Delaware Business Magazine - March/April 2015 by Delaware State Chamber of Commerce

DELAWARE

PLUS: • Guide to Taxes

BUSINESS

• Guide to Construction & Real Estate

March/April 2015 $3.00

The Women Changing the Shape of Health Care in Delaware Sec. Rita Landgraf, Dr. Kathy Matt, and Bettina Riveros A Publication of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 1

3/11/15 2:05 PM

We help businesses

grow. diversify. change. relocate. improve. expand. succeed.

WSFS Bank can help you do it all. Making it possible to reach your goals and objectives is what we do best. Our business bankers take the time to listen and learn your specific needs, recommend sound strategies, help you implement them, and review results with you regularly.

WSFS Bank. Your business is our business.

wsfsbank.com | 1.888.WSFSBANK ÂŠ 2015 Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB | Member FDIC

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 2

3/11/15 2:05 PM

The Morris Family, led by Al Morris (center), had a large presence at the 178th Annual Dinner. PHOTO BY DICK DUBROFF/FINAL FOCUS

Departments Chairman’s Message............................... 2 The Chamber continues to make strides. Legislative Priority................................... 3 State Budget to Require Tough Decisions President’s Message............................... 4 Member News and Notes....................... 5 Bayhealth unveils plans for Milford hospital Race to the Top: lessons learned and sustaining the momentum; ESGR and the Chamber’s new Military Affairs Committee; The Chamber’s discount Rx card can save YOU money Q&A: Insperity

In this Issue Features

Nonprofit Spotlight: Medical Society of Delaware Business Spotlight: Sussex Printing Corporation Welcome New Members....................... 14 Chamber Scene...................................... 17

CONSTRUCTION AND REAL ESTATE......................................................................... 24 Expanding empires and areas of growth: Emory Hill’s expansion downstate, EDiS and the Town of Whitehall, Schell Bros. march up-state, McConnell and Buccini/Pollin rebuilding Wilmington, and more.

Newsbites................................................ 40 Calendar.................................................. 41

BY LARRY NAGENGAST

Chamber Committees........................... 45

TAX AND FINANCIAL SERVICES .............................................................................. 30 HSAs and how they impact your tax picture. BY EILEEN SMITH DALLABRIDA

Chamber Member Benefits.................. 46

HEALTH..................................................................................................................... 35

For Assistance, Contact the Chamber........................................... 48

Rita Landgraf, Kathy Matt, and Bettina Riveros are transforming health care in the First State. BY MARIA HESS, PHOTOS BY DICK DUBROFF

On The Cover

Three Women Changing the Shape of Health Care in Delaware PHOTO BY DICK DUBROFF/FINAL FOCUS DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ma rch/ Ap ri l 2 0 1 5

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 1

Volume 20, Number 2 / 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. 1

3/11/15 2:05 PM

Message from the Chairman As we move further into 2015, I’m grateful for the strides that the Chamber has made, and the overall improvements of the state’s business community. A great deal of thanks goes to Rich Heffron for his passion for Delaware’s business environment, and most of all for his leadership. Mark Stellini Rich was a logical choice to lead us. Not only because of his time at the chamber, but because of the respect he earned throughout the business community and in the legislature. Stability is one thing, but piloting us through some substantial changes is another thing entirely—and that’s exactly what Rich did. His first vision expressed to me and the rest of the board was how the Chamber, at the end of his term as president, will look substantially different then the Chamber we took over. Rich spearheaded a much-needed self-audit of the Chamber’s governing process to ensure that we could handle any situation with the best possible outcome for the Chamber. Along with some expert outside help from Dr. Charles Elson of UD, and the leadership from the committee’s chair, Don Fulton, we emerged with a 15-member board of directors, and a 60-member board of governors. Today, we are a much stronger organization, both strategically and operationally. We have developed a much closer relationship with the Delaware Business Round Table, New Castle County Chamber of Commerce and other business organizations throughout the state. The idea is to represent a united business community, 5,000 strong, on major issues like education and business growth in our state. Our goals are simple: to further the impact of business in the world of education and to lead the charge for Future Delaware, a bipartisan committee being created to determine growth revenue streams for our state and how to enhance our value proposition to attract other businesses to the State. Once again, I am very grateful for the leadership of Rich Heffron, the vision of the board, the hard work of the staff, and the confidence of our member companies. We’re forging a new roadmap, and I am honored and excited about being your Chairman of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce.

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

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 2

DELAWARE

BUSINESS EDITORIAL STAFF Mark Stellini Chairman

A. Richard Heffron President

Matt Amis Managing Editor

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Barry Crozier Belfint, Lyons & Shuman

Chad Moore The Bellmoor Dennis M. Salter Martha S. Gilman Summit Realty Advisors, Inc. Gilman Development Company Gary R. Stockbridge Michael Houghton Delmarva Power Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Mark Turner Tunnell, LLP WSFS Bank Scott Malfitano Richelle Vible CSC - Corporation Service Company Catholic Charities of Delaware

Sylvia Banks DuPont

Nicholas Marsini PNC Bank, Delaware

CHAIR

Mark Stellini Assurance Media VICE CHAIR

Salvatore J. “Chip” Rossi Bank of America TREASURER

Donald T. Fulton George J. Weiner Associates

Katie Wilkinson Fulton Bank

BOARD OF GOVERNORS William R. Allan Delaware Community Foundation Linda Ammons Widener University School of Law Mike B. Berardi Wohlsen Construction Company Marray Berstein Nixon Uniform Service Julian H. “Pete” Booker Delmarva Broadcasting Company Jennifer Gimler Brady Potter Anderson & Corroon LLP Mark Brainard Delaware Technical Community College Kevin C. Broadhurst Comcast Robert L. Byrd The Byrd Group Timothy J. Constantine Highmark Delaware, BCBS Thomas J. Cooper Cooper Realty Associates Charlie Copeland Associates International, Inc. Ernest Dianastasis CAI Brian DiSabatino EDiS Company E. Andrew DiSabatino EDiS Company Denis Dunn AT&T, Delaware G. Kevin Fasic Cooch & Taylor Dave Hargadon TD Bank

Rita P. Hollingsworth Tyrone Jones AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP Christopher L. Kenny ShopRites of Delaware Richard Kenny ShopRites of Delawar, Retired Bernhard Koch AAA Mid-Atlantic Nicholas P. Lambrow M&T Bank Richard H. LaPenta Insurance & Financial Services, Ltd. Stephan Lehm VanDemark & Lynch, Inc. Alan Levin Delaware Economic Development Office Renee Lewandowski Agilent Technologies Andy Lubin University of Delaware Hinton J. Lucas, Jr. DuPont, Retired John McCarthy AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, LP William E. Manning Saul Ewing LLP Paul M. McConnell McConnell Development, Inc. Bonnie Metz Verizon, Delaware Calvert Morgan, Jr. WSFS Bank Peter Morrow The Welfare Foundation

John Owens Capital One Theodore J. Prushinski Citizens Bank James Randall Caldwell Staffing Michael Ratchford W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. Robert (Rob) Rider, Jr. O.A. Newton John S. Riley Ashland, Inc. William B. Robinson George & Lynch, Retired Richard D. Rowland Rowland, Johnson & Co., PA Greg Sawka Bancroft Construction Company Fred C. Sears, II Delaware Community Foundation W. Laird Stabler, III, Esq. Laird Stabler & Associates, LLC Richard K. Struthers Ashford Point Dian C. Taylor Artesian Water James A. Tevebaugh Tevebaugh Associates William M. Topkis Daniels + Tansey, LLP Michael S. Uffner AutoTeam Delaware Clinton Walker Barclaycard US William S. Wallace JPMorgan Chase Robert W. Whetzel Richards, Layton & Finger

Pete Hayward University of Delaware, Retired

Janice E. Nevin, M.D., MPH Christiana Care Health System

John (Jack) E. Healy III Healy Long & Jevin, Inc.

Brian Nixon Invista

Harry L. Williams Delaware State University

Cheryl Corn Executive Assistant to the President, Senior Vice President, Communications

Ken Evans Account Executive

James DeChene Director, Government Relations

Fred Miller Advertising/Retention

Mark A. DiMaio Acting Sr. Director, DPPI

Patrina Wallace Information Secretary

Linda D. Eriksen Accounting Associate

Kelly Wetzel Program & Communication Specialist

Stuart Widom Calpine

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

Chuck James Senior Vice President, Membership

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.

Marc h / Ap r i l 2 0 1 5 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

3/11/15 2:05 PM

LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY

State Budget to Require Tough Decisions

PHOTO BY DICK DUBROFF/FINAL FOCUS

BY JAMES DECHENE

GOVERNOR MARKELL released his budget at the end of January, and the picture it painted was not rosy. While the proposed budget increase was limited to under 2.5 percent, the gap between where the state is and where it needs to go in order to show growth continues to widen. Overall, the employment numbers in Delaware sound promising. As of today the unemployment rate in Delaware is 5.4 percent, still below the national average of 5.7 percent, and there are more Delawareans working today than ever before. The twofold problem the state faces, however, is the jobs created today don’t compare with the middle income and executive level salaries that were lost in the Great Recession, and that our revenue structure is unsustainable. The Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council (DEFAC), whose mission is to perform quarterly financial forecasts, reports that Delaware’s revenues are projected to remain flat through 2017. Compounding the issue is the state’s expenditures grow on average of 4 percent per year, and have done so since 2010. The challenges that face the Governor and the General Assembly are that most of the budgetary increases are a result of nondiscretionary spending. More than 25 percent of Delawareans receive Medicaid, and almost 40 percent receive some sort of government subsidized health care, which also include municipal workers and Medicare recipients. State government sponsored healthcare costs have ballooned to over a billion dollars, which is 25 percent of the state’s annual budget. Other problem areas remain as well. The public safety and crime issues facing Delaware, resulting from substance abuse, a lack of jobs, and limited education have begun to impact whether businesses choose to expand or relocate to the area. Education spending has become almost as large as health care, and student proficiency on state standardized testing continues to lag in the region. Investments to solve these problems are much needed, but come with a high price tag. As for revenues, the state is reliant upon volatile sources for a large bulk of its money. Escheat, or abandoned property, is roughly 14 percent and gaming, which hit a high of 8.5 percent, has dropped to just over 5 percent. The largest portion remains the Personal Income Tax (31 percent), followed closely by the Franchise Tax (22.6 percent). The State Chamber, among others, has been active and vocal urging the Administration to wean itself from escheat, as it was never meant to be such a major revenue source DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ma rch/ Ap ri l 2 0 1 5

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 3

and one that is destined to drop, but that remains a difficult feat to manage, considering the budgetary hole it fills each year. The reality of how tight the governor’s budget hit home almost immediately after its introduction. The diversion of money earmarked for the Highway Trust Fund to instead plug budget holes was the first sign of trouble. The fight over proposing a reduction in property tax subsidies for seniors came right on its heels, which shows the razor thin margins with which budget writers have to work with. DEFAC itself was charged with creating a taskforce to look at how revenues could be raised, and so far has heard policy proposals that while they raise significant revenue can be expected to quickly become a political quagmire, such as raising Personal Income Tax rates, elimination of some tax credits, creating a new top marginal tax rate, along with similar changes to the Gross Receipts Tax. What this means for the business community, and for Delaware in general, is that difficult decisions must be made, and soon. Choices on what public and social services government will offer, investments it will make in key areas such as infrastructure, and where and how the state will raise the money to pay for these choices are imperative. The State Chamber of Commerce stands committed to representing the business community, and is working with our elected leaders to help recognize the important role business plays in helping to drive our economy, and the collected vested interest we share in seeing our state make smart, pro-growth policy decisions for the future. These times are difficult, but we have faced them before in the 1970s and 1980s, and it was through the leadership in Dover and in partnership with the various interests, business and labor combined, that the state’s fortunes reversed themselves. We’ve done it before, and we will do it again. 3

3/11/15 2:05 PM

Message from the President The good news is the unemployment rate is now below 6 percent, both nationally and in Delaware. However, the job participation rate (those who became unemployed and are not looking to re-enter the job market) is still very low, suggesting that the real rate of unemployment is in fact much higher. And wages continue to lag behind Rich Heffron those paid at the beginning of the recession in 2007. Although there are economists who will argue that we will soon see a traditional supply-and-demand response as it becomes more difficult to fill job openings with qualified candidates, employers will increase pay to attract the right people. Then there are those who argue that technology has played a major role in shaping the types of jobs that are necessary to keep the economy growing, and that these technological changes require less man/woman power and that wages will continue to lag. In the last couple months I’ve heard with increasing frequency that “things are picking up, but I’m having difficulty finding qualified people to fill openings.” Leaders in construction, finance, health care, manufacturing, and retail business have all indicated that they

are experiencing the same difficulty finding qualified employees. The governor recently told a crowd of business leaders and educators that our challenge is to prepare today’s students and workers to acquire the hard and soft skills necessary to meet the needs of Delaware employers. Fortunately, that process has begun. Among a few of the notable highlights are the advanced manufacturing pilot program partnership among the Delaware Manufacturing Association, Del Tech, the Department of Labor, and the New Castle County Vo-Tech and Colonial School districts. There are new coding classes designed to train the IT employees needed by the finance industry, as well as cooperative training efforts of Del Tech and Christiana Care, the Health Care Alliance of the UD School of Health Sciences, Christiana Care, Nemours and Jefferson Medical System, and the new optics center at Delaware State University. These wideranging programs share one common thread—they will help prepare employees for the new economic environment and help Delaware attract and retain businesses and the revenues and opportunities they provide. This is a new economy, one that requires that we embrace change and make it work for us. It is a new world, but when you talk to people who make our economy work, it is always a new world.

AARP FOUNDATION IS FINDING REAL SOLUTIONS TO SOME OF DELAWARE’S MOST PRESSING SOCIAL CHALLENGES.

With our partners in the First State, we are:

And we need your help.

CHAMPIONING THE HOUSING NEEDS OF AMERICA’S AGING POPULATION

ENGAGING WITH THOSE STRUGGLING WITH SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS

EXPANDING JOB SKILLS PROGRAMS

RAISING HUNGER AMONG OLDER ADULTS AS A HEALTH ISSUE

Join AARP Foundation president Lisa Marsh Ryerson at the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce Leadership Series on THURSDAY APRIL 23, 2015 for breakfast at 7:30 A.M. to learn about AARP Foundation’s innovative solutions to improve the lives of Delaware’s older adults, and how you can get involved. To RSVP, visit WWW.DSCC.COM.

aarpfoundation.org

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 4

Marc h / Ap r i l 2 0 1 5 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

3/11/15 2:05 PM

Member

news&Notes GUEST COLUMN

Real Possibilities with AARP

There is something akin to people coming together and working for an important cause, people sharing stories, providing support, and experiencing Real Possibilities for their lives. Nowhere is this as evident as in the work of AARP. AARP’s mission is to enhance the quality of life for all as we age by leading positive social change and delivering value to members through advocacy, service and information. With 176,000 members in DE and growing, AARP is fighting and equipping Delawareans to live their best lives. We certainly don’t do this work alone. With more than 200 volunteers across the state, AARP along with community partners work to educate and inform Delawareans on issues that impact their lives. In Delaware, our advocacy work has included issues around accessible housing, adequate

››

Join AARP Foundation President Lisa Ryerson for the Chamber Leadership Series on April 23, 2015 at the University & Whist Club. Register at www.DSCC.com Friend AARP on Facebook: www.facebook.com/AARPDelaware Follow AARP on Twitter: www.twitter.com @AARPDE Reimagine your life at www.LifeReimagined.org

DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ma rch/ Ap ri l 2 0 1 5

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 5

VISION A Society in which everyone ages with dignity and purpose, and in which AARP helps people fulfill their goals and their dreams.

transportation, and quality healthcare. Our surveys show that a vast majority of people want to age in place and stay in their homes as long as possible. At AARP we believe that no one should be forced into costly institutions when they can receive care in their homes. Through advocacy we work to advance common sense solutions so that family caregivers can safely take care of their loved ones at home. As the demographics change in Delaware, increasing home and community based services should be paramount to our strategies for building a successful infrastructure for care. AARP’s education and outreach work serves to provide valuable information to Delawareans on key issues that impact their lives. We work to bring information and education around issues such as financial resilience to the community. Our partnerships with the Delaware Financial Literacy Institute, faith-based organizations and multi-cultural organizations have helped to equip people with AARP tools that help them save for retirement and tackle the day-today financial issues that matter most to them and their families.

In addition, the work of AARP’s Foundation-the separate, charitable affiliate of AARP addresses issues of Hunger, Income, Housing and Isolation. The Foundation paves the way for Americans that are in need, to take control of their lives again and move forward. In DE, the Foundation’s Drive to End Hunger (DTEH) Program has helped to feed families through partnerships with the Food bank of Delaware and other groups. In addition, the Foundation’s Tax-Aide Program is the largest free, volunteer run tax assistance and preparation service in the country. At AARP we believe that a person’s opportunities should not be limited by their age. Looking forward AARP will continue to work hard to ensure that our members, their families and all Delawareans have the tools that they need to live and enjoy their best lives. As State Director for AARP Delaware for the past 10 years, Lucretia Young is responsible for an extensive network of relationships with state and local partners, while ensuring seamless interface and alignment between the state operation and AARP’s national headquarters in Washington, DC. With her team of professionals, she drives work statewide in the areas of Financial Resilience, Health Security and Personal Fulfillment.

3/11/15 2:05 PM

Member

news&Notes Making sense of HR in an Obamacare world Q&A WITH MICHELLE KRUPKA AND MIKE IAPALUCCI OF INSPERITY BY SYDNEY BARCH For more than 27 years, Insperity has emerged as a trusted advisor to some of America’s best businesses. Besides providing an assortment of human resource services designed to improve business performance, the company helps clients navigate the arduous waters of Affordable Care Act compliancy. Delaware Business recently spoke with Insperity advisors Michelle Krupka and Mike Iapalucci about the impact of ACA on the HR industry, and on business owners.

››

Give us a little background on what Insperity offers businesses. Krupka: Most companies start their relationship with us because of health insurance. What we do is we give our client companies the ability to consolidate a lot of their vendors on the HR side, the people that handle administration. So by entering into a relationship with us, we’re running your payroll, handling your workers’ comp and you’re gaining access to our professional HR department and our benefits package. Which is significantly lower than any small business could get on their own.

Tell us a little about how the Affordable Care Act has impacted what you do. Iapalucci: The ACA has almost changed what we do to the point of a lot

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 6

of folks now will want to talk to us based on health care, which is not what the core of our business is. The ACA has led folks to be so concerned about getting misinformation or not knowing what’s going on in the market to the point where it could hurt their chances of getting good employees. It has been a huge boom for our business in that we are the experts. We have people internally that their job is to just know the ACA, and make sure our clients are compliant. It

has given us the ability to help people save money in that area and repurpose that money to other areas that can get them a much larger array of services.

What was Insperity doing to ensure that its clients knew the deadlines and understood the complexity of health care reform? Krupka: The way our business model is set up, we enter into what is called a co-employment relationship. By entering

Marc h / Ap r i l 2 0 1 5 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

3/11/15 2:05 PM

into this relationship it allows us to help them on the liability side. We are also entering into a relationship that brings them into our group for health insurance in a unique way. We’re not being charged as one big group, but you are becoming a part of a group in a way. With the new ACA, it’s not making sure that our clients know the deadlines and understand the ACA, it’s that we’re doing it for them. If there needs to be a communication to the employees, it’s not that we are helping them understand that they need to do that, it’s that we have to do it for them. People love that they don’t have to do any of it. Iapalucci: Some folks want to understand it, so that is part of what we do, we will educate the ones that want to. But most of the time they don’t want to or need to they just want to keep running their business and leave us to handle it for them and that’s really what we’re here for.

How does Insperity insurance plans work for different business types? Do they get different health insurance plan options? Iapalucci: We have a separate little insurance agency that is part of our business model. If you’re a startup and don’t have general liability, we can help you get some. But really what we’re talking about is workers comp and EPLI is part of the package and you’re going to get a good plan that is cheaper than you would get on your own. But health insurance is the big one. Companies have access to multiple plans and people really like that. On average you are going to get an exceptional plan with about four different medical options. All of our plans are PPO and if you have an employee that is working in a state that

DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ma rch/ Ap ri l 2 0 1 5

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 7

requires an HMO option, we can offer them the extra plans.

So tell me how the new health care program affected your business? Obviously health care costs went up which can strain a business but they can turn to you to help find the best plans and prices. Krupka: That’s an easy question, we’re busy. Our rates are better than people can get on their own, our rates have always been better. If you combine the fact that we have better rates with the fact that a business owner also doesn’t have to deal with all of these other things, we’re crazy busy. We get budgets every month and our office specifically we’re usually fighting to get above our budget, we’ve been over our budget since March. Iapalucci: We are the best one-stop option for someone to turn to make sure they are compliant and all the requirements are met while getting the best prices. There is not too many other places to go to get it all done in one stop.

There seemed to be a lot of confusion from business owners stemming from ACA. What are some of the most commonly asked questions you get from your clients? Iapalucci: I hear sometimes “how much do I need to contribute to an employee’s benefits” or “I have X numbers of employees do I have to provide benefits.” And the answer to that is different for everyone, if you’re under 50 or if you’re over 50 employees, the answer could be different. Krupka: Even we do not know the answers to everything. We have a team of attorneys at our corporate office in

Houston that do know the answers. We joke that they are the only people that ever actually read the Affordable Care Act. But when we do get questions it is rarely a specific question, its more just like “what do I do now?” with eyes glazed over. Iapalucci: I think one of the other statements that we get a lot is “if this thing is supposed to be the Affordable Care Act, why do our rates keep going up?” and “what can we do to fix it?” and we have an option that can most likely help control that. But these questions are from perspective clients.

What do you think that companies that use your service will look like five years down the road? Krupka: Our goal is that a company will be making a lot more money because you don’t have to spend your time dealing with this stuff. That’s why people work with us, because they know much of their time and resources are being sucked up by dealing with a lot of this stuff. Its two-sided, one one side we give them their time back to do more money generating activities and on the other side we give the people that want to work on developing their employees the resources to do that so that the employees can make more money. Iapalucci: If a company comes to us that is a good company using whatever definition they need to be considered a good company and they utilize the services that we are going to deliver for them and their goal is to have more employees or more revenue five years down the road, most likely if they utilize what we are going to give them they are going to achieve their goals.

3/11/15 2:05 PM

Member

news&Notes Race to the Top WHERE ARE WE NOW?

BY LARRY NAGENGAST

The program was called Race to the Top, but having $119 million in federal aid to remake an education system at a sprinter’s pace might have raised expectations a little too much. “It was a valiant effort to be coherent and logical with a very aggressive agenda,” says Paul Herdman, CEO of the Rodel Foundation, a leader among the nonprofit organizations engaged in Delaware’s school reform effort. In July 2010, Delaware became one of the first two states to receive a competitive grant for education reform initiatives funded through the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the “stimulus program” created to help bring the nation out of its most significant economic downturn since the Great Depression. The $119 million has been spent, and final assessments are still to be made, but those involved in the effort have already figured out some of what has been learned. “What we’re realizing, what I’m realizing, is that it was a lot to take on,” Herdman says. Adds Robyn Howton, an English teacher at Mount Pleasant High School, “the biggest success for me was being able to see some ideas we had take life, to try them out. The scary part is that there’s nothing to sustain [many of] them.” Howton and Herdman were among five panelists, including Secretary of Education Mark Murphy, who discussed lessons learned through Race to the Top

››

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 8

at the Vision Coalition’s annual conference in October. Both agreed, albeit with different perspectives, that the greatest positives were not easily measured in numbers. Herdman noted, for example, that while student scores on the Delaware Comprehensive Assessment System

and there is not a clear blueprint of how to get there.” Herdman saluted Gov. Jack Markell for bringing the issue low-performing schools to the forefront in Delaware. “Morally and ethically, the governor deserves credit for bringing attention to the issue.” The accelerated pace of reform triggered by Race to the Top, Herdman says, is “forcing the conversation,” focusing discussion more intensely not only on the needs of underperforming schools but on the system as a whole. “We’re still working our way through” to the solutions, he says. “The long-term debate will eventually be beneficial to kids.” Howton laments that some promising initiatives funded at least in part through Race to the Top will not be sustained. One example was Mount Pleasant’s “summer bridge” program, which brought 20 high-risk incoming freshmen into the school for two four-day weeks before the school year started. The first participants are now seniors and generally doing well, but funding was cut after two years. “I’m sure every school in the state has a story like that,” she says. “But, when you look at it, the money wasn’t there before [Race to the Top] so there’s no reason to think it would magically be there afterwards.” However, Race to the Top, with its emphasis on improving teacher performance, did lead to the establishment of the “professional learning community” (PLC) at schools throughout the state.

RACE to the

TOP (DCAS) tests jumped significantly in 2011-12, the year of the first infusion of Race to the Top funds, the gains did not continue in the following two years. “We did hold our gains, but we didn’t end up gaining another 10 points.” Similarly, the 10 low-performing “partnership zone” schools that were targeted for extra funding and staffing were not uniformly successful in achieving turnarounds. “Positive Outcomes [a charter school in Dover] and Howard High School made good headway, but there were mixed results in the others,” he said. “It was really an uneven record.” But, Herdman adds, “there are limited success stories nationally in how you do it systemically and with any type of scale. This is a politically divisive issue

Marc h / Ap r i l 2 0 1 5 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

3/11/15 2:05 PM

Save Big Bucks with the DSCC Pharmacy Discount Program BY AMANDA HURD Are you tired of paying astronomic prices for prescriptions? The Delaware State

The PLC program involves scheduling teachers’ time so they have a 90-minute period each week when they can meet to discuss their students’ needs and other professional issues. “Those conversations we’ve had in the PLC, they will never go away,” Howton says. Because of positive experiences statewide, the PLC concept will likely continue. “It’s a structural shift that didn’t cost us money,” Herdman says. Initiatives to improve professional development included the hiring of “data coaches;” who helped teachers dig more deeply into student assessments to determine their strengths and weaknesses and the best ways to address them. Howton and Herdman noted that using data from standard tests to identify students’ needs is a good idea, but they are concerned with efforts using test results as a measuring stick for teachers’ performance in the classroom. Race to the Top funding gave many teachers the opportunity to try new things. “It was nice to be able to try and fail, to be an innovator. It was nice to be able to go to the school administration with ideas, to know that they might not work, and be told ‘yes,’” Howton says. From that experience, Howton says she learned the mantra of successful startups in the private sector: “Fail early, fail quick.” She called it a “freeing experience” to be able to try something and “not feel guilty if I spent $200 and it didn’t work.” There were, however, some highlytouted initiatives that didn’t work out. An effort to recruit more teachers into

DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ma rch/ Ap ri l 2 0 1 5

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 9

Chamber of Commerce has just the solution: the discount prescription card. Members of the Pharmacy Discount Program have saved over two billion dollars since 2006 with this card, and it can help you save too. By simply presenting the discount prescription card to a pharmacist, you can receive an average discount of 15 percent on the cost of brand name medications and 53 percent on generic prescriptions. You also have the opportunity to save on over the counter and certain pet medications at more than 68 thousand participating pharmacies. This program is not a prescription insurance policy, so you don’t have to pay a dime for it. All you have to do is sign up, and you can get discounts of up to 95 percent on all your prescriptions. There are no restrictions, enrollment fees, limits on the number of prescriptions for which you can receive a discount, or age or income requirements. The discount card is readily available to everyone, and there’s no need to provide any personal information. The Pharmacy Discount Program includes a Mail Order pharmacy that allows members to order up to a 90-day supply of medications. It also features several easy to use web-based tools that facilitate finding the nearest pharmacy that carries your prescription. Just search and select the medication you want to look up and specify the drug label, quantity required, and the preferred zip code. The results will show estimated cost, participating pharmacies in the specified zip code, as well as lowerpriced alternatives, if available. The discount card is powered by one of the largest pharmacy benefit managers and administrators in the United States, and it was designed to help save you money. For more information on how to take advantage of the discount card, please see: http://hta270gh.supremerxsavings.com

the STEM fields—science, technology, engineering and math—through a residency at the University of Delaware fell short of its target. So did a program that offered higher pay to teachers to volunteer to work in underperforming schools. That effort rankled Howton. “I got that letter from the talent search, and it made me angry every year I got it. I thought, ‘you’re offering me money to leave. You want me to abandon the kids I’ve been helping to go somewhere else.’ If I was just interested in the money, I never would have left [a previous career in] marketing,” she says. “I don’t teach for

the money…. Whoever designed that program missed what motivates teachers.” The conversations will continue, and so will the analyses, but both Howton and Herdman are glad they had the chance to participate. “It’s a fun time to be an educator, but it’s also scary,” Howton says. “It’s a time of huge transition in the world. We can’t imagine the jobs that will be available for our students, but we have to prepare them to fill those jobs.” “We’ve had some significant policy changes, and some outcomes moving in the right direction,” Herdman says.

3/11/15 2:05 PM

Member

news&Notes Bayhealth Unveils Plans for Milford Hospital

BY AMANDA HURD

In 1907, Mary Louise Donnell Marshall began her efforts to construct one of Southern Delaware’s first hospitals. During the 1912-13 General Assembly of Delaware, House Bill 194 authorized the establishment of the 12-bed Milford Emergency Hospital in downtown Milford, but the need was greater than what the hospital could provide. In the mid1930’s, a fund drive was started to build a much larger facility, and by 1938, health officials were ready to open the new 100bed Milford Memorial Hospital. Around the same time, beginning in 1921, Dr. Joseph McDaniel and Dr. I.J. MacCollum addressed Dover’s Rotary Club about the need for a hospital in Dover. The community was thrilled by the idea, and Rotarians and local leaders launched a community fund drive to raise money for the project. The Kent General Hospital in Dover opened in 1927. Since then, as part of the Bayhealth Medical Center community, several expansions and renovations have taken place to update and add to these facilities. The hospitals continually look to accommodate the increases in population, the rising number of annual hospital visits, and technological advances in the medical field. Bayhealth hopes to grow and develop quality clinical programs, facilities, practices, and strategic partnerships across the region to provide care that exceeds nationally recognized standards in a safe, patient-centered environment. With these goals in mind, this past November, state and local officials announced that Bayhealth Medical Center hopes to break ground on a new $250 million health campus along Del. 1 in Milford by the fall of 2015.

››

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 10

Milford Mayor Bryan Shupe, Bayhealth President and CEO Terry Murphy, and Governor Jack Markell attended the unveiling of the hospital announcement. The new 150-acre health campus will house 163 single-patient rooms, increased physician and out-patient services, and expanded diagnostic testing. Though the hospital is not increasing its bed count, Bayhealth CEO Terry Murphy is not worried about overcrowding. Preliminary designs envision the hospital with seven stories and floors that could be re-purposed to handle an influx of patients. Terry Murphy, CEO of Bayhealth, said in a formal statement, “Many services that used to be provided in a hospital are now often delivered in an outpatient setting. With a health campus model, our patients will have access to physician offices and expansive diagnostic testing on the same site as the new hospital. The location and expansion of services really means more convenient access to comprehensive, higher quality and better coordinated care for many decades to come.” Plans for the new campus springboarded off a 2012 University of Delaware study titled “Planning for

Complete Communities in Delaware,” which looked at how communities can thrive with changing population and infrastructure. The report touched on revitalizing Milford’s downtown area and changes to address the growing aging population. Population experts estimate that by 2030, the elderly population in Sussex County will double, and the new hospital would be able to accommodate the need for additional geriatric physicians and more specialty programs tailored to the Medicare-ready population. Originally pegged as a replacement project, with new construction completely replacing Bayhealth’s current 22-acre Milford Memorial Hospital campus on Clarke Avenue in downtown Milford, engineers and hospital officials later determined that a new health campus along Del. 1 would better foster growth of the hospital, as well as growth in the community. “The existing 22-acre hospital location simply did not have the land needed for a health campus designed to serve the com-

Marc h / Ap r i l 2 0 1 5 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

3/11/15 2:05 PM

munity in the future. Our research showed that construction at the existing site on Clarke Avenue would have been very disruptive for many years and a towering building would not fit the neighborhood— creating gridlock on the smaller city streets downtown. It became apparent that building there meant giving less while creating problems for the people we are trying to help,” Murphy added. Bayhealth’s 22-acre Milford Memorial Hospital in downtown Milford has grown to house an orthopedic care center, 24-hour emergency department, in-patient rehab center, and cancer center with almost 800 employees. The campus will continue to function as a full-service hospital during the entire construction process, and Bayhealth officials are working with the community to decide how to adapt the facility. The expanded campus will feature a LEAN design process, which is focused on design efficiency with the ultimate goal of improving patient safety. A welldesigned facility will result in better clinical outcomes, reduced cost, and higher patient satisfaction. The project is expected to bring at least 100 new construction jobs to the area and increase health care staff, making way for highpaying jobs and economic growth. The News Journal quoted Governor Jack Markell during a press conference: “From my perspective, this is just a win on so many levels. There’s no question that the people in this area deserve the best for health care, and I know that this new campus is going to enable them to receive it.” Bayhealth will host organized town halls to engage community members in the entire process, and all information will be available on www.imaginede. com, a new website showcasing the phases of the hospital plan.

DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ma rch/ Ap ri l 2 0 1 5

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 11

DSCC and ESGR Present the Military Affairs Committee In conjunction with the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense office, the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce is proud to present its newest committee: the Military Affairs Committee. The Military Affairs Committee—which will meet quarterly—aims to build efforts to support the hiring of military veterans, and to support the local branches of the military on other relevant issues. Its goals include building business relationships to support the military community, and to create jobs for reserve components and veterans. Both the ESGR and the Military Affairs Committee are chaired by Gary Stockbridge, president of the Delmarva Power region of PHI, a regional gas and electric utility. He serves at the pleasure of the governor in the position of chairman of the Delaware Workforce Investment Board. He has also been actively involved throughout the Delaware community with the United Way, Business Roundtable, Girl Scouts, and Junior Achievement. Stockbridge will provide the leadership and vision for a team of 25 dedicated volunteers spread across Delaware. “Having never worn a uniform, this is my way of serving our nation,” Stockbridge said. “I can’t think of a better way of helping our troops, our employers and

››

Gary Stockbridge of Delmarva Power chairs the Military Affairs Committee our country, than by leveraging my business experience and connections in support of ESGR and their programs.” The ESGR office was established in 1972 to develop and maintain employer support for Guard and Reserve service. ESGR advocates relevant initiatives, recognizes outstanding support, increases awareness of applicable laws, and resolves conflict between service members and employers. Paramount to ESGR’s mission is encouraging the employment of Guardsmen and Reservists who bring integrity, global perspective and proven leadership to the civilian workforce. For more information on ESGR, please contact employer support specialist Christine Kubik (302) 3267582. To become involved with the Military Affairs Committee, contact James DeChene at (302) 576-6560 or jdechene@dscc.com.

3/11/15 2:05 PM

Member

news&Notes NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT

Medical Society of Delaware

Ever wondered who’s taking care of the doctors who take care of you? The answer lies in the Medical Society of Delaware, a physicianled organization that serves both as a support system for the state’s medical professionals and as a public health liaison between the community and the exam room. Modeled after Europe’s burgeoning physician organizations, the Medical Society of Delaware was founded in 1776 and incorporated in 1789 following the ratification of the Constitution. Founding physicians sought to form a society, whose members were formally trained in medical sciences, differentiating themselves from “quackery” or those who were practicing medicine without any formal training, says executive director Mark Meister. “The Society was formed around legitimizing the practice of medicine in Delaware, to trade information on interesting cases, and share remedies and cures in a collegial setting in order to promote profession,” Meister says. “Not much has changed—the organization exists to represent and advocate for the practice of medicine.” The focus on sharing practice methods and advancing educational opportunities has remained a primary tenet of the Society, and this commitment has lead to impressive milestones over the past few decades. The Medical Society

BY EMILY RILEY

››

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 12

Mark Meister and the Medical Society of Delaware celebrated 225 years of health advocacy in 2015. PHOTO BY NICK WALLACE.

of Delaware was the first state medical society to become accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education in 1990, and it was one of the first medical societies to form a statewide, patient-centered medical home program. More recently, the Society partnered with Highmark in 2014 to launch the state’s first physician-led accountable care organization as part of health care reform that partners participating physicians with the insurer to provide services that align cost, quality and access to care. The country’s third-oldest medical society celebrated a milestone anniversary in 2014, marking 225 years of public health advocacy, community outreach and healthcare initiatives that continue to benefit Delaware resi-

dents every day. Two recent programs have targeted areas of extraordinary need: the Prescription Drug Access Committee, which addresses the state’s emerging crisis in prescription drug abuse, and the Kid’s Campaign: It’s OBVIOUS program, which addresses seven critical issues (obesity, bullying, violence, intelligent decision, opioid use, underage drinking, suicide prevention) confronting Delaware’s youth. As new challenges continue to appear in the landscape of health care, the Society is ready to tackle emerging issues. “We are looked upon as the communication channel and vehicle through which advances in healthcare are brought to the public,” Meister says. “That goes hand-in-hand with our efforts to be proactive in all areas of medicine.”

Marc h / Ap r i l 2 0 1 5 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

3/11/15 2:05 PM

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Sussex Printing

Competing as a small printing business in the big-box arena is no easy feat, especially when compounded by the rise of DIY-focused online design and printing services. Seaford’s Sussex Printing, however, has managed to thrive in this environment, and with more than 50 years of success on the books, this smallbut-mighty outfit is here to stay. Sussex Printing is the company behind The Guide, a Delmarva-area advertising publication that got its start in 1959 as a print resource for local movie theater schedules. Readership and advertising opportunities continued to grow, and the publication evolved to its current digestsized format and namesake in 1968. Vice president Amy Higgins cites the commit-

››

DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ma rch/ Ap ri l 2 0 1 5

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 13

BY EMILY RILEY

ment of both readers and advertisers as key to The Guide’s success over the years. “Our readers are so loyal to us, and a lot of our advertisers have been with us since 1959,” she says. “We have readers who have to pick us up every single week, so we have developed a very strong brand name.” Notable features of Sussex Printing include impressive employee tenure, especially in managerial departments. Every manager has been employed with the company for at least 12 years, with the average reaching 23 years. A wide array of commercial printing services adds variety to the company portfolio, and a constant eye on community values ensures the legitimacy of The Guide’s advertisers, a factor Higgins says is more important than just

meeting the bottom line. “Without dedication and foresight and service, you have nothing,” she says. Sussex Printing’s success can also be attributed to its eco-friendly initiatives, which include the installation of solar panels and the use of wind power to generate 40 percent of the company’s energy needs, plus a recycling system for paper trimmings and debris produced by cutting and collating each issue. Keeping all aspects of the production process in-house contributes to its self-sufficiency, and these measures coupled to the founding principles of integrity and service have allowed Higgins and the rest of the third-generation, family-run operation to look forward to the company’s future.

3/11/15 2:05 PM

WELCOME New Members ALW SOURCING Mr. William Allen 42 Reads Way New Castle, DE 19720 (215) 287-5202 Fax: (866) 964-2430 www.alwsourcing.com ALW Sourcing supplies call center and

Wilmington, DE 19810-1115 (302) 478-8200 Fax: (302) 478-8232 www.cpmindustries.com

DELAWARE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

titanium dioxide manufactured by the sulfate

Ms. Barbara Cairns P.O. Box 1870 Wilmington, DE 19899 (302) 656-7442 Fax: (302) 656-7754 www.delawaresymphony.org

process.

Alfred I. du Pont founded the earliest

CPM Industries, Inc. is a private Delaware corporation that specializes in selling

contact solutions.

ancestor of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra (DSO) in the early 19th century.

BRENDA SOTO ASSOCIATES

DELAWARE BUSINESS LEADERSHIP NETWORK, INC.

Ms. Brenda Soto 116 Matthew Drive Bear, DE 19701 (302) 348-8806 www.brendasoto.com

Ms. Danielle Guest 3030 Bowers St. Wilmington, DE 19802 (302) 761-8274 www.debln.org

GETVOIP

Brenda Soto Associates is a human

Delaware Business Leadership Network,

Mr. Reuben Yonatan 1 Great Neck Rd #8 Great Neck, NY 11021 (516) 708-4770 www.getvoip.com

resource consultant that provides human

Inc. understands the value of diversity.

GetVoIP is a comprehensive communication

resource management, bilingual and

Through Business to business networking

solution shopper’s guide featuring service

international talent management.

they promote employment of individuals

provider comparisons, consumer reviews,

with disabilities.

and an insightful blog aimed at offering

CHAMPION PERFORMANCE DEVELOPMENT Dr. Robyn Odergaard 406 W. Furrow Lane Newark, DE 19702 (732) 421-5170 www.drrobynodegaard.com

unique guidance and insights to all

DELAWARE SPINE INSTITUTE

management consulting that provides

Dr. Ronald Lieberman 1673 South State Street, Suite B Dover, DE 19901 (302) 674-8444 Fax: (302) 674-8588 www.painfreespine.com

knowledge, skill and ability to make

Delaware Spine Institute offers state-of-the-

communication a core strength.

art techniques and individualized, holistic

shoppers.

HELPING HANDS DEVELOPMENT CENTER, INC.

solutions. These approach encompass

Ms. Sheree Manlove 305 A Street Wilmington, DE 19801 (302) 654-9444 Fax: (302) 654-9445 www.hhdcinc.com

CPM INDUSTRIES

alternative regenerative therapies for

HHDC is a Delaware based non-profit

Ms. Judy A. DiMeglio 210 Wilson Bldg. 3511 Silverside Rd.

conditions that coincide or mimic spine-

501c3 human service agency providing

referred pain such as hip or extremity-

professional development services for

referred pain from the back or neck.

youth, families and communities through

Champion Performance Development has

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 14

Marc h / Ap r i l 2 0 1 5 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

3/11/15 2:05 PM

PECO’S LIQUOR STORE, INC.

that improve quality of life.

Wilmington, DE 19803 (302) 494-8179 www.facebook.com/jwtull

HYATT PLACE DEWEY BEACH

J. W. Tull Contracting Services LLC provides

Ms. Falan Mifflin 1301 Coastal Highway Dewey Beach, DE 19971 (302) 581-3311 www.HyattPlaceDeweyBeach.com

all contracting needs to commercial

KINGDOM BUILDING SERVICES, LLC

spirits, liquors, craft beer and growlers in

Hyatt Place has laid back lodging by the

Mr. Jamar Henry 364 E. Main St., #166 Middletown, DE 19709 (302) 943-8529 Fax: (302) 364-1622 www.kingdombs.com

Delaware since 1936.

counseling educational support and services

water coupled with hospitality, all-star amenities, comfortable guest rooms and much more.

INCREDIBLE ONE ENTERPRISES, LLC Ms. Karen Burton 560 Peoples Plaza, #255 Newark, DE 19702 (302) 525-2899 Fax: (888) 801-5794 www.incredibleoneenterprises.com

and residential areas in all phases of

Mr. Edward Mulvihill 522 Philadelphia Pike Wilmington, DE 19809 (302) 764-0377 www.pecosliquors.com

construction.

Peco’s Liquor Store, Inc. is a family owned and operated liquor store providing wine,

Kingdom Building Services, LLC offers professional cleaning services, janitorial services and floor maintenance.

PEGASUS TECHNOLOGIES, LLC Ms. Barbara Bolton 425 McFarlan Road Kennett Square, PA 19348 (610) 444-8256 Fax: (425) 790-6644 www.pegasustechnologies.com Pegasus staff cultivates communication

MACELREE HARVEY, LTD

ensuring we consistently understand your IT needs while in tune with your business

and operations, branding, training,

Mr. Andrew Silverman 5721 Kennett Pike Centreville, DE 19807 (610) 840-0286 www.macelree.com

executive coaching, strategic solutions,

MacElree Harvey, LTD is a full service legal

POWERS FOR LIFE COACHING

talent optimization consulting, leadership

firm. Representing a wide range of business

development, strategic leadership retreats,

and personal clients in business, litigation,

keynote speaking.

and estate matters.

JKB WORLDWIDE

MCCABE TRAINING & CONSULTING, LLC

Ms. Karri A. Powers 203 Harker Avenue Wilmington, DE 19803 (302) 521-2123 www.karripowers.com

Mr. Mario Brossi 107 London Circle S. Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 (240) 595-5277 www.jkbworldwide.net

Ms. Caren McCabe 226 Sloan Ct. Wilmington, DE 19808 (302) 239-4676 www.mccabetraining.com

JKB WorldWide specializes in economic

McCabe Training & Consulting provides

development, investment promotion,

training solutions and consulting services

PROFESSIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

economic development and corporate

to individuals and organizations committed

counsel.

to investing in their people to achieve

Incredible One Enterprises, LLC has business optimization consulting provding marketing, messaging, sales

goals. They look at your company as a whole, not just a to-do list of operational and technology needs.

Powers for Life Coaching offers an integrative life coaching practice that helps people in all key areas of life – Relationships, Health and Well Being, and Career and Prosperity.

J. W. TULL CONTRACTING SERVICES LLC

and customer service teams in the areas

Jason Tull 118 Ridgeland Rd

of sales leadership, customer retention,

Ms. Deirdre Avant 201 Harbor Dr. Apt 4 Claymont, DE 19703 (302) 354-1997 Fax: (866) 889-9931

communication and team building.

Professional Administrative Services is

success. They work primarily with sales

DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ma rch/ Ap ri l 2 0 1 5

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 15

3/11/15 2:05 PM

WELCOME New Members Fax: (302) 252-3190 www.accountemps.com Robert Half specializes in finding rewarding

2610 W. 17th St. Wilmington, DE 19806 (302) 777-1124

ROCKFISH FUNDING

finance and accounting positions for highly

Sraitman Communications LLC provides

Mr. Lawler Rogers 3 Overlook Court Newark, DE 19713 (302) 981-1735 Fax: (302) 533-5064 www.rockfishfunding.com

skilled professionals.

public relations, public affairs, Issues

an employment agency specializing in temporary or permanent placement.

management, crisis communications and

SANDERS EDUCATIONAL CONSULTING LLC

media relations.

lending broker for businesses small and

Ms. Schalea Sanders 118 Cazier Drive (Back Creek) Middletown, DE 19709 (302) 685-8896 www.sanderseducationalconsulting.com

large. They specialize in working capital

Sanders Educational Consulting LLC

for small business as well as funding for

has educational products, programs

commercial real estate projects.

and services. They provide educational

Mr. Aris Watson 5201 W. Woodmill Drive Wilmington, DE 19808 (302) 543-8677 Fax: (302) 543-8678 www.watsonaris.com

consulting Pre K-12, professional

Watson’s Insurance Agency are insurance

ROBERT HALF

development to administration, teachers,

brokers who provide insurance services like

Ms. Courtney Sickle 500 Delaware Avenue, Suite 700 Wilmington, DE 19801 (302) 252-3162

and students and bilingual advocacy.

auto, business, life and property insurance

Rockfish Funding is a financing commercial

WATSON’S INSURANCE AGENCY

for the lowest rates possible.

STRAITMAN COMMUNICATIONS, LLC Mr. Rick Straitman

WITH GREAT PLEASURE WE ANNOUNCE THAT

Mike Houghton has been selected to receive the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce’s 2015 A.R. Morris Board Member of the Year award. Mike has brought invaluable insight to how the business community in Delaware operates, how that community is perceived, and looks for creative and substantive solutions to raise the business community’s profile in positive and meaningful ways.

Congratulations, Mike! mnat.com

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 16

Marc h / Ap r i l 2 0 1 5 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

3/11/15 2:05 PM

1. Attendees at the 178th Annual Dinner, held on January 12 at the Chase Center, pose during cocktail hour. Photo by Dick Dubroff/Final Focus.

State Chamber SCENE 2. Mike Houghton of Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell received

the A.R. Morris Board Member of the Year award from Rich Heffron and Al Morris himself. Photo by Dick Dubroff/Final Focus.

DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ma rch/ Ap ri l 2 0 1 5

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 17

3/11/15 2:05 PM

3. Students from the Delaware Military Academy ushered in the Annual Dinner festivities with the National Anthem. Photo by Dick Dubroff/Final Focus.

4. Dr. Janice E. Nevin, president and CEO of Christiana Care served as keynote speaker, and was interviewed live onstage by Sharon Baker of Teleduction. Photo by Dick Dubroff/Final Focus.

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 18

Marc h / Ap r i l 2 0 1 5 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

3/11/15 2:05 PM

5. Mark Stellini, Sen. Chris Coons, Rep. John Carney, Sen. Thomas Carper, Dr. Robert Laskowski, Kathy Laskowski, Gov. Jack Markell and Rich Heffron pose with the Josiah Marvel Cup. Photo by Dick Dubroff/ Final Focus.

6. Donna Covington from Delaware State University delivers a speech at the DSCC board members meeting during the Annual Dinner on January 12. Photo by Dick Dubroff/Final Focus.

DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ma rch/ Ap ri l 2 0 1 5

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 19

3/11/15 2:05 PM

State Chamber SCENE 7. Sen. Tom Carper took to the

stage at the 178th Annual Dinner. Photo by Dick Dubroff/Final Focus

8. Hiran Ratnayake of Christiana Care, James Nutter of Parkowski, Guerke & Swayze, P.A., and State Rep. Michael Barbieri pose at the Annual Dinners cocktail hour on January 12 at the Chase Center. Photo by Dick Dubroff/Final Focus

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 20

Marc h / Ap r i l 2 0 1 5 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

3/11/15 2:05 PM

9. Members get together at Ken Evans’ weekly Lead Group meeting at The Delaware State Chamber of Commerce board room on January 15.

10. Gov. Jack Markell paid a visit to the January 29 meeting of the Delaware Manufacturing Association.

10.

DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ma rch/ Ap ri l 2 0 1 5

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 21

3/11/15 2:05 PM

State Chamber SCENE 11. Delaware’s young

11.

professionals enjoy the DYPN happy hour at Big Fish Grill on the Riverfront on January 29.

12. New members converse and match-up at the Welcome New Members event that was held at the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce on February 4.

12.

Changes at the Chamber Matt Amis, who has been the State Chamber’s director of communications since 2011, will be moving on to a new position at another non-profit organization. Matt was a jack of all trades who handled our printed, internet, broadcast, and verbal communications. He has spent a lot of time getting us to move into the ever-changing communications world of the 21st century. On a personal level, Matt was the person who took my articles and letters and translated them into English. He prepared remarks in the voice of whomever was speaking, and gave rise to the DSCC Legislative Minute video. Matt will be missed by all who have had the pleasure of working with him at the Chamber, but we wish him well as he takes this opportunity to expand his horizons. There is no question he will be successful in whatever he does. P.S. Matt, once again, I apologize for missing my deadline. – ARH

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 22

Marc h / Ap r i l 2 0 1 5 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

3/11/15 2:05 PM

When Delaware succeeds, we all succeed.

From Wilmington to Rehoboth, M&T Bank is here to help the families, businesses and community organizations of Delaware succeed. We do so backed by more than 150 years of experience, with an exceptional group of dedicated, long-tenured employees. From bike shops to big corporations, we’re helping businesses of all sizes thrive. In fact, we’re the #1 SBA lender in Delaware and the #6 SBA lender nationally.*

From the Grand Opera House to Habitat for Humanity, we’re supporting more than 100 vital organizations with our resources and energy. From Bethany Beach to Bridgeville, Delmar to Dover, Middletown to Milford, we’re proud to serve the communities where we live and work. For more about us, visit mtb.com or stop by the branch nearest you.

*According to statistics released by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for total approved loans through the SBA’s 7(a) lending program during the federal fiscal year ending 9/30/2014. ©2015 M&T Bank. Member FDIC. DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ma rch/ Ap ri l 2 0 1 5

DBM_M&T DelSucceeds Ad.indd 1

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 23

2/12/15 9:11 AM

3/11/15 2:05 PM

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 24

Marc h / Ap r i l 2 0 1 5 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

3/11/15 2:05 PM

Guide to Real Estate

EXPANDING EMPIRES & AREAS of GROWTH

Delaware’s real estate giants escalate new plans BY LARRY NAGENGAST

WITH OPTIMISM STARTING to spread throughout the industry, some of Delaware’s leading real estate developers are pushing ahead this year on new projects with renewed confidence. “Slow and steady is still the mantra, but some of the macro indicators are beginning to show signs of recovery,” says Brian DiSabatino, president and CEO of EDiS Co. “The industries that precede us, like engineering and architecture, seem to be busier, which indicates to us that capital investments will follow in late 2015 and 2016.” “Business in 2014 was up over 2013, and we’re cautiously optimistic that it will continue,” adds Bob Liberato, director of construction at the Emory Hill Companies. With those encouraging signs, a consortium led by EDiS recently broke ground on the

DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ma rch/ Ap ri l 2 0 1 5

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 25

3/11/15 2:05 PM

Guide to Real Estate long-awaited Town of Whitehall, a new community just south of the C&D Canal, while New Castle-based Emory Hill is expanding its presence downstate. Countering Emory Hill, Schell Brothers, the beacharea homebuilder, is marching north, putting up houses in the Parkside community near Middletown. Meanwhile, in Wilmington, the Buccini/Pollin Group continues to repurpose existing structures and build new ones as part of the ongoing revitalization of the city’s Riverfront and Market Street corridor. And the McConnell Johnson Co., property manager of two prominent downtown office high-rises, is continuing its innovative remake of Hercules Plaza while transforming the former Blue Cross-Blue Shield headquarters on 14th Street into the home of a new charter school. Whitehall, though not a town in the legal sense, is being designed with a mix of homes, shops and community amenities to create a 21st-century community with a century-old feel. “It’s a design principle that existed throughout history and disappeared about 100 years ago,” DiSabatino says. “We’re returning Delaware to its roots of walkable communities like Rehoboth, Dover and Wilmington’s Trolley Square.”

firm is also working on preliminary plans for the proposed Wilmington University satellite campus in Brandywine Hundred. Recently completed EDis projects include the new Cinemark theater complex at Christiana Mall and the JPMorgan Chase parking facility in Christiana. Emory Hill’s growing presence in central and southern Delaware includes brokering land for sale for projects in Milford and Frederica. Homestead, in Milford, is zoned for 1,057 residential units, a combination of single-family, twin and townhomes, condominiums and apartments. Spring Hill, in Frederica, is zoned for 935 residential units, a combination of single-family, twin and townhomes, as well as 110,000 square feet of office and 225,000 square feet of retail space. “They will change the face of Milford and Frederica,” predicts Neil Kilian, Emory Hill’s director of brokerage. In Dover, Emory Hill is now building Leander Lake, a 144-unit apartment complex with a community center and swimming pool, Leander Lake, on Route 8 next to the new Dover High School. Some units will be available for occupancy during the summer, Liberato says. A second construction phase, with 72 more units, is planned.

“Slow and steady is still the mantra, but some of the macro indicators are beginning to show signs of recovery. The industries that precede us, like engineering and architecture, seem to be busier, which indicates to us that capital investments will follow in late 2015 and 2016.” — Brian DiSabatino, president and CEO of EDiS Co. Groundbreaking began in November and construction of model homes will start in March, when sales will also begin. The first phase of construction will include 500 residential units – townhouses, single-family homes and apartments – with the first homes to be ready for occupancy by the end of the year, DiSabatino says. The first commercial space in the community’s business hub, to be called Mapleton Square, will also be ready by the end of the year. “Businesses that would locate on any main street would gravitate toward the town square in Whitehall – everything from the small coffee and cupcake place to a space for businesses as large as 20,000 square feet,” DiSabatino says. Long-term plans call for eventual construction of up to 3,800 residential units on the 1,214-acre site. In addition to retail and office space, DiSabatino said he hopes the community will include a church, a school and some sort of government building. Whitehall is being designed as a walkable community, with plenty of parkland and open space, bike paths and easy access for residents to the business area. While EDiS is taking the lead on the project, three builders, including Benchmark Builders of Wilmington, will be constructing the homes. Several Delaware firms have shared responsibility for engineering and site preparation work. Also this year, EDiS is managing construction of the new Pilot School building in Brandywine Hundred, with completion expected in 2016. The 26

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 26

In addition, Emory Hill has been named the listing agent for Carroll Plaza, a 36,400-square-foot, single-story office building on South Du Pont Highway, and for a proposed 30,000-square-foot, two-story office building on the site. Back in New Castle County, Emory Hill is now seeking a developer for a 1.4-acre site at 11th and Jefferson streets in Wilmington. The site is zoned for office and retail use and its proximity to the recently expanded Wilmington Hospital should appeal to businesses in the healthcare industry. Also, Emory Hill will complete work in August on construction of a new interior for the Las Americas ASPIRA Academy charter school near Newark. The project features new classrooms, including two science labs, acoustical ceilings, audiovisual systems and a new HVAC system. In Wilmington, the Buccini/Pollin Group recently completed the 116unit Residences at Harlan Flats luxury apartments on the Riverfront and is working on a total of 153 units in four buildings on Market Street, including the old WSFS Bank headquarters on the corner of Ninth Street, and one just a couple hundred feet away on East Third Street. The units in the WSFS Building, across the street above the Walgreen’s store and at 6 East Third Street will be marketed as the Market Street Village, according to BPG CEO Rob Buccini. About 40 units will be rented to teachers at the Great Oaks Academy charter school, which will open in August in the Community Education Building. Marc h / Ap r i l 2 0 1 5 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

3/11/15 2:05 PM

Why NAI? 1300 Market St. Wilmington, DE

Realizing Potential,

Delivering Results As a member of NAI Global, the world’s largest, most powerful network of local market-leading commercial real estate firms, NAI Emory Hill can uniquely provide you with local knowledge and experience backed by the institutional strength and resources of our worldwide network. Our collaborative services enable us to deliver custom solutions and superior results across the full spectrum of sectors for owners, investors, developers and tenants. Yet we remain deeply rooted in our community with uncommon insight and long-standing relationships that have stood the test of time and speak for themselves.

SOLD!

Allow us to transform your next real estate challenge into a success. For more information visit us at www.emoryhill.com

Commercial Real Estate Brokerage, Construction, Property Management, Maintenance & Home Sales

10 Corporate Cir, Ste. 100 New Castle, DE 302.322.9500 18335 Coastal Hwy., Lewes, DE 302.827.4940

www.unitedelectric.com

UNITED ELECTRIC SUPPLY WIRED FOR EXCELLENCE

“The Quality Source for

All Your Electrical Needs”

Commercial Industrial Residential

DELAWARE LOCATIONS: New Castle, DE: 10 Bellecor Dr., New Castle, DE 19720 302-322-3333 Fax: 302-324-3333

xxx

Dover, DE: 551 S. DuPont Hwy., Dover, DE 19901 302-674-8351 Fax: 302-674-3903

xxx

Dagsboro, DE: 27519 Hodges Lane, Dagsboro, DE 19939 302-539-7541 Fax: 302-537-1088

A Premier Distributor of:

1-800-322-3374 DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ma rch/ Ap ri l 2 0 1 5

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 27

3/11/15 2:05 PM

Building quality and trust with every landmark... it’s how Wohlsen works!

Guide to Real Estate Buccini says he borrowed the idea of renting to teachers from the Seawall Development Co., which has repurposed two former industrial sites in Baltimore into multipurpose buildings that provide housing for teachers and office space for nonprofits. The two other buildings are at 604 and 608 Market Street, next to the Delaware College of Art and Design, which will open a studio and galleries on the ground floor. A block west of Market Street, on the site of a former parking garage on Ninth Street between Shipley and Orange, BPG is building a 231-unit apartment complex over ground-level retail and a 500-space garage. “We want to develop downtown beyond Market Street, to create more width and girth,” says Mike Hare, BPG senior vice president. More than 12,000 square feet of shops will front on Ninth Street and the residential area will have a club room, fitness center and outdoor pool. In the suburbs, Hare adds, BPG is working on plans to redevelop

Delaware City DMV Facility

“The article was not about the city that we know, the Wilmington we see is vibrant.” — Rob Buccini, CEO, BPG, a longtime booster of downtown redevelopment is undeterred by recent reports about crime in the heart of the city.

CCHS Concord Health Center

University of Delaware

At Wohlsen Construction we have 125 years of quality in our name. We continue that tradition with each landmark we help to create in Delaware.

www.WohlsenConstruction.com

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 28

the 40-plus-year-old Concord Plaza office complex on Silverside Road in Brandywine Hundred. Preliminary meetings have been held with New Castle County officials, who must approve any plans. The goal is to begin work by the end of the year. “Multiple buildings would be torn down,” Hare says, with about 230 apartment units being built along Silverside Road on the west side of the complex and about 18,000 square feet of ground-floor retail fronting Silverside on the east side. Office suites toward the rear of the complex would remain in place and eventually be upgraded. Buccini, a longtime booster of downtown redevelopment, is undeterred by recent published reports of business leaders complaining about crime levels in the heart of the city. “The article was not about the city that we know,” Buccini says. “The Wilmington we see is vibrant.” Sharing Buccini’s optimism about the city are Paul McConnell and Scott Johnson, partners in McConnell Johnson Real Estate, owners and managers of the iconic Hercules Plaza and 1201 North Market Street, Wilmington’s tallest office building. McConnell and Johnson have built a reputation as innovators and they’re trying to keep themselves on the cutting edge of trends in office leasing. In late 2013 they leased space in 1201 North Market to IPR International, a leading information technology services company, for a data “carrier hotel,” a cloud computing hub that serves the state and businesses throughout the region. Last year, they opened 1313 Innovation, an innovation center in Hercules Plaza where technology professionals and Marc h / Ap r i l 2 0 1 5 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

3/11/15 2:05 PM

Don’t hire a full-time person to do a one-time job. entrepreneurs can meet to swap ideas and collaborate on ways to create and expand their businesses. This year, after hearing that businesses are seeking more flexible, ondemand private office space, they are creating the Hercules Business Campus on the lower level and first and second floors of Hercules Plaza. “Corportions used to want to control whole buildings. Now they want someone else to do it for them,” McConnell says. At the business campus, “users will pay for the space they need only when they need it,” he says. In addition to the innovation center and flexible office space, the business campus will include flexible meeting an event space, food services provided by rotating chefs and restaurants, educational programs, entertainment, art exhibits and retail space with seasonal rotations. Across from Hercules Plaza, McConnell Johnson is preparing to start repurposing the old Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Delaware headquarters into an educational facility, the new home for the Freire Charter School, scheduled to open in August. The school, a replica of Freire’s successful program in Philadelphia, is expected to eventually enroll more than 500 students in grades 8-12. It will open with eighth and ninth grade classes and add a grade a year until it reaches capacity. n

Search for qualified freelancers in a click. Ever feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day? Torn about using full-time employees for tasks better suited for freelance talent? erandoo makes it easy for you to grow your business and get things done around the office - one project at a time. The erandoo freelancer platform simplifies hiring short-term talent for projects and it’s free to join. Start searching for talent to help with: Virtual: • Graphic/web design • Accounting • Technical support • Marketing

In-Person: • Assembling office furniture • Mystery shopping your competition • Courier delivery • Cleaning the office...and more!

Get the help you need, when you need it. FREE registration. Guaranteed services. Simple stuff.

Grand Opening Special! 1st 100 new members that post a job get a $100 credit.* *Only one award per member

Interested in doing tasks? Registration is easy!

www.erandoo.com

DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ma rch/ Ap ri l 2 0 1 5

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 29

3/11/15 2:05 PM

Guide to Taxes

The Rise of Health Savings Accounts And how they might impact your tax picture BY EILEEN SMITH DALLABRIDA

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 30

Marc h / Ap r i l 2 0 1 5 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

3/11/15 2:05 PM

“We’re bringing in BDO. The partner’s already on it.” IN A CLIMATE IN WHICH EMPLOYERS are asking workers to assume more responsibility for their health benefits, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are emerging as a vehicle that allows employees with high-deductible health plans to sock away tax-free dollars for medical expenses—now or down the road. HSAs offer other significant advantages; still, the word is slow in getting out. In a survey by Alegeus Technologies, only 30 percent of HSA enrollees passed a basic exam about their plans. At Belfint, Lyons & Shuman, an accounting firm in Wilmington, Donna McClintock works with business owners to help them maximize the accounts. She is a CPA and a director in Belfint’s Tax and Small Business Department. “An HSA also can be used as an alternative retirement account in which you can put away tax-free dollars and then have those dollars grow tax free,” she says. “You can use those dollars to purchase medical insurance or supplemental insurance or COBRA premiums after you retire.” In 2014, 17.4 million Americans had an HSA plan, according to a census by America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), a national trade association. That’s a 12-percent increase over 2013. HSAs have shown doubledigit growth for the past several years, an average of 15 percent since 2011. The large group market has led the charge, now accounting for three of four—74 percent—of HSAs enrollees, AHIP says. About half—52 percent—of enrollees are 40 or older. The average monthly premium was $371 for an individual and $835 for a family. In Delaware, 61,959 individuals under age 65 were enrolled in private HSA plans in 2014, the AHIP census reports. That’s 12.4 percent. Only Alaska, Illinois, Minnesota and Washington state logged a higher percentage. Belfint’s McClintock notes that funding an HSA is not like tucking money under the mattress. After an account has reached a certain threshold—typically $2,500—funds can be invested in mutual funds and other investments. The money grows, tax free, and can be withdrawn to pay for qualified medical expenses whenever the HSA account holder needs it. For workers under 50, the annual contribution limit is $3,350 for an individual and $6,650 for a family. “If your employer also offers a Flexible Spending Account, that is a lot of tax-free dollars,” McClintock notes. Contributions aren’t subject to federal or state taxes or FICA. And there’s a catch-up provision for workers over age 50, in which they can put away an extra $1,000 a year. The tax-free investment aspect makes HSAs especially attractive to successful sole proprietors or members of small group practices, says Timothy J. Constantine, CEO of Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. “Physician, accountants, attorneys,” he says. HSA holders have a great deal of flexibility as to how and when HSA funds are spent. Unlike Flexible Spending Accounts, there’s no “use it or lose it” rule. HSA balances can be carried over from year to year.

DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ma rch/ Ap ri l 2 0 1 5

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 31

People who know, know BDO.SM

BDO provides assurance, tax, financial advisory and consulting services to a wide range of publicly traded and privately held companies. We offer a sophisticated array of services and the global capabilities of the world’s fifth largest accounting and consulting network, combined with the personal attention of experienced professionals. James Doyle, Office Managing Partner, Assurance Services Cameron McDonald, Office Managing Partner, Tax Services BDO USA, LLP 270 Presidential Drive Wilmington, DE 19807 / 302-656-5500 Accountants and Consultants www.bdo.com © 2015 BDO USA, LLP. All rights reserved.

3/11/15 2:05 PM

Delaware’s Premier Litigation Support Team

Stephen M. Conyers, CPA Stacey A. Powell, CPA, CFE, CICA

• • • • • •

Edward P. Byrnes William A. Santora, CPA

Review & Analysis of Documents Damage CalculaƟon Detailed Expert Report PreparaƟon DeposiƟon & Court TesƟmony RebuƩal Reports Forensic AccounƟng

Guide to Taxes Members can tap their HSAs to pay for current medical expenses, save for future expenses and even get reimbursed for past medical bills, as long as those expenses were incurred after the HSA was established. Typically, individuals with HSAs receive checks, debit cards or other tools to help them use their accounts. Constantine notes that Highmark members can go online and automatically direct payments from the HSA to healthcare providers. HSAs also are portable. If you change jobs, you can take that HSA with you. Individuals can spend their HSA savings after they go on Medicare but they can no longer contribute to the plan. At Belfint, the firm now offers only high-deductible health plans to employees. Understanding HSAs starts in-house. “When we have orientations for new employees, we like to go over various scenarios on ways they can use their HSA,” says Lynn Olkowski, assistant controller at Belfint and employees’ internal contact for benefits questions. “Each individual has to know what the plan has and what it offers.” Under the Affordable Care Act, certain preventive services are exempt from the deductible. Employees do not have to pay out of pocket for childhood immunizations, routine prenatal care, an annual well-woman visit for women under 65, mammograms every one to two years for women over 40, colonoscopies for individuals over 50 and more than 20 other services based on age, gender and risk factors.

Call 302-737-6200 or toll free 800-347-0116

CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS & ADVISORS

Neil Armstrong Became the First Man on the Moon in 1969. We landed in Delaware 30 years earlier and we’ve maintained a reputation for trust and client satisfaction ever since.

www.CoverRossiter.com (302) 656-6632 32

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 32

Wilmington

/CoverRossiter

Middletown

@CoverRossiter

Marc h / Ap r i l 2 0 1 5 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

3/11/15 2:05 PM

As in saving for retirement, employees in public and private sectors are rapidly assuming more responsibility for planning their health coverage. Expect technology to make that task more accessible, with consumers using smartphones to find providers, check their HSA balance and compare services. The big attractor for both employers and employees is the lower monthly premiums that accompany high-deductible plans, says Nicholas Moriello, CEO at Newark-based Health Insurance Associates, the largest independent agency in the state. The government defines the plans as those with a $1,200 deductible for a single employee and $2,500 for a family. To smooth the transition from traditional plans, many employers are opting to make contributions to employees’ HSA accounts. “Employers are interested in keeping employees happy,” Moriello says.

HSA holders have a great deal of flexibility as to how and when HSA funds are spent.

We are listening

Personalized Service. Reliable Results.

Advisory Services • Audit & Assurance • Tax Services Holding Company Services • Information Technology

www.belfint.com “They often pay a nice chunk of the deductible in order to ease the culture shock involved in having that big deductible.” Some employers opt to offer more than one high-deductible plan, such as a higher-premium gold-level plan with a $1,500 deductible or a lowercost bronze plan with a $3,500 deductible. “It gives the employee some options, plus helps the employers with cost,” he says. Demystifying plans and their options is especially important in an era of sweeping healthcare reform. “Our role is critical for small employers,” Moriello says. “Often, they don’t have HR departments and they are busy running their businesses. They rely on us.” As the concept unfolds, some business owners and employees are experiencing growing pains, he says. For example, workers have remarked that they are putting off care to avoid the cost of a high deductible. Employees also are frequently frustrated in comparing prices for various procedures and services because insurance companies negotiate prices with individual providers. “It a new concept to say ‘there’s no copay, there’s a rate negotiated between the insurance company and the health care provider,’” he says. “The problem is the insurance companies don’t publish those rates. We would like to see more transparency.” To help members budget for expenses, Highmark has rolled out a web-based care cost estimator for more than 1,600 procedures. Currently, 41,000 members or 12.5 percent of Highmark’s Delaware enrollees are in high-deductible plans. Today, that’s a small minority of the workers enrolled in plans. Insurers predict those ranks will expand in coming years. “It is our fastest growing product and we expect to see it continue to grow,” Constantine says. n DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ma rch/ Ap ri l 2 0 1 5

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 33

DE 302.225.0600 • PA 610.537.5200 • info@belfint.com

3/11/15 2:05 PM

imagine ImagineDE.com | One day, many bright futures.

Imagine more than a hospital. In 2018, an innovative health campus will open for the people of Delaware. The health campus will include state-of-the-art technology, patient friendly access and private rooms designed around patient needs. Complemented by a robust array of physician offices and diagnostic services, the health campus creates a unique patient experience. It will be built with the vision of providing expert comprehensive health care to the community for many decades to come, throughout each stage of life— and all in one easily accessible location. Visit ImagineDE.com to learn more, follow our progress and most importantly— give us your ideas for building a new Bayhealth.

34 BayhealthPrint_8x10.5.indd 1 DSCC_MarApr15.indd 34

Marc h / Ap r i l 2 0 1 5 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 11/14/14 3:05 PM 3/11/15 2:05 PM

Guide to Health Care and Insurance

Healing Delaware Meet the three women who are changing the shape of health care in the First State. BY MARIA HESS PHOTOS BY DICK DUBROFF/FINAL FOCUS

Rita Landgraf, Kathleen S. Matt, and Bettina Tweardy Riveros

HEALTH CARE IS AS BAFFLING as it is beneficial. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re well acquainted with the Affordable Care Act and its inauspicious rollout. But the industry is healing in Delaware, largely due to the efforts of three passionate women. Rita Landgraf, Kathleen Matt and Bettina Tweardy Riveros are changing the face of health care in Delaware. They work in different areas, but their paths intersect. They’re inspired by collaboration, and credit their teams as well as community and government partnerships for helping to get the reform ball rolling. Landgraf, Matt and Riveros essentially share the same mission: to ensure delivery of affordable, comprehensive, integrated care that puts patients first; to analyze actual costs; and to care appropriately for less fortunate populations, including those with mental health issues. We’re all in this health care conundrum together, and it will take the collective talents of women like these to write a good prescription. Rita Landgraf is secretary of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services and the former executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, known as NAMI, Delaware and of The Arc of Delaware, DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ma rch/ Ap ri l 2 0 1 5

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 35

which advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Bascially, her job is to keep us healthy, and that’s a mighty charge. She is the person behind the Choose Health Delaware Marketplace and was integral in getting Delaware aligned with the Affordable Care Act. Landgraf has hit her stride. Going into her sixth year of reform for the targeted population of people with serious, persistent mental illness, she is determined to see health care through a holistic lens. “Health care doesn’t have to be government directed or led—though government does play a critical role as a policy driver and as a catalyst,” says Landgraf. “Through my lens, as a partner who really does support those who are either deeply impoverished or have other vulnerabilities that land in the public system, it’s critically important that we bring that lens to the table so that no one is left behind.” Kathleen S. Matt, Ph.D., is executive director of the Delaware Health Sciences Alliance (DHSA) and dean of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Delaware. Matt was instrumental in developing the Health Sciences Complex on the Science, Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) campus, which integrates primary care clinics for the 35

3/11/15 2:05 PM

Guide to Health Care community with state-of-the art facilities for experiential learning and collaborative research. There, Matt facilitates collaborative activities that include regional conferences focused on health care research and education. Her Ph.D. from the University of Washington, Seattle, is in endocrine physiology, and her research was focused on the effects of stress, diet, aging and exercise on the neuroendocrine system. To her, the STAR campus is all about innovation and impact. “It’s about joining discovery and delivery, and shortening that pipeline— taking today’s creations, ideas and understandings from research and trans-

lating them into new diagnostics, new biomarkers, new treatment plans, new devices and new health care delivery models; and creating a new education model where students are learning and applying content at the same time, so that when they finish their educations, they’re active contributors to the workforce.” Attorney Bettina Tweardy Riveros is advisor to Gov. Jack Markell and chair of the Delaware Health Care Commission. She’s celebrated for her ability to bring various entities to the table to solve problems amicably. Riveros, too, worked to implement the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and like Landgraf, is dedicated to bringing mental health issues to the foreground and supporting integration with primary care practices and behavioral health care. Considering Delaware’s population, it made sense to her to partner with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,

We’re all in this health care conundrum together, and it will take the collective talents of women like these to write a good prescription. which allowed her to take advantage of the federal technology platform for the health insurance marketplace. She also dealt with specialty tier drugs and led the Health Care Commission’s charge of examining challenges faced by consumers around the cost of high-priced prescription drugs. “This work was done at the request of our legislature, led by Sen. Margaret Rose Henry,” says Riveros. “I was pleased that we were able to gather important public input and report back to the legislature, and to participate in contributing to a solution passed by the legislature that is a model for other states.”

It’s Time The country has not undergone a comprehensive review of its health care system since President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid programs into law on July 30, 1965. Clearly, it’s time for an overhaul. Landgraf, Matt and Riveros all believe that Americans aren’t getting what they need from their health care system, and that the opportunity for change is upon us. But the road to recovery doesn’t come without headaches. Most lose sleep over the pay-per-value model of delivery—or, more simply, a plan that allows Delawareans to see what services and meds they’re getting for their money. It’s complicated, says Landgraf. “In the system, there are various providers and various levels, small systems versus large. We want to ensure that we focus on paying for the actual cost of care.” The ACA wasn’t just a government-directed plan to advance and transform our system, says Landgraf, who is involved with looking at preventative care and screening for diseases before they become chronic and acute. “That’s all part of analyzing the costs of care,” she says. “The challenge is elevating evidence-based protocols in treatment and recovery in ways that are universal. Also relative is how do we hit the triple lane, which means how do we get better outcomes, patient experiences and drive down costs?” Technology will play a critical role in lowering costs in Delaware. Thanks to the Delaware Health Information Network, our medical information will be stored in one place: surgeries, prescriptions, and medications. Providers 36

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 36

Marc h / Ap r i l 2 0 1 5 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

3/11/15 2:05 PM

Every day, we help people

of all ages to realize

optimal health.

And we never stop pushing.

Because health is a life-long pursuit, we’re there for members day in, and day out. Providing millions of dollars in grants to address issues faced by uninsured and underserved populations. Encouraging thousands to engage in healthy lifestyles. Giving families tools and information for healthy living. And more. This is how Highmark actively promotes health for all.

Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

14-08178 Delaware Business Mag_8.5x11_4C.indd 1

DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ma rch/ Ap ri l 2 0 1 5

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 37

12/10/14 11:58 AM

3/11/15 2:05 PM

Guide to Health Care will be privy to that information (with patient approval, of course), which can eliminate redundancy and drive down costs. “We talk a lot about better coordinated care across our health care delivery team,” says Riveros. “That may be everyone who cares for you that works within one system, or it may be coordination of our individual primary care provider with our other health care providers: specialists, nutritionists, physical therapists, mental health providers and others. That team-based approach to well-integrated care will be very important moving forward, and will be supported by advances in secure health information technology.” Landgraf, Matt and Riveros all believe that better integration of mental health services and primary care will be critical to the betterment of society. Matt, who serves on several boards, including the Delaware Mental Health Association, supports comprehensive and integrated care that’s focused on prevention and wellness, a system that analyzes the social determinants of health, such as behavior, environment and social support. Her approach is rooted in her early research work that was focused on looking at physiological and endocrinological changes that happen in animals in response to environmental cues. “Humans are also very responsive to the environment around them, which is why there are such dramatic effects of stress on humans and other animals,” says Matt. “So understanding the physiology helps you understand why stress then results in a wide variety of symptoms.”

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 38

The Motivation To call Landgraf, Matt and Riveros enthusiastic about what they do wouldn’t adequately describe their reasons for getting into health care, which, as Landgraf says, is not for the faint-hearted. Their achievements are many, and they are fervent in their commitment to reform. Riveros is driven by serving the disenfranchised, and is expert in shaping and implementing positive public policy. Her background in business and law only enhances her skills. Landgraf ’s passion is born of a distinguished career that’s been inclusive of serving vulnerable populations. Her work with people with disabilities, those struggling with mental health issues, and the aging population propels her to eradicate the injustices that burden the needy. And Matt is shaping future leaders. “In essence we have two challenges,” she says. “We’re trying to deliver high quality education at an affordable cost. In health care, we’re trying to deliver high quality health care at an affordable cost. If you’re involved in educating the health care workforce, you’re hit with both. “I try to get around that and encourage innovation by asking our team: ‘if you could do anything, what would you do? Don’t worry about the cost, the space, the people—just tell me what you would do.’ Once we have that great, innovative program or project, we can back up, walk through and figure out the rest, because we’re all aligned around the vision.” Health care reform is, indeed, about the vision. n

Marc h / Ap r i l 2 0 1 5 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

3/11/15 2:05 PM

Be Strong Be Assured Be Active

Whether you’re a weekend warrior, a seasoned athlete or a person with joint or back pain, trust Beebe Healthcare’s Orthopaedic Services for your muscular-skeletal problems. When surgery is indicated, minimally invasive surgical techniques can often speed your recovery. Beebe’s orthopaedic surgeons all have specialized areas of focus and their treatment teams provide care that is unmatched.

• Spine Care–Range of individualized treatments for neck and back pain from physical therapy to complicated spinal reconstructive surgery • Foot and Ankle Fractures and Replacement • Shoulder and Elbow Care including Replacement • Knee and Hip Care including Replacement

Get yourself moving again. DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ma rch/ Ap ri l 2 0 1 5

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 39

• Hand and Wrist Procedures including carpal tunnel release and tendon and nerve repair • Sports Injuries of all types treated with rehabilitation, repair procedures and surgery when indicated • Beebe HealthyBack–a new program for people with chronic neck and back pain

One of Healthgrades America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopaedic Surgery™ for 4 Years in a Row (2012–2015) 2015

Nationally Recognized Specialty Orthopaedic Care on Delmarva

Orthopaedic Services Lewes, Delaware • (302) 645-3300 beebehealthcare.org 39

3/11/15 2:05 PM

Newsbites AAA Mid-Atlantic Honors DelDOT Secretary Bhatt as “Highway Hero” Delaware Department of Transportation Secretary Shailen Bhatt was honored today with AAA’s prestigious Highway Hero Award for his work to improve transportation in Delaware. Bhatt was named Secretary in June 2011 and recently announced that he is leaving Delaware to head the Colorado Department of Transportation. “For more than 110 years, AAA has been the motorists advocate and we believe that during his tenure Secretary Bhatt was exactly that with his commitment to improving the agency’s performance and transparency, while tackling its debt crisis,” says Jim Lardear, director of Public and Government Affairs at AAA Mid-Atlantic. “The Highway Hero award also recognizes his critical leadership role during the I-495 bridge crisis.” Joining AAA in its presentation was 2014-2015 Safety Patroller Derrick Whitehead who serves as Lieutenant at South Dover Elementary School. Derrick, a fourth grade student, was named South Dover Elementary School Safety Patroller of the Year.

TekSolv Named Northeast Oil & Gas Awards Finalist Judges for the Oil & Gas Awards have selected TekSolv as a finalist for the third annual Oil & Gas Awards for the Northeast region. This award recognizes the outstanding achievements of leaders within the upstream and midstream sectors of the North American oil and gas industry for the benchmarks they have set. TekSolv has been chosen as a finalist in the following three categories: Award for Excellence in Health & Safety - Products – Northeast, New Technology Development of the Year - Software – Northeast, and Water Management Company of the Year - Northeast This award has become a platform within the oil and gas realm and demonstrates the industry’s advancements by commending the efforts of corporations and individuals. It specifically celebrates growth within the key

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 40

areas of Health and Safety, Operational Excellence, Innovation, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Environmental Stewardship. TekSolv was also chosen as a finalist in last year’s second annual Oil & Gas Awards. “We are honored to be selected as finalists again this year for this distinguished award. The recognition we have received in multiple categories is a testament to our passionate group of employees and their dedication on a daily basis. It is a great achievement for our company to be recognized among a reputable group of finalists who are making strides in the oil and gas industry,” said John Mouser, president of TekSolv.

Beebe Healthcare Brings Dr. Dean Ornish Program to Sussex County Beebe Healthcare is proud to announce that the Dr. Dean Ornish

Program For Reversing Heart Disease will open late March at Beebe Health Campus on Route 24 in Rehoboth Beach. This program is nationally recognized—through the results of more than 35 years of peer-reviewed, published research—for reversing the progression of heart disease. U.S. News & World Report awarded the Ornish Diet the No. 1 ranking for the Best Heart-Healthy Diet for the fifth year in a row. “Although Beebe and our doctors provide care for patients with cardiovascular disease through such advanced medical programs as Interventional Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, the Dr. Dean Ornish Program will allow Beebe to help patients learn how they, themselves, can actively participate in reversing their heart disease,” said Jeffrey M. Fried, FACHE, president and CEO of Beebe Healthcare. Cardiologist Rajinder Prasad, MD, FACC, has been named director of

Marc h / Ap r i l 2 0 1 5 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

3/11/15 2:05 PM

Calendar of Events MARCH 4

Networking Breakfast at Goodwill 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. 300 East Lea Blvd., Wilmington For more information, contact Kelly Wetzel at (302) 576-6564 or kwetzel@dscc.com.

MARCH 10

The Nature of Problem Gambling and How It Affects Your Business 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. DSCC Board Room For more information, contact James DeChene at (302) 5766560 or jdechene@dscc.com

MARCH 31

Manufacturing Conference and Legislative Brunch 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Delaware Technical Community College Terry Campus’ Education Technology Building For more information, contact Kelly Wetzel at (302) 576-6564 or kwetzel@dscc.com.

APRIL 8

Networking Breakfast at Blue Rocks Stadium 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. 801 Shipyard Dr., Wilmington For more information, contact Kelly Wetzel at (302) 576-6564 or kwetzel@dscc.com.

APRIL 21 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Location: DSCC Board Room For more information, contact Chuck James at (302) 5766562 or cjames@dscc.com.

DICKDUBROFFFINALFOCUS

APRIL 23

Chamber Leadership with Lisa Ryerson of AARP Foundation

P.O. Box 232

7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Wilmington, DE 19899

University & Whist Club

Phone 302.655.7718

805 N. Broom St., Wilmington

Fax 302.655.7918

For more information, contact Kelly Wetzel at (302) 576-6564

rdubroff@finalfocus.com

see it all at www.ﬁnalfocus.com

Meet the New Members

or kwetzel@dscc.com.

DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ma rch/ Ap ri l 2 0 1 5

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 41

3/11/15 2:05 PM

Newsbites the Dean Ornish Program at Beebe Healthcare. Dr. Prasad is board certified in cardiovascular disease and has been a member of the Beebe Medical Staff since 2003. Dr. Prasad also has been Medical Director of the Beebe Cardiac Rehabilitation Program for four years. The premise of the Dr. Dean Ornish Program is simple but requires personal commitment and action. Participants attend a comprehensive program consisting of 18, four-hour sessions in which an experienced staff teaches them how to prepare a whole-food, plant-based diet, how to exercise, techniques such as yoga and meditation to help them manage their stress, and methods of communication through group discussions.

serve the public’s needs in estate planning. Jordon states, “Being an accredited estate planner along with my years of involvement with the NAEPC has been one of the best career decisions I have made. I am honored to be leading the NAECP, a group of highly motivated multi-disciplinary estate planning professionals who want to make a difference for the better for estate planners, as well as create public awareness of the need for estate planning. This appointment to president gives me the best opportunity to further these goals.”

Jordon N. Rosen of Belfint, Lyons & Shuman Named President of the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils

United Way and 87ers Partner to Develop Delaware Youth

United Way of Delaware and the Delaware 87ers will partner for the 2014-15 NBA Development League season to highlight IM40, a framework Jordon N. Rosen, Director at Belfint, Lyons & Shuman, P.A., was named 2015 that helps develop internal and external assets that help young people become President of the National Association healthy, caring, and responsible. of Estate Planners & Councils by his The partnership contains a host of peers in the estate planning community. elements that are the focus of the IM40 Jordon is a director in the firm’s Tax & Movement in support of adolescents. Small Business department and chairs There will be many opportunities to the Estate and Trust section. highlight the importance of adults and NAEPC is a national organization of community partners focusing on adolesprofessional estate planners and affilicents in Delaware, including a customated estate planning councils focused ized Adopt-A-School Program, on establishing and monitortwo non-profit feature games ing the highest professional and educational standards. during an Education Day, a Fan Appreciation Night, and NAEPC fosters public awarevideo messaging with the ness of the quality services coaching staff and players rendered by professionabout asset examples from als who meet these stantheir own Life Maps. dards. NAEPC builds a team The IM40 Movement proapproach involving cross-proJordon N. Rosen fessional disciplines to better motes positive youth devel-

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 42

opment and provides the resources necessary for adolescents to make better decisions, lead healthier lives, and achieve academic success. “Youth are at the heart of our work throughout our communities, as we are building tomorrow’s leaders today,” said Michelle A. Taylor, president and CEO of United Way of Delaware. “I am pleased to partner with the Delaware 87ers to help us positively affect the lives of so many youth within our communities.” The Delaware 87ers went through training from United Way about the different IM40 Developmental Assets to improve their interactions with adolescents and to further build positive relationships. Participating schools will work towards an exclusive outing with the 87ers and receive recognition for their role in providing an asset-rich environment. There will be opportunities throughout the partnership and during games to share messages on healthy lifestyle habits, resources, and tools. During two select non-profit feature dates, players will also wear jerseys designed by United Way of Delaware’s Youth Advisory Council.

Karins and Associates Announces Acquisition of Fair Hill Engineering, LLC Karins and Associates, a full service engineering firm in Newark, Delaware, has acquired the assets and book of business of Fair Hill Engineering, LLC, an engineering services firm in Elkton, Maryland. Founded in 1973, Karins and Associates is a full service consulting firm that provides civil engineer-

Marc h / Ap r i l 2 0 1 5 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

3/11/15 2:05 PM

ing, planning, and surveying services in Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. With a certified staff of professional engineers, professional land surveyors, survey crews, and designers, Karins and Associates offer a full service engineering solution to any project. According to Dev Sitaram, president of Karins and Associates, “This acquisition allows us to reinforce our offerings in the State of Maryland and support our client needs. We are excited to add the experience and expertise of John M. Mascari, P.E, and Fair Hill Engineering, LLC to our team.” Fair Hill Engineering, LLC, was established in 2005. As licensed engineers, they provided services to clients in Cecil County and Harford County within the State of Maryland, as well as New Castle County, Delaware and surrounding areas. They specialized in residential and commercial land development, major and minor subdivision, Environmental Site Design (ESD), stormwater management, erosion and sediment control, and infrastructure improvement projects.

AT&T Aspire Launches Ed-Tec Accelerator Focused on Social Impact AT&T today launched the AT&T Aspire Accelerator for ed-tech ventures throughout the nation, as part of AT&T’s $350 million commitment to education. The Aspire Accelerator will select forand non-profit companies to support with a customized program that includes financial investment, access to expert services and mentorship. Unlike most other accelerators, the primary measure of success for the Aspire Accelerator is societal impact rather than monetary return.

DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ma rch/ Ap ri l 2 0 1 5

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 43

Participants will be selected based on their ability to drive students’ educational or career success. Special consideration will be given to solutions for students who are at-risk of dropping out of school. “The startup community is in a unique position to have a positive social impact on the education of our youth,” commented Ben Jealous, partner at Kapor Center for Social Impact. “The Aspire Accelerator’s innovative model could lead to new ideas that help to level the playing field for students everywhere. I’m honored to be a part of the Advisory Board and look forward to seeing the results.” The key elements of the Aspire Accelerator’s customized six-month program include $50,000 AT&T Aspire investment and an additional $25,000 to cover costs associated with the program for each organization, access to AT&T and external mentors from the education and technology ecosystems, and inclusion in the broader AT&T Aspire initiative, which is committed to driving innovation in education on a national scale. Unlike other accelerators, organizations do not have to relocate to participate in the Aspire Accelerator. The Aspire Accelerator is open to any type of organization working on a product or service that uses technology to support students’ educational and workforce success.

Delaware Library Consortium Welcomes Six New Members Over the last 18 months, the Delaware Library Consortium (DLC), in cooperation with the Delaware Division of Libraries (DDL), was pleased to add six new member institutions:

Barratt’s Chapel and Museum, Biggs Museum of American Art, Delaware’s Legislative Hall Library, Fort Delaware Society, Positive Outcomes Charter School, and Thomas Edison Charter School. These six institutions join the 35 public libraries, six academic libraries, two school libraries, and seven special libraries currently in the DLC. Membership in the DLC allows institutions to add their print collections to the online Delaware Library Catalog, as well as digitized collections to the online Delaware Heritage Collection. All Delaware libraries are invited to join the DLC. “Thanks to the consortium, Delawareans now can easily search the millions of physical items in the participating institutions, as well as the online digital collections,” said Dr. Annie Norman, State Librarian. “Due to the collaboration among the DLC participants, Delawareans now have access to more.”

Christopher Ryan Promoted to Group Vice President for YMCA Buildings and Properties in Delaware

Chris Ryan’s leadership centralized all facility operations organizationally, resulting in savings of over $1,500,000 in the first five years. He developed and implemented a comprehensive preventive maintenance program for the organization’s major mechanical systems that significantly improved the mechanical system’s operation and reliability. Additionally, the organization’s annual HVAC service call expenses were reduced by over $100,000. Chris Ryan

3/11/15 2:05 PM

Newsbites Chris developed an organizationwide computerized maintenance work request system. Since its inception, over 43,700 work requests have been completed. His safety and training program led to a 98% reduction in expenses resulting from facilities’ employee work-related injuries. Chris implemented an Energy Management program that reduced the organization’s annual utility expenses by over $600,000 while utility rates increased regionally. Deborah Bagatta-Bowles, Chief Executive Officer of the YMCA of Delaware, said, “Perhaps out of all of Chris’s accomplishments, and there are many, what’s most telling is that he reduced the Facilities Department employee annual turnover rate by 60%. Who he is as a person, a family man, and a member of our community is so admired. We are fortunate to have him and this promotion is well deserved.”

business leaders, civic organizations, tourism offices, and chambers of commerce bring her in contact with many companies looking to grow. Working with the County Administrator and Council, Ms. Booker-Wilkins plans to focus on ways of attracting business growth in Sussex County, as well as implementing strategies to promote County assets such as the airport, the industrial park and libraries. “I’m hoping that with my connections and passion, I can make a difference in educating the community about KSI’s mission and gaining more job opportunities,” Ms. Booker-Wilkins relates.

Goodwill Hires New Director for Human Resources

Trudy Spence-Parker of Pilesgrove, NJ has joined Goodwill of Delaware and Delaware County as Director of Human Resources. Trudy will be responsible for all of the organization’s talent management programs which include the recruitKSI Welcomes Melody ing and hiring of personnel, Booker-Wilkins to employee benefits and training, Board of Directors and staff development efforts. She will oversee the existing KSI welcomed Melody human resource staff and will Booker-Wilkins to its Board work with the regional retail of Directors in 2014, bringmanagers to develop innovative ing many years’ experience hiring and retention strategies in business management to recruit and engage team and economic developMelody Bookermembers. Currently, Goodwill ment to help KSI invigorate Wilkins employs over 900 team memits relationships with area businesses. A long-time KSI bers in the retail, industrial supporter, Ms. Booker-Wilkins has been services, and temporary staff service a frequent donor and joined the Makelines of business. A-Difference Society to help KSI’s programs remain viable in the future. Blood Bank of Delmarva and Currently, Ms. Booker-Wilkins is the Cerus Corporation Economic Development Director for Sussex County, serving as a resource to Enter Agreement employers interested in doing business Blood Bank of Delmarva (BBD) within the county. Her connections to recently signed a three-year purchase

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 44

agreement with Cerus Corporation for the INTERCEPT Blood System for platelets and plasma. “The implementation of the INTERCEPT system aligns with our mission of providing safe, effective blood

products that best serve our hospital and patient community,” said BBD President and CEO Roy Roper. “We are excited to be one of the first centers to adopt pathogen inactivation as a proactive measure to mitigate the risk of transfusion-transmitted infections in our blood supply.” BBD currently provides blood transfusion products and services to hospitals and patients in the Delmarva region. BBD also supplies approximately 13,000 platelet and 21,000 plasma units each year. The INTERCEPT Blood System reduces the risk of transfusion-transmitted infections such as Hepatitis B and C, HIV, West Nile Virus, and malaria that could be present in donated blood. INTERCEPT blocks the replication of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and parasites, making them inactive.

SAVE THE DATE Superstars in Education awards ceremony will be held at the fabulous new theater at the Cab Calloway School of the Arts, 100 North DuPont Road, Wilmington, DE 19805 on May 4, 2015. 4:45 to 7:30 p.m. Register today www.dscc.com.

Marc h / Ap r i l 2 0 1 5 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

3/11/15 2:05 PM

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 jdchene@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 jdchene@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 jdchene@dscc.com. Military Affairs Committee: The Military Affairs Committee aims to build efforts to support the hiring of military veterans, and to support the local branches of the military on other relevant issues. Its goals include building business relationships to support the military community, and to create jobs for reserve components and veterans. The committee meets quarterly, and is chaired by Gary Stockbridge of Delmarva Power. Contact: James DeChene at (302) 576-6560 or jdechene@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 jdchene@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 jdchene@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 jdchene@dscc.com.

DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ma rch/ Ap ri l 2 0 1 5

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 45

3/11/15 2:05 PM

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. 46

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 46

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. 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. 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. Marc h / Ap r i l 2 0 1 5 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

3/11/15 2:05 PM

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, member-exclusive 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.

driving increased productivity. The Small Business Plan provides member companies with legal advice and counsel on any business legal issue, contract and document review, debt collection, trial defense and more. In eliminating cost barriers associated with obtaining legal counsel, LegalShield’s Small Business Plan ensures members have access to the legal support they need to grow and protect their businesses. To get started with LegalShield, visit www.legalshield.com/ info/dscc. For more information, contact Independent Associate Mike Schwartz at (302) 275-8898 or visit mikeschwartz. legalshieldassociate.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.

WorldPay Worldpay offesr Chamber members a variety of services designed to increase your profits, maximize your productivity, and help you get every penny you’ve earned. Worldpay is the global leader in payment processing solutions. Whether your customers do business on the phone, online, or in person, Worldpay has the products to fit your payment needs, from mobile card readers to virtual terminals, to integrated cash register systems. You’ll gain faster access to cash and flexible pricing, including an option to guarantee pricing for three years—all backed by live 24/7 US-based customer care. Visit www.worldpay.us/Partner/delaware-statechamber-140486 to enroll or contact Toby H Guinn, Sr. at (302) 268-6222 or Toby.Guinn@worldpay.us for more.

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 for more information.

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.

LegalShield All Delaware State Chamber members and member companies now have the opportunity to access affordable legal services. LegalShield is one of the nation’s leading providers of legal safeguards for individuals, families, small businesses and employee groups. Member companies can join the more than 34,000 companies currently offering LegalShield’s personal legal plans as a voluntary benefit to their employees. Through LegalShield’s personal legal plans, employees gain access to unlimited personal legal advice from LegalShield provider attorneys on topics such as mortgages, wills, contracts, and more. Employees also have the option to enroll in LegalShield’s identity theft plans for the added benefits of identity monitoring and identity restoration services. LegalShield’s personal legal plans also effectively reduce employee stress and absenteeism while DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ma rch/ Ap ri l 2 0 1 5

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 47

See what’s new for your career wardrobe!

petites | talls | plus | custom | ready-to-wear 222 Delaware Avenue, #105, Wilmington, DE 19801 (302) 543-8054

info@entreDonovan.com

www.entreDonovan.com

3/11/15 2:05 PM

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 President

576-6563 rheffron@dscc.com

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

John H. Taylor, Jr. 576-6590 jtaylor@dscc.com Sr. Vice President & Exec. Director, Delaware Public Policy Institute Matt Amis Communications Manager Delaware Business Production Website Cheryl Corn Executive Assistant to the President Sr. Vice President Communications Linda D. Eriksen Accounting Associate

576-6566 mamis@dscc.com

576-6572 ccorn@dscc.com

576-6560 jdechene@dscc.com

Mark A. DiMaio Acting Sr. Director, DPPI

576-6575 mdimaio@dscc.com

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 48

576-6576 kevans@dscc.com

Chuck James Sr. Vice President, Membership Ambassador Committee

576-6562 cjames@dscc.com

Fred Miller Advertising Sales Member Retention

576-6579 fmiller2@dscc.com

Patrina Wallace Information Secretary

655-7221 pwallace@dscc.com

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

576-6569 leriksen@dscc.com

James DeChene Director, Government Relations

Ken Evans Account Executive

DELAWARE STATE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 1201 N. Orange Street, P.O. Box 671 Wilmington, DE 19899-0671 (302) 655-7221 / Fax (302) 654-0691 (800) 292-9507 Kent & Sussex counties www.dscc.com Blog: dscc.wordpress.com facebook.com/delawarestatechamber flickr: flickr.com/dscc twitter: @Destatechamber

Marc h / Ap r i l 2 0 1 5 | DELAWARE BUSINESS

3/11/15 2:05 PM

Emphasis on Forensics and Fraud Detection

Master’s Degree in Accounting

It all adds up. The Neumann University master’s degree in Accounting adds up to greater opportunity. The emphasis on forensics and fraud detection will provide you with credentials that are in demand. Neumann’s program allows you to: • Finish in just 18-21 months • Study in class and online • Focus on forensics and fraud For more information: gradadultadmiss@neumann.edu 610-361-5208

Aston, Pennsylvania

www.neumann.edu

PASKILL STAPLETON & LORD DSCC_MarApr15.indd 49 Date:

5/14/14

3/11/15 2:05 PM

DSCC_MarApr15.indd 50

3/11/15 2:05 PM