maintenance and the Regional Training Institute make up the Delaware Army National Guard. The Delaware Air National Guard provides tactical airlift and aero-medical evacuation via their eight C-130 aircraft, network warfare, security forces, engineers and maintenance. They also provide firefighting, recovery and rescue, not only for the New Castle Air National Guard Base, but for the commercial side of the New Castle Airport as well.

In addition to the unique distinction of the National Guard’s dual mission, they are America’s most cost-effective national defense resource. The Army National Guard operates on approximately 12 percent of the total Army budget and is 32 percent of the Army end strength. The Air National Guard is 22 percent of the Air Force end strength and operates on only six percent of the total Air Force budget. All told, the cost of a National Guardsman is one-third the cost of an active duty soldier, airman, sailor or marine. That’s important to note in these tough economic times. The investment in the National Guard goes further for the American people because

the Guard’s capabilities are immediately available, nationwide, to the governors and the American people in time of need.

Through mutual aid agreements, each state governor has the capability to request assistance from other states to provide rapid emergency support during and after a disaster. The most common mutual aid agreement for the National Guard is the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. This is an interstate mutual aid agreement that allows National Guard’s from one state to assist another state in response to natural and man-made disasters.

Since the attacks on 9/11, the Delaware National Guard has responded to numerous missions in support of the state and nation. Stateside, Delaware’s soldiers and airmen provided security at the Dover Air Force Base after 9/11, responded to Hurricanes Katrina, Irene and Sandy, along with multiple winter storms. They also worked alongside other state’s National Guard’s in support of presidential inaugurations, as well as supporting the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol along the Mexico-U.S. border as part of Operation Jump Start. Globally, the Delaware National Guard has responded to the Nation’s war on terror; supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom by deploying more than 90 percent of its troops.

Since the attacks on 9/11, the National Guard has become a fully operational force, as opposed to a strategic reserve. The increased involvement of soldiers and airmen stateside and overseas demonstrates the Guard is not only a more capable and ready force, but also an affordable defense option for America. The National Guard truly is the hometown force with a global reach.

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Member

news&Notes Cover & Rossiter Celebrates 75 Years of Serving Clients in Delaware GUEST COLUMN:

Cover & Rossiter is proud to have served clients in Delaware for the past 75 years. Founded in 1939

by Clarence A. Cover as the original Wilmington office of McConnell and Breiden of Philadelphia, the firm has established and nurtured trusted and longstanding relationships with many of the area’s most prominent corporations, small businesses, nonprofit organizations, families and individuals.

As one of Delaware’s oldest and most respected certified public accounting and advisory firms, Cover & Rossiter’s history is very much entwined with the growth and development of the Wilmington area. Over the past 75 years, the firm has moved and expanded in keeping with the changing business and residential climate and demographics.

Originally located at 9th and Orange streets in downtown Wilmington, Cover & Rossiter has maintained offices in North Wilmington, Montchanin and now in its present location in Wilmington near Rockford Park. Regardless of its office location, the firm has been committed to serving the current and emerging needs of its clients throughout Wilmington and the surrounding region. Recognizing the population growth into lower Delaware, the firm opened a second office in Middletown in 2010 in order to better service new and existing clients below the canal.

Over the years, Cover & Rossiter has grown consistently in size and capability. Its emphasis has always been on providing personal and responsive ser-

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vice grounded in sound, individualized advice – a formula that has enabled its ongoing presence and growth. Beginning with a handful of employees, the firm is now comprised of over 30 people with a breadth of experience and capability that is second to none. The current partners—Geoff Langdon, Marie Holliday, Pete Kennedy and Loretta Manning— remain dedicated to its history and commitment of service. One of Cover & Rossiter’s greatest successes has been assisting many of the area’s leading

businesses, organizations, families and individuals to succeed in their endeavors, thereby strengthening the quality of life in Delaware.

While its rich heritage certainly provides a deep sense of tradition and experience, today’s Cover & Rossiter is anything but traditional. The firm now provides a full range of accounting and advisory services, including auditing services, investment holding company services, corporate tax services, personal tax services, trust continued on 17

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Patrick Delaney leads the local chapter of the American Red Cross through disasters and everyday emergencies.

PHOTO BY FINAL FOCUS/DICK DUBROFF.

Calm Before the Storm Q&A WITH PATRICK DELANEY OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS – DELMARVA REGION

BY MATT AMIS When Super Storm Sandy began bearing down on the Mid-Atlantic in October of 2012, Patrick Delaney, the regional executive and CEO of the American Red Cross’ Delmarva Region, was thrust into a juggling act. Delaware, early projections showed, was supposed to receive the brunt of the storm, and his office scrambled to set up shelters and deploy volunteers to sites across the state. But Sandy had other ideas. The storm shifted north, and Delaney needed to pivot his focus to neighboring states to the north. “Weather events are unpredictable,” he says.

Delaney sat down with Delaware Business to talk about the organization, the upcoming hurricane season, and the

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valuable tools and resources the Red Cross can provide for businesses.

What is it about this organization or maybe it’s the mission or the history— that makes you want to be a part of it?

The Red Cross has met all the expectations I had from a career standpoint.

We are a mission-driven organization that has a broad scope, both in what we do and where we do it, meaning in our case nationally and internationally. However, it’s community minded and community based, and volunteer centric. It is our volunteers who answer the 2 am call to meet with a family whose home was damaged by a disaster like a home fire.

The volunteers assess the immediate

emergency needs for the family which the Red Cross provides but it goes beyond that—it is a shoulder to lean upon and an ear to listen.

How long has the Red Cross been a part of the Wilmington or the Delaware landscape?

1905 was our first presence in Delaware.

People automatically associate the Red Cross with disaster aid, which is a big part of what you do. But what are a few other things that people might not be aware about when it comes to Red Cross?

First and foremost, a lot of folks think we’re a government agency. We’re not.

We are chartered by the U.S. Senate. The

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news&Notes Red Cross was literally created by an act of Congress, because in 1881, when the U.S. Senate passed the Geneva Convention Treaty—the international peace treaty for the humanitarian treatment of people in times of war, conflict or disaster—part of that agreement was your country had to have a Red Cross entity. So because of that, and the fact that you see us alongside local, state and federal emergency management, they think we’re a government agency. We’re a 501(c)3 charity, and we are volunteerdriven. Every dollar we spend, we have to raise, and over 95 percent of every hour worked is done by volunteers.

The second area that’s misunderstood is that we’re just there in times of big disasters. And people tend to miss some of the key parts of our role, which is the whole slew of preparation, information, and tools that we provide to the community. Especially with getting the business community to be prepared for disaster.

So it’s not just a response, but helping the community become better prepared for emergencies.

It’s also the smaller disasters—the dayto-day home fires that may affect a family or several families—that we deal with a lot. Those just don’t get the same amount of press as a hurricane or tornado.

Are there unique wrinkles to this area—either in the geography or the population—that augments what the Red Cross does?

We’re all one American Red Cross, and we serve the same five mission components: disaster preparedness and response, community education around health and safety and preparedness, our blood program, our military support, and our international work. But we also have the flexibility to translate how to

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fulfill that mission locally. In the case of Delaware and the Delmarva Peninsula, we’re surrounded by water on three sides. When the winds get to a sustained 45 miles per hour or higher, the bridges over the River and the Bay shut down, so we’ve got to be prepared for that. We’ve been fortunate that we haven’t yet seen as significant an event as our risk factors suggest but our geography could produce any number of obstacles given the uniqueness of our topography.

It also goes beyond the on-the-water issues. We have such a density of people here in New Castle County, a disaster could create a worker crisis, and yet that same disaster could cause a very different scenario in the more rural parts of our market. So it’s a unique dynamic a lot of other areas don’t have.

charge—some recommendations. Some of that is in the report itself, and some can complement the report—whether that’s coming in and doing some classes on emergency preparedness, such as a hurricane or training in First Aid. If you ask an employer what is the most important business asset you have, most would say it’s workers. So if employees were the victim of a large event, or perhaps a small event, how can we help them be prepared? It’s not just helping your business to be ready, but trying to make sure the workforce is ready as well.

Most everything we offer is free. Not everything is—we can offer people training in first aid, CPR, and defibrillators, and there is a small fee for that.

How can the business community work together with the Red Cross?

It’s like anything—business owners have so much on their plates, namely running their business. So we work a lot on the “what if?” scenarios. It will happen. There will be a point over the years where an employee has a house fire. There will be hurricanes or other natural disasters. So it’s less like “if” and more like “when.”

Our challenge is: How do we place emergency preparedness higher on the priority list? So we try to change the conversation to “now” and not “six hours before a hurricane.”

When you’re talking about the business community, any employer can be a great partner with the Red Cross. That’s because all of them face the same risks regardless of size. One of the things we can certainly do is help them with emergency planning. Many businesses can’t afford a risk management person or team, so one of the things Red Cross can bring to the table is not only our experience in emergency preparedness, but a set of tools many of which are free of charge.

In particular we have the Ready Rating Tool, a web-based self-assessment tool that allows any business owner or decision-maker to assess their organization’s readiness both from a cultural standpoint, from a physical plant standpoint, to employee training and emergency preparedness. Once the report is generated we then can come in and offer on a consultation basis—again free of

Why do we tend to drag our feet so much when it comes to this type of thing?

In your years with the Red Cross, you must have accrued some powerful experiences and memories. What are some of your favorites?

There’s a lot. Calls from clients that we’ve helped. Notes that come through the office. Being with our military personnel.

Back in December, some of our guardsmen came back to Delaware from deployment in Afghanistan, and I was there to

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meet them. One of their officers came up to me and said, “During my deployment, we had 17 under my command use the Red Cross services.” And that resonates.

Sitting at William Penn High School in New Castle and watching our Red Cross volunteers checking people into the shelter when Super Storm Sandy was about to hit. These were people who were scared—ordered out of their homes, who were scared and with no idea what to expect—and just watching our volunteers offer comfort and care, that was really an affirming moment for me on all the good the Red Cross does, especially in the face of a disaster/emergency.

There’s another misnomer out there— that people, unfortunately, can’t just up and volunteer for Red Cross deployment when a disaster strikes.

We are fortunate, for Delaware we have over 350 volunteers, and peninsulawide it’s over 600. So when there’s a big event, there are two ways that people can volunteer. If you’re in the affected market—let’s say Delaware is hit with a disaster—then we certainly mobilize our volunteers who have been through the proper training. Then there are what we call ‘event volunteers’: spontaneous volunteers from the community that we can train in 30 minutes to set up cots or how to man a food line. However, if those people wanted to go into New Jersey after Sandy—that’s deployment, and in order to deploy a volunteer in the U.S., we need to train them in advance.

But we need volunteers year-round.

For home fires, educating the community, working with our military, we truly need folks each and every day. It’s simply how we get our work done. So we urge people to connect with us, so we can connect them with the training.

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What should people know about the training courses offered through the Red Cross?

Our Health and Safety Course Curriculum offers a variety of emergency preparedness training, from first aid to CPR and AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) usage. If you’ve got a teenager at home who’s looking to become an entrepreneur babysitter, a great selling point is to say you’re a Red Cross certified babysitter. Aquatic safety season is here. There’s just a wide variety of trainings available. You can go online to redcross.org and find a local class, or for Chamber members, they can schedule a class at their place of business.

Some of our larger partners have actually converted some of their employees to Red Cross trainers, they pay for their person to become an instructor. Then it becomes much easier to schedule, and less expensive an option.

What are some basic tenants of a good disaster plan?

Build a kit. Make a plan. Stay informed.

So have a preparedness kit—one for the home, one for the car, and one for the office, the last two are obviously smaller. The kit should include things that if you needed to stay where you were— you would have enough nutritional value, water, items like flashlights (battery operated), a radio (battery or hand-crank), information about yourself, certainly at home copies of important documents or prescriptions. That includes you and your family and let’s not forget our pets.

Make a plan. If your spouse is at work, your child is in daycare, and a disaster hits—do you know how to reconnect with your family? Also, do loved ones outside of this market know how to reach you? We have a website called Safe and Well that allows you to register and say “I’m okay,” so people out of market can

DSCC Partners with American Red Cross Delmarva Region to Offer Member Benefits The American Red Cross Delmarva Region has some great benefits for Delaware State Chamber of Commerce members.

The Red Cross wants to help ensure your business and employees are prepared for any emergency. Disasters are on the rise, and we’ve experienced natural phenomenon locally with Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy.

As business owners, you want to protect your employees, protect your business, and resume a “normal” state following a disaster. The Red Cross can help you do that.

The Red Cross offers: • A free disaster-readiness web tool, Ready Rating • Free Mobile Apps such as Hurricane, Flood, and First Aid to name a few • Free Preparedness Education classes for your business or organization • Preparedness Safety Tips and Checklists • Encourage and enhance team building throughout your workforce by supporting your community through volunteer opportunities For more useful tools, or to contact the Red Cross, visit www.redcross.org/de/wilmington.

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Member

news&Notes receive that information.

And stay informed: Know what media outlets are reporting the weather emergency broadcasts, know what your evacuation routes are, pay attention and get accurate information. Know what your market is at risk for. Are there facilities in my area that may be a target for a terrorist attack? You want to know those risks.

And the Red Cross recently rolled out some mobile apps. Tell us about those.

We have 10 apps now. Nine are free.

We have our first aid app, we have eventspecific apps for things like hurricanes, earthquakes. They all provide a great deal of information, and the event-based apps provide training tools to build emergency plans, gives updates on your market, finds where your local shelter would be among other features.

What else should members of the business community know?

It’s all about resiliency. We’re trying to build a resilient community. Too often folks look to the government or to the Red Cross to satisfy everything, and that’s just not realistic. The business community needs to play a key part as partners with emergency management, with the Red Cross, and with their employees to own their piece of it. What’s important is that we the Red Cross can provide the tools and resources for them on the corporate entity side, and on the employee side.

Our business community in Delaware are such good partners in every way, whether it be education, health care, jobs, philanthropy—we’re really fortunate. No one wants to think about a disaster; it’s not fun. But the business community can be such a positive influence for this in Delaware.

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Summer Safety Tips from the Red Cross HURRICANE SEASON AND HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE UPON US. HERE ARE SOME WAYS TO STAY SAFE. Hurricane Safety Hurricanes are strong storms that cause life- and property threatening hazards such as flooding, storm surge, high winds, and tornadoes. Preparation is the best protection against the dangers of a hurricane. Some helpful tips to prepare yourself and your loved ones include: • Listen to a NOAA Weather Radio for critical information from the National Weather Service (NWS).

• Check your disaster supplies and replace or restock as needed.

• Bring in anything that can be picked up by the wind (bicycles, lawn furniture).

• Close windows, doors and hurricane shutters. If you do not have hurricane shutters, close and board up all windows and doors with plywood.

• Turn the refrigerator and freezer to the coldest setting and keep them closed as much as possible so food will last longer if the power goes out.

• Turn off propane tanks and unplug small appliances.

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• Fill your car’s gas tank.

• Talk with members of your household and create an evacuation plan.

Planning and practicing your evacuation plan minimizes confusion and fear during the event.

• Learn about your community’s hurricane response plan. Plan routes to local shelters, register family members with special medical needs as required and include any pets in your plan.

• Build an emergency kit to be prepared for any disaster. Be certain to have: Water—at least a 3-day supply; one gallon per person per day; Food—at least a 3-day supply of non-perishable, easy-to-prepare food; Flashlight; Battery-powered or hand-crank radio; Medications (7-day supply) and medical items (hearing aids with extra batteries, glasses, contact lenses, syringes, cane); Multi-purpose tool; Sanitation and personal hygiene items; Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies); Cell phone with chargers.

A complete list of supplies may be found at www.redcross.org/prepare.

If your community experiences a hurricane, or any disaster, register on the American Red Cross Safe and Well website available through RedCross. org/SafeandWell to let your family and friends know about your welfare.

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Heat Safety Summer is here, bringing with it dangerous excessive heat. The American Red Cross has steps people can follow to stay safe as the temperatures soar.

Excessive heat can be deadly. The Red Cross urges everyone to stay safe during the hot weather and offers some reminders for them to follow when the weather is hot and humid.

First and foremost: Never leave children or pets inside the car. The inside temperature of the car can quickly reach 120 degrees. Other heat safety steps include: • Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids. Avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol.

• Avoid extreme temperature changes.

• Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing. Avoid dark colors because they absorb the sun’s rays.

• Slow down, stay indoors and avoid strenuous exercise during the hottest part of the day.

• Postpone outdoor games and activities.

• Use a buddy system when working in excessive heat. Take frequent breaks if working outdoors.

• Check on family, friends and neighbors who do not have air conditioning, who spend much of their time alone or who are more likely to be affected by the heat.

• Check on animals frequently to ensure they are not suffering from the heat. Make sure they have plenty of cool water.

• If someone doesn’t have air conditioning, they should choose places to go to for relief from the heat during the

warmest part of the day (schools, libraries, theaters, malls).

Excessive heat can lead to sunburn, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. If someone is experiencing heat cramps in the legs or abdomen, get them to a cooler place, have them rest, lightly stretch the affected muscle, and replenish their fluids with a half a glass (about 4 ounces) of cool water every 15 minutes.

If someone is exhibiting signs of heat exhaustion (cool, moist, pale or flushed skin, heavy sweating, headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness, exhaustion), move them to a cooler place, remove or loosen tight clothing and spray the person with water or apply cool, wet cloths or towels to the skin. Fan the person. If they are conscious, give small amounts of cool water to drink. Make sure the person drinks slowly. Watch for changes in condition. If the person refuses water, vomits or begins to lose consciousness, call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.

Heat stroke can be life threatening.

Signs include hot, red skin which may be dry or moist; changes in consciousness; vomiting and high body temperature. Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number immediately if someone shows signs of heat stroke. Move the person to a cooler place. Quickly cool the person’s body by immersing them up to their neck in cold water if possible.

Otherwise, douse or spray the person with cold water, or cover the person with cold, wet towels or bags of ice.

For more information on heat safety and other preparedness tips, visit www. redcross.org/prepare.

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Member

news&Notes NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT

Delaware Alliance of Nonprofit Agencies

BY MARIA HESS

DANA’s wake-up call came in 2008, when the Great Recession rocked Delaware. But its necessity to adjust to economically turbulent times became its salvation.

A member-focused group since 1986, the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement (originally called the Delaware Association of Nonprofit Agencies), was focused on group purchasing. Dues and training income were its primary revenue sources. And funds were dwindling.

“Worse,” says CEO Chris Grundner, “the group lost its relevancy. The phone was ringing, but we weren’t answering it.”

Then, in 2009, a statewide conference called “The Future of the Nonprofit Sector” drew experts from nonprofit, philanthropic, business and government industries. Its goal was to identify challenges facing the nonprofit sector, and it provided the impetus for many nonprofits to change—including DANA. A newly assembled taskforce reviewed nonprofit support organizations in seven states, and then developed a framework outlining activities of a revitalized organization. This led to the reconstitution of DANA’s board of directors in 2011, and to hiring Grundner in 2012.

Grundner, who has experience in both

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the corporate and nonprofit sectors, developed a three-year strategic plan that focused on three levels of leadership: skills, voice and information.

DANA now offers workshops statewide, as well as online training opportunities that are slated to start in July.

Utilizing knowledge garnered from The Standards for Excellence Institute, a national program that promotes self-regulation of ethical practices, Grundner and his team will provide practical solutions to operational challenges. Members, Grundner says, “want more hands-on skills, and for us to help them close the gaps.”

Grundner will focus on governance— since great leadership starts at the top— and will work with boards to discuss strategic planning. Another focus will be voice leadership, another way of say-

ing that DANA wants to communicate to Delawareans why nonprofits matter.

Since only a third of us are giving to nonprofits, Grundner will launch an awareness campaign in the fourth quarter of this year.

“We need the public to understand that they benefit from the services of nonprofits whether they realize it or not,” he says. “Maybe your daughter is a Girl Scout, or you work out at the YMCA, or you just saw a show at The Grand.”

Grundner isn’t running the show alone.

He credits his board and fiveperson team. Board chair William R. Allan, vice president of Southern Delaware and Delaware Community Foundation (and former DSCC chairman), leads an assemblage of esteemed professionals that include WSFS president Mark A. Turner, Fred Sears, II, president of the Delaware Community Foundation, among others.

Grundner is committed to DANA, but he accepted his post for another reason: He loves Delaware. In 2004 he formed the Kelly Heinz-Grundner Brain Tumor Foundation after his wife, Kelly, died of a brain tumor. People like Fred Sears were supportive, and Grundner never forgot Sears’ kindness or the Delawareans who rallied around him.

“The opportunity to help good organizations become great by incorporating best practices is really gratifying,” says Grundner. “I know that being good is no longer good enough in today’s economic environment, and I also know how important the services they deliver are to the quality of life in Delaware.”

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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Sheraton Wilmington South

BY MARIA HESS

People used to place bets on whether the six-story hotel that stood vacant for more than a decade on property along interstate 95 would ever open. Built in 2000, the hotel seemed left for dead, a once-interesting edifice turned eyesore. Yet Sheraton Wilmington South’s rise to glory became one of Delaware’s most scintillating land-use stories.

The press followed with glee the saga that pitted New Castle County officials against the developers. The county claimed that the hotel located between Christiana and Wilmington was built larger than the approved plans permitted. The certificate of occupancy was denied. Then the original owners defaulted on their mortgage and filed for bankruptcy in July 2001. There were casualties: Some 150 people that were promised jobs headed for the unemployment line.

It took years to unravel the red tape.

To summarize a complicated battle, the new owners, Parkside V LLC, which owns Delaware Park, purchased the hotel from the bank for $11.2 million in May 2003, and then reconsidered its investment when the precarious economy hampered its plans to house casino guests at the hotel. Parkside sold

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to Hersha Hospitality Trust for $15 million and the Sheraton Wilmington South was born. Finally, the hotel was the subject of celebration rather than speculation.

Its doors opened on December 5, 2011, after a spectacular renovation started by Parkside and continued by Hersha.

“We’re thankful that word has spread to the local community and area businesses of our special, upscale hotel,” says Rory McCook, general manager of Sheraton Wilmington South.

“Community members have honored us

with hosting their life events such as weddings, anniversary and birthday parties, baby and bridal showers and bar/bat mitzvahs.”

The Sheraton serves the business traveler with its 192 elegant guest rooms, eight conference rooms and presidential suite. The six-story atrium is remarkable, and its ballroom is top notch. Platinum members with Starwood’s SPG program can grab breakfast, afternoon hors d’oeuvres, snacks or drinks at The Sheraton Club Lounge. The accommodations are lovely, but anyone who neglects to enjoy a cocktail in the Atrium Lounge or outdoor terrace is missing out.

“Our Sheraton team strives to deliver exceptional customer service to our guests every day,” says McCook. “We’re very proud to boast that our customer service ranking in 2013 ranked in the top 5 percent of all Sheraton hotels in North America.”

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WELCOME New Members BAIN’S DELI HERCULES

Computer Corner specializes in telephone

Mr. Chan Joung 1313 N. Market St., Hercules Plaza Wilmington, DE 19801 (302) 543-4299 Fax: (302) 543-4478 www.BainsDeli1313.com

PBX systems, and VOIP, computers, serv-

Fax: (302) 378-4050 www.historicodessa.org

ers, networks, cloud, and more.

The Historic Odessa Foundation exists

Bain’s Deli serves breakfast and lunch five days a week, and catering services.

to preserve and encourage the use of its

DELAWARE SHOUTOUT

historic buildings by the general public,

Ms. Brooke Grubb 334 E. Main St., #D-10 Newark, DE 19711 (410) 627-2479

students, and scholars in order to learn and appreciate the history, architecture, daily life, and furnishings of Delaware’s colonial period.

Delaware Shoutout is your social media

BUDGET ROOTER INC.

authority in the First State. We build and

Ms. Suzanne Palady 1015 River Road Bear, DE 19720 (302) 421-9000 Fax: (302) 322-3011 www.budgetrooterdelaware.com

support social media platforms, write blogs,

Budget Rooter provides plumbing, heating, air conditioning and drain cleaning services.

and offer consultation.

GGW COMMUNICATIONS Mr. Gerald W. Lucas P.O. Box 1205 Hockessin, DE 19707 (443) 745-2923 GGW Communications provides information

LEASED ACCESS PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION Ms. Cherie Congo 2904 W. 2nd Street, PO Box 2593 Wilmington, DE 19805 (302) 655-3477 Fax: (302) 652-8891 This association handles the management of a local TV studio for public and leased access shows.

CHINA PRODUCT SOURCING COMPANY

technology consulting for business custom-

Ms. Helen L. Zhou 1000 Smyrna Clayton Blvd., Suite 5 Smyrna, DE 19977 (302) 276-4371 Fax: (302) 389-8235 www.chinaproductsourcingco.com

ers concerned with disaster recovery, busi-

LYONESS USA

ness continuity and computer security.

Ms. Christina Duncan 19 Owls Nest Road Wilmington, DE 19807 (302) 750-5728 www.lyoness.com

GLOBAL SUPPLIER DIVERSITY STRATEGIES LLC

accessories, jewelry, clothing, shoes, build-

Mr. Charles Gillean 17109 Brittany Place Milford, DE 19963 (610) 804-8024

ing materials, baby products, kitchen uten-

Global Supplier Diversity Strategies devel-

community of international shoppers and

sils, furniture, and more.

ops supplier diversity programs for U.S. and

merchants. A free Lyoness membership pro-

foreign corporations that are compliant with

vides shoppers with exclusive benefits from

laws in host countries.

online shopping, gift card purchases, the

An import/export sourcing service, China Product specializes in beauty products,

COMPUTER CORNER Mr. Eric J. Horn 40 S. High Street West Chester, PA 19382 (610) 441-7222 Fax: (610) 441-7337 www.afdaniel.com 16

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Lyoness is a global loyalty rewards program dedicated to providing a rewarding and mutually beneficial relationship between its

Lyoness cash back card and mobile cash

HISTORIC ODESSA FOUNDATION

back with over 39,000 merchants at more

Ms. Jennifer Cabell 201 Main Street Odessa, DE 19730 (302) 378-4119

than 200,000 locations.

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PARKER BRIGGS BUSINESS GROUP LLC Mr. Calvin Coolidge 84 Park Avenue, Suite G-210-F Flemington, NJ 08822 (973) 634-6340 Fax: (866) 800-0634 www.parkerbriggsllc.com Parker Briggs markets the sale of profitable privately held businesses, and finds profitable privately held businesses for buyers.

SECURIS DELAWARE Mr. Gregg Haslinsky 18 Boulden Circle, Suite 4 New Castle, DE 19720 (302) 262-9905 www.securis.com/delaware

Guest Column continued from 8 and estate services, litigation support and forensic accounting services, financial planning and investment advisory services, small business accounting services, captive insurance audit services and international tax services.

In recent years, the firm’s success has been acknowledged through several awards that have served to validate its reputation and quality of services, including: 2012 Marvin S. Gilman Superstars in Business (Delaware State Chamber of Commerce), 2012 Business of the Year (Middletown Area Chamber of Commerce), 2012 Top Workplaces (The News Journal), and Psychologically Healthy Workplace (Delaware Psychological Association).

their expertise by serving on the boards of directors of local organizations, including the Wilmington Housing Authority, Middletown Area Chamber of Commerce, M.O.T. Jean Birch Senior Center, Newark Day Nursery and Children’s Center, and Development and Research Innovations.

They also reach out to educate students and professionals alike. In education, the firm’s partners have taught courses in accounting, management and finance at the University of Delaware and Goldey-Beacom College. Cover & Rossiter’s associates are also frequent guest lecturers at local colleges and professional associations and contributors of articles in publications of financial, tax or general interest.

…we have always been equally proud of the quality of our employees and their civic and community involvement.

Securis is an industry-leading provider of information technology asset disposal (ITAD), including ultra-secure electronics recycling, auditing, hard drive shredding, and other data destruction services.

TRANSAMERICA RETIREMENT SOLUTIONS CORPORATION Ms. Crystal Gravitt 4120 Gravitt Road Cumming, GA 30040 (678) 341-9340 Fax: (213) 763-9962 www.transamerica.com Transamerica is a leader in the retirement plan industry, leveraging expertise honed by more than 75 years in business, and serving more than 3 million retirement plan participants across the spectrum of defined benefit and defined contribution plans.

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According to managing director Geoff Langdon, who has been with the firm since 1984: “We are extremely mindful and proud of our heritage as one of Delaware’s leading CPA firms. But beyond our outstanding business relationships and portfolio of professional services, we have always been equally proud of the quality of our employees and their civic and community involvement.”

For its employees, Delaware is much more than a place to work—it is a place to be involved. Cover & Rossiter’s associates have always taken great pride in being active outside of the workplace.

Associates routinely give of their time and talents to participate in numerous walk-a-thons, charity events, and service organizations, such as the Wilmington Rotary Club of Wilmington, Newark Morning Rotary Club and Food Bank of Delaware. Members of the firm also add

Maintaining professional skills and development is another passion of its associates, who are active participants as officers or members in many leading professional associations, including the American Institute of Public Accountants, Delaware Society of Certified Public Accountants, American Board of Forensic Accountants, Wilmington Tax Group, and the Estate Planning Council of Delaware.

Several associates are past graduates of the Leadership Delaware program.

As Cover & Rossiter concludes and celebrates its first 75 years, the firm remains energized and optimistic about its future and that of the state of Delaware. Our advice is current. Our client focus is timeless. It is with great pride that Cover & Rossiter has and will continue to serve the evolving needs of its clients throughout Delaware from our birthplace—the city of Wilmington.

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1.

1. Daniel Leader of Environmental Alliance Inc., and Michelle Cross of Ameriprise Financial networked at the Summer Blood Challenge Kick-Off event at Blood Bank of Delmarva on May 7.

2. Delaware Young Professionals Network leaders Matt Grygiel and Mike Vanderslice posed with Lisa Gravely during the Summer Blood Challenge Kick-Off event at Blood Bank of Delmarva on May 7.

State Chamber SCENE 2.

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3.

3. Bank of America

4.

presented “Build, Buy or Ally: Growth Strategies for Your Business” to Chamber members on May 14.

4. Carol Arnott Robbins of M&T Securities and Robert Rogers of Children & Families First gathered with attendees at University & Whist Club on May 21 for Chamber Leadership Breakfast with Mary Kate Mouser.

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19

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State Chamber SCENE 5. John Taylor, Madeleine

5.

Bayard and Gary Stockbridge at University & Whist Club on May 21 for Chamber Leadership Breakfast with Mary Kate Mouser.

6. Keynote speaker Mary Kate Mouser of Nemours Health and Prevention Services addressed the crowd University & Whist Club on May 21 for Chamber Leadership Breakfast.

7. Abdullah Muhammad of Cards

by Abdullah and Paul Herdman of the Rodel Charitable Foundation of Delaware posed for the DSCC cameras at the 2014 Superstars in Education Awards Reception, held on May 5 at the Sheraton Wilmington South Hotel. Photo by Brian Mulligan.

6.

20

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7.

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8.

9.

8. Larry DiSabatino held court at the 2014 Superstars in Education Awards Reception, held on May 5 at the Sheraton Wilmington South Hotel. Photo

by Brian Mulligan.

9. Yvonne Johnson, Mark Holodick and Nikki Castle were all smiles during the 2014 Superstars in Education Awards Reception, held on May 5 at the Sheraton Wilmington South Hotel. Photo by Brian Mulligan.

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State Chamber SCENE 10.

10. Photographer Nick Wallace and wife Kera joined the Superstars celebration May 5 at the Sheraton Wilmington South Hotel. Photo by Brian Mulligan.

11.

11. Gov. Jack Markell stood frontand-center to address the crowd at the 2014 Superstars in Education Awards Reception on May 5 at the Sheraton Wilmington South Hotel.

Photo by Brian Mulligan.

12.

12. Wilmington University joined with educators across the state for the 2014 Superstars in Education Awards Reception, held on May 5 at the Sheraton Wilmington South Hotel. Photo

by Brian Mulligan.

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Restaurant, Meeting & Banquet Guide 2014

The Delaware State Chamber of Commerce’s Restaurant, Meeting & Banquet Guide is a one-stop resource for planning your next event.

This guide is also available on www.dscc.com.

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Restaurant, Meeting & Banquet Guide HOTELS

ing of warmth, elegance and

Email: bph@boardwalkplaza.com

hotels, the hotel can provide

charm—a perfect environment

Website: www.boardwalkplaza.com

up to 700 group rooms for your

Atlantic Sands Hotel & Conference Center

for any gathering. The Bellmoor

Meet in oceanfront, Victorian

event. The adjoining Clayton

also offers the lovely Magnolia

elegance at the Boardwalk Plaza

Hall Conference Center’s 40,000

101 N. Boardwalk, Rehoboth Beach

Garden and Fountain Courtyard,

Hotel. The oceanfront Kent

square feet of meeting space

Contact: Ms. Barbara Brewer

Rehoboth Beach’s most luxuri-

and Sussex Halls offer state-of

includes 21 meeting rooms

Phone: (302) 227-2511

ous outdoor reception space.

the-art audio-visual equipment,

and a 500 seat auditorium. A

Fax: (302) 227-5574

The professional staff is happy

T1 and wireless Internet and

7,000-square-foot ballroom

Email: bbrewer@atlanticsandshotel.

to assist with all aspects of cre-

beautiful views of the Atlantic

accommodates 500 banquet

com

ating a successful conference or

Ocean. Or choose the intimate

style or 450 classroom-style.

Website: www.atlanticsandshotel.com

social gathering. Banquet/meet-

Plaza Cottage for executive-

Additional services include

Located on the Rehoboth Beach

ing room capacity for 10 to 100

style sessions. Groups of up

video conferencing, high-speed

boardwalk, just feet from the

people is available.

to 110 people will enjoy full-

Internet access and exhibit

service meals catered in-house

capabilities.

white sands of one of the cleanest beaches in America, the

Best Western Gold Leaf

by Victoria’s Restaurant (open

Atlantic Sands Hotel is the per-

1400 Highway One Dewey Beach,

seven days a week, all year, for

Crowne Plaza Hotel

fect place for enjoying not only

Delaware

breakfast, lunch and dinner),

630 Naamans Road, Wilmington

the beach, but the boutiques

Contact: Maha Awayes

the cozy Plaza Pub lounge for

Contact: Courtney Alleman

and nightlife of the treasured

Phone: (302) 226-1100

cocktails and light fare, a variety

Phone: (302) 791-4680

resort town of Rehoboth Beach.

Fax: (302) 226-9785

of gracious accommodations

Fax: (302) 798-6182

and Victorian charm,

Email: courtney.alleman@

full-menu room service,

cpwilmingtonnorth.com

a heated spa and AAA

Website: www.cpwilmingtonnorth.

Four Diamond award-

com

winning service and

The Crowne Plaza - Wilmington

hospitality.

North is only minutes from Wilmington-area corporations

The Bellmoor Inn & Spa

Courtyard by Marriott Newark – University of Delaware

including DuPont, AstraZeneca,

400 Pencader Way, Newark

ing at the Crowne Plaza hotel

Contact: Bill Sullivan

in the picturesque Brandywine

Phone: (302) 391-2261

Valley, visit Longwood Gardens,

Fax: (302) 737-0990

Harrah’s Chester Casino and

Email: billsull@udel.edu

Racetrack, Winterthur Museum,

Website: www.udel.edu/

QVC, and Brandywine River

hotel

Museum—all a short dis-

Working with the

tance away. Easy access to

Accenture, Evraz, AIT, IBM and many others. While stay-

The Bellmoor Inn & Spa

Website: www.bestwesterngoldleaf.

School of Hotel, Restaurant,

Philadelphia Sports Complex,

6 Christian Street, Rehoboth Beach

com

and Institutional Management

including Citizens Bank Park,

Contact: Chad Moore

When you stay at a Best

and University of Delaware

Wells Fargo Center and Lincoln

Phone: (302) 227-5800

Western branded hotel, the

Conference Services, the

Financial Field. The Crowne

Fax: (302) 227-0323

highly trained staff is personally

Courtyard by Marriott is the

Plaza – Wilmington North fea-

Email: chadmoore@thebellmoor.com

invested in your stay.

ideal environment to discover,

tures 12,000 square feet of

experience and enjoy welcoming

flexible meeting space, and the

Website: www.thebellmoor.com Combining modern sophistica-

Boardwalk Plaza Hotel

accommodations. The hotel’s

Grand Ballroom is the ideal set-

tion with the seaside retreat

2 Olive Avenue & the Boardwalk,

126 guest rooms, with compli-

ting for weddings, social events

atmosphere of Rehoboth

Rehoboth Beach

mentary high-speed Internet,

or business meetings for up to

Beach, the Bellmoor provides

Contact: Sales Department

can serve as a group headquar-

700 guests. The Crowne Plaza

the ideal setting for any event.

Phone: (302) 227-7169

ters. Working cooperatively with

hotel has two executive floors

Conference rooms offer a feel-

Fax: (302) 227-0561

other first-class Newark-area

with private lounge, complimen-

24

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7/14/14 2:39 PM

tary high speed wireless internet,

wedding receptions, corporate

restaurants provide a complete

Fax: (302) 594-3108

24-hour fitness center, business

functions, and social occasions

array of flexible meeting space

Website: www.hoteldupont.com

center and outdoor pool.

with style.

to accommodate 30-1,500

Noted for its European dis-

guests. More than 35,000 square

tinction, the Hotel du Pont contains 217 guest rooms and

Days Inn

Doubletree Hotel – Wilmington

feet of distinctive function space

900 Churchmans Road, Newark

4727 Concord Pike, Wilmington

includes the Rollins Center, an

several first-rate restaurants,

Contact: Anupe Patel

Contact: Danielle Hennessy

18,000-square-foot, column-free

as well as 30 conference rooms

Phone: (302) 368-2400

Phone: (302) 478-6000

ballroom with 22-foot ceiling,

with more than 30,000 square

Fax: (302) 731-8620

Fax: (302) 478-6049

sub-dividable into three sound-

feet of available meeting space.

Email: daysinndos@yahoo.com

Email: Danielle.hennessy@

proof sections. Six meeting

There are two self-contained

Website: www.daysinn.com

hilton.com

rooms include Boardroom and

conference areas, each with its

The newly-renovated, three-

Website: www.doubletreewilmington.

breakout rooms for up to 150

own individual style: the tra-

story property is conveniently

com

guests. Three hospitality suites

ditional Executive Conference

located off I-95 at exit 4B.

More than 11,000 square feet

feature racetrack views. Meeting

Center with five dark-paneled

Complimentary continental

of meeting and function space

amenities include wireless inter-

rooms (one seating up to 60)

breakfast available and in-room

on two levels makes Doubletree

net, onsite AV capabilities and

and the Conference Center,

coffee makers are offered.

Wilmington ideal for any size

business center.

more contemporary in feel-

Several restaurants are within

group. The Concord Ballroom

walking distance. An on-site

can accommodate up to 350

Hotel du Pont

holding 120. Both have their

classroom seats up to 50

guests for banquet seating

11th and Market Streets, Wilmington

own registration and dining

people.

and 600 for a reception. The

Contact: The Sales Office

areas. The French neo-classic

ing, with 11 rooms, the largest

Canterbury Ballroom can hold

Phone: (302) 594-3100 or

Gold Ballroom will hold groups

Days Inn-Wilmington

up to 300 for a reception or

(800) 441-9019

up to 500. The Business Center

5209 Concord Pike, Wilmington

up to 200 for banquet seat-

Contact: Pearson L. Williams

ing. Eight breakout rooms will

Phone: (302) 478-0300

accommodate up to 50 people.

Fax: (302) 478-2401

Doubletree Wilmington’s expert

Email: daysinnwilm@comcast.net

planning and catering staff can

Conference and Training Centers

Website: www.

customize menus and special

STANTON AND WILMINGTON CAMPUSES

mydaysinnwilmington.com

touches to make every occasion

Days Inn Wilmington is located

successfully memorable.

in the heart of the Brandywine

Delaware Tech Conference Centers offer:

Valley, near all area attractions.

Dover Downs Hotel & Casino

There are 96 spacious rooms

1131 N. DuPont Hwy., Dover

with a microwave, refrigerator

Contact: Ann Stack

and high-speed Internet. Rooms

Phone: (800) 711-5882

include a complimentary con-

Email: casinopromotions@dover-

Technology - Wi-Fi, overhead projectors, video conference equipment

tinental breakfast with a hot

downs.com

waffle bar.

Website: www.doverdowns.com

Free parking - both locations

Dover Downs Hotel & Casino

Doubletree Downtown Wilmington

is the ultimate setting for your

700 N. King Street, Wilmington

tion, social gathering and spe-

Contact: Eric Chapman

cial event. From initial planning

Phone: (302) 661-4316

through execution, we manage

Fax: (302) 429-5979

the details of your event and

Email: eric.chapman3@hilton.com

confidently deliver excellence

Website: doubletree3.hilton.com

every step of the way. Our ball-

The Grand Ballroom is the larg-

room and well-appointed board-

est in downtown Wilmington,

rooms, elegant hospitality suites,

and accommodates banquets,

and private dining areas in our

One-Stop Shopping - Access to our team of professional planners and caterers

next meeting, wedding recep-

DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ju l y / Au gu st 2 0 1 4

242834 DSCC JulyAug14.indd 25

Space - More than 2,000 square feet to accommodate up to 500 attendees

Let’s plan your next event together.

For more information contact Gary James at (302) 283-3179 or grjames@dtcc.edu.

25

7/14/14 2:39 PM

Restaurant, Meeting & Banquet Guide provides any needed printing

LuxiaSuites

and faxing. All guest rooms

1007 North Orange Street,

have four telephones and dual

Wilmington

phone lines. The Hotel du Pont

Contact: Ms. Tamara Holt

also offers amenities such as

Phone: (302) 778-3001

24-hour room service, compli-

Fax: (302) 571-4723

mentary shoe shines and con-

Email: tholt@luxiasuites.com

cierge service.

Website: www.luxiasuites.com

The Buttery Restaurant

Located in Wilmington’s legal

Howard Johnson Inn & Suites

district and close to prominent

1119 S. College Ave., Newark

local businesses, LuxiaSuites

Contact: Kirsten Bradley

is a hub of resources. Provided

Phone: (302) 368-8521

is a spacious and inspired stu-

Fax: (302) 368-9868

dio, one- and two-bedroom

Email: hojonewarkdos@yahoo.com

furnished residences with hotel

Website: www.hojonewark.com

services and superb amenities.

The newly-renovated Howard

Each suite has complimentary

Johnson Inn & Suites furnishes

Wi-Fi internet service and pre-

four different banquet rooms for

mium cable. A private direct-dial

its guests. The Garden Room is

telephone number with free local

cozy for up to 20 people. The Iron Hill Room is perfect for meetings of up to 30 people.

The Constitution and Polly Drummond Rooms seat up to 50 people each or 100 when combined. All of the rooms are quaint and inexpensive. Meeting room discounts are available to guests of the hotel.

Inn at Canal Square

Email: kconnors@

square-foot Convention Center.

122 Market Street, Lewes

mohegansunpocono.com

For meetings of up to 1,600

Contact: Jesse Burns

Website: www.MoheganSun

guests, or banquets of up to

Phone: (302) 644-3377

Pocono.com

800, the space accommodates

Fax: (302) 644-3565

Mohegan Sun at Pocono downs

events both large and small.

Email: innatcanalsquare@verizon.net

Big Fish Grill

Website: www.theinnatcanal

includes 238 guest rooms, 218 standard rooms, and 20

Ramada

square.com

phone service for both personal

sweets. The hotel and spa holds

260 Chapman Road, Newark

Located on the water in the

and business calls is also avail-

a small business center located

Contact: Mr. David Shah

heart of the Lewes historic dis-

able. Travel resources include

in the lobby of the hotel for on-

Phone: (302) 738-3400

trict, the Inn at Canal Square

Wilmington’s Amtrak station,

the-go business needs. Guest

Fax: (302) 738-3414

offers 22 guest rooms and two

offering convenient service into

rooms feature luxuries including

Email: Terrise.Paige@best-

two-bedroom deluxe suites

Philadelphia, Washington, D.C.

iPad directories complete with

hospitality.net

with a magnificent view of the

and New York City.

daily newspaper downloads,

Website: www.ramada.com

TV control, room service, no

Ramada Worldwide offers a warm

available, the Waterview Room

Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs

swipe ­– tap and go key system,

and friendly stay at nearly 900

overlooking the canal and the

1280 Highway 315

free Wi-Fi, smart TVs, express

hotels in over 50 countries around

Parkview Room. Any level of

Contact: Ms. Kelly Connors

check-out available, Keurig cof-

the world. The chain provides

service a meeting or event may

Phone: (570) 831-2255

fee makers in Suites. And adja-

guests with free, high-speed wire-

require can be accommodated.

Fax: (570) 823-9407

cent to the new hotel is a 20,000

less Internet access, cozy beds

harbor. Two meeting rooms are

26

242834 DSCC JulyAug14.indd 26

July / Aug us t 2 0 1 4 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

7/14/14 2:39 PM

for a relaxed and restful stay,

RESTAURANTS

guest bathrooms stocked with San Francisco Soap Company

Bain’s Deli Hercules

amenities, and a variety of hotel

1313 N. Market St. Wilmington

choices to match every trip; from

Contact: Mr. Chan Joung

a family vacation or “quick stop

Phone: (302) 543-4299

and recharge,” to a full-scale con-

Fax: (302) 543-4478

ference or lavish wedding.

Email: bainsdeli.hercules@ gmail.com

Residence Inn by Marriott Dover

Website: www.BainsDeli1313.com

600 Jeffric Blvd., Dover

A New York-style deli that caters

Contact: Linda Graves-Crocker

to breakfast and lunch crowds,

Phone: (302) 677-0777

Bain’s is open five days a week.

Fax: (302) 672-8017

Famous for its sandwiches, the

Email: Jennifer.Coverdale@

shop features only the highest

marriott.com

quality meats and breads, and

Website: www.marriott.com/default.mi

also offers soups and sides. The

When every detail must be

deli packs seating for up to 34,

perfect, guests can count on

take-out, catering, party trays,

Residence Inn’s advanced facili-

and even delivery is available.

Exceptional meeting and event services in exceptional places. ( With exceptional people.)

ties and expert meeting professionals to deliver a productive

Big Fish Grill on the Riverfront

and successful outcome. Two

720 S. Justison St., Wilmington

meeting rooms, 697 square feet

Contact: Angela Hasting

of total meeting space, on-site

Phone: (302) 652-3474

meeting rooms ideal for small

Website: www.bigfishgrill.com

groups of 15-50 people and AV

A casual seafood and steak res-

can be accommodated.

taurant, Big Fish serves casual lunch and dinner daily. The pri-

Sheraton Wilmington South Hotel

vate dining room can hold up to 45 people.

365 Airport Road New Castle

L E A A S T I , C O N F E R E N C E M A N AG E R

And it’s not where you might expect.

The University of Delaware may not be the first place you think of when you’re looking for a meeting or event venue.

Contact: Ms. Christine Jenkins

The Buttery Restaurant

We want to change that. Our three campuses instantly

Phone: (302) 328-6200

102 Second Street, Lewes

Fax: (302) 328-6300

Contact: Mr. John Donato

provide you with an array of environmental options and,

Email: Christine.jenkins@hersha.com

Phone: (302) 645-7755

Website: www.

Fax: (302) 644-4909

sheratonwilmingtonsouth.com

Email: butterboy@hotmail.com

Adjacent to I-95 and several

Website: www.buttery

Fortune 500 companies. The

restaurant.com

hotel holds 192 guest rooms, 8

Awarded Reader’s Choice by

meeting spaces, with the larg-

the News Journal in 2013, The

Wilmington, to a robust academic campus in Newark, down to

est meeting space of 3, 388 sq.

Buttery is a cozy yet elegant

a relaxing retreat in Lewes, our people and places can’t be beat.

ft. of space. Also offered is free

getaway nestled in Historic

internet based printing service

Lewes. The restaurant is known

provided in the Business Center,

for fine wine and beef, and is

copy/faxing service, copy/print-

open seven days a week, serv-

ing service, cash machine (ATM).

ing everything but breakfast.

Each guest room holds a refrig-

Even Sunday brunch begins

erator, microwave, and wireless

most weeks at 10:30. Held here

high speed internet.

are wine diners, art exhibits and

DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ju l y / Au gu st 2 0 1 4

242834 DSCC JulyAug14.indd 27

we just might enhance the credibility of your event.

Having a university as your backdrop, you’ll feel the pulse of academia while having access to every current technology available, plus a personal event manager who will coordinate all the services you need – from start to finish. From an historic mansion in

Have we changed your mind yet? Call us for more details.

UD Conference Services 3 02- 831-2 214 u d e l . e d u / co nfe r e n ce s

27

7/14/14 2:39 PM

Restaurant, Meeting & Banquet Guide other events, with a veranda that’s open year-round.

Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats 320 Rehoboth Avenue, Rehoboth Beach Contact: Matt Patton Phone: (302) 226-BREW Fax: (302) 226-0792 Email: matt@dogfish.com Website: www.dogfish.com Experience craft-brewed ales and spirits made in Delaware and a brew rub specializing in wood-grilled seafood and steaks. A casual, fun environment with great food and drinks. Upstairs, a private function room overlooks the distillery.

An enclosed deck is also available in the spring, summer and fall. Dogfish is open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week,

Eden Restaurant

year round.

Eden’s cuisine is just as roman-

‘Most Romantic Atmosphere’

Timeless charm and beauty are

Eden Restaurant

tic as its atmosphere. The res-

by Delaware Today magazine.

reflected in the recent renovations;

23 Baltimore Avenue,

taurant offers many things like

The Oceanside location offers

a combination of new and old

Rehoboth Beach

artisanal cheeses, wood oven

beautiful outdoor seating in

with rich wood paneling, gold-leaf

Contact: Ms. Danielle Panarello

fired flatbreads, and tempting

season. And along with fine

ceilings and chic Versace-pattern

Phone: (302) 227-3330

treats like Eden’s graham crack-

food is just as fine wine. With a

china. Service at the Hotel du

Fax: (302) 227-2887

er and sunflower seed crust key

bundle of awards from The Wine

Pont is exquisitely old-fashioned

Email: danielle@edenrestaurant.com

lime pie. Described as ‘beach

Spectator, the list is nothing

friendly, attentive, gracious and

Website: www.edenrestaurant.com

chic,’ Eden’s indoor seating has

short of divine.

refined. The Green Room offers

A fine food lover’s paradise,

been consistently voted

The Green Room at the Hotel du Pont

American cuisine with a European

Feby’s Fishery, Restaurant & Seafood Market

flair in an elegant atmosphere that

3701 Lancaster Pike, Wilmington

Classic dining without the stuffi-

Contact: Philip DiFebo

ness, the Green Room features

Phone: (302) 998-9501

innovative dishes that are certain

Website: www.febysfishery.com

to please both the most discern-

The classic eatery and seafood

ing and adventuresome palettes.

market has been serving the fresh-

Enjoy a chef’s tasting menu each

est fish in the area since 1974.

evening to broaden your culinary

is both comfortable and intimate.

experience.

28

242834 DSCC JulyAug14.indd 28

The Green Room at the Hotel du Pont

Grotto Pizza, Inc.

11th & Market Streets, Wilmington

20376 Coastal Highway,

Contact: Dining Reservations

Rehoboth Beach

Phone: (302) 594-3154

Contact: Laura McCann

Fax: (302) 594-3070

Phone: (302) 227-3567

Website: www.hoteldupont.com

Fax: (302) 227-4566 July / Aug us t 2 0 1 4 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

7/14/14 2:39 PM

Website: www.grottopizza.com

sandwiches, crisp salads and

The Melting Pot has defined

rant offers delicious homemade

Since 1960, Grotto Pizza has

gourmet coffee.

fondue dining niche across

chicken croquettes and crab

America. At The Melting Pot,

cakes. Newport Restaurant is a casual, family restaurant.

been a staple in Delaware and was voted Best Pizza in Best of

McDonald’s

fondue truly becomes a memo-

Delaware on many occasions.

1401 Governor’s Place, Bear,

rable four-course dining experi-

(302) 836-1308

ence where patrons can dip

Nicola Pizza

Manhattan Bagel

2351 S. College Avenue, Newark,

into something different – and

8 North First Street, Rehoboth Beach

3209-B Concord Pike, Wilmington

(302) 733-0818

discover all the ingredients for

Contact: Nick Caggiano, Jr.

Contact: Mr. Gonzalo Cruz-Saenz

374 E. Main Street, Newark,

a unique dining experience

Phone: (302) 227-6230

Phone: (302) 477-0700

(302) 737-0502

including a relaxed atmosphere,

Fax: (302) 226-3721

Fax: (302) 477-1246

815 S. College Avenue, Newark,

private tables, attentive service,

Website: www.nicolapizza.com

Email: globalfinco@aol.com

(302) 738-7857

fine wines and signature fondue

Nicola Pizza started in Rehoboth

Website: www.manhattanbagel.com

2507 Concord Pike, Wilmington,

dinners.

Beach in 1971 and is home

As the nation’s largest operator

(302) 478-5685

to the famous, Nic-o-boli. The

Newport Restaurant

pizza shop also participates in

Melting Pot

601 Newport Pike, Newport

fundraising events.

the restaurant industry, Einstein

1601 Concord Pike, Wilmington

Contact: Maria Perdikis

Noah Restaurant Group is mov-

Contact: Brad Oberholzer

Phone: (302) 998-1073

Potstickers Asian Grille

ing with the cultural shift toward

Phone: (302) 652-6358

For 25 years, Newport

Centre Point Plaza II

food that is fast, but never

Fax: (302) 652-8101

Restaurant, located in Greystone

1247 Churchman’s Road, Newark

tastes that way. Think fresh-

Website: www.meltingpot.com

Plaza, has served breakfast,

Phone: (302) 731-0188

baked goods, made-to-order

For more than three decades,

lunch and dinner. The restau-

Fax: (302) 731-9188

of bagel bakeries and the leader in the quick casual segment of

Deerfield

DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ju l y / Au gu st 2 0 1 4

242834 DSCC JulyAug14.indd 29

29

7/14/14 2:39 PM

Restaurant, Meeting & Banquet Guide

DuPont Country Club & Brantwyn Estate Website: www.potstickers

in any one of our many meeting

Phone: (302) 421-1730

Heritage Shores Club

asiangrill.com

rooms. A wide array of spaces

Fax: (302) 421-1770

1 Heritage Shores Circle, Bridgeville

Potstickers is an Asian fusion of

from conference rooms to trade-

Website: www.dupontcountry

Phone: (302) 337-9926

quality ingredients and high-end

show venues, are available for

club.com

Fax: (302) 337-9915

dining complete with a sushi bar.

your next special event. Menus

Minutes from downtown

Website: www.heritageshores

Voted Best of Delaware 2010

from simple breakfast and lunch

Wilmington, the DuPont Country

golf.com

and 2011.

options to extravagant dinners

Club & Brantwyn Estate offers

Located just a short distance

are available. Conference service

a variety of meeting and social

to the nearby beach cities,

COUNTRY/MEMBERS CLUBS

packages make planning easy,

venues accommodating groups

Heritage Shores Club offers

and any event can be paired

from five to 500. The Clubhouse

an exciting championship golf

Deerfield

with golf, tennis or an event in

features two spacious ball-

course with traditional country

507 Thompson Station Road, Newark

the park for your next retreat

rooms, eight banquet rooms

club amenities. Complementary

Contact: Jeffrey Robinson

or teambuilding exercise. With

and a lovely outdoor terrace.

to the surrounding golf course,

Phone: (302) 368-6640

spectacular views of the golf

A former du Pont family resi-

a sprawling 28,000 square-

Fax: (302) 366-0345

course and the park, a meeting

dence, Brantwyn Estate offers

foot Clubhouse inspired by the

Email: dfinfo@deerfieldgolfclub.com

at Deerfield is sure to refresh

an elegant and unique setting for

architecture of Nantucket offers

Website: www.deerfieldgolfclub.com

and reinvigorate.

any event. Conference and wed-

an elegant venue for hosting

ding packages and golf outings

special occasions from your

are available. Membership is not

wedding reception to corporate

conference and special event

DuPont Country Club & Brantwyn Estate

a requirement to host events at

events and banquets. With the

destination. Meetings from 20

1001 Rockland Road, Wilmington

the Club or Brantwyn.

surrounding golf course offering

to 500 guests can be scheduled

Contact: The Sales Office

Deerfield is Delaware’s most unique and memorable meeting,

30

242834 DSCC JulyAug14.indd 30

continued on 35 July / Aug us t 2 0 1 4 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

7/14/14 2:39 PM

HOW SUPER IS YOUR BUSINESS? Apply now for the 2014 Marvin S. Gilman Superstars in Business Award and show Delaware why you deserve star status!

Use this application to enter your small business or nonprofit today. You can also apply online at ssb.dscc.com.

Superstars in Business Awards Luncheon Wednesday, November 12, 2014 11:15 a.m.

Hotel du Pont, Gold Ballroom Keynote Speaker: Steven Strauss, author of The Small Business Bible Delaware State Chamber of Commerce | Superstars in Business | Apply online at ssb.dscc.com

242834 DSCC JulyAug14.indd 31

7/14/14 2:39 PM

WHAT MAKES YOUR BUSINESS SUPER?

This application form is a simple self-evaluation that can improve your business management skills, and put you in the running to win the 2014 Marvin S. Gilman Superstars in Business Award!

Step 1 / Self-Evaluation: • If your organization is a business, please use form A. • If you are a nonprofit, please use form B. Please answer the questions as a separate Microsoft Word file with your company letterhead or complete it online at ssb.dscc.com. Electronic PDFs and paper versions are also available. Please contact Kelly Wetzel at kwetzel@dscc.com or (302) 576-6564.

Eligibility: • Member of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce.

• In business for at least three continuous years.

• 150 employees or fewer.

• Previous Superstars in Business winners may re-apply after five years.

If you would like to be connected with a previous Superstars in Business winner for assistance in completing your application, please contact Kelly Wetzel at kwetzel@dscc.com or (302) 576-6564.

Step 2 / Submission: Applications must be submitted to the Superstars in Business Committee no later than Thursday, August 21, 2014 at 12 p.m. No late entries will be accepted. Please note that materials submitted cannot be returned, but all information remains confidential. **Applications longer than ten pages will not be accepted. You may add up to four attachments in addition to a ten page application.

Step 3 / Application Review: Within each category, the finalists may be contacted for additional information or validation of the information submitted. The review made at this step is held in strict confidence.

Step 4 / The Awards: Each winner will be presented with a special award recognizing their superior achievement on November 12, 2014 at a luncheon in the Gold Ballroom of the Hotel du Pont in Wilmington.

Marketing and recognition will be given to all the Business Superstars throughout the year.

Awards may be judged in the following categories (Please note that categories will be decided upon at the Selection Committee’s discretion based on number of entries and quality of applications): • 1 to 24 employees • 60 - 150 employees • 25 to 59 employees • Nonprofits Below each question we have provided you with ‘Ideas for Success.’ They aim to help you form more robust answers and provide suggestions on what information may make your response more competitive. These are not requirements, but may help judges compare your business against other applicants. Please answer questions as concisely as possible.

ENTRY DEADLINE: August 21, 2014 at 12p.m.

Apply online at ssb.dscc.com or mail completed applications to: Small Business Alliance / Delaware State Chamber of Commerce 1201 N. Orange Street, Suite 200, P.O. Box 671 Wilmington, DE 19899 Delaware State Chamber of Commerce | Superstars in Business | Apply online at ssb.dscc.com | (302) 655-7221

242834 DSCC JulyAug14.indd 32

7/14/14 2:39 PM

Form A for BUSINESSES

Please answer all questions as concisely as possible on your company letterhead or online at ssb.dscc.com.

Applications may not exceed ten pages. You may include up to four attachments in addition to a ten page application.

1. Business name, address and phone number; Primary contact’s name, title, phone number and email address.

2. Please describe your business.

3. List the number of years in business and briefly explain how your business was started.

4. Number of employees and average tenure (Please distinguish between full-time and part-time).

5. Please provide your business mission statement and/or business philosophy.

Provide your mission statement, vision statement, guiding principles or strategies for success. How is your mission statement communicated to clients, investors and/or the general public, i.e. word of mouth, through marketing materials, etc.? Also explain how they were developed – were they customer or leadership driven, and how do you ensure they are understood by your entire company? Tell us here if you have team building meetings, strategy sessions and/or safety meetings that may include a regular discussion on these important guiding statements.

6.

Given the economic challenges of the recent past and present, how have you been able to sustain or grow your business?

Please explain how today’s difficult economic climate has created obstacles or opportunities for your business. How are you dealing with the “New Normal?” Here is the place to highlight any strategies or measures taken that have resulted in savings, stability or growth. An index of profitability, projection and/or financial summary is required (examples could be revenue growth percentage, profit margin, etc.). Profitability results or a steady financial track record would be great evidence of skillful business management. How do your financial records measure up to other companies in your industry? Smaller companies should show growth or sustainability and share projections for the future. Actual financial metrics will separate your application from the competition. Tell us of innovative ways you have used to market or boost sales that have produced a good ROI, be specific. Remain assured that all information is kept confidential.

7. What makes your business stand apart from your peers and/or similar businesses?

Please use this question to outline how you identify customer needs and priorities. Customer loyalty, years of experience, low associate turnover and industry awards are all competitive weapons. Tell us if you are measuring customer satisfaction or if you have moved to customer loyalty or customer advocacy. Share with us how you brand your company and how you maintain it, i.e. social media, online networking, marketing campaigns, etc. Tell us if you have a customer database or process to retain information about customers to use in the future. If you have a formal process for tracking and resolving complaints, please highlight your program here and brag about your results. If associate training or education reimbursement programs are a big part of your employee retention program or your quality/safety programs, please tell us about that too. Specific examples are appreciated.

8.

Identify two or three of the most significant challenges in growing your business. Explain how you handled them.

Some companies highlight their hiring and retention programs here and others may share their success in adpating to economic climate changes. If there are challenges, financial or otherwise, how did the leaders of the organization rally associates to meet the challenge? How were the challenges identified and did you anticipate them coming? If they could not have been predicted, what have you learned for the next time to make the company stronger? If there are no challenges/problems to list because all employees are proactively taking care of all aspects of the business in the best possible way, tell us that too!

9. Briefly discuss the nature and involvement of your community service efforts.

List key leaders’ involvement – describe investments of time, as well as causes supported financially. This is also the place where you may highlight efforts to care for our environment. List efforts regarding investment in friendlier vehicles or equipment, and to conserve and recycle materials. Do you have a formal program that includes fundraising or service hours donated? Are the commitments or passions you have for certain causes conveyed in your marketing?

Are they a part of the image you relate to others? Describe any support for a health and safety program where you may even include family members.

10. Please provide the names and contact information of your professional support, i.e. banks, accounting firms, etc. If you are an award winner, we will contact them on your behalf to share the good news.

We also encourage you to provide customer testimonials with your application.

Delaware State Chamber of Commerce | Superstars in Business | Apply online at ssb.dscc.com | (302) 655-7221

242834 DSCC JulyAug14.indd 33

7/14/14 2:39 PM

Form B for NONPROFITS Please answer all questions as concisely as possible on your company letterhead or online at ssb.dscc.com.

Applications may not exceed ten pages. You may include up to four attachments in addition to a ten page application.

1. Business name, address, and phone number; Primary contact’s name, title, phone number and email address.

2. Please describe the work of your nonprofit.

3. Number of years serving the community.

4. Number of paid staff and average tenure.

5. Number of volunteers and their average tenure.

6. Percentage of your organization’s budget that is: Program Services______, Fundraising______, Management and General______.

7. Please provide your organization’s mission statement and/or philosophy.

A mission statement, vision statement, guiding principles or strategies for success should be listed here or can be included as attachments. How is your mission statement communicated to clients, investors and/or the general public, i.e. word of mouth, through marketing materials, etc.? Also explain how they were developed – were they customer or leadership driven, and how do you ensure they are understood by your entire organization? Tell us here if you have team building meetings, strategy sessions and/or safety meetings that may include a regular discussion on these important guiding statements.

8. What makes your nonprofit stand apart from your peers and/or similar nonprofits?

Please outline the measurable outcomes you monitor that indicate client satisfaction, program delivery, volunteer tenure and retention and fundraising effectiveness.

9. What is the number of people or groups that have benefited from your organization? (Please provide results for each of the last three years.)

10. What have been the two or three most significant challenges in meeting the needs of your constituency? And how have you approached these challenges?

Do you have a survey process for your constituents and/or your benefactors to identify how their needs are changing? Have any changes to your organization come from this survey process in the past few years?

11. Please provide the names and contact information of your professional support, i.e. banks, accounting firms, etc. If you are an award winner, we will contact them on your behalf to share the good news.

We also encourage you to provide customer testimonials with your application.

Delaware State Chamber of Commerce | Superstars in Business | Apply online at ssb.dscc.com | (302) 655-7221

242834 DSCC JulyAug14.indd 34

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Restaurant, Meeting & Banquet Guide continued from page 30

ample facilities for all your needs

specializes in golf outings, small

warm hospitality and camarade-

scenic surroundings the Heritage

has made Kings Creek Country

receptions and dinner parties.

rie. The Club offers eight different

Shores Club provides a unique

Club a popular destination for all

Capacity: 80 to 100.

private rooms that can accom-

venue for weddings with a beau-

weddings, receptions, meetings

tifully adorned grand ballroom or

and banquets. Able to accom-

the expansive outdoor patio. Our guests will experience excep-

modate from 2 to 200 guests.

The Club is open to the public

modate parties of nearly any

University & Whist Club of Wilmington

size; staff of food and function

805 North Broom Street, Wilmington

rehearsal dinners, bridal and

tional amenities, first-class ser-

specialists can readily make

Contact: Margaret Reilly

baby showers, wedding recep-

vice and attention to detail when

arrangements for indoor or

Phone: (302) 658-5125

tions, breakfasts, luncheons,

visiting Heritage Shores Club.

open-air ceremonies.

Fax: (302) 658-6415

dinners, private parties, holiday

Email: mreilly@universtywhist.com

gatherings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs and

Rookery Golf Club

Website: www.universityand

memorial receptions.

One Kings Creek Circle,

27052 Broadkill Road, Milton

whistclub.com

Rehoboth Beach

Contact: Glenda Adkins

The University and Whist Club

Contact: Gary Wheeler

Phone: (302) 684-3103

of Wilmington is known for its

Phone: (302) 227-7172

Fax: (302) 684-3389

quiet elegance and charm. The

Fax: (302) 227-7015

Email: gadkins421@aol.com

Club is recognized for its long-

Email: gwheeler@kingscreek

Website: www.rookerygolf.com

standing reputation for fine din-

The Bob Carpenter Sports/ Convocation Center

countryclub.com

Inside the Rookery Golf Club

ing and attentive service. Come

University of Delaware

Website: www.kingscreek

is the Blue Heron Grille, a res-

and experience the superior

631 South College Avenue, Newark

countryclub.com

taurant offering breakfast and

food, beverage and services the

Contact: Domenick Sicilia

The peaceful setting of the

lunch every day and dinner on

University and Whist Club has to

Phone: (302) 831-4015

beautifully lush golf course and

Fridays. The Rookery Golf Club

offer in an atmosphere of comfort,

Fax: (302) 831-4019

Kings Creek Country Club

Brunch Ad Comp DE Business_Layout 1 6/5/14 9:59 AM Page 1

for catering, business meetings,

UNIVERSITIES & COLLEGES

Green Room New! Sunday Brunch Buffet

Experience the Exceptional.

For reservations, call 302-594-3154 | www.hoteldupont.com

DELAWARE BUSINESS窶ポ窶カu l y / Au gu st 2 0 1 4

242834 DSCC JulyAug14.indd 35

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Restaurant, Meeting & Banquet Guide Email: dbs@udel.edu

Delaware State University

Website: www.dtcc.edu/ccp

Website: www.udel.edu/bcc

offers facilities available to host

Experience the best of both

Goodstay Center & Arsht Hall University of Delaware

The Bob Carpenter Sports/

events ranging from confer-

worlds – a learning environment

2700 Pennsylvania Avenue,

Convocation Center (BCC) is a

ences, meetings and seminars

grounded in academic tradi-

Wilmington

5,000-seat multipurpose facility

to banquets and concerts.

tion, with the finest in hospitality

Phone: (302) 573-4401

at the University of Delaware.

Capacities range up to 8,000

amenities and high-tech meeting

Fax: (302) 573-4402

The BCC is the home of the

people. Request reservations

facilities. There are four loca-

Website: www.udel.edu/conferences

Fightin’ Blue Hens men’s and

at least 60 days in advance for

tions, with at least one in each

Goodstay Center has the char-

women’s basketball teams.

large events; meetings require

of Delaware’s three counties.

acter and charm typical of the

It also serves as a venue for

a 15 business day notifica-

Each center offers fully equipped

historic Brandywine Valley. The

contemporary entertainment

tion. The University is centrally

breakout rooms, networked mul-

1700s-era stone mansion is a

for the University and the local

located, includes friendly and

tipurpose computer labs, video

favorite site for weddings and

community and offers approxi-

courteous service and is handi-

conferencing facilities and ample

social gatherings. Arsht Hall is

mately 20,000 square feet of

capped accessible.

parking at all locations, all less

supremely designed for min-

than 20 minutes from any point

gling and buffets. The building

Delaware Technical & Community College, Conference & Training Centers

in Delaware. A team of experi-

itself is designed in a contem-

enced conference and meeting

porary style and is full of light,

planners will work with you to

comfort and convenience. The

Dover, Georgetown, Stanton &

develop a flawless meeting that

meeting and banquet room

Delaware State University

Wilmington

exceeds expectations. Every

capacity for meetings is 10 to

1200 N. DuPont Highway, Dover

Contact: Pat Callahan

detail from menu planning to the

100, 200 banquet style and 300

Phone: (302) 857-7775

Phone: (302) 857-1414

most sophisticated technology

for receptions.

Fax: (302) 857-7246

Fax: (302) 857-1452

will be handled. Capacity: five

Email: events@desu.edu

Email: pcallaha@dtcc.edu

to 1,300.

floor space for exhibits, conferences, meetings (capacity 5,000) and banquets (capacity 1,000).

Delaware State University

36

242834 DSCC JulyAug14.indd 36

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7/14/14 2:39 PM

John M. Clayton Hall

Website: www.udel.edu/conferences

floor, drive in access and com-

ings, conferences, workshops

100 David Hollowell Dr., Newark

The University of Delaware’s

plimentary Wi-Fi. Seamless

or meetings. Depending on

Contact: Polly Weir

Virden Center is a full-service

event planning, award-winning

seating and table arrangements,

Phone: (302) 831-2214

conference and retreat facility

delectable culinary combined

this room can accommodate

Fax: (302) 831-2998

situated in a quiet secluded set-

with professional, accommo-

between 65 – 100 people. The

Email: pweir@udel.edu

ting in historic, seaside Lewes.

dating service will elevate your

Conference Center is fully acces-

Website: www.udel.edu/conferences

The Center features comfortably

event.

sible and includes Internet con-

Clayton Hall’s conference facility

appointed overnight accommo-

houses superlative, state-of-

dations for 50 people and meet-

Easter Seals Conference Center

wireless mouse and keyboard, a

the-art facilities and is flexible

ing/dining space for 100-plus

61 Corporate Circle, New Castle

wireless microphone, a DVD/VHS

in accommodating a wide range

people.

Contact: Nancy Ranalli

player, and a speaker phone.

Phone: (302) 324-4444

The room also has an audio

Email: nranalli@esdel.org

loop for the hearing impaired.

Website: www.de.easterseals.com

Limited food service is available,

Easter Seals offers a beauti-

as are breakout rooms. Parking

ful, brand-new 1,400-square-

is free and just steps from the

of conferences, from an intimate gathering for 10 to a full-scale 1,200-person conclave. Clayton Hall features include a dedicated

COMMUNITY, CONFERENCE & CONVENTION CENTERS

conference staff, state-of-the-art

nection, video connection, a

audio visual, 7,700 square feet

Brandywine Executive Center

foot Conference Center. The

front door. Our rates are very

of exhibit area, 22 conference

1521 Concord Pike, Suite 301,

Conference Center is con-

reasonable, and all funds are

and meeting rooms and a 500-

Wilmington

veniently located just off of

used to support disability ser-

seat auditorium.

Contact: Chuck Boyce

Commons Boulevard and is

vices. Ask about our Dover and

Phone: (302) 352-9948

perfect for professional train-

Georgetown locations.

Neumann University

Email: chuck@bwecenter.com

One Neumann Drive, Aston,

Website: www.bewcenter.com

Pennsylvania

Executive office space, shared

Contact: Alexis Sinkow, Director of

office space, business identity,

Conference and Scheduling Services

meeting space.

Phone: (610) 558-5625 Email: sinkowa@neumann.edu

Chase Center on the Riverfront

Website: www.neumann.edu/about/

815 Justison Street, Wilmington

conferencing.asp

Contact: Allison Wier

Looking for a Retreat-like

Phone: (302) 425-3929 ext. 138

Atmosphere? Neumann

Fax: (302) 425-4897

University has meeting space

Email: info@centeronthe

conveniently located in the

riverfront.com

Rocco A. Abessinio Building.

Website: www.centeronthe

Included in this space are mod-

riverfront.com

ern meeting rooms equipped

The largest boutique special

with board tables, audio-visual

event facility in the Brandywine

capabilities, and easy access

Valley for meetings, trade-

to vending machines and rest-

shows, and celebrations.

rooms

Modern spacious design with over 87,000 square feet of

Virden Conference & Retreat Center

versatile space including dedi-

University of Delaware

rooms, fixed seat auditorium

700 Pilottown Road, Lewes

and two beautifully appointed

Contact: Jay Taylor

ballrooms. The center holds

Phone: (302) 645-4110

1,600 for banquets. State-of-

Fax: (302) 645-4113

the-art professional in-house

Email: hjtaylor@udel.edu

audio visual services, ground

cated exhibit space, meeting

DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ju l y / Au gu st 2 0 1 4

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Restaurant, Meeting & Banquet Guide STAT Office Solutions 1201 North Orange Street,

Biggs Museum of American Art

Wilmington Contact: Linda Grund Phone: (302) 884-6746 Fax: (302) 573-2507 Email: lgrund@statoffice solutions.com Website: www.statoffice solutions.com STAT Office Solutions offers first-class work and meeting space without the expense of traditional office space. Several customized packages are available for furnished office space, virtual offices and meeting facilities in our world-class headquarters conveniently located in downtown Wilmington. Our dedicated staff enjoys watching our clients grow their business while we provide them with professional support services.

Wilmington Area Planning Council (WILMAPCO) 850 Library Ave. Suite 100, Newark Contact: Randi Novakoff Phone: (302) 737-6205 ext. 111 Email: rnovakoff@wilmapco.org Website: www.wilmapco.org A meeting/conference room is available for public meetings.

Capacity: 45

MUSEUMS Biggs Museum of American Art 406 Federal Street, Dover Contact: Beccy Cooper Phone: (302) 674-2111, ext. 101 Email: bcooper@biggsmuseum.org Website: www.biggsmuseum.org The Biggs Museum of American Art houses a collec-

a careful balance of furniture,

tions, cocktail parties, rehearsal

Delaware Art Museum

tion of fine and decorative art

paintings, silver, glass, ceramics,

dinners, weddings and other

2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington

objects reflecting Delaware,

and textiles in a timeline presen-

occasions. Private gallery tours

Contact: Liz Derosier

the Delmarva Peninsula, and

tation from 1700 to the present.

can be provided. Fees are based

Phone: (302) 571-9590 ext. 530

the Mid-Atlantic region. The

A number of diverse spaces are

on the number of guests and

Fax: (302) 571-0220

museum’s 16 galleries display

available for meetings, recep-

hours reserved for the event.

Email: lderosier@delart.org

38

242834 DSCC JulyAug14.indd 38

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7/14/14 2:39 PM

Website: www.delart.org

and decorative arts, and pro-

Theatre Company (DTC) is the

programming. Performances are

The museum offers indoor and

grams and tours that bring this

flagship professional theatre in

often held Thursday and Friday

outdoor facilities in a variety of

18th-century enclave to life, all

the state and one of Delaware’s

nights, Saturday mornings and

sizes. For Spring 2011 only, the

year long.

largest cultural institutions.

sometimes, even Saturday eve-

Recognized as the cornerstone

nings throughout the starry summer nights.

museum’s large Gallery 10 will be available for rental, perfect

Rockwood Park and Museum

in the Brandywine Valley’s rich

for a sit-down event (up to 180

610 Shipley Road, Wilmington

cultural landscape, DTC has pro-

people) or greatly expanded

Contact: Regina Marini

duced more than 150 plays for

The Grand Opera House

capacity for a reception (up to

Phone: (302) 761-4342

over one million residents and

818 North Market Street, Wilmington

400). In addition, the Chihuly

Fax: (302) 761-1723

visitors to its community. DTC

Contact: Melissa Lazopoulos

Bridge, running along Dale

Email: rockwood@nccde.org

offers rentals of its full stage,

Phone: (302) 658-7897

Chihuly’s Persian Window, is

Website: www.rockwoodpark.org

apron, gallery/ lobby, rehearsal

Fax: (302) 652-5346

appropriate for smaller gather-

Rockwood offers newly reno-

hall and more.

Email: MLazopoulos@grand

ings. The museum is available

vated, state-of the-art meet-

for corporate, non-profit and

ing facilities, a Victorian house

The DuPont Theatre

Website: www.thegrand

social event rental. Capacity:

museum and Victorian style

1007 N. Market St., Wilmington

wilmington.org

250; 400 for Gallery 10.

cafe, historic landscape garden,

Contact: Diana Hunt

The Grand is a Victorian opera

opera.org

and a park with more than two

Phone: (302) 656-4401 or

house which has been meticu-

Delaware Children’s Museum

miles of lighted walking trails

(800) 338-0881

lously restored to its original

550 Justison Street, Wilmington

that connect to the Northern

Fax: (302) 594-1437

grandeur and outfitted to serve

Contact: Ms. Julie Van Blarcom

Delaware Greenway.

Website: www.duponttheatre.com

Delaware as a performance

Phone: (302) 654-2340

The DuPont Theatre is among

facility. It includes a 1,190-seat

Fax: (302) 654-2341

Winterthur Museum

the oldest continually operating

theater, a 300-seat theater and

Email: julie@delaware

5105 Kennett Pike, Wilmington

theaters in the nation. Located in

studios with capacities from 16

childrensmuseum.org

Contact: Ms. Isabelle Farrell

the luxurious Hotel du Pont, the

to 300 people.

Website: www.delaware

Phone: (302) 888-6103

brightest stars of stage and screen

childrensmuseum.org

Fax: (302) 888-4685

have graced the lovely Victorian

Delaware Children’s Museum’s

Email: ifarrell@winterthur.org

stage since 1913. This 1,200-seat

mission is to inspire children to

Website: www.winterthur.org

theater is the perfect setting for

Boyd’s Flowers

explore, discover, and celebrate

Founded by Henry Francis du

large meetings and events.

2013 Pennsylvania Ave., Wilmington

the power of their potential

Pont, Winterthur (pronounced

through interactive experiences

“winter-tour”) is the premier

Joshua M. Freeman Foundation

Phone: (302) 421-2900

in an environment that integrates

museum of American decora-

Address: 31750 Lake View Drive,

Fax: (302) 421-2912

and stimulates science, tech-

tive arts, reflecting both early

Selbyville

Email: Jackie@BoydsFlowers.com

nology, engineering, arts, and

America and the du Pont

Contact: Mr. Robin Spangenberg

Website: www.boydsflowers.com

mathematics.

family’s life here. Its 60-acre

Phone: (302) 436-3015

It is Boyd’s mission to provide

naturalistic garden is among the

Fax: (302) 436-3082

caring service, and products

Historic Odessa Foundation

country’s best, and its research

Email: Robin@Freeman

of quality and value for those

201 Main Street, Odessa

library serves scholars from

Foundation.org

times most important in life. The

Contact: Ms. Jennifer Cabell

around the world.

Website: www.FreemanStage.org

company offers the best variety

A fundraising nonprofit arts

of flowers in Wilmington, across

THEATERS

organization featuring an open-

the U.S. and worldwide.

odessa.org

Delaware Theatre Company

the Freeman Stage at Bayside is

Website: www.historicodessa.org

200 Water Street, Wilmington

the host of a variety of events.

The foundation encompasses

Contact: MaryAnn “MJ” Jones

Spectators of all ages, from

Bowlerama

five historic houses, nearly 30

Phone: (302) 594-1104 ext. 251

children to seniors, and seat-

3031 New Castle Ave., New Castle

acres of surrounding property,

Fax: (302) 594-1107

ing of all styles; from the soft

Contact: Steve Gross,

outbuildings, and gardens, an

Email: mjones@delawaretheatre.org

grass, lawn chairs, or bleachers,

Director of Marketing

outstanding private collection

Website: www.delawaretheatre.org

sit back and relax for dances,

Phone: (302) 654-0263

of household furnishings, fine

Founded in 1979, the Delaware

concerts, plays, and children’s

Fax: (302) 654-0263

Phone: (302) 378-4119 Fax: (302) 378-4050 Email: jennifer.cabell@historic

DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ju l y / Au gu st 2 0 1 4

242834 DSCC JulyAug14.indd 39

FLORISTS

Contact: Mrs. Jacqueline Cinaglia

air stage near Fenwick Island,

A LITTLE DIFFERENT

39

7/14/14 2:39 PM

Restaurant, Meeting & Banquet Guide

Website: www.bowlerama.us

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Inc.

Newly renovated in 2008-2009,

6 Cannery Village Center, Milton

Bowlerama Family Entertainment

Contact: Mark Carter

Fisher’s Popcorn

make ‘the world’s best caramel

Bowling Center offers more than

Phone: (302) 684-1000

37081 Coastal Hwy.,

popcorn.’ Fisher’s offers five

1000 sq. ft. of meeting space for

Fax: (302) 226-0792

Fenwick Island, (888) 491-7541

different flavors in three differ-

over 100 people. Available for

Email: info@dogfish.com

108 Garfield Pkwy., Bethany Beach,

ent containers, as well as up to

meetings, team building, parties,

Website: www.dogfish.com

(888) 491-7541

three different beachfront loca-

awards banquets, reunions and

Free tours of Dogfish Head’s

48 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach,

tions in the state.

much more. A 50” Plasma TV,

Milton, Delaware, brewery

(888) 491-7541

DVD, sound system, wireless

include sampling (only for those

Contact: Mr. William Hall, III

internet, climate controlled and

of legal drinking age), and a

Email: Bill@Fishers-Popcorn.com

Junior Achievement of Delaware

ample free on-site parking are

chance to get all beer and

Website: fisherspopcorn-

522 S. Walnut Street, Wilmington

available. Bowlerama is handi-

merchandise in our on-site gift

fenwick.com

Contact: Perry Bacon

cap accessible. Many packages

shop. The tours are fun and give

Family owned and operated

Phone: (302) 654-4510

are available that include food,

you a chance to get a behind-

since 1937, this popcorn palace

Fax: (302) 654-0783

refreshments, snacks, bowling

the-scenes peek at our brew

has several locations, each one

Email: Perry@JADEL.org

and shoe rental.

house, the cellars (including our

creating delicious gluten-free,

Website: www.jadelaware.org

Email: sgross@bowlerama.us

3 huge wooden tanks) and our

caramel-coated corn. They

packaging hall.

pride themselves on using no preservatives and their hands to

Kalmar Nyckel Foundation

40

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7/14/14 2:39 PM

Junior Achievement’s Experiential

The Kalmar Nyckel provides

Website: www.serpesbakery.com

Portraits In The Sand

Learning Center provides a unique

sails for up to 49 passengers

A family-owned business for

110 White Oak Rd., Rehoboth Beach

backdrop that is perfect for any

for private charters and has a

over 60 years, Serpe’s has

Contact: David Koster

type of event. The facility offers

90 person capacity for dockside

been making award-winning

Phone: (302) 226-9226

more than 13,000 square feet of

events. The ship is an excel-

pastries, pizzas, and cakes

Website: www.portraitsinthe

space and is appropriate for small

lent showcase for corporate,

for countless occasions. For

sand.com

intimate gatherings or receptions

private, and educational events,

over 20 years, Serpe’s has

accommodating as many as 200

such as employee meetings,

earned multiple awards, includ-

Tucker Photographic

people. A mini-version of a town

social galas, and school groups.

ing Best of Delaware. Most

P.O. Box 397, Rockland

can simulate a meeting in a village

Guest are invited to haul lines

recently, the bakery has been

Contact: Kevin Tucker

square, a local bank or a mayor’s

alongside the crew, join in a sea

voted Reader’s Choice Best

Phone: (302) 764-8040

office. This one-of-a-kind setting

shanty or two, and enjoy tales

Bakery by readers of The News

will make any function memorable.

of the original Kalmar Nyckel

Journal.

State-of-the-art audio/visual equip-

or pirate history on the special

ment includes 14-foot screens for

pirate sails.

PHOTOGRAPHERS

sentations, a smart board, internet

Serpe & Sons Bakery

Final Focus

3070 McCann Farm Drive

access and a computer lab.

1411 Kirkwood Highway, Elsmere

301 A Street, Wilmington

Suite 104 Garnet Valley, PA

Contact: Mr. Dominic Serpe

Contact: Dick Dubroff

Contact: Steve Berman

Kalmar Nyckel Foundation

Phone: (302) 994-1868

Phone: (302) 655-7718

Phone: (610) 622-2100

1124 East 7th Street, Wilmington

Fax: (302) 994-7355

Fax: (302) 655-7918

Website: www.bsiexhibits.com

Phone: (302) 429-7447

Email: serpesbakery1@verizon.net

Website: www.finalfocus.com

BSI Exhibits specializes in

DVD/VHS and PowerPoint pre-

SIGNS/EXHIBITS/ AV/LIGHTING BSI Exhibits

Make your meeting a little more eventful

The Chase Center can transform a meeting from unproductive to inspiring.

Our versatile space for groups of 25 to 1,500. Award-winning cuisine.

Cutting-edge audio visual services. A professional staff will help you create an event your guests won’t soon forget.

815 Justison Street | 302.425.3929 | centerontheriverfront.com NOW OPEN

S2975_CC-more eventful.indd 1

DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ju l y / Au gu st 2 0 1 4

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Restaurant, Meeting & Banquet Guide

Sherm’s Catering

CATERERS

a variety of functions from

Light Action, Inc.

Parcels, Inc.

corporate to private events.

71 Industrial Boulevard, New Castle

230 N. Market St., P.O. Box 27,

Providing both purchase and

Phone: (302) 328-7800

Wilmington

The Greenery Caterers at Rockwood Park Carriage House

rental materials, this design

Fax: (302) 328-7400

Phone: (302) 888-1718

610 Shipley Road, Wilmington

partner offers some of the best

Light Action, Inc. is a full service

Email: metrocolor@parcelsinc.com

Contact: Craig and Patti Trostle

display products and graphics to

production company specializing

Parcels offers full service litiga-

Phone: (302) 472-2433

make any event more productive

in theatrical lighting, staging,

tion support, high speed copy-

Fax: (302) 482-1885

and manageable. A key player

and audio-visual services. A

ing and scanning services,

Email: ctrostle@greenery

in each step of the way, from

broad range of the most modern

color reprographics, banner

caterers.com

planning, to executing, and even

products and services are avail-

production and specialty printing

The Greenery Caterers are the

packing up, its design team

able for our clients supporting

– including short runs. Services

exclusive caterers at the newly

goes a long way to meet many

meetings, banquets, concerts,

available 24/7.

renovated Rockwood Park

needs. The company even offers

theatrical productions, and cor-

on-site support.

porate events.

Carriage House located on the

Sign A Rama of Newark

grounds of New Castle County’s

995A S. Chapel St., Newark

Rockwood Park. The Carriage House is designed for both out-

Digital Music Express (DMX)

Maintenance Engineering, Ltd.

Contact: Mr. Mark Janocha

4008 North Dupont Highway,

905 N. Rodney Street, New Castle

Phone: (302) 454-7446

door garden wedding ceremo-

New Castle

Contact: Mr. Jack Coleman

Fax: (302) 454-0155

nies, as well as indoor wedding

Phone: (302) 575-1800

Phone: (800) 437-4794

Email: SARNewark@comcast.net

receptions with a fabulous new

Fax: (302) 655-0774

Email: jackthelightbulbguy@

Website: www.SignaramaOf

climate-controlled patio area.

Provides background and fore-

hotmail.com

Newark.com

In addition to weddings from

ground music.

Website: www.earth-safe.net

42

242834 DSCC JulyAug14.indd 42

60 – 225 people, the Carriage July / Aug us t 2 0 1 4 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

7/14/14 2:39 PM

House is also ideal for any social

Fax: (866) 966-8880

Email: barry@brandywinearts.com

or corporate event of distinction:

Email: sherm@shermscatering.com

Website: www.brandywinearts.com

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Guide to Higher Education

Net Gains Local colleges and universities continue to increase online learning options.

BY STEPHANIE F. ADAMS

IN A TECHNOLOGY DRIVEN SOCIETY, it’s no surprise that online learning has become one of the fastest growing national trends in higher education. Local institutions, including Wilmington University, Delaware State University, University of Delaware, Delaware Technical Community College, Neumann College, and Widener University—to name a few—have each embraced online learning in ways unique to their respective institution.

“Online is changing the way we do things. Whether it’s banking, shopping, or education. Student demand really drove the growth,” says Dr. DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ju l y / Au gu st 2 0 1 4

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Sallie A. Reissman, senior director of online learning and educational technology for Wilmington University.

Ever-changing technology and growing student demand is keeping administrators on their toes and, in some cases, creating new jobs and departments at colleges and universities. “Video is changing the landscape of online learning,” Reissman says.

The benefits are obvious, with the highest demand for online courses coming from adult learners who wish to take courses around their hectic work and family schedules.

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Guide to Higher Education “There is an increased need for students to work to fund their education,” says Dr. Robert Bunnell, Neumann College’s dean of continuing adult and professional studies. “As soon as online courses open, they are the first ones to fill. Every semester we are offering more and more courses online.”

This new frontier of education raises many questions: Which courses should be offered online? How will they be administered? How can we ensure student success? Local institutions each have unique and innovative answers to these questions. As demand grows across the board, institutions are paying special attention to ensuring student success on this new education platform.

In March, the UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE’s Lerner College of Business & Economics, led by Dean Bruce Weber, embraced cuttingedge technology when it launched the online MBA degree program, which allows the busiest professionals the ease and flexibility to pursue their professional growth and development. “Our target is the ambitious young manager who knows he wants to gain MBA credential and the knowledge and exposure to those topics, but is not comfortable signing up for a parttime program when they know they’ll miss a third of the classes because they have to be a client on those days,” Weber says.

With Adobe Canvas, UD faculty can communicate with students in real time, and students can communicate with each other.

DELAWARE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE’s online, or Distance Education, program is comprised of both fully online and blended course options. The most popular option is blended learning, which consists of hybrid courses (less than 50 percent on campus) and web enhanced (more than 50 percent on campus).

“Hybrid is the best of both worlds: the flexibility of an online course and the face-to-face attention of in-person class,” says Dr. Richard C. Kralevich, associate vice president for information and instructional technology.

Students have a wide variety of online options with 14 percent of courses offering having at least one fully online course option. However, only 2.8 percent of students take a fully online course-load—likely due to the fact that so many students are local and technical courses aren’t suited to online learning.

In terms of curriculum, Smith suggests that the online learning objectives are the same as in person classes. However, because it requires a different set of skills for faculty instructions, a training system called IDEG provides a variety of workshops for professors. Finally, to help ensure student success, all incoming students are required to have academic advisement.

“Research shows that students who aren’t successful in distance learning usually aren’t because they aren’t familiar with the online format,” says Kravelich.

DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY is in the early phases of developing online programs and coursework, offering approximately 42 online courses for its students. Classes that are currently offered online have been converted from face-to-face programs to a fully online delivery mode.

“We are in the building phase, currently developing the infrastructure,” says Michael Boone, associate vice president for distance education. “We 46

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have forward leaning plans to enter into the online program delivery mode in the not too distant future: January 2015.”

DSU is in the process of obtaining approval from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education for several online programs including Masters of Business Administration, Masters of Public Administration, Masters of Sports Administration and Masters of Social Work.

The school, like most other area institutions, has moved to further develop online offerings in response to increasing demand. “We believe that this is a fertile market place for online learning. This is an opportunity for us to add value in the educational arena,” Boone says.

DSU offers special training and support to professors who teach online, and all online courses undergo a thorough quality control process. “Once we develop fully online programs, we will have a full certification process,” Boone says.

At NEUMANN COLLEGE, a Catholic Institution based in Ashton, Pa., a vast majority of online courses can be found in the general curriculum. The school offers three programs in a 100-percent online format: B.A./B.S. in Liberal Studies, B.S. in Public Safety Administration, and M.S. in Organizational and Strategic Leadership.

“A large percentage of our students are working 10 to 40 hours a week,” says Dr. Robert Bunnell, dean of continuing adult and professional studies.

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Guide to Higher Education This new frontier of education raises many questions: Which courses should be offered online?

How will they be administered? How can we ensure student success? Local institutions each have unique and innovative answers to these questions.

Beginning this fall, the school plans to add a Public Safety Administration degree to its list of fully online programs. The program was developed in response to market demands and will be geared toward police, fire fighters and/or first responders who wish to take the next step in their career.

Neumann belongs to a consortium of colleges and universities online, entitled Online Consortium of Independent Colleges & Universities (OCICU). The OCICU affords Neumann students, who are 21-orolder adult learners, the ability to take online courses from any other institution belonging to the consortium—greatly increasing options for students. “We see this only as a trend that it is going to continue to get larger,” Bunnell says.

Like many other institutions, Neumann encourages certain best practices to help ensure a student’s success, suggesting previous college experience to anyone embarking in online learning for the first time.

WILMINGTON UNIVERSITY, the third-fastest growing university in the country, began offering online courses in 2007. Since then, it

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has grown to offer 80 programs, concentrations and courses completely online—within all different colleges. About one-third of Wilmington University’s 19,000 students are enrolled in online courses, with the most popular programs including Business Administration, Nursing and Behavioral Science.

“We cater to non-traditional students who are adult learners that need to go to school part-time,” says Dr. Sallie A. Reissman, senior director of online learning and educational technology.

What distinguishes Wilmington’s online program, aside from its affordability, is its active and innovative “virtual campus,” aimed at making students from all across the country feel like they are apart of the community.

An online student association gives students a voice to help the programs grow by way of presenting suggestions and ideas. Wilmington University even started a separate college—the College of Online and Experiential Learning—as well as a new position, “Navigator,” whose primary job is to help online students feel connected to the campus.

When it comes to curriculum, Wilmington has developed a systematic

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Guide to Higher Education approach to building our online courses, including a whole team of instructional designers. From there, instructors customize with audio and video.

WIDENER UNIVERSITY offers two fully online Masters Programs: Master of Jurisprudence in Health Law and Masters of Jurisprudence in Corporate and Business Law. “Our strength is our corporate law program, we specialize in compliance,” says Eileen Grana Piretti, assistant dean for graduate and compliance programs.

Students of Jurisprudence often work in the high demand field of compliance.

“Organizations that now need to follow new (and old) legal regulations, need to have entire compliance departments,” says Pamela Kroh, director of graduate and compliance programs.

These skills can be utilized in nearly any field including: global privacy, corporate, research, education, business, hospitals, physician offices, retail companies and more.

“Students come from all around the country, so the growth has increased tremendously because of the strength of our online programs,” says Kroh.

These programs are accredited Compliance Certification Board and the American Bar Association, meaning students can immediately sit for the compliance exams. In 2011, the school received the Compliance and

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Whereas most other local institutions utilize Blackboard to administer online course, Widener uses The West Education Network – which doubles as a Legal Research Database, allowing their students access to cases for legal research.

“Even though it’s online learning we do not lose that person-to-person contact,” says Kroh. The technology enables face-to-face connection with students through video and chat. n

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Guide to Financial Services

Banking on Community

Local banks offer outreach, opportunities to low-income families

BY LARRY NAGENGAST

FEW DELAWAREANS CAN OFFER a better perspective on how Delaware banks have served the state’s low- and moderate-income residents over the years than Rashmi Rangan, the longtime executive director of DCRAC, the Delaware Community Reinvestment Action Council.

Back in 1987, when DCRAC was created, Rangan says, the organization’s constituents might well have described the banks by crooning the Linda Ronstadt hit of the era, “Baby, You’re No Good.”

Not so today, as the banks and DCRAC more often see things eye to eye, Rangan says, and the mantra for both groups is “how can we help you do better?”

“There are very few things we do today just because of the CRA,” says Mike Skipper, vice president and community development manager at WSFS Bank, referring to the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977. “We do them because they are good for us and the right thing to do.”

It wasn’t always that way within the banking industry, with banks across the country engaging in a practice called “redlining,” marking out low-income portions of their service area and refusing to offer loans to businesses and individuals within those zones. The CRA was designed to put a stop to redlining, and it required the various federal agencies that oversee the industry to analyze banks’ performance in accepting deposits, making loans and participating in community development in low- and moderate-income communities.

Banks in Delaware satisfy their responsibilities under CRA in diverse ways, including offering no-fee or low-fee checking accounts to lowincome residents, providing loans that enable them to improve their credit scores by making on-time payments, assisting small businesses with startup financing, and providing financing for housing projects and other community improvements.

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Here is a look at how five of Delaware’s banks (in alphabetical order) are meeting CRA responsibilities.

Artisans Bank, with $500 million in deposits and 12 branches, is one of Delaware’s smaller banks. “We’re at a competitive disadvantage, so we try to come up with flexible and innovative products to meet needs of all segments of the community,” says Joel Schiller, Artisans senior vice president and chief risk officer.

Artisans works extensively with community organizations, including the DCRAC, the First State Community Loan Fund, YWCA of Delaware, Nehemiah Gateway Community Development Corporation, Interfaith Community Housing, West End Neighborhood House and the Delaware Alliance for Community Advancement (DACA), and offers a variety of loan and deposit services to individuals referred by these agencies.

Individuals who want to establish a credit history or improve their credit ratings, may take out a “credit builder loan” of $500 to $2,000. The proceeds are deposited in an interest-bearing account at the bank and borrowers repay the loan from their regular cash flow over 12 months. Borrowers learn financial discipline and can make additional savings deposits as well. By making payments on time, borrowers can improve their credit scores by 30 to 70 points, which can be helpful as they save to buy their first home, Schiller says.

On the savings side, Artisans offers a special savings accounts to Nehemiah Gateway and DACA clients who receive assistance from those agencies in applying for the Earned Income Tax Credit on their federal tax returns. The tax credit is deposited directly into the savings account. “We open hundreds of these deposit accounts each tax season,” Schiller says.

“When these depositors have an emergency—medical bills or car repairs, for example, they have something set aside.”

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Guide to Financial Services Working with depositors and borrowers who have low and moderate incomes makes good business sense.

“We’re building relationships (with customers) for later,” when customers are likely to have larger incomes and more extensive banking needs, Schiller says. “Most of our CRA customers don’t know they’re CRA customers. We treat everyone the same.”

Fulton Bank, like Artisans, offers a variety of deposit and loan products for individuals with low and moderate incomes. One example, says Randy Taylor, president of Fulton’s Delaware Division, is an alternative account for customers with a weak credit history who would not otherwise qualify for a checking account. “It has a monthly fee, but if you handle your account well for 12 months, we move it into a no fee, no minimum balance account,” he says.

As a business lender, Fulton has cooperated with the Delaware Economic Development Office by partnering with other banks to create “blended rate” loan packages at a lower rate than businesses could obtain by working with a single bank, Taylor says.

Fulton’s initiatives in community service include participating in the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh’s Blueprint Communities program, which aims to strengthen small businesses and housing through community-based planning activities. Fulton bankers are currently serving as advisors to Blueprint Communities panels in Georgetown and in Wilmington’s Browntown neighborhood.

“It’s important for the community to have good leadership, and it’s

important for banks to be involved, to help stimulate economic growth and promote small businesses,” Taylor says.

Earlier this year, Fulton partnered with DCRAC to conduct two taxpreparation clinics in Georgetown, and the bank plans to continue this effort in 2015.

M&T Bank, following its acquisition of the Wilmington Trust Co. in2010, has continued many of the CRA programs initiated by Wilmington Trust, according to Beryl Brayman, M&T vice president and regional CRA officer.

A security deposit program, developed in conjunction with the West End Neighborhood House nearly 20 years ago, provides low-interest loans for 12 to 18 months to cover the cost of security deposits for rental housing and/or utilities for individuals moving into affordable housing.

The Loans Plus program, also developed in partnership with West End Neighborhood House, was created in 2007 to give low-income individuals an alternative to high-interest payday loans. Loans Plus offers same-day cash loans of $300 to $500 with a 9.99 percent interest rate and a threemonth repayment period. Borrowers must participate in financial counseling offered by West End or one of the other social services agencies that have become partners as the program expanded statewide, Brayman said.

This year, M&T assisted Interfaith Community Housing in expanding is homeownership counseling program in Sussex County. M&T officers participated in a five-week program held at the Boys & Girls Club in Seaford in which prospective first-time homebuyers received information

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on budgeting, improving their credit, mortgage application procedures, home inspections and foreclosure avoidance. To encourage participation, the program included free dinners and baby-sitting.

TD Bank, another relative newcomer to Delaware, has been working extensively with Rangan and DCRAC on its community reinvestment efforts, according to Dennis Lagueux, senior vice president for community development.

“CRA is the law, but I like to think that we act both under the letter and the spirit of the law,” Lagueux says.

As an example, both Rangan and Lagueux pointed to a recent focus group session DCRAC arranged for TD Bank with about a dozen owners of small businesses on Wilmington’s East Side.

In talking with these business owners, Rangan said, she had found that many had been unable to secure loans to expand their businesses, and also that they did not have a good understanding of banking procedures.

During the three-hour focus group session, Lagueux said, TD officials talked about the barriers the businesses were facing and the misconceptions they held about the banking industry. Also participating in the meeting were representatives of Accion, an international microfinance organization that often partners with TD Bank.

As a result of the meeting, Lagueux said, two businesses became TD Bank customers. One of them, according to DCRAC, secured a loan of about $50,000 for business expansion, according to DCRAC officials. (Lagueux said he couldn’t discuss the loan because of client confidentiality regulations.)

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Four or five other business owners were planning follow-up meetings with Accion about technical assistance or possible loans, Lagueux said.

“Grand and glorious is fine, but we do a lot of little things,” he said.

WSFS Bank, Delaware’s oldest independent bank, takes a multifaceted approach to its community reinvestment activities.

Its Fresh Start checking program, similar to the account offered by Fulton Bank, helps individuals with a poor banking history, reestablish their credit.

WSFS has also been involved in the Blueprint Communities program, and this spring partnered with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh and Barclay’s Bank to provide financing for Popdot Signs and Graphics, a for-profit business created by West End Neighborhood House and Sir Speedy printing to train and employ West End clients who are aging out of foster care programs.

WSFS also provided some of the construction financing for the recent renovation of the Wilmington Library through the purchase of state historic preservation tax credits, which helped the bank offset some of its state franchise tax payments, Skipper said.

The Delaware State Housing Authority recently received financing through WSFS for construction of 85 low- and moderate-income housing units in Wilmington’s West Center City neighborhood.

WSFS, along with Artisans and TD Bank, was among seven banks that made deposits in the DCRAC-founded Stepping Stones Community Federal Credit Union. n

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Newsbites TD Bank Names Joseph Piccirilli Senior Loan Officer

will also be awarded each week throughout the challenge. Last year, a record 241 companies participated in the Summer Blood Challenge. This resulted TD Bank has promoted in 14,308 blood donations.

Joseph A. Piccirilli to Vice “We had another record President, Senior Loan Officer, breaking year last year,” Roper based in Wilmington, Del. He said. “We anticipate tremenwill continue to be responsible dous support from our dedifor originating, underwriting and cated, donors who save local servicing construction and perlives and have helped ensure manent commercial real estate a stable blood supply in our loans in Delaware and the surcommunity for 60 years. We are rounding counties in Maryland Joseph A. Piccirilli grateful to everyone who takes and Pennsylvania. the time to help others where Piccirilli has 38 years of we live.” experience in banking and lending. He For more information or to register for joined TD Bank in 1999 and most recentthe Summer Blood Challenge, visit www. ly served as a Commercial Lender III. DelmarvaBlood.org.

A Wilmington resident, Piccirilli is a 1976 graduate of the University of Delaware and a 1989 graduate of WDEL recognized for the Consumer Bankers Association’s Outstanding News Service Graduate School of Retail Bank to Delaware Management (GSRBM).

WDEL (1150AM and WDEL.com) received several awards from the Radio 12th Annual Summer Blood Television Digital News Association and Challenge taking place now Delaware Press Association for its Blood Bank of Delmarva is in the reporting in 2013. middle of its 12th Annual Summer Blood WDEL received Challenge. The challenge started on May three regional 19 and will continue on until September RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Awards, 13. “The Summer Blood Challenge is a including the top honor of Overall friendly, competition among employers Excellence. WDEL’s “Delaware Morning and community organizations,” said Roy Roper, Blood Bank of Delmarva president News” was named Best Newscast, and WDEL won the Breaking News Coverage and CEO. “The summer months are typiaward for its coverage of the February cally slower for blood donations and the 11, 2013 shooting at the New Castle competitive spirit and prizes help motiCounty Courthouse. vate existing donors as well as attract WDEL competes in the Murrow comfirst-time donors.” petition with radio stations in Delaware, Registered organizations will earn Maryland and Virginia. The regional winpoints based on blood donations, first ners will now be judged in the national time donors and more. The grand prize Edward R. Murrow Awards program. for this year is a $5,000 TD Bank Visa WDEL also won 18 awards in the Gift Card, along with a $2,000 and $1,000 TD Bank Visa Gift Card as second Delaware Press Association communications contest. and third place prizes. Two $50 gift cards

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WDEL dominated DPA’s radio/television awards, winning four first place honors in six radio/TV categories, including • Best Newscast: “Delaware’s Morning News” • Best On-the-scene report: Mellany Armstrong, “Courthouse Shooting” • Best Prepared report: Mellany Armstrong, “Protecting You at the Pump” – a feature on Delaware’s Weights and Measures Section • Best Special Programming: Mellany Armstrong, “Answering the Call” – a profile of New Castle County 911 emergency dispatchers In addition to winning the most radio/ TV awards in the contest, WDEL was honored for its website video and news blogs.

“Knowing how hard everyone on the WDEL News team works every day, I am thrilled that our reporting has been recognized; but the real reward comes in knowing we are serving Delaware by keeping our listeners and web users informed about important issues and events in their community,” said WDEL director of news and programming Chris Carl.

“Over 750,000 different people came to WDEL and WDEL.com last year to access our free, advertiser supported content about Delaware and its surrounding areas,” said Mike Reath, VP/General Manager for WDEL. “These awards affirm the quality of our coverage and tremendous talent of everyone who we are so fortunate to have in our organization.”

Nickle Electrical wins two safety awards Nickle Electrical Companies received two safety awards from local contractors associations for exemplary performance over the past year.

The company was selected as one of the recipients of the 2013 Governor’s

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Administration (SBA) as the Safety Awards for the third 2014 Delaware Small Business year in a row. The honor was Persons of the Year. For over 50 co-sponsored by the Delaware years, National Small Business Contractors Association and Week has recognized the the Delaware Department of outstanding achievements of Labor.

America’s small businesses for The Governor’s Safety their contributions in their local Award was presented at a luncommunities and to our nation’s cheon on March 7 at Timothy’s Marian Young economy. on the Wilmington Riverfront.

Young and Lannan were Earlier this month Nickle honored in Washington, DC, was presented with its eighth on May 15-16, during the 2014 consecutive Associated National Small Business Week Builders and Contractors of Awards, and were again recogDelaware STEP Award for nized at SBA’s annual Delaware safety. The STEP (Safety “Celebrate Success” event on Training and Evaluation May 21 at DuPont Country Club Process) program is designed in Wilmington. to support ABC members with Mark Lannan This is the second time development and improvement the BrightFields’ owners have of safety and training efforts. received this award, as Young and The awards are given in five levels Lannan were previously honored as the based on a company’s safety program Delaware 2008 Small Business Persons – Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and of the Year.

Diamond. This was the first year Nickle Young and Lannan were nominated received the top award at the Diamond for the 2014 award by Juanita Beauford, level for both the local Delaware chapter program director at the University of and the National chapter. The awards Delaware SBTDC Procurement Technical dinner was held on May 1 at Cavaliers Assistance Center, who has served as Country Club in Newark. an advisor to BrightFields in the areas of “These awards would not be achievstate and federal marketing and procureable if our employees did not make safement. ty a part of their everyday routine,” said Nickle safety director Mike Anderson.

“Our employees are a big part of our Corexcel Achieves Highest safety program and I’m truly grateful Sales Honor for 8th to each and every one of them for their Consecutive Year safety efforts.”

Wiley, the leading developer of Everything DiSC-based corporate trainBrightField Owners ing and assessment-driven solutions, Recognized as 2014 announced today that local business Delaware Small Business Corexcel was recognized as a 2013 Diamond award-winning Partner for Persons of the Year the 8th consecutive year. The honor of Diamond Award is the highest award Marian Young and Mark Lannan, colevel—in 2013, less than 1 percent of owners of BrightFields, Inc., have been Everything DiSC Partners earned this selected by the U.S. Small Business

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esteemed award.

“Corexcel is committed to bringing Wiley’s world-class learning tools to their clients,“ says Barry Davis, vice president and general manager of Wiley Workplace Learning Solutions. “Our award winners have a strong dedication to providing clients with tools, resources and counsel to help them navigate today’s ever-changing, complex workplace environments.

We are honored to have Corexcel as a valued Partner.”

“This award wouldn’t be possible without our dedicated, knowledgeable team that focuses on finding the best solutions for every one of our clients regardless of whether it is an individual trying to improve their job skills or a multinational corporation seeking to implement a company-wide training solution.” says Sue Bowlby, president.

DelTech Hosts “1 Million Cups” Entrepreneur Program 1 Million Cups, a program created by Kauffman Labs for Enterprise Creation to engage, educate and connect entrepreneurs, launched in Wilmington, DE on November 6, 2013.

The northern Delaware city was the 22nd location nationwide to host the weekly gathering that is building startup communities over cups of coffee and conversation across the country. 1 Million Cups began in April 2012 in Kansas City, the hometown of its founding organization, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Kauffman Labs is a program of the Kauffman Foundation.

Entrepreneurs, innovators and interested community members from New Castle County and the surrounding region meet at 7:30 a.m. each Wednesday at the Southeast Building Conference Center on

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Newsbites Delaware Technical Community College’s Wilmington Campus located between 3rd and Orange streets, in Wilmington.

Find more information at www.1millioncups.com/wilmington, or on Twitter @1MCwilm.

High Honors for Delaware Today Magazine Delaware Today magazine recently received top honors from the Delaware Press Association (DPA), earning several awards in the 2014 DPA Communications Contest. Winners were honored at the DPA’s 37th Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet on May 1, 2014, at the University and Whist Club.

Six members of the Delaware Today editorial team and affiliated freelancers earned six first-place awards and a total of nine honors in seven categories.

Categories included feature story, personality profiles, column writing, headline writing, page design and photography.

Delaware Today magazine also earned honors in publication editing.

The Delaware Press Association is dedicated to promoting the highest standards of excellence in communication, as well as protecting First Amendment freedoms. Each year, the DPA Communications Contest welcomes entries from all professional communicators in Delaware and provides an opportunity to compete in various fields.

Bellevue Contracting Leads Faithful Friends Renovation Project The dog kennels at Faithful Friends Animal Society, just outside the Wilmington city limits, received a $200,000 makeover this spring.

The newly named Gibney’s Doggie Kingdom has a more cheerful color scheme with T-Kennels, a better layout,

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and two adoption rooms for quieter meet-and-greets between dogs and potential adopters.

“We anticipate the more welcoming environment will provide a better adoption experience and hopefully result in more potential adopters visiting our shelter,” says Jane Pierantozzi, executive director of Faithful Friends.

Private grants and a generous donation from Dr. Sandra Gibney, an emergency room physician at St. Francis Hospital, given in honor of her late mother Mary Rita Gibney, made it possible for Faithful Friends to remodel about 3,000 square feet in its shelter. The bright, easy-to clean T-Kennels house more than 48 dogs.

“We were able to utilize the space very efficiently from an animal care perspective and, more importantly, make the dogs happier in roomier, quieter digs!” says Faithful Friends board member Jill Cantera. She says the time saved in feeding and cleaning can be spent on longer walks and more socializing for the dogs, which is essential for their mental wellbeing and fostering good behavior.

Nemours Named To Becker’s 150 Great Places to Work in Healthcare Nemours Children’s Health System has been named to Becker’s Healthcare 2014 list of “150 Great Places to Work in Healthcare.” The 2014 edition of the list recognizes a compilation of hospitals, health systems, ambulatory surgery centers, physician groups, vendors and other healthcare organizations that provide excellent work environments and outstanding benefits to their employees.

Nemours, headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., owns and operates Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for

Children in Wilmington, Del., Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando, Fla., and 45 pediatric and specialty care locations in Delaware, Florida, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

“Nemours is honored to be a Becker’s 2014 Great Place to Work in Healthcare,” said David Bailey, MD, MBA, president and CEO of Nemours. “Associates are our most important asset and we are pleased that our menu of benefits, online learning resources, commitment to professional development, and Continuous Improvement training has earned Nemours this recognition.”

Becker’s “150 Great Places To Work In Healthcare” list is developed based on research by Becker’s editorial team, which includes review and evaluation of nominated organizations focusing on employee benefits, workplace culture, professional development opportunities and previous recognition for workplace excellence. The resulting list is a compilation of 150 healthcare organizations that go above and beyond for their employees and are great places to work.

My Sherpa adds Michelle Vogt for business development IT managed services firm MySherpa has hired Michelle Vogt as its Business Development Sherpa. In this role she will be responsible for business growth via inside sales at the firm.

Vogt’s point of view is well aligned with MySherpa’s intent for providing proactive service and a high level of expertise to its clients. “My success in business development has come not only from learning to ask thoughtfully and listen skillfully, but in having an honest Michelle Vogt

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rapport with my contacts,” says Vogt.

“They sense that my—and, therefore, my company’s—goal isn’t ‘just to sell them something’; it’s to become a trusted partner they can turn to for guidance and solutions that offer a real return on investment,” she says. Previously Vogt worked for Expert Technology Associates, a business communications provider in Plymouth Meeting, Pa.

Cancer Support Community Names New Executive Director, New Officers Nicole Topkis Pickles, of Wilmington has been named Executive Director of Cancer Support Community Delaware (CSCDE), a statewide nonprofit organization that provides support services, free of charge, to people with cancer and their loved ones.

Prior to joining CSCDE, Pickles was Director of Development at Innovative Schools since 2013. From 2001 to 2012, she was a Partner at Topkis Financial Advisors co-managing $40 million in assets for over 100 clients while creating new investment portfolios. Pickles has deep knowledge of and experience in fund raising having previously held executive development positions at The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago and The American Cancer Society.

Pickles has been involved with CSCDE as a member of the Board of Directors since 2011. She currently is a committee member of the Annual Fund for the Wilmington Friends School. Pickles holds a BA from Emory University, Atlanta, Ga. Joseph Amon, chair of the CSCDE board, said, “It is with great enthusiasm we welcome Nicole to CSCDE. Her

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Calendar of Events JULY 8

AUGUST 12

Meet the New Members Networking Mixer

Networking Breakfast with American Red Cross

8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Location: DSCC Board Room

Location: Cpl. Paul J. Sweeney Public

For more information, please contact

Safety Building

Chuck James at (302) 576-6562 or

3601 N. DuPont Highway

cjames@dscc.com.

New Castle, DE 19720 For more information, please contact Kelly Wetzel at (302) 576-6564 or kwetzel@ dscc.com.

Chesapeake Insurance impressive record of success with Parliamentarian: Barbara F. Innovative Schools and Topkis Financial Andrisani-Community Activist Advisors LLC speaks for itself, plus she Member At Large: Maria Kohler has many connections throughout the Mockbee-Bancroft Construction state of Delaware with fundraising iniMember At Large: LaBarre Everettetiatives.” Nicole added, “I am equally KeHE Distributors enthusiastic and look forward to workPast Chair: Xavier DeCaire-George ing closely with the CSCDE Board of Weiner and Associates Directors, talented staff and the many Additionally the following three indidedicated volunteers to continue to viduals have been elected to the Board advance our mission.” to serve a two year term, Rochelle Additionally, the CSCDE Board of Gunzenhauser-Community Activist, Directors held its annual meeting on May Michael J. Johnson-Merrill Lynch and 8, 2014 and elected the following indiRegina A. Sharpe-Wilmington University. viduals to serve 2 year terms: Chair: Joseph Amon-Community Activist Barry Crozier of Belfint, Chair Elect: Abigail S. ApplegateLyons and Shuman Chairs Bank of America Influential G400 Meeting Vice Chair: Kevin DiSabatinoDiSabatino Construction Belfint, Lyons and Shuman, P.A. Treasurer: B. Christopher (BLS), a certified public Daney, CPA, MBA, MISTaccounting and consulting firm Wheeler, Wolfenden and with offices in Delaware and Dwares, P.A. Pennsylvania, is pleased to Assistant Treasurer: Steven announce that Barry A. Crozier, G. Kochie-MandT Bank CPA, CGMA, managing direcSecretary: Linda Texter Halltor, participated as acting chair Gilpin Hall at the annual community meetAssistant Secretary: ing of the American Institute of Rebecca Corlett PhillipsCertified Public Accountants Barry A. Crozier

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Newsbites (AICPA) Group of 400 (G400) meeting May 7 to May 9 in Chicago.

As acting chair, Barry was involved in the entire program by giving welcoming remarks, introducing speakers, participating in the succession planning panel and acting as the discussion leader for the tax season debrief roundtable. Barry serves on the G400 practice advisory group which the G400’s steering committee.

The G400 is the AICPA’s initiative focused on helping similar sized firms gain greater insight into the opportunities, concerns and challenges of running an accounting practice. The goal of the G400 is to help firms connect with other firms to discuss critical professional issues and priorities, find solutions and build strategies for achieving growth and prosperity now and in the future. The G400 represents the top 400 firms, following the top 100 major firms group, which comprise the core of the CPA profession in the United States.

105 firms of the G400 were represented at the community meeting and they discussed key industry topics to particular to their firm size, such as: • Leadership and practice models of the future • Retirement models and succession planning • Women in leadership • Managing and leveraging generational differences • Washington developments and tax legislation updates Barry A. Crozier, CPA, CGMA states, “I was honored to be asked to lead the G400 Community Meeting as acting chair. Accounting firm practice is different today than it was 35 years ago.

Collaborating with peers across the country is valuable because it gives a perspective compared to other practices that are similar in size and structure. The G400 is a forum for firms of our size to

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collaborate and be in front of and communicate with the AICPA nationally. They are accessible and responsive. G400 firms represent a significant portion of the accounting firms in the US and this forum gives us the ability to make a difference in the profession.”

Arc Celebrates 60 Years of Service Friends of The Arc of Delaware gathered together on Wednesday, May 14, to celebrate the organization’s 60th anniversary at Buena Vista Conference Center.

Over 130 friends, donors, volunteers and advocates enjoyed a cocktail reception followed by an awards ceremony.

The program began with an energetic performance

by Joyful Noise, a chorus of adults with physical and intellectual disabilities. Master of Ceremonies Dr. Lanny Edelsohn then introduced special guest Rita Landgraf, Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services, for opening remarks.

Representative Melanie George Smith, D-Bear/Newark, received the Legislative Advocate of the Year Award for her work supporting the rights of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Rep. Smith, also Honorary Chair for the evening, presented a tribute from the House of Representatives and Sen. Margaret Rose Henry, D-Wilmington East, presented a tribute from the Senate in recognition of The Arc’s 60 years of service. Brooks Banta, President of Kent Country Levy Court and long-time friend of The Arc, also presented a tribute from the Court.

Additional awards included the Distinguished Community Service Award recognizing DFRC (Delaware Foundation Reaching Citizens with intellectual dis-

abilities) and Tony Glenn, DFRC’s Executive Director, for their continued support of The Arc through a partnership spanning more than 50 years.

A Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Pat Heather, who has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Delaware for more than 55 years. Heather successfully organized The Arc’s group home monitoring program in Kent and Sussex counties and is an active, long-term member of The Arc’s Board of Directors. Heather was also a founding member of The Arc in Kent County and has repeatedly served as President and Vice President of The Arc’s Mid-Del Committee. She also volunteers her time to numerous organizations throughout the state.

Bill Seufert, President of the Board of The Arc of Delaware, recognized Tony DeSanctis for his efforts raising more than $30,000 for The Arc through his team’s participation at the annual 5k Run, Walk and Roll fundraiser over the past seven years.

Proceeds from the event will benefit people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through programs available at The Arc of Delaware. Wine was donated by Moore Brothers Wine Company and beer was donated by Dominion and Fordham Brewing Company. Special thanks to Christiana Care, the Advocacy Sponsor for the event, and to the many other donors who helped make the evening a success.

A four-digit Delaware license plate, worth approximately $2,000, was donated by the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles and raffled at the event. The prize was won by Carole Gallagher, an Arc volunteer and member of the Mid-Del Committee.

The theme of the evening was “A Storied Past and a Shining Future,” alluding to the 60th anniversary being a “dia-

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mond” anniversary. Numerous historical documents were on display for the evening, highlighting the work of The Arc over the past six decades.

The event marked the end of a year-long celebration commemorating the anniversary. Special activities to commemorate the occasion included the 21st Annual Golf Tournament and Silent Auction; Monster Miles for a Cause at Dover Downs International Speedway; the Mid-Del Committee of The Arc’s January dance sponsored

by McDonald’s Sanders Management Corp., which drew a record attendance near 400; the first-ever dance in New Castle County, also in January; and the 14th Annual 5K Run/Walk and Roll in Kent County.

Today Media to Revive and Publish Italian-American Herald Robert F. Martinelli, president/CEO of Today Media, is pleased to announce that the communications company is reviving and publishing the Delaware Valley Italian-American Herald. The premier issue under the Today Mediabanner was released June 1.

The Herald will continue to showcase Italian-American life in the region, including Delaware, Delaware County, Chester County, South Philadelphia, South Jersey, and other areas important to Italian-Americans.

Formerly bi-weekly, the ItalianAmerican Herald celebrates the heritage and culture of Italian-Americans, focusing on their life today, as well as in history. The paper was published from May 30, 2013 through Feb. 6, 2014. Today Media will publish the newspaper monthly, beginning with the June issue, slated

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for distribution next week.

“June is a very important month in this region for Italian-Americans,” Martinelli said. “There are many festivals, in Delaware and South Jersey in particular, focused around Italian heritage, including the 40th anniversary of St. Anthony’s Italian Festival in Wilmington, the Delaware County Italian American Heritage Festival and the Feast of our Lady of Mt. Carmel—the longest running Italian Festival in the country—held in Hammonton, N.J.” Joe Cannavo, editor of the paper under the previous publishers, will continue as editor under Today Media.

Herald distribution will continue to include special events of interest to Italian-Americans, like St. Anthony’s Italian Festival inWilmington and the Delaware County Italian American Heritage Festival. The paper will continue to be available at selected locations, and subscriptions will be welcome.

Autism Delaware Grants Awarded Autism Delaware announced today that five service organizations have been awarded grants in support of their innovative community programs that address the needs of Delawareans with autism spectrum disorder (ASD): Easter Seals of Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Delaware Family Voices, Parent Information Center of Delaware, PAWS for People, and Practice Without Pressure.

“Each organization,” notes Autism Delaware’s executive director, Teresa Avery, “provides needed services in Delaware that align with Autism Delaware’s mission, namely, to help people and families affected by autism. And Autism Delaware likes to support any

innovative program that has the potential to improve the lives of both children and adults with ASD across their life spans and across the state. In fact, we look forward to hearing about each program’s success in the coming year as well as to watching the improvement in the lives of Delawareans with autism and their families.”

About the grant winners: Easter Seals of Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore—a nonprofit, community-based health organization dedicated to increasing the independence of children and adults with special needs through direct services and advocacy—will use the Autism Delaware grant to provide respite care vouchers to families caring for people with ASD. Vouchers are administered by a standing committee of the Delaware Lifespan Respite Care Network, which Easter Seals represents as the lead fiscal agency. Families can use a voucher to pay the service provider of their choice, when and where they choose.

Delaware Family Voices (DE FV) is staffed by and for Delaware families with children with special needs. Providing information especially for families who are new to the special-needs community, DE FV also offers workshops and training to professionals as well as to families. The Autism Delaware grant will help expand DE FV’s current Parent to Parent (P2P) program, which offers training tailored to the needs of families with children with ASD. Parent Information Center (PIC) of Delaware, Inc., is committed to advancing effective parent engagement through education. This service organization was awarded an Autism Delaware grant to help the parents of children with ASD gain the skills needed to address their children’s behavioral and communication issues.

Offered in a workshop format and

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Newsbites taught by experienced professionals, Teaching Strategies for Home and the Community relies on evidence-based practice to build confidence and collaboration among Delaware’s parents of children with ASD. The program will also help parents understand how to apply the fundamentals of school programming to home and community settings.

PAWS for People, Inc., responded to parental questions about in-home therapy and training the appropriate dog as a pet for their children with ASD by establishing “What Do You Do with the Dog…at Home?” Designed as a class to teach parents how to incorporate the family dog as part of a supporting, motivating, and comforting environment for children with ASD, the program teaches parents new skills and techniques to help handle common behavioral issues.

The children will learn new ways to cope, too, as a result of funding from an Autism Delaware grant.

Practice Without Pressure (PWP), a unique treatment center that helps people with disabilities receive oral health care with dignity and respect, was awarded an Autism Delaware grant to expand its Oral Health in the Home™ training program across the state. Designed to help caregivers and families improve tooth-brushing, flossing, and oral health care for children and adults with ASD and other disabilities, this course empowers the family while teaching new skills that make oral health care easier to support: “Through the PWP Practice Model™, people gain confidence and turn from scared to prepared for routine care.”

Tevebaugh Associates Announce Promotions Tevebaugh Associates, architects and planners based in Wilmington,

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he earned both a Bachelor’s has announced that William and Master’s Degree in Lenihan, AIA, has been proArchitecture. Bill will continue moted to Principal. We are to lead office operations and pleased to also announce project development. that Debra Traini and Shawn As Studio Manager, Debra Crowley have been promotTraini, AIA, conducts scheduled to Associate Principal. ing and coordination of studio These individuals will staff members, and manages have enhanced responsiBill Lenihan quality control of construction bilities within our leadership documentation. Debra was team to provide the best instrumental in field coordinacreative solutions for our clition for the recently completed ents’ specific needs.

Health Sciences Complex for These promotions are a the University of Delaware and key art of the company’s is currently managing the retoverall strategy for 2014 and rofit and renovation of the AIG beyond, and further posioffice building in Wilmington tions Tevebaugh Associates DE. A registered architect for growth and expansion Debra Traini in Pennsylvania, Debra is a into specific regional margraduate of Pennsylvania State kets, such as healthcare and University with 14 years of prohigher education. fessional experience with instiBill Lenihan joined tutional, library, healthcare, and Tevebaugh Associates in commercial building projects.

2005 as a Project Architect Shawn Crowley is a and was promoted to graduate of the University Associate Principal in of Maryland with a B.S. in 2008. Prior to his tenure Architecture, and joined with Tevebaugh, he was Shawn Crowley Tevebaugh Associates in a Project Architect and 2009. Shawn is an active Project Manager at Jackson member of The Committee of 100, a Architects. He brings design and projvolunteer at Hodgson Vo-Tech High ect management expertise in the areas school through the ACE Mentoring of institutional, public, and health care program, and is currently sitting for the projects and recently managed the Architectural Registration Exam. As a design of the University of Delaware’s Certified Autodesk Revit Architectural new Health Sciences Complex on the Specialist, Shawn has guided STAR Campus. Bill is a former AIA Tevebaugh Associates in adopting Delaware board member, and a current Building Information Modeling (BIM) as member of the Urban Land Institute their preferred method for design and (ULI) where he recently presented construction documentation. Shawn the Health Sciences project at ULI’s Healthy Places Initiative Bi-Annual con- utilized BIM to complete construction documents for several office, healthference in Vancouver. He also serves care, hotel and hospitality projects as on the architecture and engineering project architect. advisory board for Delaware Technical and Community College. He is a graduate of Norwich University where

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CHAMBER

Committees & Forums State Chamber members play a visible, active role in the business community by serving on committees. If you would like to get involved, contact the committee’s Chamber representative or register online at www.dscc.com.

Ambassador Committee: The Ambassador Committee is a specially chosen group of volunteers that assists in increasing membership and retention, and acts as a liaison between the State Chamber staff and the membership at large. Contact: Chuck James at (302) 576-6562 or cjames@dscc.com.

Employer Advocacy & Education Committee: The Employee Advocacy and Education Committee promotes and assists the employments interests of Chamber members. It is a forum for members of the Chamber to discuss and evaluate human resource and personnel issues facing Delaware employers; to actively engage in the legislative process to develop and implement legislative solutions; to advise the Chamber leadership on the impact of proposed legislative and regulatory measures; and to educate the membership about regulatory requirements affecting their bottom line. The committee meets at least quarterly to identify and develop strategies for current and future issues, and holds special events open to Chamber members to focus on timely topics in the field of human resources and personnel management. For more information, contact James DeChene at (302) 576-6560 or jdechene@dscc.com.

Environmental Committee: Working closely with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), members are involved in the review and shaping of environmental legislation and regulation. Contact: James DeChene at (302) 576-6560 or jdechene@dscc.com.

Infrastructure and Transportation Committee: The Infrastructure and Transportation Committee recognizes the critical role that the condition and functionality of Delaware’s infrastructure and transportation systems play in creating a strong economy and quality of life. The Infrastructure and Transportation Committee monitors issues, policies, and trends affecting Delaware’s infrastructure and transportation systems, as well as advises the Chamber’s Board of Directors on related policy issues. For more information, contact James DeChene at (302) 576-6560 or jdechene@dscc.com.

Women in Business Forum: The Women in Business Forum was formed to forge relationships, break boundaries and build a better business environment for women in our community. Former guest speakers include First Lady Carla Markell, Gov. Ruth Ann Minner, Family Court Chief Judge Chandlee Kuhn, State Reps. and Sens., and business leaders. Contact: Kelly Wetzel at (302) 576-6564 or kwetzel@dscc.com.

Delaware Young Professionals Network: The Delaware State Chamber of Commerce’s newest committee was formed to encourage young executives in Delaware to be involved in the Chamber, network with other young professionals and further their business growth. The DYPN, for professionals between the ages of 21 and 40, aims to develop Delaware’s young workforce through professional business networking and personal growth.

Contact: Kelly Wetzel at (302) 576-6564 or kwetzel@dscc.com.

Health Care Committee: Members discuss key health care issues facing Delaware businesses and provide feedback to the Chamber legislative team to assist in formulating policy. Contact: James DeChene at (302) 576-6560 or jdechene@dscc.com.

Legislative Forum: Members, lobbyists and legislative representatives work together to address legislative issues of interest to Chamber members. Contact: James DeChene at (302) 576-6560 or jdechene@dscc.com.

Tax Committee: This committee reviews tax legislation and lobbies for the reduction of personal and business taxes in Delaware. Contact: James DeChene at (302) 576-6560 or jdechene@dscc.com.

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Delaware State Chamber of Commerce

SMALL STATE. BIG BENEFITS. UPS Shipping Discounts Save up to 34% on a broad portfolio of shipping services including: • Up to 34% on UPS Air letters including UPS Next Day Air®* • Up to 30% on UPS Air packages (1 lb.+) • Up to 32% on UPS International imports and exports • Up to 16% on UPS Ground shipments • Savings begin at 70% on UPS Freight® shipments over 150 lbs.

DSCC members can receive these discounts even if you already have a UPS account. Whether you need your documents or packages to arrive the next day or are looking for the most affordable shipping option, UPS understands the importance of reliability, speed, and cost. Plus, the more you ship, the more you can save with UPS. To enroll and start saving today, visit www.savewithups.com/dscc.

For more information, call 1-800-MEMBERS (1-800-636-2377).

UD Online MBA Scholarship Through an Affiliate Partnership with the Lerner College of Business & Economics, Chamber member will receive an affiliate program scholarship for $5,000 off of their tuition for the University of Delaware Online MBA Degree Program.

The Lerner College Online MBA is an AACSB-accredited program that can be completed in as little as sixteen months.

This powerful new education option offers the quality, flexibility, and convenience to earn an MBA degree from a highly regarded, nationally ranked, public university.

In addition to the $5,000 affiliate scholarship, Chamber member employees will also be eligible to apply for the Dean’s Merit Scholarship, which awards the most highly qualified candidates up to an additional $5,000 in scholarship funding.

Visit www.apdegree.com/DSCC to get started.

Prescription Drug Discount Card The Delaware Drug Card will provide savings of up to 75-percent on prescription drugs at more than 50,000 pharmacy locations across the country. The Delaware Drug Card has no restrictions to membership, income or age, and you are not required to fill out an application. This program helps all residents of Delaware afford their prescription medications. For more information, go to www. dscc.com/rxdiscount.htm.

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Member-to-Member Discount Directory State Chamber members offer substantial savings on products and services to fellow members. To see the full list of discounts online, visit www.dscc.com and click on Member2Member Discounts.

Discounted Cell Phone products and Service State Chamber members can get a 10-percent discount from T-Mobile on qualifying monthly recurring charges and other special offers. Email Melissa Williams at melissa.williams2@tmobile.com to learn more about this benefit.

Notary Service Did you know that Notary Public services are free for Chamber members? Call (302) 655-7221 to make an appointment to stop in for a notary seal on your documents.

W.B. Mason Office Supplies W.B. Mason offers Chamber members exclusive deep discounts off their most commonly used items. Discounts are up to 90 percent. Contact Doreen Miller for more information at doreen.miller@wbmason.com or (888) 926-2766, ext. 8358.

Blood Bank Membership Blood Bank of Delmarva, a nonprofit organization, supplies blood to the 16 hospitals on Delmarva. Blood donors become part of the Members for Life program to sustain the local community blood supply. Members will receive valuable health and wellness benefits. There is a need for 350 blood donations every day on Delmarva; therefore, support is encouraged and appreciated. There is no cost for membership. Members will be asked to give blood a minimum of once a year and to allow the Blood Bank to contact them if their blood type is needed. Visit www.DelmarvaBlood.org for more information or call 1 888 8-BLOOD-8 to schedule an appointment. You can also download the Blood Bank app on your iPhone or Android.

If you are unable to donate blood but would like to support the local blood supply, you can be part of the Blood Bank’s Friends for Life program by making a financial contribution.

Contributions are tax- deductible and can be made online at www.DelmarvaBlood.org or by calling 1 888 8-BLOOD-8.

Certificate of Origin Documents Certificate of Origin documents are $20 for Chamber members ($100 for non-members). Call (302) 655-7221 for more information.

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Delmarva Broadcasting Company Fifteen-percent in bonus airtime on commercial orders placed by new advertisers on any Delmarva Broadcasting radio station.

Contact Mike Reath at mreath@dbcmedia.com or call (302) 4782700 for more information.

DSCC Affinity Credit Card with WorldPoints Rewards The DSCC affinity card by Bank of America is a business credit card offered exclusively to State Chamber members that also offers a rewards program for discounted airline tickets, free hotel nights and car rentals and more. The Chamber affinity card with WorldPoints® lets members combine points from personal and business cards to get rewards even faster. Call (800) 598-8791 to apply, mention priority code FABLHRAQ. Dental and Vision Plan Dominion Dental Services provides dental and vision benefits on a group and individual basis with competitive, memberexclusive rates. Dental care coverage for most diagnostic and preventive services is 100 percent with up to 80 percent coverage for restorative care including fillings, root canals, crown and bridge work, periodontal treatment, oral surgery and more. Go to www.dscc.com/chamber/dental_plan.aspx or call (888) 518-5338 for more information. No application fee for DSCC members.

Continuing Education Certificate Discounts The University of Delaware offers a 10% discount to State Chamber members when they choose to sign up for continuing education certificate programs. Contact Kelly Wetzel at kwetzel@dscc.com for more information.

DICKDUBROFFFINALFOCUS P.O. Box 232 Wilmington, DE 19899

Access full details on these benefits of membership in the members-only section of the DSCC website. For more information about obtaining your company’s members-only login credentials, please email webmaster@dscc.com.

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Phone 302.655.7718 Fax 302.655.7918 rdubroff@finalfocus.com

see it all at www.finalfocus.com

Constant Contact Email Marketing Service State Chamber members are eligible to receive discounts on their Constant Contact account subscriptions. Members can save 20-percent if they prepay for 6 months and 25-percent if they prepay for 12 months. That is a 10-percent deeper discount than what is available to other customers. To sign up, visit the Constant Contact link on the State Chamber’s members-only page or call (866) 876-8464 to activate your member discount.

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For Assistance,

CALL THE CHAMBER The State Chamber of Commerce staff works for you, serving nearly 2,800 member companies and organizations statewide.

This State Chamber staff directory lists phone numbers and Email addresses, as well as individual areas of responsibility.

If you need business assistance or information, please don’t hesitate to call.

A. Richard Heffron 576-6563 President rheffron@dscc.com

Ken Evans 576-6576 Account Executive kevans@dscc.com

Marianne K. Antonini 576-6567 Sr. Vice President Finance & CFO mantonini@dscc.com

Chuck James 576-6562 Sr. Vice President, Membership cjames@dscc.com Ambassador Committee

John H. Taylor, Jr. 576-6590 Sr. Vice President & jtaylor@dscc.com Exec. Director, Delaware Public Policy Institute

Fred Miller 576-6579 Advertising Sales fmiller2@dscc.com Member Retention

Matt Amis 576-6566 Communications Manager mamis@dscc.com Delaware Business Production Website

Patrina Wallace 655-7221 Government Relations Assistant pwallace@dscc.com

Cheryl Corn Executive Assistant to the President Sr. Vice President Communications

Kelly Wetzel 576-6564 Program & Communication Specialist kwetzel@dscc.com Small Business Alliance Women in Business Delaware Young Professionals Network

Linda D. Eriksen Accounting Associate James DeChene Director, Government Relations

576-6572 ccorn@dscc.com

576-6569 leriksen@dscc.com 576-6560 jdechene@dscc.com

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