Issuu

2026

THE FIRST STATE’S MOST IMPACTFUL LEADERS

DELAWARE TOP 18 INDUSTRIES

TOP 50 DELAWARE EMPLOYERS

Inspiring action. Driving momentum. Your work doesn’t just lead — it lifts. Three cheers from everyone at Best Egg to Paul Ricci for showing what’s possible when vision, integrity, and community all move together.

Congratulations, Penny Short Congratulations to Penny Short, MSM, BSN, RN, senior vice president of TidalHealth and president of TidalHealth Nanticoke, for being named one of Delaware Business Times’ 222 Most Impactful Leaders in the First State for 2026.

Penny Short, MSM, BSN, RN, Senior Vice President and President, TidalHealth Nanticoke

Join us in celebrating Short’s outstanding leadership in guiding TidalHealth Nanticoke to achieve a 5-star rating for the second consecutive year from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Delaware 222 is a periodicals supplement to

An annual listing of Delaware’s business community Vol. 3, No. 1 dated, 2025 © Copyright 2025 by Today Media, All Rights Reserved. This newspaper or its trademarks may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or hereafter invented without written permission from the Publisher. For licensing, reprints, e-prints, plaques, email advertising@delawarebusinesstimes.com. GROUP PUBLISHER Robert F. Martinelli ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Alex Cornelius EDITOR Katie Tabeling ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jennifer Antonik RESEARCH, DIGITAL, AND ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR Sabrina Gonzalez ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER EMERITUS Charlie Tomlinson DIGITAL SALES & MARKETING MANAGER Karen Martinelli LEAD DIGITAL STRATEGIST Mike Rocheleau ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Lisa Minto MULTIMEDIA ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Al Woolfolk, Tanya Tecce MARKETING DIRECTOR Kate Schlegel MARKETING MANAGER Andrea Hill PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Eric Bolis ART DIRECTOR Natalie Newhart SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Rosalinda Rocco

D EL AWAR E 2 2 2

CONTENTS

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kyle Manzolillo SENIOR AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Lisa P. Bennett DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL STRATEGY Greg Mathias TODAY MEDIA, A MARTINELLI HOLDINGS LLC PRESIDENT Robert F. Martinelli SECRETARY-TREASURER Richard Martinelli IN MEMORIAM CHAIRMAN Angelo R. Martinelli (1927 – 2018) VICE PRESIDENT Ralph A. Martinelli (1962 – 2019) ADVERTISING INFORMATION Advertising@DelawareBusinessTimes.com 302.504.1276 SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION DelawareBusinessTimes.com/subscribe-now 800.849.8751 TO SUBMIT PRESS RELEASES OR STORY IDEAS News@DelawareBusinessTimes.com DAILY NEWSLETTER Sign up for our daily newsletter, delivered to your e-mail inbox at DelawareBusinessTimes.com/Newsletter EVENTS The Delaware Business Times hosts a number of events each year. View the schedule and register for events at DelawareBusinessTimes.com/Events Delaware Business Times is printed 24 times per year by Today Media, 1000 N. West Street, Suite 601, Wilmington, DE 19801 and is available by subscription at delawarebusinesstimes.com/subscribenow. Single copy/back issues are available at the cover price of $4.00 plus $2.00 shipping and handling. Bulk rates are available, call 302.656.1809. Delaware Business Times cannot be responsible for the return of unsolicited material with or without the inclusion of a stamped, self-address return envelope. Information in this publication is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy ad completeness of the information cannot be guaranteed. No information expressed herein constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any securities.

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10-12 12-17 17-19 19-20 22-30 30-34 35-38 38-40 40-47 47-49 49-52 54-61 61-63 63-67 67-72 72 73-74

Arts & Entertainment Banking & Financial Services Biopharmaceutical

74-75 76-77 78-79

Tourism & Hospitality Top 50 Employers Person of the Year

Business Organizations

On the Cover:

Construction & Real Estate

On the cover, from left to right, back row: WSFS Bank CEO Rodger Levenson EastSide Charter School CEO Aaron Bass Wilmington University President LaVerne Harmon WRK Group CEO Logan Herring Buccini Pollin Group Co-President Rob Buccini From left to right, front row: Buccini Pollin Group Co-President Chris Buccini Dogfish Head Brewery Founder Sam Calagione Del-One Federal Credit Union CEO Dan McCarthy EastSide Charter School Director of Community Engagement & STEM Ray Rhodes DBT PHOTOS BY LUIGI CIUFFETELLI

Economic Development Education Energy & Utilities Food & Beverage Government Health Care Legal Services Manufacturing Media & Marketing Nonprofits Sports Technology

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Editor's letter

New beginnings & a new Delaware 222 While Delaware may be known as the “Small Wonder,” it’s continuing to grow in leaps and bounds. According to the 2024 U.S. Census, the state’s population was slightly over 1 million, reaching an important milestone in the state’s history. We’re growing in Kent County and the suburbs of New Castle County, from young professionals renting a place to young families buying their first home. We’re still seeing retirees and professionals in their second act continue to head south to Sussex County’s beaches and beyond. That means the business scene is starting to look a little different—namely because there’s more social hubs cropping up where the business leaders like to do business. The power of the 302 is starting to cross over to all three counties, across all sectors. The year 2025 was also an unusual year in Delaware, as a new governor was sworn in and made sweeping changes to how the state does business. At least two dozen high-profile executives also departed from their roles. The reasons vary from people moving on to something new, stepping down, or retirement. In their wake, there have been several key positions left vacant and their companies on the hunt to replace these figures and their role in the Delaware market. With changing leadership across all boards, there comes a learning curve as their team and community starts to learn how the new top boss starts to do business. As the year comes to a close, I think it’s safe to say that there’s still a lot of learning ahead for the state’s top business leaders. Our annual Delaware 222 pays tribute to these changes, including new faces across all sectors in our state while recognizing the forces of change at work. You may see some familiar faces on the list because they continue to make a long-lasting impact in our state, while others are new we have chosen to join to shine a light on their accomplishments in pockets of our states, while others were nominated by others in the community. Throughout the year, we have published many names from the list last year on our new website. We see this as a living document that evolves as the years pass. There’s also a chance we’ve missed key people across the state, and I hope you send me a note at ktabeling@delawarebusinesstimes.com about who you think should be on our 2027 list. Who knows? Maybe we’ll see your name on the list very soon.

KATIE TABELING EDITOR, DELAWARE BUSINESS TIMES

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DelawareBusinessTimes.com | DELAWARE 222 5

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EMPLOYER A

AKA Advisory ...........................................................................54 AllHipHop.......................................................................................... 67 Aloysius Butler & Clark .............................................................65 American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware ......................................................................................68 Artesian Water .............................................................................. 40 Artisans Bank .................................................................................. 12 Ashby Hospitality .......................................................................... 41 Associated Builders and Contractors Delaware................................................................ 23 Aternium ............................................................................................ 61 Axia Hospitality Management ............................................... 75

Bancroft Construction ................................................................28 Barclays Bank ..................................................................................16 Bardea Group ..........................................................................41, 45 Barnes & Thornburg ...........................................................58, 59 Bayhealth ........................................................................................... 51 Beebe Healthcare......................................................................... 52 Benchmark Builders ...................................................................26 Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann .........................60 Best Egg .............................................................................................16 Bethany-Fenwick Chamber of Commerce....................................................................................20 Big Fish Restaurant Group ...................................................... 46 Blood Bank of Delmarva ........................................................... 52 Blue Blaze Associates ............................................................... 66 Blue Mezcal Group ...................................................................... 43 Boys & Girls Club of Delaware .............................................. 72 Brandywine Counseling & Community Services ................................................................... 51 Brew Haha!....................................................................................... 44 Buccini/Pollin Group .................................................................. 22

Capano Management ................................................................23 Cape Gazette ................................................................................. 66 Capital One ....................................................................................... 17 Carl M. Freeman Companies ................................................. 25 Carvertise ......................................................................................... 65 CBRE.................................................................................................... 26 Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce ........................................................................................ 20 Chartline Capital ............................................................................ 14 Chesapeake Utilities ...................................................................40 ChristianaCare ................................................................................ 51 City of Wilmington Arts ............................................................. 10 Claymont Renaissance Development Corporation. . 34 Code Differently ............................................................................ 74 Committee of 100 ..........................................................................31 Community Bank Delaware ....................................................45 Connolly Gallagher ...................................................................... 57 CorriXR Therapeutics................................................................. 18 Council on Development Finance .......................................34 County Bank ..................................................................................... 14 CSC............................................................................................... 33, 61

DE Turf ................................................................................................ 72 DE.TV Foundation ........................................................................ 67 Del-One Federal Credit Union ............................................... 15 Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement........... 67 Delaware Alliance of Latino Entrepreneurs .................................................................................19 Delaware Art Museum ................................................................ 11 Delaware Arts Alliance ............................................................... 11 Delaware BioScience Association ...................................... 18 Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce ...........................19 Delaware Blue Coats .................................................................. 72 Delaware Business Roundtable ...........................................20 Delaware Center for Life Science Education and Training ............................................................. 18 Delaware Community Foundation..................................... 68 Delaware Court of Chancery ................................................. 48 Delaware Department of Labor ...........................................48 Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control .............................................................. 49 Delaware Department of State .............................................49 Delaware Department of Transportation .........................48 Delaware Division of Small Business ................................. 47 Delaware Electric Cooperative ............................................ 38 Delaware Health Force............................................................. 50 Delaware Healthcare Association ..................................... 50 Delaware Nurses Association ...............................................52 Delaware Prosperity Partnership ........................................ 31

Delaware Restaurant Association ...................................... 43 Delaware State Chamber of Commerce .........................20 Delaware State University ....................................................... 35 Delaware Superior Court ......................................................... 47 Delaware Symphony Orchestra ........................................... 10 Delaware Technical Community College.........................35 Delaware Technology Park ......................................................31 Delaware Tourism Office .......................................................... 75 Delaware Veterans Coalition .................................................. 71 Delaware Workforce Development Board ......................33 Delle Donne & Associates....................................................... 24 DiSabatino Construction Company ................................... 24 Dogfish Head Brewery ............................................................... 41 Donate Delaware ........................................................................... 71 Dover Air Force Base.................................................................. 48 Downtown Dover Partnership............................................... 32 Draper Media ..................................................................................64 DSM Commercial .........................................................................30 DuPont ........................................................................................61, 62

Eastern States Development Company........................... 26 Easterseals Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore ....................................................... 70 EastSide Charter School ..................................................35, 38 ECS Capital ......................................................................................46 EDiS Company ............................................................................... 24 Emergency Response Protocol Safety ..............................71 Energize Delaware .......................................................................40 ENT & Allergy of Delaware .....................................................50 Epic Marketing Consultants Corporation ........................63

First State Ballet Theatre .......................................................... 11 Food Bank of Delaware ............................................................. 69 Freeman Arts Pavillion ................................................................11 Friedlander & Gorris ...................................................................56

George & Lynch ............................................................................22 Goldey-Beacom College .......................................................... 37 Goodwill of Delaware & Delaware County ...................................................................... 70 Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau ..................................................................... 74 Grotto Pizza .....................................................................................42

Hakuna Restaurant Group ..................................................... 40 Harry’s Savoy Group ................................................................... 47 Harvey Hanna & Associates .......................................... 25, 26 High 5 Hospitality......................................................................... 45 Highway One Companies ........................................................ 45 Hook PR & Marketing ............................................................... 66

Incyte .................................................................................................... 17

Jack Lingo Realtor ........................................................................ 27 Jackson Cross................................................................................. 23 Jet Phynx Films ..............................................................................65 Jones Lang LaSalle .....................................................................29 JPMorgan Chase ..................................................................... 14, 15 Junior Achievement of Delaware ......................................... 69

Kent County Tourism Corporation ...................................... 74 Kent Economic Partnership.................................................... 33 Kent Sussex Leadership Alliance .........................................31

L&W Insurance .............................................................................. 72 La Red Health Center ................................................................50 LabWare...................................................................................... 18, 73 Lang Development Group ....................................................... 27 Latin American Community Center ................................... 70 Leon N. Weiner & Associates ................................................ 26 LMT Commercial Realty ........................................................... 27 Longwood Foundation ............................................................. 68

M. Davis & Sons ............................................................................24 M&T Bank ..........................................................................................15 Martuscelli Restaurant Group ...............................................43 McCarter & English .....................................................................59 Meoli Companies ..........................................................................44 Ministry of Caring .........................................................................69 Morris James ...................................................................................56 Morris, Nichols, Arsht and Tunnell ............................. 57, 58 Mountaire ..........................................................................................62

NAI Emory Hill ................................................................................25 National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals ..............................18 Nemours Children’s Health .....................................................51 NERDiT NOW ................................................................................. 74 New Castle County Chamber of Commerce ...........................................................................19, 30 Newmark ...................................................................................23, 35

Ocean Atlantic Companies .....................................................29 OMG Hospitality ................................................................... 44, 45 One Coastal .....................................................................................42 OperaDelaware ...........................................................................100

Pete du Pont Freedom Foundation .................................... 32 Pettinaro ............................................................................................ 27 Pires Cooley ....................................................................................45 Placers ................................................................................................ 54 Platinum Dining Group ..............................................................41 Potter Anderson & Corroon ...................................................60 Prelude Therapeutics ..................................................................19

Rehoboth Art League ................................................................. 10 Richards, Layton & Finger ...................................................... 57 Riverfront Development Corporation of Delaware ...........................................................................................33 Roch Capital Inc. ........................................................................... 67 Rodel Foundation of Delaware ............................................. 36 Ronald McDonald House .........................................................68

Sallie Mae.......................................................................................... 16 Schell Brothers ..............................................................................28 ShopRite of Delaware ................................................................42 Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom ........................... 54 SoDel Concepts ............................................................................42 Solenis ................................................................................................62 Southern Delaware Tourism .................................................. 75 Spotlight Delaware ...................................................................... 64 Spur Impact Association ........................................................... 71 Starboard Restaurant................................................................. 44 State of Delaware Judicial Branch .......................................49 Surf Bagel ......................................................................................... 43

Tech Council of Delaware ........................................................ 73 Tech Impact ..................................................................................... 73 The Bonadio Group ..................................................................... 57 The Chemours Company .........................................................62 The Grand Opera House ...........................................................12 The Innovation Space ................................................................33 The Mill ...............................................................................................32 The News Journal .........................................................................64 The Voice Radio Network ........................................................63 The WRK Group ............................................................................69 TidalHealth Nanticoke ............................................................... 52 TKo Hospitality Management................................................ 75 Today Media ....................................................................................65 True Access Capital ..................................................................... 14 TSN Media ........................................................................................64 Two Stones Pub .............................................................................46

U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware ........... 47 United Medical ...............................................................................49 United Way of Delaware ............................................................ 71 University of Delaware .......................................18, 38, 63, 73

Versogen ........................................................................................... 63

W.L. Gore & Associates ............................................................63 Widener University Delaware Law School ....................35 Wilmington Alliance ....................................................................32 Wilmington Public Library ........................................................ 12 Wilmington Trust .......................................................................... 16 Wilmington University ....................................................... 36, 37 Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati .....................................56 Winterthur .........................................................................................12 Wohlsen Construction Company ........................................22 WSFS Bank .......................................................................................15

YMCA of Delaware ...................................................................... 70 Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor .............................54, 56

Zip Code Wilmington................................................................... 73

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PEOPLE A

Abessino, Rocco .................................................... 67 Acuna, Javier ............................................................ 40 Ahmad, Faiz .............................................................. 54 Albano, Elizabeth .................................................... 12 Albero, Michael ....................................................... 54 Ali, Zakiyyah ............................................................ 73 Allen, Tony ................................................................. 35 Andrade, Kevin ....................................................... 63 Ashby, Marc ............................................................... 41

Baker, Chris .............................................................. 22 Barker, J.C. ................................................................. 10 Bass, Aaron .............................................................. 35 Bell, CJ .........................................................................47 Berardi, Mike ........................................................... 22 Betz, Tina .................................................................... 10 Boes, Jennifer ............................................................74 Book, Rob ................................................................... 38 Bortolotto, Alysse .................................................. 30 Bowman, Mike .......................................................... 31 Bradley, Pete .............................................................74 Brady, Robert .......................................................... 54 Brainard, Mark ........................................................ 35 Bravo, Sheila ............................................................ 67 Breen, Ed ..................................................................... 61 Brickner, Mike .......................................................... 68 Buccini, Chris ............................................................22 Buccini, Rob ............................................................. 22 Burkhard, Chris ....................................................... 54 Burton, Desa ..............................................................73

Cagnoni, Pablo ........................................................ 17 Calagione, Sam ....................................................... 41 Callahan, Patrick ................................................... 73 Callihan, Patrick .....................................................73 Capano III, Louis ................................................... 23 Carty, Ryan ................................................................ 72 Cecchett, Shelly ...................................................... 31 Chandler III, William ............................................. 56 Cheatham, Dora ...................................................... 61 Clark, Todd ................................................................ 35 Cohan, Jen ................................................................ 23 Comstock Gay, Stuart ........................................ 68 Connolly, Colm ........................................................ 47 Cooke, Brendan ....................................................... 10 Cornforth, Pam ....................................................... 68 Cottone, Andrew .................................................... 61

Dangello, Neal ......................................................... 23 Davis, Eric ................................................................... 47 Davisson, Pete ........................................................ 23 Deadwyler, Yvonne ................................................ 19 Del Fabbro, Peggy ..................................................24 Delle Donne, Ernie ............................................... 24 Dibert, Nancy ........................................................... 63 DiFonzo, Vince ........................................................ 75 Dignam, Denise ..................................................... 62 DiMeo, Antimo .......................................................... 41 DiSabatino, Brian ....................................................24 DiSabatino, Larry ....................................................24 Donovan, Keith ....................................................... 56 Dougherty, Matt ...................................................... 31 Draper-Russell, Molly .......................................... 64 du Pont, Ben ............................................................. 14 du Pont, Thère ......................................................... 68 DuPhily, Jerry .......................................................... 64

Eldridge, Stephanie .............................................. 74 Elliman, Wills ............................................................ 25 Eppes, Rob ............................................................... 69 Erkan, Kemal ............................................................ 49

Facciolo, Carmen ................................................... 25 Feeley, Mike .............................................................. 64 Fleming, Michael ..................................................... 18 Flinn, C. Barr ............................................................. 56 Foreman, Kurt ........................................................... 31 Frazee, Brian ............................................................. 50 Freeman, Michelle ................................................ 25 Friedlander, Joel ..................................................... 58

Ganter, Sara ............................................................... 10 Georigi, Carl ............................................................... 41 Giannone, Brother Ronald ................................ 69 Gibbs, Tim .................................................................. 50 Gideon, Markevis .................................................... 74 Gillan, David .............................................................. 14 Giordano, Molly ........................................................ 11 Gosnear, Jeff ..............................................................42 Grimes, Patti .............................................................. 11

Hampton Jr., Vandell ............................................ 14 Hanna, TJ ................................................................... 25 Harmon, LaVerne .................................................. 36 Harvey, E. Thomas ................................................ 26 Hastings, Shanté .................................................... 48 Heath, Paul .................................................................57 Herdman, Paul ......................................................... 36 Herrera, Rob ............................................................. 32 Herring, Logan ....................................................... 69 Hersh, Rachel ........................................................... 50 Hockstein, Neil ........................................................ 50 Hoffman, Michael ....................................................57 Holliday, Marie ..........................................................57 Horne, Tom ................................................................. 14 Houghton, Michael .................................................57 Householder, Jeff ................................................... 40 Hutton, Mark ............................................................. 15

Irwin, Amanda ......................................................... 62

Johnnie, Stephanie .................................................32 Julian, Rich ................................................................ 26 Jurden, Jan ................................................................ 37

Kaczowka, John ..................................................... 26 Kambalov, Kristina .................................................. 11 Kammerer, Scott .....................................................42 Kanefsky, Cathy ...................................................... 69 Kelly, Kevi n ............................................................... 26 Kenny, Chris ............................................................. 42 Kern, Matthew ........................................................ 42 Kershner, Vance ..................................................... 18 Khan-Flowers, Ayanna ....................................... 19 Kirschling, Neil .......................................................... 11 Kmiec, Eric ................................................................. 18 Koch, Lori ................................................................... 62 Kowalczyk, Renata .................................................32 Kramedas, Tom ........................................................ 75

Lafferty, William ..................................................... 58 Laird, Diane .............................................................. 32 Lang, Jeffrey ...............................................................27 Latina, Joseph ...........................................................27 Lee, Kelvin .................................................................. 18 Leishman, Carrie .................................................... 43 Levenson, Rodger ................................................... 15 Levin, Alan ................................................................. 43 Levine, Alison ........................................................... 64 Lingo, Bill .....................................................................27 Lopez, Hope .............................................................. 43

Macleod, Mac .......................................................... 65 Malfitano, Scott ...................................................... 33 Martinelli, Rob ........................................................ 65 Martuscelli, Gianmarco ...................................... 43 Matos, Maria ..............................................................70 McCarthy, Daniel ................................................... 15 McCormick, Kathaleen ....................................... 48 McGlinchey, Megan .............................................. 33 McGonigle, Thomas ............................................. 58 Meli, Larry ...................................................................72 Mell, Don ..................................................................... 15 Meoli, Michael ......................................................... 44 Mikles, Lee ................................................................ 44 Montgomery, Steve ............................................... 44 Morales, Sergio ........................................................ 19 Morkides, Alisa ........................................................ 44 Morrison, Dr. Lynn .................................................. 51 Morrone, Colleen ....................................................70 Moultrie, LaKresha ................................................ 48 Mrozinski, Abby ....................................................... 16 Mumford, Mark ........................................................ 51 Murphy, Terry ........................................................... 51 Musa, Jamil ............................................................... 48

Nealon, Denny .......................................................... 16 Nevin, Janice ............................................................. 51

O’Donoghue, Jim .................................................... 45 Otto, Chris ...................................................................52

Pancake, Bobby ...................................................... 45 Panichella, John ...................................................... 62 Parkowski, Linda .................................................... 33 Patibanda-Sanchez, Charuni .......................... 49 Patterson, Greg ....................................................... 49 Pennella, Skip ............................................................ 12 Perkins, Bob .............................................................. 20 Perry Keith, Colleen ...............................................37 Pettinaro, Greg .........................................................27 Phynx, Jet ................................................................... 65 Pires, Alex .................................................................. 45 Pomeroy, Paul ........................................................... 65 Provine, Bill ............................................................... 33

Quaranta, Mike ........................................................ 20

Rausch, Chris ........................................................... 66 Rhodes, James Ray ............................................... 38 Ricci, Paul .................................................................... 16 Rivera, Patricia ........................................................ 66 Royster, Jarrett .........................................................70

Sachais, Dr. Bruce ..................................................52 Saddler, Brett ........................................................... 34 Sawka, Greg ............................................................. 28 Schell, Chris .............................................................. 28 Schell, Preston .........................................................29 Scott, Wendy ............................................................ 66 Sears, Fred ............................................................... 34 Seitz Jr., Collins ....................................................... 49 Shaw, Carl ................................................................... 12 Shickel, Tracy ........................................................... 38 Short, Penny ..............................................................52 Silver, Daniel ............................................................. 59 Sklenar, Kenan .........................................................70 Skocik, Dave ................................................................71 Slater, Drew ............................................................... 40 Snyder, Bret .............................................................. 63 Stein, Scott ................................................................ 45 Stiglitz, Michael ...................................................... 46 Strand, Chris .............................................................. 12 Strickland, William .................................................72 Sugrue, Eric ............................................................... 46

Taccone, Sandy ....................................................... 66 Tam, David ................................................................ 52 Taylor, Michelle ....................................................... 71 Taylor, Nicholle ....................................................... 40 Teixido, Xavier ...........................................................47 Thomas, Ivan .............................................................67 Thomas, Scott .........................................................75 Tiberi, Dave .................................................................71 Tucker, Shawn ......................................................... 59

Vaddi, Kris ................................................................... 19 Varallo, Gregory ...................................................... 60 Vari, Jamie ...................................................................29 Vendetti, Dina .......................................................... 20 Vieira, Donna ............................................................. 16 Vincent, Charles .......................................................71

Walsh, Peter .............................................................. 60 Ward, Rod ................................................................... 61 Watkins, Greg ...........................................................67 Way, Tripp .................................................................. 30 Weaver, Lauren ....................................................... 20 Welch, Jessica ..........................................................75 Wellons, John ............................................................72 Westcott, Joe ..............................................................17

Yan, Yushan ............................................................... 63 Yao, Oliver .................................................................. 38 DelawareBusinessTimes.com | DELAWARE 222 9

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

J.C. Barker Delaware Symphony Orchestra

J.C. Barker took over as executive director of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra over five years ago, just ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic amidst a pivotal moment of change for the organization. Leaning on his prior experience as a director of artistic administration with the Mobile (Ala.) Symphony and as a classically trained musician, he has guided the DSO through a period of renewal and growth. Under his leadership, the DSO completed two new threeyear contracts with its professional musicians, conducted a two-year search for a new Music Director and more than doubled its endowment. Today, the Delaware Symphony thrives as a relevant and dynamic cultural institution — one that unites the community and inspires audiences through the enduring power of music. ALMA MATER:

Tina Betz City of Wilmington Office of Cultural Affairs

BOARD:

As the director of cultural affairs for Wilmington Mayor John Carney, Tina Betz is in the middle of the music, performance and art that flows through Delaware’s largest city. Now more than 20 years into her second stint in the role, the classically trained singer and dancer keeps Wilmington on its feet, perhaps foremost through the annual Clifford Brown Jazz Festival. For one weekend a year, the festival makes Delaware the highlight of the jazz world, bringing in stars like Herbie Hancock, Chuck Mangione and Kamasi Washington over its 37-year history. She also spearheads the development of the Tina Betz Urban Artist Exchange, a creative campus that reimagines abandoned municipal space as a thriving arts hub. Other initiatives her office spearheads include the Wilmington Black Storytelling Residency, and Arts Work Youth Apprenticeship Program. ALMA MATERS:

Q&A:

BOARDS: Q&A:

Brendan Cooke OperaDelaware

Brendan Cooke’s love of art runs deep, having launched the Baltimore Concert Opera in 2008 after the collapse of the Baltimore Opera Company with $700 in personal funds. He led that start-up company to exponential growth before joining the prestigious Baltimore Symphony Orchestra as group sales manager. In 2012, he moved to Wilmington to take over OperaDelaware, the 11th oldest opera company in the country. The classically trained opera singer has helped the Delaware company reach new heights through a new “festival” format that has garnered international attention. After leading through the COVID pandemic, Cooke emphasized the company’s “pop-up” performances with a mobile stage and has now put on more than 100 al fresco shows. ALMA MATERS: BOARD: Q&A:

| DelawareBusinessTimes.com DELAWARE | DelawareBusinessTimes.com 1010 DELAWARE 222222

Sara Ganter Rehoboth Art League

Sara Ganter took over as executive director of the Rehoboth Art League, Sussex County’s first organized cultural arts center, back in 2019. Through her tenure, she has helped the organization survive the COVID pandemic and return to a robust calendar of exhibitions, roster of educational offerings, and a wide array of arts-driven events, all of which draw more than 25,000 community members each year. For more than 80 years, the Rehoboth Art League has been a beacon for the arts in Sussex County, and its Henlopen Acres campus continues to spotlight established and upcoming artists. The Rehoboth Art League is also one of the few organizations in Delaware that actively acquires art for its permanent Collection of Fine Art, now counting hundreds of pieces. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A:

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Molly Giordano Delaware Art Museum

Molly Giordano grew up with a love of the arts, as her mother ran a community art center in her West Virginia hometown, so it makes sense that in 2010 she joined the Delaware Art Museum, a century-old art institution in Wilmington. She led the “Art is Everywhere” campaign, bringing reproductions of masterworks from the collection to cities throughout Delaware, and helped complete the museum’s strategic plan, rebranding, and fundraising initiatives. Through COVID, Giordano led the museum as an interim executive director and the board rewarded her by naming her the new permanent director in 2021. Among her biggest accomplishments is landing a $65,000 planning grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and a $2.5 million implementation grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to advance initiatives centered around its renown collection Pre-Raphaelite art.

Patti Grimes Freeman Arts Pavilion/ Carl M. Freeman Foundation

ALMA MATER: BOARDS:

ALMA MATERS: BOARDS:

Q&A:

Kristina Kambalov First State Ballet Theatre

As a lifelong performing ballerina, Kristina Kambalov brought her passion for the art to Delaware in the 1990s through the Russian Ballet Theatre of Delaware. That expanded in 1999, when she opened the Russian Ballet Centre in Newport with her husband, Pasha, and later incorporated a nonprofit school, First State Ballet Theatre. In 2003, they moved to Wilmington’s historic Grand Opera House and five years later started Delaware’s only professional ballet company, which today includes more than 20 dancers and performs around the state. After leading FSBT’s dance school as director for its first 17 years, Kambalov became executive director of the entire operation in 2016. Since then, FSBT has premiered numerous performances by new and established choreographers and founded the annual National Ballet Competition, which draws dancers ages 9 to 19 to perform before an esteemed judging panel for a shot at scholarships to summer ballet programs nationwide. ALMA MATER:

As the leader of the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation (JMFF) in Selbyville, Patti Grimes has helped to create a new live art mecca for Sussex County through the Freeman Arts Pavilion, which has hosted the likes of Cheap Trick, Steve Miller Band, Darius Rucker, Sheryl Crow, Patti LaBelle, and more in recent years. More than 750,000 people have attended the pavilion or the JMFF’s Arts Education and Community Access programs that have ventured out into the community since 2008. She also has helped oversee a capital campaign that is raising millions to build out the pavilion, bolstering the local economy. As executive director of the Carl M. Freeman Foundation, a private family foundation, Grimes directs millions of dollars in grants to more than 1,000 nonprofits in Sussex County and in Maryland.

Neil Kirschling Delaware Arts Alliance

Neil Kirschling took over in 2022 as executive director of the Delaware Arts Alliance, a statewide nonprofit advocacy organization that develops sector-wide strategies to advance arts and culture. He brought his experience from Rodel, where he helped shape education policy research, to the DAA. One of his first major tasks was creating Delaware’s CREATE Plan, a roadmap for the necessary policy changes and investments required to grow and sustain the creative sector that includes arts nonprofits, for-profit businesses, and individual artists. The plan outlines a $3.7 billion economic impact in Delaware but also sets up a roadmap on how to reduce barriers to help the state’s arts community thrive. ALMA MATER: BOARDS: Q&A:

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Francis “Skip” Pennella The Grand Opera House

Following the leadership transitions over the past two years, The Grand Opera House turned to longtime chairman and past banking executive Skip Pennella to lead the historic 152-year-old arts center. Now at the helm, Pennella is tasked with setting the stage for Wilmington’s historic theater for continued success in landing compelling stage shows and concerts by handling the financial side of show business. Pennella had served as the Grand’s board of director chair between 2007 and 2018 and had left retirement to take on the top job. Pennella also oversees the 1,252-seat Playhouse on Rodney Square and 305-seat The Baby Grand. Outside of the arts, he has also served for many years on several boards in Delaware, including Easterseals and Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League.

BANKS & FINANCIAL SERVICES

Carl Shaw Wilmington Public Library

Anyone still harboring notions that a library is a quiet place filled with dusty books hasn’t spent time at the Wilmington Public Library in recent years – and much of its public transformation is the work of Carl Shaw, assistant director of community engagement and programs. For several years, Shaw has helped organize and book major speaking engagements at the city library with the likes of NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman, activist Angela Davis, rappers Rakim and Master P, actress Phylicia Rashad, and more. His efforts helped the Wilmington Public Library to capture the 2022 National Medal of Museum and Library Service, the highest national honor for U.S. libraries. ALMA MATERS: BOARD:

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Chris Strand Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library

When Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, one of Delaware’s most attended and respected museums, needed to find a new CEO in 2021, it turned to Chris Strand. He had served as director of garden and estate at Winterthur since 2005, managing the care of the historic du Pont family’s nearly 1,000-acre property. As its leader, Strand will be responsible for Winterthur’s numerous academic programs with the University of Delaware, fundraising, planning and more. He already scored a win in landing a major exhibit on late couture designer Ann Lowe. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A:

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Elizabeth “Beth” Albano Artisans’ Bank

In 2020, Elizabeth “Beth” Albano was named the 12th president and CEO of Wilmington-based Artisans’ Bank, becoming the first woman to lead the bank in its history. Having worked her way through the ranks over a more than 30-year career with Artisans’, Albano was well-prepared to lead the mutual bank that is owned by its depositors. In her tenure at the helm, deposits have already grown 25% to more than $600 million. Albano also serves as a voice for community banks at the federal level through the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council. ALMA MATER: BOARDS: Q&A:

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BANKS & FINANCIAL SERVICES

Ben du Pont Chartline Capital Partners

As one of the most visible du Pont family heirs, Ben du Pont has supported the entrepreneurial vision advocated by his late father, former Gov. Pete du Pont IV. A co-founder and managing director at the venture capital fund Chartline Capital Partners, du Pont makes investments in enterprise and industrial technology companies working to make core industries more efficient, reliable, and safe. This year the firm started working with Discover Bank to invest in fintech startups reaching underserved populations. He also co-founded ZipCode Wilmington, which teaches coding for needed local jobs, and saved the Dupont Country Club in 2018.

David Gillan County Bank

David Gillan has led the Rehoboth Beach-based County Bank since 2011. He worked his way up the community bank’s hierarchy, starting as a loan officer at its founding in 1990, and has spent nearly 40 years in the banking industry. Today, County Bank is the third largest bank serving Delaware that is also headquartered in the state. Gillan’s leadership has led to appointments on the Federal Reserve of Philadelphia’s advisory council and on the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Committee, which formulates the state’s revenue projections. He also oversaw a rebranding of the bank in 2021. ALMA MATERS:

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Vandell Hampton, Jr. True Access Capital

As president & CEO of True Access Capital, Vandell Hampton Jr. leads Wilmington’s largest community development financial institution (CDFI), a nonprofit lender that utilizes both federal funds and private sector donations to reach distressed communities at favorable terms. He took the helm of what was then First State Community Loan Fund in 2004. Under his leadership, the nonprofit has provided over $20 million in financing to small businesses and community organizations throughout Delaware and southeastern Pennsylvania, landed state Community Investment Venture Funds, and taken over Women’s Business Center to support female entrepreneurs. He currently manages an operating budget exceeding $5 million and directs the stewardship of more than $25 million in assets. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A:

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Tom Horne JPMorgan Chase & Co.

As the leader of Delaware’s largest forprofit employer, Tom Horne oversees more than 11,000 workers as head of credit card operations, customer service and consumer branch banking for JPMorgan Chase. The veteran of MBNA has helped turn Chase into a major economic force and community supporter for its Wilmington home base and Delaware at large. A lifelong Delawarean, Horne has also been a proponent for the growth of finance and fintech jobs in the state by advising the University of Delaware’s Lerner School of Business and Economics, with which Chase has partnered. ALMA MATER: BOARDS: Q&A:

BANKS & FINANCIAL SERVICES

Mark Hutton M&T Bank

Mark Hutton was first recruited by M&T Bank in 2008 to open a small commercial banking office in the major financial market and would later help advise the acquisition of Wilmington Trust that pushed M&T to Delaware’s banking forefront. He last served as executive vice president of commercial banking in Delaware, one of the most important internal roles at the bank. Now he leads the bank with the largest brick-and-mortar presence here along with a major tech center and more than a thousand employees. In 2025, Hutton was also promoted to the head of M&T’s business banking division. ALMA MATERS:

Rodger Levenson WSFS Financial Corporation

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Daniel McCarthy Del-One Federal Credit Union

Dan McCarthy served as Del-One Federal Credit Union’s interim leader in Dec. 2023, with the board of directors making the appointment permanent on Jan. 25. McCarthy had served as the credit union’s chief human resources officer and chief administrative officer since 2019, and his resume includes key roles in human resources at The Ingerman Group and the Buccini/ Pollin Group. Founded in 1960 as Delaware Highway Federal Credit Union, Del-One FCU is now the largest credit union in Delaware. Under McCarthy’s direction, Del-One FCU had acquired Louviers FCU in November. Today, the organization serves more than 96,000 members and handles more than $940 million in deposits. ALMA MATERS: BOARD: Q&A:

Rodger Levenson, a banking industry veteran of more than three decades, has seen the growth of Wilmington-based WSFS Bank firsthand, rising through the C-Suite over 13 years to be named president and CEO in 2019. Since then, he has orchestrated WSFS’s merger with Bryn Mawr Trust to become the largest bank headquartered in the Philadelphia region and the sixth largest overall in the market. While WSFS is targeting growth in the Philadelphia market, the bank remains committed to its home state, employing more than 1,000 people here and donating millions to charity. Levenson will continue to be in Wilmington longer, as WSFS has renewed its lease on his headquarters in the city.

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Don Mell JPMorgan Chase & Co.

As former the site lead for the Delaware Market for JPMorgan Chase & Co., Don Mell leads strategic planning and initiatives supporting growth and opportunity for the bank’s more than 11,000 local employees. He was promoted at the end of 2025, and in his new role he will handle strategic planning and execution of initiatives for JPMorgan Chase’s teams from Maine to Georgia. On top of that, Mell been busy with managing Chase’s largest real estate and renovation project. The bank is also still looking to fill hundreds of open positions in Delaware’s credit operations, technology centers and more that will require Mell’s guidance and consultation with state government leaders. Mell will continue to be a key member of the Delaware market team for the largest bank in the U.S. BOARDS: Q&A:

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BANKS & FINANCIAL SERVICES

Abby Mrozinski Wilmington Trust

In 2021, Abby Mrozinski was selected to serve as head of global capital markets for Wilmington Trust, the investment arm of M&T Bank, after 15 years of experience in the company. She was a key leader in the 2011 merger of Wilmington Trust and M&T, helping in long-term planning of the brand. In her new role she oversees the largest practice in Wilmington Trust’s Institutional Client Services division, offering trustee, custody, fixed income, investment management, loan agency, default/bankruptcy and other special corporate services in more than 90 countries. Her leadership has already drawn industry accolades.

Denny Nealon Barclays U.S. Consumer Bank

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As the leader for Barclays’ U.S. Consumer Bank and its Wilmington headquarters, Denny Nealon has a major task to grow the British banking giant’s presence and credit and retail capabilities in America. Nealon, a veteran of the banking industry with time at First USA Bank and JPMorgan Chase, now oversees 1,000 employees in Delaware. Under his leadership, Barclays has made major commitments to create hundreds of jobs in the city, invest in STEM education in underrepresented areas, and support small business entrepreneurship. ALMA MATERS:

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Paul Ricci Best Egg

Best Egg CEO Paul Ricci leads one of Delaware’s fastest growing companies that help provide consumers with limited means with flexible loans. With about 1,000 employees less than a decade after its launch, Best Egg’s online lending platform has become a major job creator for the state. Looking back, Ricci, who has served as the company’s chief financial officer twice for about six total years, is familiar with the company’s growth plan and is continuing to diversify its operations. In late 2025, he helped facilitate a deal with Barclays to acquire Best Egg for $800 million. ALMA MATERS: Q&A:

Donna Vieira Sallie Mae

As executive vice president and chief commercial officer for student loan giant Sallie Mae, Donna Vieira is among the highest ranking and most visible executives at its Newark headquarters. She’s responsible for the company’s top-line revenue growth and creating an integrated digital experience across the enterprise. Her career has also seen executive-level roles at JPMorgan Chase and American Express, helping to drive customer acquisition. Her expertise led former Gov. John Carney to appoint her to the state’s Plans Management Board, which oversees investments for tens of thousands of families in savings and retirement plans. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A:

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BANKS & FINANCIAL SERVICES

Joe Westcott Capital One

As the leader of credit giant Capital One for the Delaware market, Joe Westcott leans on his more than 20 years of experience in the state’s banking industry. With nearly 2,000 workers in the state, Westcott manages the bank’s operations and represents its investments in the community, which include working with Delaware State University and nonprofits helping small business entrepreneurship. He was one of the key figures behind Capital One’s $35.3 billion acquisition of Discover Bank, making it the sixth largest bank in the nation. As part of that deal, Capital One is set to invest $35 million to Delaware nonprofits. ALMA MATER: BOARDS: Q&A:

BIOPHARMACEUTICAL

Pablo Cagnoni Incyte

Dr. Pablo Cagnoni is the man behind research and development for Delaware’s top bioscience company, Incyte. Since 2023, he’s been spearheading the company’s research and development strategy across its broad portfolio of oncology, hematology, autoimmunity and dermatology. He’s since secured the approval for four first-in-class treatments for patients in the oncology and dermatology space, including Zynyz and Opzelura. Outside of Incyte, Cagnoni has also played a key part in development and commercialization of more than 20 medicines. He previously served as chief executive officer of Laronde, a company dedicated to the development of a new type of translatable ribonucleic acid (RNA) called endless RNA. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS:

proudly celebrates Michael Albero, CPA, MST Recognized among Delaware’s 222 Impactful Leaders for his commitment to clients, colleagues, and community. www.aka.cpa

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BIOPHARMACEUTICAL

Michael Fleming Delaware BioScience Association/ Delaware Center for Life Science Education and Training

Michael Fleming, a biopharmaceutical industry veteran who spent 18 years with global biopharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), was appointed president of the Delaware BioScience Association in June 2020. The industry association represents more than 200 companies in the burgeoning industry in the First State, hosting monthly meetings to connect members, producing reports highlighting the growth of the industry, and advocating for policy changes. He’s well-suited to the role, having started his career as Wilmington state office director for the late U.S. Sen. William V. Roth Jr. Under Fleming’s leadership Del Bio has increased its impact by creating the manufacturing workforce training program Delaware BioConnect.

Vance Kershner LabWare

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Eric Kmiec ChristianaCare Gene Editing Institute/ CorriXR Therapeutics

As one of the nation’s foremost researchers on the gene-editing technology known as CRISPR for the last three decades, Eric Kmiec has brought attention to Delaware from the wider biopharmaceutical industry. The former University of Delaware professor partnered in 2015 with the state’s largest health care system, ChristianaCare, to launch the Gene Editing Institute to further research into the potential to overcome drug resistance in solid tumors. Its programs for treating cancers are now advancing through the U.S. Food & Drug Administration approval process toward the clinic. In 2022, he spun out some of the institute’s most promising work in a new startup, CorriXR Therapeutics, that could be a major job creator of the future. In 2025, CorriXR secured $1 million from the Delaware Accelerator & Seed Capital Program. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A:

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A former DuPont scientist, Vance Kershner left to found LabWare in 1987, developing a software to better streamline workflow and track lab processes. Today, it is claimed that a product that has been affected by LabWare is always within 6 feet of us – ranging from medicines to foods, gas to chemicals. More than 1 billion samples go through LabWare software each year from 2,500 customers in 125 countries. With the success of LabWare, Kershner has become increasingly involved in a variety of other pursuits, including co-founding the venture capital firm Leading Edge Ventures, operating Wilmingtonarea restaurants Buckley’s Tavern and Goober’s Diner, and developing overseas resorts in the British Virgin Islands and South Africa.

Kelvin Lee NIIMBL & University of Delaware

When the University of Delaware looked to host the creation of the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL), a federally designated accelerator for work in biopharmaceutical manufacturing, it turned to former Delaware Biotechnology Institute Director Kelvin Lee. Since taking the helm of NIIMBL in 2017, Lee has led the private-public organization to new heights, raising hundreds of millions in funding to advance projects that build upon lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic. The presence of NIIMBL has raised the profile of Delaware and UD in the biopharmaceutical industry, helping to attract new economic development. It is preparing to break ground on its latest expansion, the SABRE Center, that will work as a manufacturing plant test bed. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A:

BIOPHARMACEUTICAL

Kris Vaddi Prelude Therapeutics

Ayanna Khan-Flowers

Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce

Kris Vaddi spent 14 years at Incyte where he helped develop one of its most important drugs, Jakafi. After two decades in the biopharmaceutical industry though, he wanted to return to the grassroots innovation of a startup, and left to found Prelude Therapeutics in 2016. The company has drawn increasing international attention for its work on small molecule inhibitors, a developing therapy that is more targeted in approach with fewer side effects than traditional cancer therapies like chemotherapy or radiation. Prelude is working on treatments for blood, brain, and lymph node cancers. The promise of Prelude’s work drove it to become the newest publicly traded company to IPO from Delaware, raising hundreds of millions of dollars from investors since 2020, and has opened a new headquarters and research lab at the Chestnut Run Innovation & Science Park.

BUSINESS ORGANIZATION

Yvonne Deadwyler New Castle County Chamber of Commerce

Since joining the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce in 2019, Yvonne Deadwyler has risen to lead the organization as president, making it her mission to support, promote, and advocate for businesses in Delaware’s largest county and statewide economic driver. In her first year as president, she has strengthened the Chamber’s role in economic development and expanded marquee events including the Education Reception, Annual Economic Forecast, Women’s Leadership Conference and State of the County. Beyond the Chamber, Yvonne serves on several boards and has contributed her expertise on the economic development transition teams for both Mayor John Carney and County Executive Marcus Henry. Her leadership and impact have been recognized. In 2024, she received the Distinguished Hispanic Delawarean Award, and in 2025, she was honored as Delaware Tech’s Hispanic Heritage Honoree.

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Sensing a need amid the COVID pandemic in 2020, Ayanna KhanFlowers founded the Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce (DEBCC) so Black entrepreneurs and professionals could connect, collaborate, and thrive. Under her leadership, the chamber has grown exponentially, becoming a powerful advocate for more than 600 business members in the state along with her own small business consulting firm, Khan Consulting LLC. The DEBCC was named the 2023 National Black Chamber of Commerce of the Year. Khan-Flowers recently received an honorary doctorate degree in humanities from the United Graduate College and Seminary International. The newlywed also helped the DEBCC move into their new headquarters and officially launch a business incubator on Wilmington’s East Side.

Sergio Morales helped to organize the state’s Latino business community into ¡DALE!, or the Delaware Alliance of Latino Entrepreneurs. He knows the needs of small business owners, founding and leading E&S Morales Brothers LLC, a general contractor specializing in custom homes, renovations, additions, decks, and more in central and southern Delaware. After participating in programs with La Plaza Delaware in Sussex County, Morales took a leadership role in organizing ¡DALE! in 2022. The new organization has partnerships with the Association of Builders and Contractors Delaware and Builders and Remodelers Association of Delaware and lobbied the state legislature over a Contract Workforce Agreement bill they argued would hurt Latino businesses. In the past year, ¡DALE! has also helped organize 12week business planning courses.

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Sergio Morales Delaware Alliance of Latino Entrepreneurs

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BUSINESS ORGANIZATION

Bob Perkins Delaware Business Roundtable

The Delaware Business Roundtable is a consortium of the CEOs and business leaders in Delaware, and Bob Perkins is at the center of it all, and crafting its policy agenda to enhance the quality of life for all Delawareans through economic growth. Perkins was one of the leads that helped set the Growth Agenda in 2016, which led to the creation of the Delaware Prosperity Partnership, a publicprivate partnership that serves as the state’s economic development agency. In 2024, the Roundtable produced the Investment Agenda, which called for the government, the business community and the philanthropic community to get on the same page with respect to Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Talent and Workforce, and Long-Term Competitiveness. The hope is that this agenda will set a roadmap to solve many lingering issues in the state.

Mike Quaranta Delaware State Chamber of Commerce

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Dina Vendetti Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce

Taking over the Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce in 2020, Dina Vendetti now leads the largest chamber in Kent County at a time when the Dover corridor has been steadily gaining ground with landing large manufacturing companies. Before joining the CDCC as marketing and communication director in 2019, she had a career in the Lutheran School System. Today, she represents hundreds of businesses in Kent County, advocating for their needs at the local, county and state levels. Her role is now in the spotlight as Dover began a major downtown redevelopment project in 2025. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A:

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As leader of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, the oldest and most influential business association in the state, Michael Quaranta has the ability to help set public policy for thousands of state businesses, big or small. Taking the helm of the state chamber in 2018, Quaranta was a good fit, having served on the staff of what would become the Department of Homeland Security, managed operations for 30 states for a Fortune 500 company, lobbied with the Podesta Group, and served as chief of staff to then-U.S. Rep. Mike Castle for seven years. Today, Quaranta has the ear of major CEOs around the state, the governor and legislative leaders, and he’s pushed membership to new highs to extend the lobbying power of the chamber.

Lauren Weaver Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce

As Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Lauren Weaver is responsible for the organization’s consistent achievement of its mission and financial objectives. Weaver is responsible for the leadership of all operation staff, and the development and implementation of all policies, goals and other activities as required by the Board of Directors. In program development and administration, Weaver enhances the organization’s effectiveness by providing professional management support, representing the Chamber’s 800 members and ten towns in southeastern Delaware. As a sign of the booming business growth, Weaver helped open the chamber’s second office in Dagsboro in 2024. ALMA MATERS: BOARD:

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Congratulations!

Yvonne Deadwyler New Castle County Chamber of Commerce

Alysse Bortolotto The Emerging Enterprise Center

Congratulations to our very own Yvonne Deadwyler and Alysse Bortolotto on being named to the Delaware Business Times Delaware 222! The New Castle County Chamber of Commerce and its Emerging Enterprise Center are proud to celebrate their achievements, leadership, and contributions in shaping businesses and organizations across our state.

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CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE

Chris Baker George & Lynch

It was a bit of serendipity that led Chris Baker to the Dover-based construction firm George & Lynch more than 30 years ago, but it turned out to be a lifelong career. He worked his way up from an intern to leading the firm of more than 175 associates who build highways and bridges, lay utilities and construct water and sewer plants. Under his leadership, the century-old George & Lynch recently became one of the state’s largest employee-owned companies after offering an Employee Stock Ownership Plan. ALMA MATER:

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Mike Berardi Wohlsen Construction Company

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Chris Buccini Buccini/Pollin Group

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Lifelong Delawarean Chris Buccini, along with his brother Rob and business partner Dave Pollin, has left his mark through billions of dollars in developments, primarily in his hometown of Wilmington. As leader of the firm’s commercial management affiliate, BPG Real Estate Services, Buccini has overseen major renovations of its downtown office buildings and opened the Market West campus, including the former Brandywine, Nemours and DuPont buildings. He and the BPG team landed a major lease in 2025 when Corteva announced it would move its Delaware team to the Brandywine building.

Since 2011, Mike Berardi has been with one of the top construction firms in the region, overseeing Wohlsen’s business in Delaware, southeastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey and the Maryland region. In his role, he oversees all aspects of Wohlsen’s business, including finance, business development and pre-construction. Before that he spent 30 years in the construction industry, honing skills in green building practices and value engineering, getting ahead of the curve before residential developers were considering environmentally friendly practices. Berardi also has extensive experience in health care, senior living, corporate, federal and industrial builds as well.

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Robert Buccini Buccini/Pollin Group

Since co-founding Buccini/Pollin Group with his brother Chris and business partner Dave Pollin, Rob Buccini has grown the company to over $6 billion in transactions and ownership of 6 million square feet of office and retail space, over 10,000 hotel rooms, 3,500 apartments and four live entertainment venues. He leads BPG’s residential, commercial, retail, parking, sports and entertainment development activities, including building the Chase Fieldhouse in Wilmington. More recently, he completed the Press, a 14-story glass and metal apartment building on Orange Street. He’s got plans to convert and build more residential projects in the years to come. ALMA MATER: BOARD: Q&A:

CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE

Louis Capano III Capano Management

As a third-generation real estate developer, Louis Capano III is wellversed in building in the First State. His family-owned and family-led Capano Management offers a full range of services from real estate investments to asset acquisition, management to construction and sales/leasing to mortgage origination. With 3 million square feet of office and retail assets under management and more than 8,000 multifamily units and 40+ residential communities developed or under construction Capano has built one of the largest development firms in Delaware with projects like The Falls and The Reserve at South Ridge. Outside the firm, his family’s charitable foundation has also donated more than $6 million to local causes.

Jen Cohan Associated Builders and Contractors, Delaware

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Neal Dangello Newmark

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Jen joined the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), Delaware Chapter, as its next leader after she finished a three-year term at Leadership Delaware. At ABC Delaware, she represents more than 500 member companies when it comes to local and state government matters and safeguarding the merit shop philosophy. In her role, Cohan strives to robustly expand workforce development through apprenticeships and training programs. She also launched a Women in Construction Summit in 2025, as a way to bring female professionals in construction together.

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Since joining Newmark in 2001, Neal Dangello has completed more than 1,000 leasing and sales transactions totaling more than 8 million square feet. which are amongst some of the largest leasing transactions in the region, including high-profile occupiers such as ING Direct, Capital One, Farmers Insurance, Computer Sciences Corp., and CSC. That work has frequently drawn Dangello industry accolades naming him one of the best real estate brokers in the greater Philadelphia region. During his tenure, Dangello has worked with some of the largest landlords in the region, including Equity Commonwealth, Brandywine Realty Trust, Buccini/Pollin Group, Trefoil Properties, Keystone Property Group and M&T Bank.

Pete Davisson, a founding partner of the regional brokerage Jackson Cross Partners, found his calling late in life. He was 43 when he started as a full-time broker but found that he had an eye for selling. Over the last four decades, he has worked with landlords, tenants, buyers and sellers in a career has spanned more than 1,000 transitions. Those deals include more than 3-million-square-feet of space and $700 million in sales and leases, and he’s worked with national companies such as Bank of America, DuPont, AIG and Bloomberg.

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Pete Davisson Jackson Cross Partners

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CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE

Peggy Del Fabbro M. Davis & Sons

As the fifth generation of Davis family members to lead the storied M. Davis & Sons construction firm, Peggy Del Fabbro has been on the job since she was a little girl. While she was hesitant to follow in her father’s footsteps at first, she joined the family business and worked her way through the ranks until taking over in 2008. In her tenure, Del Fabbro has launched boiler and electrical power distribution departments along with an engineering group. Today, M. Davis is the largest woman-owned company in Delaware and a leader in customized industrial solutions, from modular fabrication projects to mechanical and electrical services and more. Del Fabbro takes pride in her team that provides quality craftsmanship and sincere commitment to safety. ALMA MATER:

Ernie Delle Donne Delle Donne & Associates

As a second-generation builder, Ernie Delle Donne learned the ins-and-outs of the development business from his late father, Eugene. They worked together for four years as Delle Donne & Associates, and today Ernie has carried on the family legacy by building some of Delaware’s most recognizable buildings, including the Tower at STAR on the University of Delaware’s STAR Campus, 802 Delaware Avenue that is home to Capital One, and now Avenue North, a reimagining of the former AstraZeneca campus in Fairfax. Avenue North has landed its first major tenant, Morris James. Delle Donne may be best known as the father of two-time WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne. ALMA MATER:

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Brian DiSabatino EDiS Company

Since joining EDiS Company in 1987 as a fourth-generation owner, Brian DiSabatino has been a leader in the construction of some of Delaware’s most impressive buildings and a leader in the community too. EDiS built the renovated University of Delaware football stadium, Wilmington University’s Brandywine campus, the new Avenue North Tower and even a whole new community, with the Town of Whitehall. Outside the firm, DiSabatino serves as chair of The Grand Opera House and the Delaware Business Roundtable, while also advocating for mental health among military veterans with annual fundraisers. ALMA MATER:

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Larry DiSabatino DiSabatino Construction Company

In founding DiSabatino Construction Company in 1981, Larry DiSabatino created one of the most prolific builders in Delaware. He has managed more than $1.2 billion dollars worth of construction since 1976, including major laboratory, research and office facilities, more than 3,200 apartment units, homes, and various commercial facilities. The firm has won contracts for projects for ChristianaCare, Nemours Children’s Health, DuPont, and TD Bank, among others. It notably is building Villa Maria and The Flats, two major redevelopment projects for income-eligible housing in Wilmington. ALMA MATER: Q&A:

CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE

Wills Elliman

Newmark

When it comes to Delaware’s office market, there are few as well connected as Newmark Senior Managing Director Wills Elliman. He joined the major brokerage’s Wilmington office in 2001 and for more than two decades has represented Fortune 500 corporations, law firms, and institutional landlords, including deals with ING Direct, CSC, Solenis, SevOne and Richards, Layton & Finger. Elliman worked on the $83 million sale of Barclays U.S. Consumer Bank’s headquarters in Wilmington, which was one of the most expensive office sales in recent memory for Delaware.

Carmen Facciolo NAI Emory Hill

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Michelle Freeman Carl M. Freeman Companies

Michelle (DiFebo) Freeman is the owner and CEO of the Carl M. Freeman Companies, a real estate company established in 1947 that specializes in land acquisition, land planning, development and the management of award-winning, amenity-rich residential communities, neighborhood shopping centers and commercial properties. In Delaware, the firm has built the Bayside, Tidewater Landing and Tower Hill communities in Sussex County, along with two golf courses. Freeman is also president and chair of the Carl M. Freeman Foundation, which gives grants in the communities where it works, and chair of the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation, which honors her late husband by providing arts and arts education. BOARDS:

Carmen Facciolo joined Emory Hill as partner in 1983, just two years after the full-service firm was founded. In 1997, the firm aligned with the NAI Global network, and today NAI Emory Hill offers everything from development and to construction management and design-build services to management, maintenance and brokerage services. The firm has executed more than $1 billion in deals over its 40-year history, and developed projects like Little Falls Centre, White Clay Center and Christiana Meadows. Facciolo has leaned on prior experience with Jackson Cross Company and Facciolo Construction to help advance the firm’s goals. ALMA MATER: BOARDS:

Thomas J. “T.J.” Hanna Harvey Hanna & Associates

Thomas “T.J.” Hanna teamed with partner Thom Harvey III in 1997 to build Harvey Hanna & Associates from a boutique real estate development firm into one of the major firms of Delaware. Hanna has overseen development and management of more than 6 million square feet of commercial space in the mid-Atlantic region and hundreds of millions of dollars in financing and sales. He was instrumental in converting the former GM Boxwood plant into a site that today boasts one of the largest Amazon facilities in the country. In 2008, Hanna also established Sam's Kids, formerly known as the Delaware KIDS Fund, a nonprofit designed to assist local area kids in distressed situations. In 2025, Hanna has stepped away from handling direct day-to-day operations at Harvey Hanna." ALMA MATER:

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CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE

E. Thomas Harvey III Harvey Hanna & Associates

E. Thomas “Thom” Harvey III had a long, successful career building a solid waste hauling and recycling firm when he decided to form the commercial real estate development firm Harvey Hanna & Associates in 1997. Since then, he's redeveloped four prominent business campuses and industrial parks, expanded into retail centers and developed a successful hotel affiliate, TKo Hospitality. Outside of the firm, Harvey is a philanthropist, having donated $1.3 million to the American Heart Association to fund more resources, educate the public, and operate new programs. In early 2025, Harvey has transitioned to chairman of the board while bringing on new executives to usher the developer into the next decade of growth. ALMA MATER:

Richard Julian Benchmark Builders and Eastern States Development Company

John Kaczowka CBRE

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As senior vice president in the major commercial real estate brokerage CBRE, John Kaczowka is among the busiest agents working out of Wilmington. He joined CBRE in 1998 and today specializes in commercial office and industrial properties, offering a unique perspective after serving as a tenant advisor. This past year, Kaczowka was involved in 82 sale and lease deals totaling more than 1.3 million square feet of space. He’s also been involved in Wilmington by assisting the formation of Downtown Visions, which is tasked with public safety and cleanliness, business development and event planning.

As president of third-generation, family-owned Eastern States Group and Benchmark Builders, Rich Julian has been among the most prolific home builders in Delaware over the past 20 years, building or partnering on more than 2,300 homes in 26 communities. Benchmark was at the forefront of 55+ community development and continues to be among the biggest builders in the niche. Julian was also a co-founder of the Town of Whitehall community along with EDiS Company, helping to develop one of the largest master-planned communities in the state near Middletown.

Kevin Kelly Leon N. Weiner & Associates

Wilmington-based homebuilder Kevin Kelly has been a tireless advocate for affordable housing in Delaware and throughout the United States over a decades-long career. Leon N. Weiner & Associates (LNWA) has a diverse portfolio of both affordable housing and commercial projects, building, developing and/or operating more than 14,000 homes, rental properties and apartments across 10 states for people of all income levels, and more than 650 hotel rooms. The firm has developed a reputation for firsts in affordable housing construction and financing, building Delaware’s first integrated community, the first turnkey public housing community, the first new construction Section 8 housing and the first Hope VI housing. Kelly’s leadership in those efforts led to his induction into the National Housing Hall of Fame. ALMA MATERS: ¢ BOARD: Q&A: £

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CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE

Jeffrey Lang Lang Development Group

Jeffrey Lang founded Lang Development Group in 2001 and has since grown the small firm to one of the most prolific developers in the Newark area. It focuses on mixed-use projects that provide quality housing for college students along with building a thriving retail community in downtown Newark, completing more than 40 projects with more than 425 units and 500,000 square feet of commercial space. This year, Lang also finished the firm’s first hotel, the Hyatt Place on Main Street, and began work on its first sports facility, Castle Sports. Outside development, Lang supports children and families in the Newark community through the Lang Cares Foundation.

Joseph Latina LMT Commercial Realty

Joe Latina, a veteran real estate broker well-known for his work in retail and restaurants after being born into a restaurateur family, spent the first 33 years of his career with PattersonWoods Commercial Properties. In 2022, he began to reassess his future and decided to form his own firm, LMT Commercial Realty, with partners Chris Moore and Jim Tancredi. Over his career he’s been involved with more than 300 restaurant and bar deals and has overseen total deals worth more than $1 billion. Latina also recently served as president of CORFAC International, an international commercial real estate network. ALMA MATER:

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Bill Lingo Jack Lingo Realtor

Founded in 1974 by retired Air Force Colonel Jack Lingo, Jack Lingo Realtor is a family-owned business that focuses on realty in the Sussex County market, ranging between beach homes in the coastal communities to commercial and residential space in other parts of the county. The company first started with a single office on Rehoboth Avenue, and now has added two more in Lewes and Millsboro. Bill Lingo, the second generation at the helm of the company, has more than 40 years in finance and real estate markets and remains involved in appraisals of residential subdivisions and commercial properties. Jack Lingo Realtor’s portfolio includes more than 1,000 units with residential areas and commercial developments like Tanger Outlet Centers and retirement communities. ALMA MATER:

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Gregory Pettinaro Pettinaro

As a second-generation leader of vertically integrated real estate development firm Pettinaro, Gregory Pettinaro spent a lifetime learning from his father, Verino. Today, the firm is the largest development firm in Delaware, and largely built Wilmington’s Riverfront, including the Chase Center on the Riverfront, the Shipyard Center, the Christina Crescent and Gates Building, and more. In 2022, Pettinaro completed a long sought-after project in redeveloping Barley Mill Plaza and attracting the state’s first Wegman’s grocery store. That project is continuing with future phases. The firm has started to see the first houses be built on the former Hercules golf course, while donating the rest of the land to New Castle County for preservation. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A: ¥ ¦

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CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE

Greg Sawka Bancroft Construction

After a career at Exelon and custom home-building, Greg Sawka came to Wilmington-based Bancroft Construction almost by chance after answering an ad. Starting as an assistant project manager and rising through the ranks of the firm to oversee operations and preconstruction, Sawka was named president and CEO in 2010. Since then, he’s helped the construction firm parlay successful expansion projects at the University of Delaware and Longwood Gardens into fruitful long-term relationships with both, including as part of a bid group on UD’s STAR Campus. Sawka also opened offices in Princeton, N.J., and Salisbury, Md., to expand Bancroft’s geographic reach. After 25 years with the company, Sawka will retire the end of 2025, putting a cap on a remarkable career. ALMA MATERS:

Chris Schell Schell Brothers

Schell Brothers is a new home construction company that bills itself as focusing on happiness over profit, and has divisions in Delaware, Richmond, Va. and Nashville, Tenn. The company offers varieties of architectural styles and innovative home plans, and since its inception in 2003, it has built between 400 and 500 homes in the First State per year. Preston Schell launched the company after a successful career in finance, notably a position at Merrill Lynch in Chicago, but searching for something more than making money. With 260 employees, Schell Brothers has also branched out into interior design with Decor Direct, outside living space design with Creative Courtyards as well as solar panel installation with Clean Energy USA. ALMA MATERS:

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CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE

Preston Schell Ocean Atlantic Companies

Preston Schell left a career as an investment banker to return back to the place that always brought him the most happiness: Delaware’s beaches. Here, he founded Ocean Atlantic Companies, a full-service real estate development firm that has built commercial projects, residential neighborhoods and resort clubhouses, including The Peninsula on the Indian River Bay and Lighthouse Club at Coastal Club. Along with his twin brother, Chris, Schell is also among the biggest philanthropists in Sussex County, donating millions of dollars annually to local causes. An avid environmental supporter, Schell also cofounded the Sussex County Land Trust. ALMA MATERS: BOARD: Q&A: ¡ ©¡ ¡ ¡

Jamie Vari Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL)

As executive vice president of JLL’s Wilmington office, Jamie Vari specializes in landlord and tenant representation services for corporate and institutional clients throughout Delaware and the greater Philadelphia region. In 13 years with the firm, Vari and his team have successfully negotiated more than 1,000 transactions that are collectively valued at more than $500 million. He’s worked closely with major landlords like Delle Donne & Associates, The Commonwealth Group, and Harvey Hanna & Associates. Major achievements include overseeing leasing out Avenue North and representing Potter Anderson’s long term lease extension in Wilmington. ALMA MATER: BOARDS: Q&A:

WE BUILD TO SERVE COMMUNITIES & BETTER LIVES. WILMINGTON | PRINCETON | SALISBURY WWW.BANCROFTCONSTRUCTION.COM

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CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE

Tripp Way DSM Commercial

Since its founding in 2012, DSM Commercial has become a leader in Delaware and the surrounding region with an all-inclusive suite of commercial real estate services such as brokerage, construction, property management and maintenance and real estate development. The firm has more than 150 years of experience and has worked with projects like industrial parks to office buildings to everything in between. As partner, Tripp Way’s responsibilities include tenant and landlord representation and investment property analysis and sales. Previously, Way worked as a commercial real estate appraiser and served as Senior Consultant to the Herman/Turner Group, as a consultant with Capital Valuation Group and was a partner at Emory Hill Real Estate Services. ALMA MATER:

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Alysse Bortolotto New Castle County Chamber of Commerce

In the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce, Alysse Bortolotto works to foster entrepreneurship and workforce development at programs, events and partnerships through the Emerging Enterprise Center. She has also boosted the organization’s online programs and resources, including the “Delaware Start-Up Story.” Bortolotto also manages the New Castle County Chamber’s incubator, a 500-squarefoot office space that has been used by at least 75 companies that have created 250 jobs and generated $82 million in revenue. One of the flagship events she helps execute is the State of the County and Swim with the Sharks Pitch Competition. ALMA MATER: Q&A:

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Mike Bowman Delaware Technology Park

The Delaware Technology Park is a complex of five buildings just east of the University of Delaware’s STAR Campus that has more than 50 tenants, including multinational corporations like QPS to manufacturers like Sepax Technologies, and more. The organization also runs a laboratory extension and the new FinTech Innovation Hub, both on the STAR Campus. The Delaware Technology Park is working on its sixth building. As its CEO, Mike Bowman has had a hand in more than 150 companies and creating 16,000 jobs as well as bringing in more than $600 million in investment and funding. Over the years, Bowman has helped hundreds of businesses there with space and mentorship. He also was one of the key figures that helped launch The Innovation Space, as DuPont executives looked to breathe new life in former DuPont office space.

Shelly Cecchett Kent Sussex Leadership Alliance

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Matt Dougherty The Committee of 100

Matt Doughtery has long been fascinated by politics, dating back to volunteering for the grassroots campaign of Boston Mayor Marty Walsh when he was in college. He cultivated that interest into working with trade associations and then-U.S. Rep. John Carney. Dougherty is now leveraging those experiences into his job at the Committee of 100. That organization is a is a non-partisan, nonprofit association of Delaware business leaders that works to promote responsible economic development and address issues that affect the state’s economic health. He’s been active in hosting networking events and listening sessions about issues impacting northern Delaware, including parking access, rent increase caps and more. Even before being named to the top job, Doughtery was well-known in his native state as he worked on campaigns for House Democrats, U.S. Senator Tom Carper and the final months of Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long’s gubernatorial campaign. ALMA MATER: Q&A:

Shelly Cecchett is an experienced community leader and executive with 30 years of service on various boards and committees, all with a focus on central and southern Delaware in mind. Since 2008, she has served as the executive director of the Greater Kent Committee which brought together executives of Kent County to improve the community’s economy through addressing education, development and quality of life issues. To many, its major success story was the DE Turf Complex which now attracts thousands of athletes and spectators to Frederica each year. In 2023, Cecchett helped transition the organization to the Kent Sussex Leadership Alliance, reflecting that its membership base and its focus area now include Sussex County. Before her work in economic development, she had also played a pivotal role in establishing the CenDel Foundation and was instrumental in acquiring and renovating the Community Service Building in downtown Dover.

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Kurt Foreman Delaware Prosperity Partnership

In 2018, Kurt Foreman became the first president and CEO of the Delaware Prosperity Partnership, a publicprivate entity designed to restructure Delaware’s economic development efforts. Foreman’s resume includes various senior economic development roles in chambers and independent groups throughout the country, including the Midwest, Pennsylvania and the Washington, D.C., metro area. He has also worked with local and county settings, as well as regionallyfocused programs. In his eight-year tenure, DPP supported 87 projects that the office says retained or created 11,500 jobs and resulted in $3.75 billion in capital investment. ALMA MATERS:

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Robert Herrera The Mill

Rob Herrera began fighting for a vision of a Delaware-focused co-working space in 2016 as a way to foster collaboration and innovation. With backing from the Buccini/Pollin Group, he was able to open The Mill’s 11,000 square feet inside the Nemours Building in downtown Wilmington. A year later, The Mill has been home to notable start-ups like Ally Financial and nonprofits like Zip Code Wilmington. The Mill has since added a second location in the Baynard building in the Wilmington suburbs and Herrera is planning its first Sussex County location in Seaford as part of a reimagined Nylon Capital Shopping Center. In 2025, Gov. Matt Meyer named him as the co-chair of the Delaware Prosperity Partnership Board to help set the vision for the state’s economic development plan.

Stephanie Johnnie Pete du Pont Freedom Foundation

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Renata Kowalczyk Wilmington Alliance

The Wilmington Alliance focuses on creating a more inclusive and prosperous Wilmington for all residents and businesses and Renata Kowlaczyk is its first and only CEO. In 2019, the organization combined with the Wilmington Renaissance Corp. to form an allyship to support the city in ways unseen or before to support economic development efforts. Kowalczyk partners with various stakeholders to create programs and initiatives to address workforce development, entrepreneurship, placemaking and civic engagement in the city. Most recently, she and the Wilmington Alliance hosted the “Yes! Wilmington” event that geared towards building equitable economic opportunities for the city and its residents.

Founded in 2003, the Pete du Pont Freedom Foundation is a nonprofit that promotes America’s spirit of private enterprise by collaborating with business leaders, community partners and service providers to invest in business development. Stephanie Johnnie first joined the foundation in early 2021 as a program manager before quickly stepping into a leadership role. As executive director, Johnnie oversees events and sponsorship programs like the Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystem (E3) that have elevated business ideas across the state. The foundation’s annual Reinventing Delaware program also helps advance transformative ideas in the state. In her time with the foundation, it has secured more than $2 million in grants and launched four new statewide programs.

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As Executive Director of the Downtown Dover Partnership, Daine Laird has guided the partnership into developing a master plan to transform downtown Dover. Now the organization has a multitude of projects underway, including more than $100 million toward an anticipated $500 million in redevelopment, housing, placemaking, transportation and other strategies. Laird works to support development of commercial properties and grow, preserve and promote Dover's economic, historic and cultural assets. Her responsibilities include organizational development, business recruitment, expansion and retention. In addition to her economic development work, Laird launched Simple Joys LLC in 2011. That business features a combination of pen/ink and watercolors to produce lively, colorful and accurate paintings, including historic architecture and downtown scenes.

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Diane Laird Downtown Dover Partnership

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Scott Malfitano

CSC / Delaware Workforce Development Board

In his more than two decades at CSC, Scott Malfitano has answered customer service calls, launched incorporate.com, aided with the company’s business license service and overseen building its global headquarters in Wilmington. He also worked to establish the CSC Station, a co-working and innovation space on the Wilmington Riverfront. Today, Malfitano leads efforts to reinvigorate the state’s Workforce Development Board by bringing together industry, educators and public officials to prepare workers for future opportunities. With the assistance of Tech Impact, the Delaware Workforce Development Board has launched a new app to help connect people looking with training programs throughout the state.

Megan McGlinchey Riverfront Development Corporation of Delaware

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Linda Parkowski Kent Economic Partnership

Kent Economic Partnership is focused on attracting and retaining businesses in central Delaware, which boasts of a hour and a half drive to D.C., Philadelphia and New York. Roughly 60% of the U.S. population is within a three-hour radius of Kent County. Linda Parkowski was named executive director of the KEP in 2018, after the nonprofit was reorganized. Under her leadership, Kent County has helped draw a $80 million corrugated box plant and is focusing efforts on drawing warehouse tenants to East Dover, among other initiatives. BOARDS: Q&A:

Created by the state government to boost economic vitality along the Christina River in 1996, the Riverfront Development Corporation has been a catalyst for public and private investment to turn a series of warehouses into mixed-use land for residents and businesses. Under Megan McGlinchey’s leadership, the RDC has worked on site investigation and restoration initiatives that have enhanced and beautified the area into a tourism hub, starting first with Frawley Stadium. In the last five years, she has laid out a $100 million vision to expand the RDC’s efforts across the Christina River in a new project called Riverfront East. That project includes office space, retail space and 4,000 residential units.

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Bill Provine The Innovation Space

The Innovation Space is a nonprofit innovation ecosystem and home to leading science-based startups and entrepreneurs. Located on the Experimental Station campus near Wilmington, the 130,000-squarefoot lab and office space offers entrepreneurs access to state-ofthe art space with cutting-edge scientific equipment alongside a suite of entrepreneurship programs and support services to enable rapid growth of resident companies. Under the leadership of founding leader Bill Provine, The Innovation Space attracted and helped develop companies like Prelude Therapeutics, Versogen, Synnovation Therapeutics, NiKang Therapeutics, and Napigen. As of 2025, “the start-up farm” broke $1.2 billion in funding and has helped to raise Delaware’s profile as one of the best places for startups. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A: ¢£

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Brett Saddler Claymont Renaissance Development Corporation

As a public-private organization, the Claymont Renaissance Development Corporation is invested in reviving the community that used to be dominated by the steel industry. In coordination with the state, New Castle County and other government entities, Brett Saddler has been focused on strategies that will make Claymont an ideal place to work and live., Saddler has also helped lead the way for a riverwalk project and worked on a master plan incorporating major redevelopment concept. In recent years, PepsiCo signed a lease for a $62 million facility in Claymont, drawing more attention to the rising area. ALMA MATER: BOARD: Q&A: ¤£

Fred Sears II

Council on Development Finance

There is likely little in Delaware that Fred Sears hasn’t had some kind of impact on over a decades-long career. He served as CEO of the Delaware Community Foundation and the regional president of Commerce Bank, was an elected Wilmington city councilman, and served as a director of the Port of Wilmington. Currently, Sears chairs the Delaware Council on Development Finance, the state’s job investment board, where he leads discussions on businesses seeking taxpayer-backed loans for expansion or relocation in the First State through one of several grant funds. ALMA MATER: BOARD: Q&A:

Congratulations The Kent Economic Partnership congratulates Linda Parkowski on her selection to the Delaware 222!

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EDUCATION

Tony Allen Delaware State University

Tony Allen is the president of the nation’s most diverse contemporary Historically Black College or University (HBCU), Delaware State University, where he has overseen dramatic enrollment growth, the acquisition of the former Wesley College and the addition or expansion of numerous programs. Prior to joining Delaware State, Allen had a successful career in communications in the financial services sector, including executive roles at MBNA and Bank of America. He started his career as speechwriter for then-Sen. Joe Biden and was named CEO for President Biden’s Inauguration in 2020. Under his leadership, DSU has seeen record high enrollments fo four years in a row.

Aaron Bass EastSide Charter School

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Mark Brainard Delaware Technical Community College

Since 2014, Mark Brainard has served as Delaware Technical Community College’s president and overseen policy at its four campuses. He also worked to establish bachelor’s degree programs to address Delaware’s nursing and teacher shortages. Before his work at Delaware Tech, he worked in the Delaware legislature and for the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce. In 2002, he was tapped by Gov. Ruth Ann Minner to serve as her chief of staff, staying for six years and helping to marshal support for the SEED program which covers full tuition for select high school graduates as they work toward obtaining an associate degree. He is expected to step down from Delaware Tech in 2026. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS:

Aaron Bass is the Chief Executive Officer of EastSide Charter School, managing Kindergarten through eighth grade students. He maintains strong financial and academic frameworks and has been recognized for having strong growth on state testing. He created the APEX Honors program which is a partnership between independent schools and the charter school. In the last three years, students at EastSide Charter School have earned over $1 million in scholarships and financial assistance. He has also successfully raised $22 million for a capital project in 2022 and 2023. Recently, Bass saw the opening of the Chemours STEM Hub which doubles as a workforce development center for the community. He also serves as an executive coach with Chief Executive Coaching and opened J&A Bass Consulting LLC as a co-owner.

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Todd Clark is the dean of Widener University Delaware Law School, the oldest and most influential law school in the state. A native of Ohio, he previously worked as associate dean of academic affairs at the law school at St. Thomas University and taught at the school of law at North Carolina Central University. During his tenure at NCCU, he created and guided the Practice of Law certificate program. Clark has written on the legal issues of employment discrimination, sports, the intersection of hip-hop culture and the law and corporate justice.

Todd Clark Widener University Delaware Law School

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EDUCATION

LaVerne Harmon Wilmington University

LaVerne Harmon became president of Wilmington University in 2017 after decades of service to the school, holding major roles in the university’s internal operations like director of human resources, director of student affairs and alumni relations and vice president of student affairs. She was the first woman of color to lead a university in Delaware history. During her tenure she established the University’s Leadership Institute and its offices of Student Affairs and Disability Services. She also advanced the University’s athletics from NAIA to NCAA Division II and, in 2022, launched the School of Law, the university’s biggest program addition in its history.

Paul Herdman The Rodel Foundation of Delaware

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The Rodel Foundation of Delaware is a nonprofit organization that partners with Delawareans and educational innovators from around the world to transform public education in the First State. In 2004, Rodel named Paul Herdman as its president and CEO. He came to Rodel after a career at New American Schools and consulted with the Brookings Institution, RAND and The World Bank on education policy. He co-founded an expedition learning-based school in New York City and helped Massachusetts in its public education overhaul. In Delaware, Herdman has helped leaders conceptualize public education reform over several administrations. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A:

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EDUCATION

Jan Jurden

Wilmington University

Jan Jurden believes in Wilmington University’s vision for a low-cost law school empowering people of different backgrounds to become a lawyer so much that she decided to join their cause. Right after her retirement from the Delaware Superior Court, she became WilmU’s second law school dean. She is responsible for the school's operations, curriculum development, hiring, budget, financial management, recruitment, admissions, legal community outreach, partnerships, faculty development and student success. At WilmU, Jurden brings over two decades of judicial experience to the role. Her judicial work included oversight of major criminal and civil cases, plus the establishment of specialized courts. An Army veteran, Jurden served with distinction before entering the legal profession. Jurden is committed to making Delaware's legal community more accessible and affordable, particularly for working adults.

Colleen Perry Keith Goldey-Beacom College

Colleen Perry Keith is the 14th president of Goldey-Beacom College as well as its first female president. Perry Keith spent about two decades working in higher education or education-focused nonprofit work in Ohio and later transitioned to lead Spartanburg Methodist University and Pfeiffer University in the Carolinas. She has since led Goldey-Beacom, a private four-year university in Pike Creek, through the pandemic, opened new online degree programs and instituted a bottom-up review of the college and its services. In 2022, GBC broke into the annual U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges list for the first time. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A: ¡ ¢ ¡ ¡ ¡¢£

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EDUCATION

James Ray Rhodes EastSide Charter School

For years, James Ray Rhodes has served the greater Wilmington area through many roles, including past executive director of the Christina Cultural Arts Center. In 2024, he transitioned to serve as the new STEM Hub and community engagement director of EastSide Charter School, a flourishing school in northeast Wilmington that has consistently worked to beat the odds to graduate students who are pursuing college degrees or employment. The school opened the Chemours Community STEM Hub in early 2025 and has since welcomed students of all ages, including adults receiving training for new careers through the BioConnect program.

ENERGY

Tracy Shickel University of Delaware

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Oliver Yao University of Delaware, Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics

Oliver Yao took over leadership at the University of Delaware’s Lerner College at the end of the 2022-23 academic year. At the time, he said he was seeking to increase innovation in the college’s programs and proactively prepare students and the college for the impacts of artificial intelligence and other digital technologies. Yao arrived at the university after two decades at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania where he served in multiple faculty and administrative appointments. Yao told UD leaders that he wants to continue plans for Lerner’s financial future, listing an increase in graduate enrollment as one goal toward those plans. He hopes to achieve that by launching new programs and making co-curricular programs stronger. ALMA MATERS: §

There’s no question that the University of Delaware's STAR Campus has risen above its humble origins as a closed Chrysler plant, but Tracey Shickel is right at the nexus of entrepreneurship and innovation that makes it all happen. She leads university-wide external engagement and innovationbased economic development at the university and that includes working with dozens of organizations on the STAR Campus. Her work has fueled the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) lab and the FinTech cafe, both working in different ways to drive innovation in biotech and financial services. Shickel’s background in strategic development at W.L. Gore and DuPont gave her the tools to succeed and she’s often driven by the endless possibilities ahead.

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Rob Book Delaware Electric Cooperative

A lifelong Delawarean, Rob Book was named the president and CEO of the Delaware Electric Cooperative in November 2022. He is tasked with leading the utility co-op that serves 112,000 homes, farms and businesses in Kent and Sussex counties, as well as 175 employees. Before being named CEO, Book worked his way up from coordinator of informational services back in 2001 to senior vice president of member services. He was instrumental in launching the cooperative’s Beat the Peak program which has saved members more than $38 million since it started in 2008. In 2025, the cooperative was named the most appealing brand among U.S. residential electric cooperatives by the J.D. Power U.S. Utility Brand Appeal Index Study, a testament to the strong culture of service and innovation cultivated during Book’s tenure. ALMA MATERS:

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ENERGY

Jeff Householder Chesapeake Utilities

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Chesapeake Utilities Corporation is an energy company with natural gas transmission and distribution lines, as well as electricity generation and distribution, propane gas distribution and more. The company owns 3,330 miles of mains and serves about 220,000 residential, industrial and commercial customers through seven states. Since 2019, Jeff Householder has been at the helm of the company, leading several acquisitions such as Elkton Gas, Boulden Brothers Propane and Hernado Gas. The most recent acquisition, Florida City Gas, is the largest acquisition in Chesapeake Utilities’ history and more than doubled the company’s customer base and natural gas infrastructure in Florida. Householder has more than 40 years of experience in the energy sector, holding leadership positions in TECO Energy Peoples Gas, West Florida Gas Company, Florida City Gas and Tallahassee Utilities.

Drew Slater Sustainable Energy Utility (Energize Delaware)

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Nicholle Taylor Artesian

After working as the president of Artesian, Nicholle Taylor was appointed as chief executive office and president in February 2025. She now leads one of Delaware’s rare public companies that now is the largest investor-owned water and wastewater utilities in the region. The company has 301,000 customers throughout the state and in northern Maryland, noting recent acquisitions of municipal water systems in southern Delaware. The company supplies 8.7 billion gallons of water per year through 1,442 miles of main to over a third of Delawareans. Artesian has started ambitiously investing in PFAS treatment, including $16.4 million in treatment equipment, as well as rehabilitation of storage tanks, booster station improvements and other equipment and wells throughout the tri-state region.

Andrew “Drew” Slater was named the leader of Energize Delaware in early 2023, tasked with leading the nonprofit that aids residents, businesses, nonprofits, government facilities, farms and schools to become energy efficient. Before becoming the second executive director of Energize Delaware, Slater built a resume of 20 years of experience in various roles, such as Delaware’s Public Advocate, then-Rep. John Carney’s Kent and Sussex coordinator and legislative assistant for the State Senate. In his work with the Office of Public Advocate, he worked to strengthen the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standards and the competition of the Artificial Island project to improve reliability for the electric grid.

Javier Acuna Hakuna Hospitality Group

Overseeing the parent company of more than half a dozen restaurants and markets in Newark and Wilmington is just one of the focuses of Hakuna Hospitality Group owner Javier Acuna. His hospitality group includes 250 team members and a mission for creating growth opportunities within the company. Santa Fe, one of Hakuna’s restaurants, has earned Delaware Today’s “Restaurant of the Year” title multiple times since opening. Acuna focuses on using locally grown produce when possible at his restaurants which he has been expanding. Two more Del Pez restaurants opened in Pennsylvania and Newark in 2024. ALMA MATERS: BOARD: Q&A:

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FOOD & BEVERAGE

Marc Ashby Ashby Hospitality Group

As president and co-owner of Ashby Hospitality Group in Newark, Marc Ashby oversees multiple McGlynns Pub locations, as well as the historic Deer Park Tavern in downtown Newark and Cantwell’s Tavern in Odessa. He and his wife, Sandy, founded the company over 35 years ago as a single restaurant. Since then, the business has grown to one that employs over 200 people at operations throughout Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland. They also offer catering via The Roaming Raven food truck. In 2024, the Ashby Hospitality Group added Stanley’s Tavern in the Brandywine Hundred to its portfolio.

As the head of Delaware’s most successful brewery, the story of Sam Calagione’s rise in the local business world has been well-told since he founded the off-centered Dogfish Head Craft Brewery company with his wife, Mariah, in 1995. He’s still actively involved in the doings of Dogfish, which is now a Boston Beer Company brand, most notably by making creative recipes for all kinds of beverages with his thousands of coworkers. Their brand has expanded to major brick-and-mortar presences in Rehoboth Beach and Milton. In 2025, Dogfish released a collaborative beer with the Grateful Dead called Juicy Pale Ale that has now become one of the fastest-growing new product innovations nationally, in the craft beer community.

Sam Calagione Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

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Antimo DiMeo Bardea Group

As an executive chef and partner with the Bardea Group, Antimo DiMeo is tasked with handling all kitchen operations and menu development at one of the hottest restaurant groups in the state. That includes showcasing a variety of fresh and modern techniques and flavors for Italian dishes, steaks and lighter fare at the group’s four Wilmington-based concepts led by Bardea Food & Drink and Bardea Steak. DiMeo’s creativity has earned acclaim, picking up two James Beard award nominations in the last five years, a rarity for a Delaware chef. Under his leadership, Bardea opened two new concepts for downtown Wilmington, including Casa Nonna in the DE.CO Food Hall. ALMA MATER: Q&A:

Carl Georigi Platinum Dining Group

Carl Georigi loves the small town feel of Delaware where his role as the founder and CEO of the Platinum Dining Group has him overseeing development, new opportunities and daily operations for the full-service hospitality group. His company is behind six restaurants like Capers & Lemons and Taverna, a catering company and retail market. Georigi, who founded his first restaurant in 1996 alongside his wife, Lisa, believes in slowing down and enjoying the moment, even while keeping the rustic Italian and Mexican food offerings of Platinum’s businesses fresh. ALMA MATER: BOARDS: Q&A:

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FOOD & BEVERAGE

Jeffrey Gosnear Grotto Pizza

There are few things more iconically Delaware than the special blend and swirl of cheeses on slices from Grotto Pizza. Today, Jeffrey Gosnear leads the charge in overseeing 23 restaurants and commercial real estate holdings in Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania as the business’s president. Over his more than 15 years with the company, Grotto Pizza has opened a centralized commissary in Dover, seven new Delaware locations and four restaurants in Maryland. He will also oversee the development of a new Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk hotel and Grotto location.

Scott Kammerer SoDel Concepts

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Chris Kenny Kenny Family ShopRites of Delaware

Chris Kenny has led multiple ShopRite supermarkets in Delaware for more than 25 years. Those locations now generate an estimated $300 million in annual revenue and employ over 1,000 people. In addition to serving as president and CEO of his multigenerational family business, Kenny has served on over a dozen local nonprofit boards, including Goodwill of Delaware, and is actively involved in community groups such as the St. Thomas More Society of the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington. He’s also been active in politics and media, founding the advocacy group A Better Delaware and the Delaware Live news outlet. BOARDS: Q&A:

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Since taking over SoDel Concepts as CEO in 2014, Scott Kammerer has focused on the future development of the company which is now the largest restaurant group in Delaware employing more than 1,000 people. But it wasn’t his first stint with SoDel – he worked for the restaurant group with his late mentor Matt Haley long before his new role.Overseeing the continued momentum is no easy feat; SoDel now includes 22 business operations, with 18 coastal Delaware restaurants, three sports concessions and a wedding-andevents venue. He has also become a major philanthropist with SoDel Cares donating more than $100,000 annually to local causes.

Matthew Kern One Coastal

When it comes to the carefully crafted menus at One Coastal Restaurant in Fenwick Island, Matthew Kern’s focus on seasonal ingredients and mid-Atlantic goods is key. As owner and executive chef, Kern believes in patience and trusting his gut. Kern is a James Beard-nominated chef and avid fisherman who earned local restaurant fame at farm-to-table restaurant Heirloom in Lewes which he purchased in 2022 with his wife, Karen. Kern previously worked at Rehoboth Beach’s Salt Air and the Blue Moon. In 2024, Kern made history by being Delaware’s first and only James Beard semi-finalist. BOARDS: Q&A:

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Carrie Leishman Delaware Restaurant Foundation

Carrie Leishman has served as president and CEO of the Delaware Restaurant Association for 25 years, advocating for more than 2,000 restaurants and their more than 50,000 employees who together account for Delaware’s largest small business employment sector with over $2.6 billion in annual sales. The association is responsible for attracting, empowering and advancing the local industry’s workforce. During her tenure, she’s overseen the inception of the Delaware Restaurant Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the association. The foundation’s premier culinary and management pathway (ProStart) reaches over 5,000 students in 23 high schools and in Delaware's correctional institutions. Carrie was appointed to the Board of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and will ascend to chair in 2026.

Alan Levin is no stranger to building a brand and business. When he was president and CEO of Happy Harry’s, the family business and pharmacy chain, it grew into the 10th largest drugstore chain in the U.S. After the business merged with Walgreens in 2006, he later joined the Markell Administration as the director of the Delaware Economic Development Office. In recognition of Levin’s service to Delaware, Gov. Markell awarded him The Order of the First State, Delaware’s highest honor. These days, he serves as the senior advisor of SoDel Concepts which has gone on a statewide expansion plan. As an advisor to Gov. Matt Meyer during the 2024 election, Meyer later appointed him to chair the influential Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council. That independent board offers periodic glimpses into the state’s finances and sets benchmarks for the budget.

Alan Levin Surf Bagel

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Hope Lopez El Azteca Group/Blue Mezcal Group/ Jackson House Restaurant

Hope Lopez is an entrepreneur and restauranteur with more than 15 years of leadership experience in Delaware's hospitality industry. She owns and operates several successful restaurants, including El Azteca, Blue Mezcal and Jackson House. She is also behind the Bad Hombre Tequila Co., a growing lifestyle and spirit brand. Lopez’s first job was as a cashier at her father's restaurant after school. It was there she learned the foundation of running a business and serving others, though she did need time to believe she belonged at the table. If she could do anything over, she said she would trust herself sooner. Overcoming a defeatist mindset changed how she showed up, not just in business, but in life. In long-term goals she hopes to build Bad Hombre into a national brand and one day writing a book about her journey. BOARD:

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Martuscelli Restaurant Group President Gianmarco Martuscelli oversees day-to-day operations at the group’s four concepts in Delaware and nearby Maryland, including longtime favorites La Casa Pasta and Klondike Kate’s. The Salesianum High School graduate began his restaurant career as a dishwasher and has worked his way up, now serving as chairman of the Delaware Restaurant Association and vice president of the Chesapeake City, Md., Chamber of Commerce. He and his father, Giuseppe, opened the Chesapeake Inn in Chesapeake City in 1996.

Gianmarco Martuscelli Martuscelli Restaurant Group

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FOOD & BEVERAGE

Michael Meoli The Meoli Companies

Not only is he the owner and operator of 38 McDonald’s franchises in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, but Meoli Companies President Michael Meoli is also a co-owner of the Tru by Hilton in Ocean City, Md., and SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Frederica. The Rehoboth Beach resident is a second-generation McDonald’s owner/operator who dove into the business full-time after college. Meoli is also heavily involved in his community, serving on a number of local and regional community and professional organization boards. Meoli and his team recently opened new McDonald’s locations in Milton and Clarksville, Del.

Lee Mikles OMG Hospitality

When it comes to the future of Grain Craft Bar + Kitchen, Lee Mikles is all about building the brand and moving the business forward. Along with cofounder Jim O’Donoghue, he operates multiple Grain brand restaurants in Delaware and Pennsylvania, the flagship of which was launched on Main Street in Newark in 2015. A published author and co-owner of OMG Hospitality, he has also participated in various Delaware-based philanthropic efforts while his awardwinning entrepreneurial endeavors have helped create over 100 regional jobs, including marketing firm The Archer Group which was sold in 2020. ALMA MATER:

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Steve “Monty” Montgomery The Starboard Restaurant and Bethany Blues

When it comes to working your way up in a business, The Starboard’s Steve “Monty” Montgomery knows exactly how it’s done. Over decades, he has worked his way up in the local restaurant and business world where he’s also helped host hugely impactful community events like the annual Dewey Goes Pink 5K in support of the fight against breast cancer and the annual Running of the Bull that’s attracted Hollywood stars like Ryan Phillipe. From working the door to running the show, Montgomery has expanded from working at The Starboard to running several of the most popular restaurants at the Delaware beaches. ALMA MATER: BOARDS: Q&A:

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Alisa Morkides Brew Haha!

Alisa Morkides was working as a financial analyst when a vacation through the Tuscan countryside changed her life. She found herself sipping a quality cup of coffee in a beautiful space and wondered why she couldn’t do that at home. So, in 1993, she set out to do that and opened the first Brew Haha! in Delaware. Now more than 30 years later, Morkides has built a local coffee empire and a devoted fan base with nine locations around northern Delaware. She also parlayed that success by founding Brandywine Coffee Roasters which sells direct to consumers. ALMA MATERS:

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Jim O'Donoghue OMG Hospitality

Since 2015, Jim O’Donoghue has thrived as the owner and operator of Grain brand restaurants which now include six locations across the state and over the Pennsylvania border. That first year that Grain Craft Bar + Kitchen opened in Newark, he and his team earned the title of Delaware Today’s Best New Restaurant. Alongside co-owner Lee Mikles, O’Donoghue has renovated spaces (like the one at the Cape May-Lewes Ferry terminal) and focused on expanding the business into Trolley Square and STAR Campus spots. ALMA MATER:

Bobby Pancake High 5 Hospitality

As CEO of High 5 Hospitality, which operates eight Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants and five Jersey Mike’s locations in Delaware and Maryland along with other independent businesses, Bobby Pancake is responsible for setting the company’s overall vision and strategy focusing on people, performance and profitability. From there, he just leads the leaders. The company was founded in 2004 by Pancake and his two partners as a way to introduce the Buffalo Wild Wings franchise to the First State. Pancake is also a civic leader for the U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command. BOARDS:

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Alex Pires Highway One Companies/ Community Bank Delaware/ Pires Cooley

Sussex County’s Alex Pires is not only a well-established lawyer but he has also spent decades building and growing local businesses. He oversees activities as president of Highway One Companies, an entertainment brand he founded 35 years ago that now includes a dozen entities highlighted by Dewey Beach’s Bottle & Cork and Rusty Rudder. He also oversees operations as CEO and chairman of Community Bank Delaware which now boasts $460 million in assets and co-operates Pires Cooley, a boutique law firm focusing on civil rights which he founded alongside his wife, Diane Cooley, in 2003. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A:

Scott Stein Bardea Group

From humble beginnings at fast-casual mall restaurants to now handling daily operations within the bustling four-concept Bardea Group, partner and owner Scott Stein has seen it all in the dining industry. His connection to the greater Philadelphia region’s bar and restaurant scene is fourgenerations deep and his hospitality experience, attention to service detail, knowledge of fine wines and genuine personality quickly attributed to Bardea being named a James Beard Best New Restaurant semifinalist. Stein and the restaurant group have recently taken on two new projects in Wilmington, including Roost Pub & Kitchen and management of DE.CO food fall, the latter of which brought Angelo’s famous cheesesteaks to Wilmington. ALMA MATER: BOARDS: Q&A:

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FOOD & BEVERAGE

Michael Stiglitz Two Stones Pub & Two Stones Pub Brewing Co.

As director of operations of Two Stones Pub and its brewing company counterpart, Michael Stiglitz oversees everything from managing operations and projects to financials and performance analysis to strategic planning, collaboration, customer service, human resources, team leadership and development. The Two Stones Pub group, launched in the Newark area in 2011 as a craft beer-only destination, now includes six locations across Delaware and Pennsylvania. The destination spots not only boast dozens of beers, but also “an eclectic mix of pub grub.” ALMA MATER: BOARD: Q&A: £ £

Eric Sugrue ECS Capital

As the Big Fish Restaurant Group owner Eric Sugrue opened his first restaurant, Big Fish Grill in Rehoboth Beach, in 1997 with his brother, Norman, by his side. From there, the restaurant group grew to 15 award-winning concepts before Sugure sold the business to Baltimorebased Atlas Restaurant Group. Now in his second career, Sugure still owns the land the restaurants are on and focuses on ECS Capital, a commercial real estate entity and developer he started in 2013. Projects include a business park in Milton due to high demand in Delaware. ALMA MATER: BOARD: Q&A: ¡ ¢

Congratulations to all the Delaware 222 Honorees

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FOOD & BEVERAGE

Xavier Teixido Harry’s Hospitality Group

Xavier Teixido has been evolving the Harry’s Hospitality Group brand since purchasing Harry’s Savoy Grill in Wilmington in 1993. Over the years, he expanded the concept to multiple restaurants, including Kid Shellen’s in Trolley Square. In the early 2000s, he helped bring attention to the First State restaurant scene during his tenure as chairman of the National Restaurant Association. He is an award-winning hospitality entrepreneur and past president of the Delaware Restaurant Association who has served on other local boards and is also active in many local charitable causes. ALMA MATER:

GOVERNMENT The Division of Small Business oversees three offices, including the Office of Supplier Diversity, Delaware Tourism Office and Delaware Division of Small Business. As director of the Division of Small Business which is connected to more than 28,000 businesses, CJ Bell focuses his efforts on supporting small businesses throughout the state. He oversees key initiatives such as EDGE Grants, Supplier Diversity and the Delaware Strategic Fund. These initiatives, as well as others, helped provide some of the largest financing options in the state to attract, retain and scale small businesses. In 2018, Bell founded The Connect, a nonprofit aimed at connecting young professionals, development and civic participation. Bell now works to ensure that economic tools like EDGE grants, the State Small Credit Business Initiative and the Delaware Strategic Fund are applied in ways that truly help businesses served by the division.

CJ Bell Delaware Division of Small Business

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Colm Connolly United States District Court for the District of Delaware

The Honorable Chief Judge Colm Connolly oversees the federal courts for the entire state of Delaware. As Delaware is known for being a corporate home to many companies, Connolly and other judges may hear patent and commercial disputes, as well as appeals for bankruptcy. As chief judge, Connolly has handled administrative duties for the court since his appointment in 2021. He was also a law clerk for Judge Walter K. Stapleton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and spent seven years as an assistant U.S Attorney in Delaware. Throughout his career, he was also a partner in two different law firms, including Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. ALMA MATERS:

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Eric Davis Delaware Superior Court

As the chair of the Complex Commercial Division for Superior Court, Judge Eric Davis oversees activities in a court venue that handles complex business disputes with an amount in controversy of more than $1 million. In 2012, Davis was appointed to the superior court after serving on the bench on the Court of Common Pleas. His career also includes tenures at Miles & Stockbridge, P.C and multinational firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. In his courtroom, the highest profile case Davis has heard in recent years was the $1.6 billion lawsuit Dominion Voting Systems filed against Fox News; it settled out of court after months of hearings. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS:

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GOVERNMENT

Shanté Hastings Delaware Department of Transportation

Shanté Hastings was sworn in as Delaware's twelfth Secretary of Transportation in early 2025, becoming the first Black woman to hold the top job. She started at the agency following her graduation from the University of Delaware, working in roles such as project engineer, manager, policy director and deputy director of transportation solutions, chief engineer and, finally, deputy secretary just before taking on the role of secretary. In 2013, Hastings was awarded the Young Engineer of the Year Award by the Delaware Engineering Society in recognition of her work in the field of engineering and community service and she has worked diligently on major projects in Delaware such as the recent developments at the Civil Air Terminal in Dover. In her current role, Hastings oversees the roll-out of $600 million in capital improvement projects crossing roads, bridges and bike lanes. She’s also responsible for the department that conducts traffic studies for major construction projects, a key process for any developer.

Kathaleen St. J. McCormick Delaware Court of Chancery

Delaware’s Court of Chancery is the premier venue for legal disputes for the state’s more than 1 million legal incorporations. Its judges hear cases that involve shareholders, executives and corporate boards; Chancellor Kathaleen St. J. McCormick joined the ranks in 2021 when she became the first female chancellor in the court’s history. She began her legal career as a legal aid lawyer and then went into private practice at Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, focusing on corporate and alternative entity law. In 2018, Gov. John Carney appointed McCormick to the Court of Chancery as a new vice chancellor. She took over the top seat from Chancellor Andre Bouchard. Among recent cases, McCormick was assigned the merger dispute between Elon Musk and Twitter in 2022. ALMA MATERS:

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LaKresha Moultrie Department of Labor

As of 2025, there are 488,625 people working in the state and Delaware Labor Secretary Lakresha Moultrie is responsible for the policies and programs that shape their lives. The Department of Labor itself consists of five divisions and approximately five hundred employees. She works to promote a strong economy by ensuring safety and justice in the workplace, partnering with employers to cultivate a skilled workforce, and connecting people to benefits, employment, training and labor market information while empowering workers, job seekers and employers. Moultrie sees her work history as a chronicle of service that has led her to a few “firsts,” including being the first Black woman to be chief deputy Attorney General for Delaware and to be the first woman to become General Counsel at Delaware State University, the state’s only Historically Black College and University. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A:

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Col. Jamil Musa Dover Air Force Base

Col. Jamil I. Musa commands 436th Airlift Wing, Dover Air Force Base, and he is responsible for the combined C-5M Super Galaxy and C-17A Globemaster III wing providing worldwide movement of high-priority personnel and cargo. Dover AFB is also home to the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations, the Department of Defense’s largest aerial port and the Air Mobility Command Museum. With 6,100 airmen, Musa oversees one of the largest employment facilities in Kent County and the state. ALMA MATERS:

GOVERNMENT

Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez Delaware Department of State

Born and raised in Delaware, Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez practiced law in Los Angeles where she focused on land use, government contracts and regulatory matters at Sheppard Mullin and Glaser Weil. She returned when the New Castle County government was looking for an economic development director and later transitioned to the county’s department of land use. When Governor Matt Meyer nominated her as Secretary of State, she leaned heavily on her knowledge of the law to bring a unique view of the state’s most diverse office. Patibanda-Sanchez’s department promotes Delaware’s economy and corporate franchise, fosters economic development, helps preserve Delaware’s heritage, showcases the state’s history and supports arts and culture. She also manages corporate franchise taxes paid by the two million companies legally incorporated in the state.

HEALTH CARE

Greg Patterson Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control

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Even before Governor Matt Meyer tapped him to become the next DNREC secretary, Greg Patterson had already served in state government for 25 years. That includes various roles in environmental matters with the highest-profile role at the time being the chief of staff under previous DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin. He also worked as the state’s infrastructure implementation coordinator, a role created under White House guidance to manage Delaware’s millions in the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In that role, Patterson worked to shepherd funds from one of President Joe Biden’s signature legislations across more than 300 programs and funding sources for improvements in clean water access, broadband and transportation. In his first year in the office, Patterson has already had to contend with federal funding cuts, concerns about the emissions of the Delaware City Refinery and raising scores of fees. ALMA MATER:

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Collins J. Seitz, Jr. State of Delaware Judicial Branch

The Delaware Supreme Court is the highest court in the state. It has final appeal jurisdiction where criminal cases with sentences exceed some minimums, as well as those involving civil cases to final judgements and other orders for the Court of Chancery. Chief Justice Collins “CJ” Seitz serves as the Supreme Court’s administrative officer since he was sworn in 2019. He has been on the bench since 2015 when he was appointed by Gov. Jack Markell. Before his appointment, Seitz founded a corporate advisory and litigation firm, Seitz, Ross, Aronstam & Moritz LLP, where he routinely litigated commercial, corporate and intellectual property cases before the Court of Chancery and the Supreme Court. He also served as a partner at Connolly Bove Lodge & Hutz LLP, where he worked for 30 years. In July 2025, Seitz was named president of the Conference of Chief Justices and he was also named the chair of the National Center of State Courts. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A:

Kemal Erkan United Medical, LLC

Kemal Erkan is the CEO of United Medical, LLC, a health care management network that focuses on accountable care organization development, financial analysis and other state-of-the-art tech solutions for the industry. He also is the cofounder of the American Surgery Center. With more than 20 years of experience in health care management through records and billing, Erkan is on a mission to raise the standards expected by physicians and practice groups. The unexpected silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic for United Medical was the chance to launch a YouTube channel that has since grown to over 170,000 subscribers. Despite his busy schedule, Erkan is also writing a book that chronicles United Medical’s journey from its founding to today, as well as the many partners it has worked with over the years. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A:

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HEALTH CARE

Brian Frazee Delaware Healthcare Association

Brian Frazee’s most pivotal moment was deciding to work for a state senator in his home state in 2010. The senator was chair of the senate committee that handled health care issues when the Affordable Care Act was enacted. Frazee learned what it took to implement the law; it's when he first became interested in health care policy. The network Frazee was able to build led him to several additional opportunities. Ultimately, his experiences led him to his role as the President & CEO of the Delaware Healthcare Association. In his first two years, he navigated uncertain times at federal and state levels, including the state mandated establishment of the Delaware Hospital Cost Review Board. Frazee also spearheaded DHA’s inaugural federal advocacy agenda on workforce development and improving health equity in the state.

Timothy Gibbs Delaware Health Force

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Rachel Hersh La Red Health Center

As CEO, Rachel Hersh leads La Red Health Center, Sussex County’s federally qualified health center, in providing primary care, behavioral health, oral health and prenatal services for almost 14,000 patients each year. She oversees strategic planning, operations and organizational sustainability and focuses on advancing healthcare access, strengthening partnerships and developing workforce capacity. She ensures every patient, regardless of circumstance, has access to comprehensive, high-quality care. For Hersh, becoming a nurse was a pivotal moment, but discovering community health work was the turning point. She saw the same patients repeatedly who faced barriers such as transportation, food insecurity, unsafe housing and limited access to or understanding of medication. This discovery reshaped how she understood care and purpose. ALMA MATER: BOARDS: Q&A:

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Timothy Gibbs oversees Delaware Health Force, a public-private partnership between the State of Delaware and the Delaware Academy of Medicine/Delaware Public Health Association. In his role, he oversees four initiatives: Delaware Mini Medical School, Graduate Medical Education and Expansion, Student Financial Aid, and Data and Research. Gibbs and his team envision a state where there is a robust education to work pipeline in the First State’s many health care fields and believes it can be done with partnerships at all various education levels to make it happen. He also organizes the Delaware Healthcare Workforce Summit, bringing over 300 people together to learn about the state’s latest health care data, solutions and shared vision for addressing the future.

Neil Hockstein ENT and Allergy of DE

An otolaryngologist specializing in head and neck surgery, Dr. Neil Hockstein is the chair of the Delaware Health Care Commission, leads the Delaware Primary Care Reform Collaborative and is a special advisor to the governor. He holds faculty and leadership roles at ChristianaCare, Thomas Jefferson University and The Wistar Institute. Hockstein founded one of the nation's largest independent ENT practices, played a development role in transoral robotic surgery and has published work on surgical innovation and cancer treatment. He has worked to advance access to care, reduce costs, improve quality and strengthen the workforce. He serves on multiple task forces focused on transparency, cost reduction and medical education, including the effort to create a medical school in Delaware. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A:

HEALTH CARE

Lynn Morrison Brandywine Counseling and Community Services

Dr. Lynn Morrison has spent almost her entire 30-year career at Brandywine Counseling and Community Services, a nonprofit that provides recovery resources to families and people touched by mental health, substance abuse, HIV and other issues. Brandywine Counseling now serves more than 4,700 clients via monthly treatment. Under her leadership, the nonprofit has grown its budget by expanding its footprint to serve hard-to-reach people through programs like mobile treatment units and services for the homeless. Under Morrison’s leadership, Brandywine Counseling has been ahead of several substance use disorder-related initiatives, such as naloxone training and distribution, as well as fentanyl and xylazine testing strips.

Mark Mumford Nemours Children’s Health

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Terry Murphy Bayhealth

With decades of executive leadership, Terry Murphy has led Bayhealth not only through its COVID-19 response, but through years of expansion efforts, as well. In the last five years, Bayhealth has built a new hybrid emergency department in Harbeson. Its new, multi-million hospital campus in Milford is also noteworthy with Bayhealth striking partnerships with Post Acute Medical Care and Nemours Children’s Health to better serve Kent and Sussex County residents. Bayhealth, a health care system with a net worth of $760 million, continues to look to improve quality of service and has launched several medical residency programs to retain talent in the First State. Looking to the future, Bayhealth has announced plans to expand its Kent and Sussex campuses and create a new behavioral health center for the nonprofit healthcare organization. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A:

Nemours Children’s Health is one of the nation’s largest multistate pediatric health systems, including two freestanding children’s hospitals and a network of more than 70 primary and specialty care practices. As Enterprise Chief Operating Officer, Mark Mumford is responsible for all clinical operations at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware and Nemours Children’s Health, Florida. He oversees the entire care continuum across the system, including all primary, specialty, ambulatory surgery, partnerships and community stakeholders across Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Florida. His efforts are in direct support of the vision of Nemours – helping create the healthiest generations of children by going Well Beyond Medicine and addressing population health, prevention and wellness.

Janice Nevin ChristianaCare

In 2014, Dr. Janice Nevin became the first female CEO for ChristianaCare, Delaware’s largest health care system and nonprofit employer. She served as a faculty member and residency director for family and community medicine at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia up until ChristianaCare literally came calling in 2002. As the leader of ChristianaCare, Nevin has helped foster growth within the organization. In recent years, it has acquired hospitals and opened several new practices in several states and acquired many urgent care facilities previously operated by MedExpress to name a few of their developments. ChristianaCare has also opened a new primary care office in each county and embarked on a $92 million expansion at its Middletown campus. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A: DelawareBusinessTimes.com | DELAWARE 222 51

HEALTH CARE

Chris Otto Delaware Nurses Association

Delaware Nurses Association Executive Director Chris Otto first felt called to the nursing profession when he worked as a patient escort at Wilmington Hospital. He has been a registered nurse in Delaware for more than a decade with experience in progressive and critical care, open heart surgery and neurology. Otto was selected as the next leader of the 100-year-old organization in 2021. In addition to improving standards of care, Otto helped launch a special task force to design and implement programs and policies that promote health equity. He has also served on several state and national nursing committees as well as writing columns on issues like critical care nursing.

Bruce Sachais Blood Bank of Delmarva

As a division of the New York Blood Center Enterprises, the Blood Bank of Delmarva provides blood and blood products to 19 hospitals on the Delmarva Peninsula. Bruce Sachais, medical director for the Blood Bank of Delmarva, also serves as senior vice president and chief medical officer of the New York Blood Center. In 2021, he helped unite the Blood Bank of Delmarva and Beebe Healthcare in a novel project that offered convalescent plasma therapy to treat COVID-19 patients. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS:

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Penny Short TidalHealth Nanticoke

Penny Short has worked at Nanticoke Memorial Hospital in Seaford for 40 years. She started as a nursing assistant, then went to Delaware Technical Community College to become a registered nurse with an intensive care unit specialty. Short worked her way up from chief nursing officer and chief operating officer of Nanticoke Health Services. In those roles, she helped Nanticoke Memorial Hospital receive accreditation as the first primary stroke center in Delaware. Shortly into her tenure, Short worked to help finalize a merger between Nanticoke Memorial Hospital and Peninsula Regional Health System, based in Salisbury, Md. The merger brought the Seaford hospital into a larger network and a new name – TidalHealth. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A:

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Dr. David Tam Beebe Healthcare

Dr. David Tam is a retired Navy Captain and veteran of health care executive leadership with roles at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., the United States’ military health insurance program TriCare and more. He joined Beebe as President & CEO as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the nation. Since then, Tam has worked with Beebe’s board of directors to restructure the organization, bringing a more strategic focus to the healthcare future of Sussex County delivered by Beebe. During his tenure, Beebe Healthcare has opened numerous new facilities, implemented innovative programs and created new partnerships while working on strategies that emphasize quality and safety to serve all of Sussex County’s residences, no matter their home. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A:

AMONG THE 222 BEST IN DELAWARE And number one in making change in Delaware and beyond

www.umusa.net

We are proud to have our CEO listed among Delaware’s impactful leaders. Congratulations and thank you to our CEO, Kemal Erkan, on this prestigious honor. umusa.net DelawareBusinessTimes.com | DELAWARE 222 53

LEGAL & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Faiz Ahmad Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

As head of Skadden Arps’ Wilmington office, partner Faiz Ahmad oversees one of the biggest and most soughtafter firms in Delaware, especially for merger-and-acquisition work. He has personally been involved with multiple billion-dollar deals in his career and in some of the most consequential deals in Delaware history, including M&T Bank’s acquisition of Wilmington Trust and CSC’s acquisition of Intertrust. He is also active in firm management, including serving on Skadden’s governing body, the Policy Committee, the Global Diversity Committee and as co-chair of the Wilmington office’s Hiring Committee.

Michael Albero AKA Advisory

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Robert “Bob” Brady

Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP

With his father, Michael Albero founded an accounting firm in 1998 and later built it into a strong firm with talented professionals that helped build the company’s reputation in accounting systems, financial reporting and auditing and business consulting. In 2009, Albero was able to merge the company with Kuperman and Associates, which grew the firm to the surrounding Delaware Valley and the greater Philadelphia region. As the managing partner, Albero sets the strategic vision of the firm and managing finances, all while building a reputation on guiding clients through complicated tax matters. He also mentors staff and focuses on operational efficiency to ensure AKA Advisory’s future.

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Robert Brady has spent his entire career at Delaware’s second largest law firm, Young Conaway, since graduating law school more than 30 years ago. Since then, he’s become a sought-after bankruptcy and restructuring attorney, representing major clients like the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, Fisker Automotive, The Weinstein Company and Hertz. In leading the firm with more than 120 attorneys in two states he’s a partner in the firm’s bankruptcy and corporate restructuring group and a chair of the firm that oversees its management and administrative team.

Bringing more than 25 years of experience as a coach, entrepreneur, and servant leader, Chris Burkhard now heads Placers, a company that he founded and provides workforce solutions. Placers helps customers throughout the Mid-Atlantic region build and manage contingent workforce challenges. As Placers' leader, Burkhard fosters a culture of innovation, collaboration and empowerment. He encourages the team and clients to push the limits and embrace the opportunities that lie outside of their comfort zones. Under his tenure, Placers was recognized as one of Inc. 500’s fastest growing companies in America and it was Delaware’s 10th fastestgrowing business in 2022. As a fourthgeneration entrepreneur, he knows the challenges start-up companies face and he also lends his expertise as an advisor. Burkhard also co-authored “Opposite the Crowd,” a book that reveals a maverick business philosophy.

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Chris Burkhard Placers

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LEGAL & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

William Chandler III Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

William Chandler III has had an esteemed legal career, and he’s still enjoying the next act. While early in his career he was an associate with Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell and was legal counsel to former Governor Pete du Pont. Chandler later served as a resident judge of the Delaware Superior Court from 1985 to 1989 and was then tapped to sit on the Court of Chancery. As one of the chancellors of the busiest corporate law courtrooms in the nation, he issued several influential decisions on corporate governance in cases like Walt Disney Company, Yahoo, eBay, Dow Chemical and more. In 2011, he retired as Chancellor and became a partner in one of the most elite white-shoe law firms, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C. In 2025, he was one of the key men asked by Governor Matt Meyer and other legislative leaders to help draft a bill that would calm big businesses thinking about reincorporating outside of Delaware.

Keith Donovan Morris James LLP

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C. Barr Flinn Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP

C. Barr Flinn has more than 30 years of experience as one of Delaware’s most accomplished corporate litigators and currently serves as a partner at one of the state’s top firms Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor. He began his career as a clerk for Chancellor William T. Allen of the Delaware Court of Chancery. Flinn’s practice spans complex commercial disputes, ranging from mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance matters and more. Already established in the corporate law world, Flinn’s name became known in the national media for serving as Delaware counsel for Newsmax in a defamation case which was heard in court in 2025. Throughout his venerated career, he has successfully tried, settled or resolved by motion cases—big and small—collectively valued at $1 billion. ALMA MATERS:

Since 2018, Keith Donovan has served as the managing partner of Morris James, one of the largest law firms in Delaware, where he oversees 70 attorneys and more than100 other employees in offices across the state. In his own practice, he is a veteran personal injury lawyer with more than 30 years of experience litigating personal injury cases, including mass torts and product liability claims. He has successfully resolved thousands of cases through settlement and mediation, and won 50 in courts across all three counties. Donovan is currently the co-lead on the mass tort team on hundreds of people who have been exposed to toxic chemicals and products across the country.

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Joel Friedlander Friedlander & Gorris P.A.

Joel Friedlander has long built his name as one of the top attorneys representing shareholders in class action suits, with several profiles detailing his work in the Wall Street Journal. After a short stint at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in the 1990s, he struck out on his own with former lawyers from that firm to be an “elite Chancery firm”. That boutique law firm eventually became Lamb & Bouchard, P.A. in 2014, recognizing two former partners and Delaware Chancellors Stephen Lamb and Andre Bouchard. Over the years, the firm’s name has evolved, but it has made a name for itself as a strong co-counsel for national law firms and litigation firms on its own. At one point, Friedlander was on a shortlist to join the Delaware Chancery Court himself. He is the lead counsel in stockholder case on behalf of Fox to recover $787 million. ALMA MATERS: BOARD:

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LEGAL & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Paul Heath Richards, Layton & Finger

Paul Heath is the type of lawyer that Delaware officials hope to see more of soon. At University of Delaware, he found himself getting passionate about constitutional law as one of his professors taught through the Supreme Court Cases. He decided to study law in Delaware to stay close to his wife. That led him to clerk for the Delaware Supreme Court during law school and was tapped to join Richards, Layton & Finger’s bankruptcy division. Heath worked his way up there, and has served as lead counsel in major chapter 11 cases including The Weinstein Company, Insys Therapeutics, and Emerge Energy Services. He’s been recognized by various trade publications including Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America, Lawdragon 500 and more.

Mike Hoffman Connolly Gallagher LLP

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Marie Holliday The Bonadio Group

Marie Holliday had worked at Wilmington accounting firm Cover & Rossiter for close to 20 years before she was elevated to managing director, guiding the company’s strategic direction as growing in new businesses like trusts and growth management consulting. Under her leadership, Holliday worked with her team to successfully merge with the Bonadio Group, the largest independent provider of professional services in upstate New York, on Dec. 1. The merger provides the former Cover & Rossiter firm with even more resources and depth of knowledge, Holliday said of the transaction, and said she looks forward to leveraging the technology, expertise and training opportunities of a large firm, allowing the team to build on Cover & Rossiter’s 85 years of excellence. ALMA MATER: BOARDS:

Mike Hoffman devotes his practice to a variety of areas, including administrative and government law, land use and real estate, and general litigation. He currently serves as legal counsel for the Lewes Board of Public Works, a state-chartered utility board providing services to the City of Lewes and surrounding area. Having represented both municipalities and developers on a wide range of issues, Hoffman has a keen understanding of the administrative process and a proven ability to manage complicated and sensitive matters. As a former legislative attorney for the Delaware House of Representatives, Hoffman has a robust understanding of statutory construction and application.

Michael Houghton Morris, Nichols, Arsht and Tunnell LLP

For decades, Michael Houghton has built an expert practice at Morris Nichols on unclaimed property and regulatory and legislative matters, representing governmental entities, banks, trust companies, insurance companies and public utilities. He’s also previously served as president of both the Uniform Law Commission and the Delaware State Bar Association. Currently, Houghton serves on the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council, a non-partisan body of public and private sector leaders who develop the official state revenue projections that elected leaders use to develop the state’s annual budget. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A:

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LEGAL & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

William M. Lafferty Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LLP

William “Bill” Lafferty was named the leader of Morris Nichols, the fifth largest firm in Delaware with 100 attorneys, in 2021. He came to the role with a more than 30-year career at Morris Nichols focusing on Delaware corporate and commercial litigation, with an emphasis on cases involving mergers and acquisitions, proxy contests and consent solicitations, and shareholder class and derivative actions. The lifelong Delawarean supports his alma mater through serving on the University of Delaware’s Board of Trustees. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A:

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Thomas McGonigle Barnes & Thornburg

As a former Delaware deputy attorney general, chief legal counsel and policy director to then-Gov. Tom Carper and chief of staff to then-Gov. Jack Markell, Tom McGonigle has been at the heart of First State law and politics for decades. Today, he serves as partnerin-charge of Barnes & Thornburg's Wilmington office. He represents governmental entities and private sector clients in complex commercial litigation, related transactions and regulatory matters before state courts and governmental boards. McGonigle notably worked with the Diamond State Port Corp. in drafting the new concurrence agreement with Port of Wilmington operator Enstructure. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS:

LEGAL & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Daniel Silver McCarter & English, LLP

Daniel Silver is co-managing partner of McCarter and English’s Wilmington office and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. He is a litigation and trial attorney whose practice spans across intellectual property litigation and other high-stakes disputes. He spends a substantial portion of his time representing clients in the pharmaceutical industry, particularly innovator clients as plaintiffs in Hatch-Waxman or BPCIA litigation. Committed to pro bono work, Silver has at least one active pro bono case at any time. Silver co-authored the Delaware chapter of A Practitioner’s Guide to Class Actions, Second Edition, published by the American Bar Association in 2017. ALMA MATERS:

Shawn Tucker Barnes & Thornburg

Prior to entering private practice, Shawn Tucker served as New Castle County’s first assistant county attorney and then general manager of its Department of Land Use while it updated its Unified Development Code. That experience gave him an inside knowledge of building in Delaware, and today he is one of the most soughtafter land use attorneys in the state. Tucker has worked on some of the biggest projects in Delaware in recent years, including Stoltz Real Estate Partner’s Amazon warehouse and the redevelopment of Cavaliers Country Club. In recent years, he was also at the table for a planned Aldi high-tech warehouse in New Castle. ALMA MATERS:

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LEGAL & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Gregory Varallo Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann

As the managing partner of Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann's Delaware office, Greg Varallo is in the unique position of representing shareholders and investors in complex shareholder litigation in the premiere business court in the country. After defending corporations for 36 years, he decided to embark on a new career change fighting for small shareholders. Since he joined Bernstein Litowitz in 2019, he’s handled several major trials and secured wins against top companies like Columbia Pipeline Group and settlements with the likes of Paramount Global. Varallo’s biggest splash on the legal scene may have come when he was one of the co-leads in a case against Elon Musk on his $56 billion compensation package in 2024. Named to Forbes' inaugural "America's Top 200 Lawyers" in 2024, Varallo is recognized by Chambers USA, The Legal 500, and Best Lawyers as a leading business litigator. ALMA MATERS:

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Peter Walsh Potter Anderson & Corroon LLP

Pete Walsh chairs Potter Anderson’s Executive Committee and is a partner in the Corporate Litigation Group. He joined the firm following a Delaware Court of Chancery clerkship and primarily handles complex corporate and commercial cases in Delaware. Walsh has first-chaired many trials and has successfully argued before the Supreme Court of Delaware, as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He regularly handles Court of Chancery proceedings, summary proceedings pursuant to general corporation law, and disputes involving alternative entities. He also frequently counsels officers, directors, and board committees on matters of Delaware corporate law. With roughly 90 attorneys, Potter Anderson is slated to hit its 200th anniversary in 2026, and under Walsh’s leadership, the firm intends to stay in Wilmington for 15 years after that. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A:

LEGAL & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Rod Ward CSC

Rod Ward has helped to build two family businesses: plumbing and trim product manufacturer The Speakman Company and today at CSC. The leading business, legal, tax and digital brand services company was established in 1899 by two lawyers, including Ward’s great-grandfather. Today, CSC has a global presence in 140 jurisdictions and employs more than 8,500 people around the world. Under Ward’s guidance, the company built a new headquarters in Wilmington in 2017, opened a coworking space on Wilmington’s Riverfront—CSC Station—and has completed many acquisitions, including 2022’s purchase of Intertrust Group.

MANUFACTURING

Ed Breen DuPont

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Dora Cheatham Aternium

Dora Cheatham’s role as Vice President of Sales and Commercialization is to develop and grow business at Aternium by establishing client, strategic and ecosystem relationships, securing contracts. She also oversees corporate communications, marketing and community engagement efforts. She spent years as the leader of the Delaware Sustainable Chemistry Alliance (DESCA), she is at the forefront of emerging science in Delaware and a leader in the state’s drive toward green hydrogen production. Aternium has secured a portion of the $750 million funds allocated for the Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub as well as other investments under her leadership. Cheatham has been working to find the location of Aternium's first plant in the tri-state region, with high hopes to bring green hydrogen in the First State.

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Ed Breen has orchestrated some of the biggest changes in DuPont’s history, including its short marriage with Dow and more recently its refocusing for industries of the future, such as semiconductors, electric vehicles and telecommunications. As CEO of Delaware’s most famous company, Breen oversaw thousands of state employees at research and manufacturing sites. DuPont remains committed to the First State, investing nearly $100 million at two new manufacturing sites aimed at the growing semiconductor industry in the past year. Breen made a big splash at the beginning of 2024, where he announced he would step down as CEO of DuPont in the middle of the year. He successfully saw the spin off of DuPont's electronics division into Qnity, which was valued at $20 billion on its first week on the stock market.

Andrew Cottone Aternium

As one of the founders of Aternium, Andrew Cottone is tasked with developing the business plan, establishing operational discipline and leading the company through the myriad challenges towards commercial success. He built a team consisting of employees and outside strategic relationships that could lead to the first clean hydrogen plant in Delaware. Like any entrepreneurial company, Cottone not only sets the vision and long-term plan, but is leveraging his 25 years of leadership and operational success to manage day to day operations that include engineering, commercial, land acquisition and ensuring overall success of this transformational venture. Aternium has secured $1 million from Delaware with plans to build and open its new facility in the near future. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A:

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MANUFACTURING

Denise Dignam The Chemours Company

Denise Dignam, the first woman to serve as President and CEO at Chemours, is recognized for her hands-on leadership and commitment to building a culture where every employee can thrive. Under her guidance, Chemours is advancing its new business strategy focus on sustainable operations and sciencedriven innovation. Dignam is focused on investments in AI and data center cooling, namely the pending commercialization of two-phase cooling immersion liquid Opteon 2P50. As part of her strategy called Pathway to Thrive, Chemours plans to slash $125 million in costs by the end of 2025.

Amanda Irwin Mountaire Farms

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Lori Koch DuPont

As the new Chief Executive Officer of DuPont, Lori Koch is responsible for overseeing the strategic direction of the company to accelerate growth, unlock value, advance innovation, and to drive operational excellence. Koch has stepped into the top job of Delaware storied multinational company at a time when it is planning to spin off its water and electronics divisions, leaving “new DuPont” to carve a new, leaner future with $6.8 billion in projected sales for 2025. After greenlighting the sale of iconic brands like Kevlar, Koch believes the company has a robust pipeline of acquisitions to help boost the company’s value for shareholders.

Amanda Irwin was named the leader of Mountaire Farms in 2025 as part of a succession plan for the fourthlargest poultry processor in the United States. It’s also one of the top three poultry producers in Delaware, with 4,800 employees in the state. With over 25 years in the poultry industry, she began her career as an intern at the former Townsend plant, which Mountaire purchased in 2000. After studying animal science at Clemson University, she joined as a management trainee and worked her way through nearly every department, including the hatchery to processing to sales, before serving as chief operating officer. That career path has inspired her to make workforce development one of her top priorities at Mountaire, as she wants to focus on leadership training programs, and English as a Second Language initiatives. ALMA MATERS:

John Panichella Solenis

When the former Ashland Water Technologies segment was acquired by private equity in 2014, the new ownership turned to AWT’s thenPresident John Panichella to lead the specialty chemicals company to newfound growth. As CEO of Solenis, he has delivered in the 11 years since. Under his leadership, he has built a global business that specializes in water and hygiene products, with 6,500 professionals in 160 countries. At the end of 2025, Solenis completed the acquisition of NCH Corporation of Texas, growing the company’s reach in water treatment and industrial solutions.

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MANUFACTURING

Bret Snyder W. L. Gore & Associates

As the grandson of company founders Bill and Vieve Gore, Bret Snyder is the first family member to lead the multibillion-dollar, private manufacturing company since his uncle, the late famed Gore-Tex inventor Robert Gore, stepped down from the helm more than 20 years ago. Snyder first spent time in roles outside the company and then later as a ground-level researcher at Gore, before ascending to lead its thousands of associates around the world. Since taking over in 2020, he’s helped to orient Gore’s research and capabilities toward growth industries of the future, including health care and renewable energy. Synder has also codified Gore's winning operating system as the Gore Business System (GBS).

MEDIA & MARKETING

Yushan Yan University of Delaware/ Versogen

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Kevin Andrade The Voice Radio

Kevin Andrade has been a radio personality for more than 30 years, beginning with his career as a broadcaster in his native Ecuador. In 2003, he decided to leave his radio and television career in Ecuador and headed to Delaware. He first started with a Sunday radio show in Spanish, and by 2010 Andrade leased WJWL 900 AM in Georgetown. After the owner passed away, the family sold the radio group to Andrade. The sale was solidified in 2014, with in Andrade purchasing four FM and two AM stations. These stations became The Voice Radio Network. Today, Andrade is a leading voice for the Hispanic community of the Delmarva region, as he manages operations and a network of DJs and voiceover talent for eight radio stations that now reach Maryland, Virginia and now New Jersey and Pennsylvania. ALMA MATERS:

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Yushan Yan, the chair of the University of Delaware’s chemical and biomolecular engineering program and a researcher who has worked on fuel cell technology for decades, is leading the state’s efforts to capitalize on the green hydrogen industry. He serves as the founding director of UD’s Center for Clean Hydrogen, a public-private partnership that will invest in advancing hydrogen technologies. Yan also founded the hydrogen startup Versogen, which has developed a proprietary membrane for electrolyzers to produce carbon-free hydrogen from water. The startup has raised millions and has hired dozens of workers in Delaware. As part of the regional effort to accelerate the MidAtlantic Region as a hydrogen hub, Yan has received a portion of millions of federal funding to back Versogen.

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Nancy Dibert Epic Marketing Consultants Corporation

Nancy Dibert is the CEO of Epic Marketing Consultants Corporation, a full-service ad agency that provides customized solutions by blending traditional, digital and social media to meet each client's needs. Dibert co-founded the agency with her husband, Don, and continues to lead her team through the ever-evolving digital marketing landscape. Today, Epic is an SBA-certified and womenowned full-service ad agency based in Middletown, Delaware, that serves clients nationwide. Her marketing specialties are the financial sector and crisis communications. She has worked with numerous credit unions and large corporate banks, including Discover and Bank of America. Dibert is also the program director and lead instructor for the University of Delaware’s Digital Media and Social Media Marketing programs, and a customized learning facilitator at UD’s Division of Professional & Continuing Studies. ALMA MATERS: Q&A:

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MEDIA & MARKETING

Molly Draper-Russell Draper Media / Draper Holdings Business Trust

Molly Draper-Russell leads Draper Holdings Business Trust, parent company of a multi-state media empire spanning television and radio across the Delmarva Peninsula. Her father, Thomas Draper, first built the media empire with a single radio station in Milford and later bought WBOC-TV in Salisbury, Md. in Maryland in 1980. Draper-Russel worked in the news industry at WBOC, working her way up before becoming co-president and chairman of the board. After her father passed in 2017, she was tapped to become the next leader. As a University of Delaware graduate, she started her broadcasting career in South Texas, West Palm Beach and Milwaukee before returning to the Delmarva region. Under Draper-Russell’s leadership, the company has expanded with Telemundo Delmarva and acquired WRDE-TV. This year, Draper Media has expanded in the Wilmington market by purchasing Forever Media’s stations for $11 million.

Jerry DuPhily TSN Media

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Mike Feeley Gannett/USA Today Network & The News Journal

Mike Feeley is a veteran news executive who has led the newsroom of The News Journal, Delaware’s largest circulation newspaper, since 2018. Prior to coming to Delaware, Feeley was one of the leaders of the reporting team that won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for local reporting on the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal at Penn State University. He started his career at the Press-Enterprise in Bloomsburg, Pa., before moving to The Patriot-News and PennLive in 1989. In 2021, he was named a regional editor of Gannett’s newsrooms in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. ALMA MATER: BOARD: Q&A:

As a lifelong Delawarean, Jerry DuPhily started to party in Wilmington as a University of Delaware student. That served as a starting point when he eventually launched a career in entertainment magazines like Out & About Magazine, launching parties and special events as his own under Event Allies. Among the many events DuPhily has created to shape the state’s nightlife include the Wilmington Grand Prix, City Restaurant Week, Separation Day, Delaware Beer Wine & Spirits Festival, Newark Food & Brew Festival, City Loop Series, and Wilmington Beer Week. DuPhlly is also the principal of Catalyst Visuals, which provides marketing & design services to local businesses in Wilmington.

Alison Levine Spotlight Delaware

Allison Levine leads Spotlight Delaware and Spotlight Delaware en Espanol: collaborative, communitypowered, nonprofit newsrooms. She created a new nonprofit newsroom with the goal of strengthening local journalism and uses it as a vehicle for fortifying communities and democracy. Spotlight Delaware achieves this by advancing civic engagement, providing government oversight, reducing polarization and encouraging civil discourse. It also aims to elevate the voices of underserved and underrepresented communities. To achieve this goal, she raised more than $3 million to support local news and information initiatives, led a statewide study of news and information needs and built the Delaware Journalism Collaborative to engage news outlets provide high-quality, independent news. She also partners with existing news organizations to advance innovations in news and information sharing. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A:

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MEDIA & MARKETING

Mac Macleod Carvertise

Wilmington-based Carvertise is the nation’s largest ride-sharing advertising company, and it all started when its founder Mac Macleod was a University of Delaware student. Carvertise uses cars as rolling advertisements at public events for national brands like DraftKings, Wawa, DoorDash and Netflix. In 2022, revenue grew by 50% through using Lyft and Uber drivers to push brands. In summer 2023, Carvertise opened a new headquarters in Wilmington’s Riverfront to accommodate a growing staff . Driving much of the company’s latest growth are its “swarm” campaigns, where a dozen or more wrapped vehicles drive around a given venue for a major event, ranging from a pharmaceutical conference to the Super Bowl.

Robert Martinelli Today Media

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Jet Phynx Jet Phynx Films

Parris Duncan, also known as Jet Phynx, is a rapper, director and cinematographer. In 2016, he decided to lean into his keen eye for visuals and ear for sounds to start his own film studio. As CEO, creative director and branding strategist of Jet Phynx Films Studios, he paves the way for culturedriven media in northern Delaware. He is also the cofounder of the Dirty Popcorn Film Festival with longtime creative partner Anthony “Ozprana” Osborne, celebrating and elevating diverse voices in cinema. Through his work, he has worked on 3,000 projects for brands like Nike, CocaCola, PlayStation, Roc Nation, and SoundCloud, and collaborations with artists such as Lady Gaga, Kanye West, Ashanti, Latto, and Flo Milli. Jet now serves as Creative Director of Delaware State University Media, Jet leads the rebrand of DSU Athletics alongside Coach DeSean Jackson. Q&A:

Today Media is a regional media company that specializes in media that range from lifestyle magazines, business publications as well as custom media. In addition to its highly popular events and award programs like “Best of Delaware,” Today Media reaches hundreds of thousands of people from Bethesda to Hudson Valley, N.Y.. Robert Martinelli started in the second-generation business in 1982 with Delaware Today and Hudson Valley, growing to add Main Line Today, Westchester Magazine, The Hunt, Delaware Business Times, the Delaware Valley Italian- American Herald and just last year Bethesda Magazine.

Paul Pomeroy Aloysius Butler & Clark

Paul Pomeroy has been with Aloysius Butler & Clark since 1999, working along the way to make the firm one of the largest full-service agencies in the mid-Atlantic region. In his time with the company, Pomeroy served as the director of marketing and new business development, guiding the firm’s growth from 23 employees to 100 in three offices today. Over the past several years, annual growth at AB&C has been increasing steadily, which fueled leasing an office in the heart of Philadelphia. AB&C has been growing, with adding Mangos of Conshohocken, Pa., in 2022 and Oxford Communications of Lambertville, N.J. in resent years. Both deals add to roster of clients served throughout the country and internationally. ALMA MATERS: Q&A:

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MEDIA & MARKETING

Chris Rausch Cape Gazette

A Delaware native, Chris Rausch has worked in Delaware media for more than two decades, starting with a short time at WBOC. In 2003, he started working at the Cape Gazette and has never left. At the end of 2021, Rausch bought the Cape Gazette, which sells more than 23,000 copies each week in Sussex County’s beach communities. The Cape Gazette’s online readership has also hit an all-time high in 2021, with 25 million page views and 4.5 million unique visitors to the website. The newspaper now employs 20 full-time staff members along with contractors. ALMA MATERS:

Wendy Scott Blue Blaze Associates

Patricia Rivera Hook PR & Marketing

Patricia Rivera began her career in print journalism with the New York Times, The News Journal and the Dallas Morning News. She decided to pivot to marketing and telling stories in multiple languages and across a variety of mediums. Since launching Hook PR & Marketing in 2008, the company has blossomed into a team of 15 members in four different countries. In early 2023, Rivera welcomed two new partners to Hook: chief operating officer Dora Jane Barwick and chief marketing officer Jessica Bell. Past clients of Hook PR & Marketing include Perdue Farms, Beebe Healthcare, Zip Code Wilmington and many more. ALMA MATER:

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Blue Blaze Associates is a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business program and officially opened for business in 2001. As its chief strategy officer, Wendy Sott leverages her 25 years of experience in marketing communications, public relations, campaign development to build brands and retool digital media. With Scott’s leadership, Blue Blaze has earned national recognition for its creativity, high standards, and measurable results. The firm is certified as both women-owned and LGBTQowned, and was named twice to the annual Philadelphia100 list of fastestgrowing privately held companies in the region. In addition to supporting her nonprofit clients, Scott maintains a long-standing commitment to nonprofit leadership, having served as a board director, founder, manager, and volunteer across multiple organizations. She also serves as the firm’s customer relationship lead.

Blue Blaze Associates is a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business program and officially opened for business in 2001. The firm is a full marketing and design agency that has won many awards over the years, notably the Entrepreneurs Forum of Greater Philadelphia’s annual Philadelphia100 list. Blue Blaze is a certified women-owned business and a nationally certified LGBT Business Enterprise As CEO, Sandy Taccone has 30 years of design and strategic marketing experience on her resume as well as 27 years as an entrepreneur that has run successful marketing firms. She is also an award-winning designer and creative director.

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Sandy Taccone Blue Blaze Associates

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MEDIA & MARKETING

Ivan Thomas The DETV Foundation Inc.

Ivan Thomas is a self-taught filmmaker while cultivating more skill in cinematography under the study with Philadelphian cinematographer Tim Fontaine. From there, he used his skills for DE.TV, Delaware’s premiere broadcast and social media content provider that shares positive stories and news about the First State’s largest city. The channel has grown to include Good Morning Wilmington, The Agenda, DETV Kids, and more. DETV also offers media production training courses for youth in partnership with Four Youth, providing hands-on training in digital storytelling and production.

NONPROFIT “Grouchy” Greg Watkins has been in the recording industry since 1993 when he launched his own record label Oblique Recordings, and soon was selling MP3s. When the label closed years later, he and friend Chuck Creekmur founded AllHipHop, a website that intensively covers the hip-hop music scene through a lens of a news organization. By 2003, the site was bringing enough revenue to make it Watkins’ full-time job. Throughout the years, the website AllHipHop received accolades like “CNN of hip-hop” by Essence magazine and the 2009 Best Hip Hop Online Site/App Award from BET. Almost 19 years after forming AllHipHop.com, Watkins’ launched CollegeHipHop.com to reach the next generation. Looking to the future, Watkins has launched the Victor Society in partnership with Johnson Victrola Museum in Dover to honor the legacy of the Victrola and its impact on music.

Greg Watkins AllHipHop LLC

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Rocco Abessino Rocco A. & Mary Abessinio Foundation/ Roch Capital

Rocco Abessinio is a towering titan of business, leveraging his business acumen to launch Applied Bank and Applied Card Systems, which became a major credit card issuer. Today, he is currently the CEO of Roch Capital, a private capital management firm that focuses on real estate and private equity investments. As a sign of Italian American immigrants, he decided to repay the Delaware community by launching a charitable foundation with his wife Mary. Over the years, the Rocco A. & Mary Abessinio Foundation has become a prominent supporter for Wilmington area Catholic schools, such as a $16 million for an athletic field. The Foundation has also donated millions to ChristianaCare and Beebe Healthcare over the years as well. ALMA MATER:

Sheila Bravo Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement

In the world of Delaware nonprofits, the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement (DANA) is all about advancing nonprofit impact in the First State. Shelia Bravo, who has been its leader since 2015, is tasked to shape and advance systems and conditions to empower nonprofits. DANA provides nonprofits the tools they need to succeed, including consulting services, workshops, research and advocacy on local, state and federal levels. Before leading DANA, Bravo worked in nonprofit, for-profit and academic industries, most recently as the former executive director of the Rehoboth Art League, but also in roles where she developed strategic growth plans for nationally known brands such as Vlasic Pickles and Corningware Ovenware. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A:

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NONPROFIT

Mike Brickner American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware

The ACLU of Delaware has been kicked into high gear in 2025, and Mike Brickner is at the helm of the organization during the tumultuous times. On top of leading the organization’s fund development efforts and serving as the organization’s spokesman, he has been at the heart of developing and executing programs that protect free speech in Delaware. Brickner’s team launched Firewall for Freedom which offers activism training in all three counties. His team has also hosted several town halls in Sussex County about how to fight to retain civil liberties. In legislative matters, the ACLU of Delaware joined a national lawsuit challenging the suspension of asylum in the U.S., as well as supporting Delaware laws like one that protects people from Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation.

Stuart Comstock-Gay Delaware Community Foundation

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Pam Cornforth Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Delaware

When Pam Cornforth stepped in to lead the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Delaware in 1999, it wasn’t about being a CEO. She was drawn to the mission of supporting families facing their most difficulties: navigating care for a serious medical illness in their child. Over 26 years in the top job, she has worked to provide 4,000 families per year a “home-awayfrom-home” while their children are seeking treatment at ChristianaCare and Nemours Children’s Health. Under her leadership, the House underwent two major expansions, including a 29,000-square-foot wing completed in 2005, with a capital campaign that exceeded its $4.9 million goal. Before joining the nonprofit sector, Cornforth was a commercial loan officer at Bank of New York. ALMA MATER: BOARDS: Q&A:

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Stuart Comstock-Gay, president and CEO of the Delaware Community Foundation, makes it his mission to help generous people achieve their goals and to help Delaware be the best it can be through his role at this Wilmington-based nonprofit. The Delaware Community Foundation establishes and manages charitable funds for people and organizations in the area. Comstock-Gay previously worked for philanthropic and community organizations from Washington DC to New England, and has been active in politics and civil rights through several other organizations and as a regular radio commentator, speaker and writer.

Thère du Pont Longwood Foundation

The philanthropic legacy of Delaware’s prominent du Pont family lives on in many, not the least of whom includes Longwood Foundation President Thère du Pont. Not only does he lead efforts at this private foundation, which provides over $20 million in funding annually to charitable organizations throughout the First State and parts of Pennsylvania, but du Pont also serves as chair of the Pete du Pont Freedom Foundation and is an ex-officio member on the Longwood Gardens board. The Stanford University graduate has previously worked for a large online pharmaceutical company and formerly as president and CEO of Wawa. ALMA MATER: BOARDS:

NONPROFIT

Rob Eppes Junior Achievement of Delaware, Inc.

As a Junior Achievement alum, Rob Eppes leads the local market of the global organization that changed the trajectory of his life when he was a teen. Last academic year, JA of Delaware provided a record 27,979 student learning experiences in partnership with 363 professional educators and more than 1,300 business & community volunteers. These JA experiences improve the Economic Mobility of young Delawareans through hands-on activities and structured interactions with successful adults. ALMA MATERS:

Brother Ronald Giannone The Ministry of Caring, Inc.

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Logan Herring The WRK Group

As the CEO of The WRK Group, which includes The Warehouse, REACH Riverside and the Kingswood Community Center, Logan Herring Sr. has relied on others to guide him to success. Now he’s paying it forward. He began working in Wilmington’s Riverside neighborhood in 2016 as the Kingswood Community’s executive director, and there realized that the community needed more support and resources. Two years later, The WRK Group was created to accelerate redevelopment in the community and surrounding areas of northeast Wilmington. Today, the organization includes 75 employees and boasts over $12 million in annual revenue that’s aimed at creating opportunities to empower area residents. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS:

As head of The Ministry of Caring, Brother Ronald Giannone oversees the nonprofits operations as well as those of its 19 programs that assist the poor in the Greater Wilmington area. He also serves as the executive director for four senior housing corporates, including Sacred Heart Village and Villa Maria, among others. Giannone is a Capuchin Franciscan friar, making him part of an 800-plus-year-old religious order that works for the poor in imitation of its founder St. Francis of Assisi. He has served as the ministry’s executive director since 1977, after spending time serving the poor and hungry in New York, Indiana and New Jersey.

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Cathy Kanfesky Food Bank of Delaware

For her entire career, Cathy Kanefsky has worked with organizations that provide hope to others through an environment that fosters collaborations and a focus on service. Serving as president and CEO of the Food Bank of Delaware since May 2021, Kanefsky has been able to work closely with the organization’s board and leadership team to develop and implement its strategic vision for a community free of hunger. Annually, the Food Bank of Delaware distributes millions of pounds of food to the community through statewide pantries and partners. ALMA MATER: BOARDS: Q&A:

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NONPROFIT

Maria Matos Latin American Community Center

Serving as the President and CEO of the Latin American Community Center in Wilmington, Maria Matos oversees operations, strategic planning, finances and community partnerships to ensure the agency’s long-term sustainability. The Latin American Community Center was established in 1969 and has grown to be the largest Hispanic multi-service organization in the state. Under Maria’s leadership, the Center has expanded its programs, strengthened community partnerships and secured vital funding to sustain and grow services that meet the evolving needs of Delaware’s Latino and immigrant families. A 2019 Delaware Women’s Hall of Fame inductee, she was awarded the Order of the First State.

Colleen Morrone Goodwill Industries of Delaware and Delaware County

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As the head of Goodwill Industries of Delaware and Delaware County, Pa., Colleen Morrone oversees a nonprofit with a nearly $60 million operating budget with over 1,000 employees, 20 donation collection sites, 16 retail stores, three job resource centers and an outlet and recycling center. The organization also provides temporary employment and janitorial services, with more than 3,750 people participating in training and development opportunities in 2022 alone. Morrone also spearheads the organization’s recycling and sustainability initiatives by collaborating with academia, state agencies and neighboring Goodwills to create cleaner, greener communities. ALMA MATERS:

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Jarrett Royster YMCA of Delaware

Coming from leadership experience at Greater Boston YMCA, the YMCA of Delaware President and CEO Jarrett Royster has developed the non-profit’s five promises: make kids workforce and life ready, improve individual and community health, create equitable experiences, build family economic stability, and build bridges in the community. As one of the largest non-profits in the state, the YMCA of Delaware had a revenue stream of $39.9 million in 2021, and Royster aims to build that even more. Last year, the Y awarded $3.9 million in financial assistance to members. There are also 2,000 teens in programs like the Youth in Government program, the Black Achievers program and the Leaders in Training program, teaching them how to lead. ALMA MATER: BOARDS: Q&A:

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Kenan J. Sklenar Easterseals Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore

For the last decade, Kenan Sklenar has served as president and CEO of Easterseals Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore, a wide-ranging nonprofit that is celebrating its 75th anniversary of offering innovative services that allow people with disabilities and seniors to live fulfilling, independent lives. In this role, Sklenar provides leadership in pursuit of the organization’s mission as an important community resource providing high-quality services to those in need. Prior to joining this local nonprofit, Sklenar led Easterseals of Mahoning, Trumbull, and Columbiana Counties in Ohio as its president and CEO for 18 years. After a celebrated career, Sklenar will retire from Easterseals at the end of 2026. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A: ¡

NONPROFIT

Dave Skocik Delaware Veterans Coalition

David Skocik leads the Delaware Veterans Coalition, the only one of more than 600 registered lobbyists in Delaware devoted exclusively to veterans and their families. He has advocated for the thousands of veterans in Delaware to make sure that their service and skill sets are well-represented in the state’s economy. Skocik has served in three branches of the military: U.S. Air Force, Delaware Army National Guard, and U.S. Navy Reserve. He spearheaded the creation of Kent County's Veterans Memorial Park and hosted the Comcast Academic Challenge for 20 years. After a decade of tireless work, Gov. Matt Meyer had signed a bill that established the Department of Veterans Affairs. This new office department centralizes services for more than 70,000 veterans across the First State.

Michelle Taylor United Way of Delaware

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Dave Tiberi Emergency Response Protocol Safety/ Donate Delaware

Although he originally earned international recognition as a boxer, it’s been his longstanding commitment to community that has led to the continued leadership of Dave Tiberi, who now serves as president of Emergency Response Protocol Security and founder of Donate Delaware. Tiberi founded ERP, a regional security company, in 2007 and as its president is responsible for bringing in new clients through prospecting, networking and partnerships. In light of the coronavirus pandemic, he founded Donate Delaware as a way to support health care workers and first responders. He’s also spearheaded a monthly networking effort called Delaware Decision Makers and engaged in many charitable organizations as a key supporter. ALMA MATER: BOARDS:

As president and CEO of United Way of Delaware, Michelle Taylor leads the organization; s mission to improve lives by maximizing resources for communities in need. Under her leadership, UWDE focuses on advancing equity and expanding opportunities through education, financial empowerment and health. With a staff of 40 employees and hundreds of volunteers, Taylor helps guide UWDE to work with nonprofit, corporate, government and grassroots partners to build a toolkit for families in the state. In her role, she serves as the nonprofit’s public face and is responsible for fostering partnerships, driving community engagement and ensuring the effective delivery of programs and services.

Charlie Vincent Spur Impact Association

Charlie Vincent is the Executive Director of Spur Impact, a Delaware nonprofit whose mission is to connect and inspire emerging leaders and professionals to make a lasting impact in their careers and communities. He leads Spur Impact’s signature programs, including Delaware Gives, the MILLSUMMIT and the Spur Leaders Network. Together, these initiatives raise millions of unrestricted dollars annually for hundreds of Delaware nonprofits while also educating, empowering, and connecting the next generation of business and nonprofit leaders. In 2025, he helped launched Get on Board, a one-day event that brought 75 people together to learn the ins and outs of building stronger nonprofit leadership. ALMA MATERS: BOARD: Q&A:

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NONPROFIT

John Wellons Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware

John Wellons has served as president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware, the state’s largest provider of before- and after-school programs, since 2017. The organization boasts an annual membership of 7,000 young people, with an average daily attendance of 3,000 people. In addition, the nonprofit employs 600 people and operates with an annual revenue of $31 million. Through his leadership, Wellons focuses on strategic development, intertwined with sound business practices, as he, the board and leadership team pursue a mission to provide programming young people need to grow into productive, responsible, caring citizens.

SPORTS

Ryan Carty University of Delaware

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Larry Meli Delaware Blue Coats

In 2013, the NBA G-League affiliate for the Philadelphia 76ers arrived in Delaware and within a decade, the Delaware Blue Coats secured its first national championship. It also became one of two teams to arrive in the finals for three seasons in a row. The Delaware Blue Coats plays at the Chase Fieldhouse built by Buccini/Pollin Group and have drawn thousands of fans to the games. Delaware Blue Coats President Larry Meli has helped guide the strategy to draw high attendance numbers and sponsorships. In 2025, the Delaware Blue Coats has its eyes set on rebuilding, with naming Ariana Andonian as the new general manager and JP Clark as the new head coach of the franchise.

In 2025, the University of Delaware was welcomed to the Football Bowl Subdivision, the highest level of college football. Now, all eyes are on the UD Blue Hens and their coach, Ryan Carty. Since his appointment in December 2021, he has compiled a 26-11 record, leading the Blue Hens to back-to-back NCAA playoff appearances and their first consecutive nine-win seasons in 20 years. A proud UD alumnus, Carty spent his entire playing career as backup quarterback, earning team captain honors despite limited game time. He played on the 2003 national championship team. His coaching career includes stops at New Hampshire and Sam Houston State, where he won the 2020 FCS national championship as offensive coordinator as well. The Blue Hens have been impressed so far as Carty’s contract has been extended to 2030.

William Strickland L&W Insurance/DE Turf

William Strickland, the president of L&W Insurance, has been one of the main champions of the Delaware Turf complex in Frederica as the board of directors chair. Since the DE Turf ’s conception, the $25 million project has 12 athletic fields in Frederica, off Delaware Route 1 as a main draw to bring first-class competitions to the first state, first starting with field hockey and today and USA Lacrosse men’s and women’s national teams for exhibition games in 2021. The booming success of the DE Turf Field has led Delaware to follow suit and invest in other sports facilities across the First State. Now entering its ninth year, the DE Turf Complex is embarking on a new expansion to add bleachers to grow capacity to 2,000 attendees.

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TECHNOLOGY

Zakiyyah Ali Tech Council of Delaware

In March 2023, the Tech Council of Delaware officially launched and Zakiyyah Ali was named its first leader. Its precursor was Tech Hire Delaware and the Delaware IT Council under the Rodel Foundation umbrella Under Ali’s leadership, the Tech Council outlined a vision to draw more tech career professionals, businesses, education together to make Delaware a tech hub. She also shaped and launched many programs, such as the Yes, We Tech! internship program, the Tri-State Workforce Consortium, and the design of the Workforce Center for Precision Medicine. Tech Council now offers routine training programs and panels to boost collaboration between industry, education and the government.

Desa Burton Zip Code Wilmington

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Patrick Callahan LabWare

Desa Burton has served as lead counsel on intellectual property for InterDigital in Philadelphia, tasked as the lead on research and development, technology innovation and government contracts. In 2019, she was selected as the next leader of Zip Code Wilmington, an award-winning nonprofit focused on offering 12-week courses in software development and data engineering. Over the last 10 years, Zip Code has graduated around 740 students with an 85% job placement rate. Recently, Zip Code inked an agreement with GoldeyBeacom College to transfer credits for certificates and continue education.

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With partners, Patrick Callahan developed CompassRed in 2012, as a company to analyze data to help guide an organization’s future with new strategies. The company was repeatedly named to Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies. In March 2022, CompassRed was acquired by LabWare, a veteran laboratory information management provider headquartered in Alapocas. As of October 2025, he is looking for his next venture. Earlier in his career Callahan was a co-founder of The Archer Group, a digital agency and held positions at Andersen Consulting, Hesta Data Systems and Proximitree.

Tech Impact was founded in collaboration with Microsoft as part of the NPower Network, a nonprofit technology capacity building organization. In 2013, it rebranded and became independent. Tech Impact is a national workforce training program, but has extensive operations in Delaware and Philadelphia, as well as a training center in Las Vegas. In the last four years, Patrick Callihan has overseen the acquisition of two firms: the Delaware Data Innovation Lab and Message digital marketing agency. Tech Impact recently grew to offer workforce development programs in Nashville and celebrated over 1,000 graduates through their programs.

Patrick Callihan Tech Impact

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TECHNOLOGY

Stephanie Eldridge Code Differently

Code Differently is a private and business trade school focused on diversifying the technology workforce, with its classes stacked with 98% people of color and 40% women. Code Differently CEO Stephanie Eldridge launched the school with former colleague Tariq Hook to spark change in tech deserts and workforce training through integrated solutions that work for both the communities and companies. Code Differently offers 20 weeks of training for those looking to starting out in the job market or those looking to enter a new career. Eldridge also focuses on building and sustaining partnerships with businesses, government agencies and organizations to grow Code Differently’ s impact while ensuring financial stability. She champions policies and practices that connect people with opportunity and transform the trajectory of lives, businesses, and entire communities.

TOURISM

Markevis Gideon NERDiT NOW

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Jen Boes Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau

With the clock ticking on the United States’ Semiquincentennial, the Brandywine Valley is in a unique position to capture some of the excitement and Jen Boes of the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau is ready to meet the moment. On a normal year, New Castle County generates $3.2 billion in tourism, but Boes is predicting to see more interest in Delaware when the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence arrives in 2026. As the chief marketer for the region, she’s at the table for plans to celebrate Delaware’s role in the Revolutionary War. Boes is also strategizing for how northern Delaware can capitalize on the FIFA World Cup games set in Philadelphia. Her 30 years of work in tourism and hospitality marketing, she was also one of the top marketers when President Joe Biden first shined a spotlight on the First State. ALMA MATER: BOARDS: Q&A:

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NERDit NOW CEO Markevis Gideon built the company off a simple idea: what can donating 100 computers do? From there, he launched the first I.T. recycling company in the state, while also opening a shop to repair electronics. Through the company’s nonprofit arm, it has donated more than 10,000 computers to at-risk communities in the state and started an apprenticeship program for those who live in the Riverside community. Last year, NERDiT NOW transitioned to focus on bulk orders and electronic recycling. To solidify this transition, Gideon cut the ribbon on a new office in the Riverside Opportunity Center in 2022.

Pete Bradley Kent County Tourism Corporation

As the president of Kent County Tourism Corporation, Pete Bradly has led a way in leveraging hidden gems in central Delaware to residents and visitors alike. He has supported Kent County’s collecting branding as the quaint village getaway, designed to appeal to people who want a quiet trip to historic Dover and small towns nestled in wetlands. Before his tenure at Kent County Tourism, he previously served as vice president and general manager of casino operations for Dover Downs Hotel & Casino for 16 years. In his position, he directly oversaw all gaming-related operations, VIP services and security operations. ALMA MATER: BOARDS: Q&A:

TOURISM

Vince DiFonzo TKo Hospitality Management

Shortly after TKo Hospitality started, with just one hotel to its name, Vince DiFonzo joined the crew. He is now the President and a partner in the company, supporting its 20 properties which includes hotels, restaurants, event centers and golf courses. Ten of those are in Delaware. Recently, TKo launched a new division, TKo Golf, and manages two golf courses in the Lehigh Valley. TKo Hospitality currently employs over 1,000 team members and has become a highly recognized management company, winning the 2024 Hyatt Operational Excellence Award marking the third time in five years TKo netted the award. DiFonzo also served for 20 years as a senior executive with Meyer Jabara Hotels.

Tom Kramedas

The Kramedas family has been in the hotel business since the 1960s, developing eight hotels in that time. When Tom Kramedas took over as president in 2000, he helped grow the firm’s portfolio and added more development projects into the family business. In 2006, Axia brought the first branded hotel to Middletown. In the past few years, Axia has added Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Middletown with plans to open a shopping center across the highway. Today, Kramedas oversees around nine hotels in Delaware and Maryland.

Axia Hospitality Management

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Scott Thomas Southern Delaware Tourism

Every year, Delaware’s beaches draw millions of visitors and the tourism season continues to extend well beyond summer. For the past 18 years, Southern Delaware Tourism Executive Director Scott Thomas has worked to lift the image not only of Delaware’s coastal towns, but also attractions in Western and Central Sussex County like the Nanticoke River and the Delaware Botanic Gardens. Tourism is a $3 billion industry in Sussex County and supports 26,900 jobs, and Thomas collaborates with chambers of commerce, businesses and organizations to continue to keep the industry strong. He is working to develop the “Culinary Coast” brand that shines the light on the county’s many tastemakers, and culinary experiences that are driving more and more visitors to Southern Delaware. ALMA MATER: BOARDS: Q&A:

Jessica Welch Delaware Tourism Office

The First State’s tourism industry contributed $4 billion in gross domestic product in 2021, supporting 47,760 employees in the state and Jessica Welch helps lead the stories that reach corners across the nation. Welch is now the chief marketer for the state’s tourism office and a lifelong Delawarean who has lived in all three counties. She was appointed in 2022, right when Delaware enjoyed exposure from President Joe Biden’s reoccurring trips to Wilmington. She is tasked with launching marketing campaigns and year-round efforts to bring sports events to the state, working with local businesses and government to heighten their appeal. In recent years, Welch has helped launch the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund and various other grant programs to give athletic venues state grants to help attract regional and national sporting events in the state. ALMA MATERS: BOARDS: Q&A: DelawareBusinessTimes.com | DELAWARE 222 75

TOP 50 DELAWARE EMPLOYERS Ranked by No. DE Employees

RANK

COMPANY

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

State of Delaware

150 MLK Jr. Blvd. S. Dover, Del. 19901

ChristianaCare

501 W. 14th St. 1 Wilmington, Del. 19801

JPMorgan Chase

1111 Polaris Parkway Columbus, Ohio 43240

Amazon

1 Centerpoint Blvd. New Castle, Del. 19720

Dover Air Force Base 442 13th St. Dover, Del. 19902

Bank of America

1020 N French St. Wilmington, Del. 19884

Nemours Children's Health 1600 Rockland Road Wilmington, Del. 19803

Bayhealth

640 South State St. Dover, Del. 19901

Mountaire

29292 John J. Williams Highway Millsboro, Del. 19966

University of Delaware 550 S College Ave. Newark, Del. 19713

Walmart

702 S.W. 8th St. Bentonville, Ark. 72716

Federal Goverment

500 W Lockerman St. Dover, Del. 19904

W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. 555 Paper Mill Road Newark, Del. 19711

Solenis

2475 Pinnacle Drive Wilmington, Del. 19803

Perdue Farms Inc.

255 N. Rehoboth Blvd. Milford, Del. 19963

Beebe Healthcare

424 Savannah Road Lewes, Del. 19958

DuPont

974 Centre Road Wilmington, Del. 19805

WSFS Financial Corp. 500 Delaware Ave. Wilmington, Del. 19801

Christina School District 600 N. Lombard St. Wilmington, Del. 19801

New Castle County Government 87 Read's Way New Castle, Del. 19720

Red Clay Consolidated School District 1502 Spruce Ave. Wilmington, Del. 19805

DEL. EMPLOYEES

# EMPLOYEES, COMPANYWIDE

DESCRIPTION

SENIOR EXECUTIVE(S)

(302) 744-4101 delaware.gov

15,715

State Government

Matt C. Meyer, Jr. (Governor)

1787

(302) 733-1000 christianacare.org

13,982

Healthcare

Dr. Janice E. Nevin (President & CEO)

1890

(800) 935-9935 jpmorganchase.com

11,300

300,000

Bank

Thomas Horne (Delaware Market Leader)

1824

(206) 266-1000 amazon.com

7,000

1,556,000

E-Commerce

Andy Jassy (CEO)

1994

(302) 677-3000 dover.af.mil

6,096

Military

Col. Jamil Musa (Commander)

1941

(302) 432-1000 bankofamerica.com

6,000

210,000

Bank

Kelly Firment (Delaware President)

1784

(302) 651-4000 nemours.org

5,249

6,100

Healthcare

Dr. R. Lawrence Moss (President & CEO)

1940

(302) 674-4700 bayhealth.org

4,803

Healthcare

Terry M. Murphy (President & CEO)

1925

(302) 934-1100 mountaire.com

4,800

9,000

Poultry Production

Amanda Irwin (President)

1914

(302) 831-2175 udel.edu

4,774

Higher Education

Laura Carlson (Interim President)

1743

(800) 925-6278 walmart.com

4,221

2,076,632

Retail Store

Jason Leisenring (Regional GM)

1962

(302) 674-3308 usa.gov

3,948

3,000,000

Federal Government

Chris R. Coons (Senior Senator) Sarah McBride (Representative)

1789

(302) 738-4880 gore.com

3,500

8,631

Industrial Equipment & BioPharmaceutical

Bret Snyder (CEO)

1958

(302) 502-0751 solenis.com

3,040

Specialty Chemicals Manufacturer

John Panichella (President & CEO)

2014

(302) 424-2600 perduefarms.com

2,893

21,000

Food Production

Kevin Adams (CEO)

1920

(302) 645-3300 beebehealthcare.org

2,800

Healthcare

David Tam (CEO)

1916

(302) 295-5783 dupont.com

2,600

9,946

Advanced Materials

Lori D. Koch (CEO)

1805

(302) 792-6000 wsfsbank.com

2,371

Financial Services

Rodger Levenson (President & CEO)

1832

(302) 552-2600 christinak12.org

2,219

Public School District

Deirdra Joyner (Superintendent)

1981

(302) 395-5555 nccde.org

2,192

County Government

Marcus L. Henry (County Executive)

1682

(302) 552-3700 redclayschools.com

2,116

Public School District

Dorrell Green (Superintendent)

1981

CONTACT

FOUNDED

Source: Information for Delaware Business Times' lists are either generated through public sources or supplied by individual organizations through questionnaires. We assume that information provided by company representatives is accurate and truthful.

1 Locations in PA and MD.

76 DELAWARE 222 | DelawareBusinessTimes.com

RANK

COMPANY

22 23 24 25 26 27

Delaware Technical Community College

1832 North Dupont Highway Dover, Del. 19901

Wilmington University 320 N Dupont Highway New Castle, Del. 19720

Capital One

802 Delaware Ave. Wilmington, Del. 19801

Sallie Mae

300 Continental Drive Newark, Del. 19713

Incyte

1801 Augustine Cut-Off Wilmington, Del. 19803

AstraZeneca

1800 Concord Pike Wilmington, Del. 19803

TidalHealth Nanticoke 801 Middleford Road Seaford, Del. 19973

29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43

Appoquinimink School District

44 45 46 47 48 49 50

Trinity Healthcare MidAtlantic

313 S. 5th St. Odessa, Del. 19730

CSC

251 Little Falls Drive Wilmington, Del. 19808

Indian River School District 31 Hosier St. Selbyville, Del. 19975

Wilmington VA Medical & Regional Office Center 1601 Kirkwood Highway Wilmington, Del. 19805

Colonial School District 318 E. Basin Road New Castle, Del. 19720

Brandywine School District 1311 Brandywine Blvd. Wilmington, Del. 19809

Chesapeake Utilities Corp. 500 Energy Lane Dover, Del. 19901

Cape Henlopen School District 1270 Kings Highway Lewes, Del. 19958

Allen Harim

29984 Pinnacle Way Millsboro, Del. 19966

Caesar Rodney School District 7 Front St. Wyoming, Del. 19934

ILC Dover

1 Moonwalker Road Frederica, Del. 19946

Phreesia, Inc.

1521 Concord Pike Wilmington, Del. 19803

Chesapeake Utilities 500 Energy Lane Dover, Del. 19901

Buccini/Pollin Group

322 A St., Suite 300 Wilmington, Del. 19801

Goodwill of Delaware and Delaware County 300 East Lea Blvd. Wilmington, Del. 19802

701 N. Clayton St. Wilmington, Del. 19805

Wilmington Trust

1100 North Market St. Wilmington, Del. 19801

Capital School District 198 Commerce Way Dover, Del. 19904

The Bancorp Inc.

409 Silverside Road, Suite 105 Wilmington, Del. 19809

Agilent Technologies 2850 Centerville Road Wilmington, Del. 19808

Casino at Delaware Park 777 Delaware Park Blvd. Wilmington, Del. 19804

The Chemours Company 1007 Market St. Wilmington, Del. 19801

DEL. EMPLOYEES

# EMPLOYEES, COMPANYWIDE

DESCRIPTION

SENIOR EXECUTIVE(S)

(302) 739-3737 dtcc.edu

2,081

Higher Education

Mark T. Brainard (President)

1966

(302) 356-6915 wilmu.edu

1,990

Higher Education

LaVerne Harmon (President)

1967

(877) 383-4802 capitalone.com

1,839

48,872

Financial Services

Joe Westcott (Vice President, Delaware Market President)

1994

(302) 283-8000 salliemae.com

1,690

Financial Services

Jonathan Witter (CEO)

1972

(302) 498-6700 incyte.com

1,645

Biotechnology

Bill Meury (CEO)

2002

(800) 236-9933 astrazeneca.com

1,600

89,900

Bio-Pharmaceutical

Pascal Soriot (CEO)

1999

(302) 629-6611 mytidalhealth.org

1,600

5,000

Healthcare

Steven Leonard (President & CEO)

1945

(302) 376-4128 apposchooldistrict.com

1,590

Public School District

Matthew Burrows (Superintendent)

1969

(866) 403-5272 cscglobal.com

1,500

8,507

Brand Services

Rodman Ward III (CEO)

1899

(302) 436-1000 irsd.net

1,492

Public School District

Jay Owens (Superintendent)

1969

(302) 994-2511 wilmington.va.gov

1,473

Healthcare

Vamsee Potluri (Director)

1946

(302) 323-2700 colonialschooldistrict.org

1,349

Public School District

Jeffrey Menzer (Superintendent)

1981

(302) 793-5000 brandywineschools.org

1,279

Public School District

Lisa Lawson (Superintendent)

1981

(302) 734-6799 chpk.com

1,222

Natural Gas Distribution

Jeffery Householder (President & CEO)

1859

(302) 645-6686 capehenlopenschools.com

1,156

Public School District

Jenny Nauman (Superintendent)

1969

(302) 629-9136 allenharimllc.com

1,129

Food Production

Michael Little (CEO)

1919

(302) 698-4800 crk12.org

1,121

Public School District

Corey Miklus (Superintendent)

1915

(302) 335-3911 ilcdover.com

1,072

Pharmaceuticals

Corey Walker (CEO)

1947

(888) 654-7473 phreesia.com

1,066

Healthcare Software

Chaim Indig (CEO)

2005

(800) 427-2883 chpkgas.com

1,015

Energy Company

Jeff Householder (President, CEO)

1859

(302) 691-2100 bpgroup.net

1,000

3,500

Real Estate Acquisition & Management

Christopher Buccini Robert Buccini David Pollin (Founders)

1993

(302) 761-4640 goodwillde.org

957

1,064

Nonprofit

Colleen Morrone (President & CEO)

1921

(302) 421-4100 trinityhealthma.org

923

7,000

Healthcare

Marlow Levy (President)

1924

(302) 651-1000 wilmingtontrust.com

859

Financial Services

Abby Mrozinski (Head of Global Capital Markets)

1995

(302) 672-1500 capital.k12.de.us

834

Public School District

Victoir Cahoon (Superintendent)

1919

(302) 385-5000 thebancorp.com

767

Financial Services

Damian Kozlowski (CEO)

2000

(800) 227-9770 agilent.com

758

18,000

Laboratory Technologies

Padraig McDonnell (President & CEO)

1999

(302) 994-2521 delawarepark.com

754

Casino

Terry Glebocki (President)

1937

(302) 773-1000 chemours.com

730

4,361

Chemical Manufacturing

Denise Dignam (President & CEO)

2015

CONTACT

FOUNDED

Person of the Year

By Roger Morris Contributing Writer

In 2017, when LaVerne Harmon was selected as the new president of Wilmington University to succeed Jack Varsalona, she said at the time that her only agenda was “to help people improve.” That modest-sounding goal belied the fact that in the years prior, Harmon had been at Varsalona’s side and was instrumental in growing enrollment at the institution from 2,000 students to 20,000, nearly tripling the headcount. She also assisted in transforming Wilmington College into Wilmington University and began building relationships with other higher education institutions in the tri-state region. Although Harmon’s agenda of helping people improve hasn’t changed, the university’s stature under her has blossomed. In 2017, Wilmington University had an endowment of $85.8 million. Today it stands at approximately $200 million. With a main campus in New Castle, WilmU – as it is popularly known – also has locations in North Wilmington and in Dover with affiliate campuses in New Jersey and

78 DELAWARE 222 | DelawareBusinessTimes.com

a new law school recently located in Concord. Under her leadership, WilmU has embraced the digital age and is a top provider of online degree programs to meet students of all ages and walks of life. In 2025, the university saw five of these programs recognized by Forbes magazine in the top 10 in the country in their categories. These are just some of the reasons the Delaware Business Times has chosen Wilmington University President Dr. LaVerne Harmon as our inaugural Person of the Year. Under Harmon’s leadership, WilmU has had a huge, if not always well-recognized, positive economic impact on the state in upskilling, educating and training Delaware’s workforce today and tomorrow. With an enrollment of 20,384 in 2024, three-quarters of its students were 25 years old or older. It’s also a top choice for transfer students to complete degrees or build off existing certificates, as WilmU allows students to transfer up to 90 credits and offers rolling admissions. “Because we serve many working adults and transfer students, the majority [of them] are already part of the local workforce, or they

choose to stay here after graduation,” Harmon said. “You’ll see our alumni in classrooms, school administrations, hospitals, police departments, courtrooms, IT teams and corporate and nonprofit organizations statewide. We award thousands of degrees each year and serve a large and diverse student body, so we’re supplying talent to Delaware’s workforce and amplifying the state’s economic impact.” Harmon would know. She’s one of those graduates that leveraged WilmU’s programs into success. A Jersey City native, Harmon started her career at the university in 1989 and enrolled in classes there. While working full-time for 10 consecutive years, she continued her studies at WilmU and completed coursework for a doctoral degree in Higher Education at the University of Pennsylvania.

“I’ve been fortunate to spend most of my career at Wilmington University,” she said. “It has allowed me to gain a deep understanding of our students, our culture and how our institution operates. I was a student myself, so the university also offered me an opportunity, and I will always be grateful for that.” During her career at the WilmU, Harmon has held several positions in student affairs, alumni relations, human relations, marketing, recruiting, admissions and operations. Perhaps that is why she places such a strong emphasis on staff development and serves on many local community boards. “I consider myself a servant leader, which, to me, means listening to colleagues and making sure people have what they need to succeed. It’s important to allow others to shine and to give credit where it’s due,” she said.

It is a full plate for Harmon and her staff in securing and managing an array of institutional developments. The new law school accepted its first class in 2023 and already has earned provisional American Bar Association accreditation. This November the school moved into a three-story, 52,000-square-feet home off U.S. Route 202 with two model courtrooms. She was able to add retired Judge

“I consider myself a servant leader, which, to me, means listening to colleagues and making sure people have what they need to succeed. It’s important to allow others to shine and to give credit where it’s due.”

Jan Jurden, who served on Delaware’s Superior Court, to her team as the new dean of the law school. Other major projects include a new convocation center due to open in the fall of 2026, a new Center for Law, Justice and Society, which opened this past May in Dover. In recent years, WilmU has continued to add more programs to educate its students in upcoming career paths, like certificates in esports, biotech and forensic sciences. The university also launched Delaware’s first nurse anesthesiology program, which is a 36-month course of study operated in collaboration with ChristianaCare. “Above all else, my greatest hope is that we remain the caring and compassionate institution we are now and always prioritize students’ needs,” Harmon said.

DelawareBusinessTimes.com | DELAWARE 222 79

The Voice of Construction in The First State ABC Delaware promotes open competition through free enterprise and enriches individuals, while developing leaders in both our community and construction-related industries. Representing 90% of the construction workers, ABC Delaware helps educate our members through training classes, and deliver work safely, ethically and profitably for the betterment of the communities in which ABC and its members live and work.

Let ’s Talk Membership! Jennifer Cohan

ABC Delaware President

ABCDELAWARE.COM | 302.328.1111

LEADERSHIP IN ACTION Recognizing Keith Donovan among Delaware’s 222

Under Keith’s leadership, Morris James has grown into one of Delaware’s most trusted law firms.

Keith leads more than 70 attorneys and 100 professionals who share his belief that clients and

“MY LEADERSHIP STYLE IS CLIENT-CENTRIC AND

PEOPLE-FOCUSED.”

community come first. In the courtroom and in firm leadership, his work reflects the Delaware values that define Morris James.

Committed to clients. Committed to Delaware.