February 17, 2026 | Vol. 13 • No. 4 | $4.00 | DelawareBusinessTimes.com
Creative Economics
Kiara Florez
Delaware's artists find themselves between passion and paychecks 10-11 DRIVING GROWTH:
NEXT ACT:
FLYING HIGH:
Dot Foods to nearly double its Bear site
Freeman Arts Director Grimes to retire
Ladybug Music Festival names new owners
5
9
13
DATA CENTER DENIED:
IN THE C-SUITE: Biggs Museum Exec.
State rejects critical
Director Hassan Najjar
permit for Project
discusses Dover arts
Washington
8
19
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Vol. 13, No. 4 dated February 17, 2026 Copyright © 2026 by Today Media, all rights reserved
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Byler Holdings ...........................6 Chesapeake Plumbing and Heating ...............................5 Clubhouse of Delaware ..............6 Coastal Zone Act ........................8 Council on Development Finance .....................................5 Delaware Art Museum .............12 Delaware Arts Alliance .......10, 11 Delaware Contemporary ..........10 Delaware Division of the Arts....10 Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation....................6
Delaware Natural Resources and Environmental Control ...............8
Ladybug Music Festival............ 13
Developing Arts Collaborative...12
Patti Grimes ...............................9
Do More 24 Delaware ................7
Robert Herrera ..........................8
Dot Foods ..................................5 Freeman Arts Pavilion................ 9
Seaford Economic Development .............................6
GOLFJOY ...................................6
Spur Impact ...............................7
Gov. Matt Meyer .........................5
Starwood Digital Ventures ..........8
House Small Business Caucus...................................... 8
Sussex County Economic Development .............................5
Igniting Delaware Edutainment Association ..............................13
The Mill .....................................8
Joshua M. Freeman Foundation ................................9
United Way of Delaware............. 7
Ocean Crest Properties...............5
Travis Martin ..............................5
KemperSports ...........................6
White Clay Creek Country Club..............................6
Kirk Davis ..................................5
Wilmington Riverfront ................6
INDEX At a Glance..........................................................4 Industry Updates..............................................5-8 Special Section: Arts...................................... 9-13
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Eric Bolis
The List..............................................................14
ART DIRECTOR Natalie Newhart
News Briefs.......................................................15
Business Leads..................................................16 Calendar............................................................17 Viewpoint...........................................................18 In the C-Suite.....................................................19
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Rosalinda Rocco GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kyle Manzolillo SENIOR AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Lisa P. Bennett DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL STRATEGY Greg Mathias
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Kiara Florez is a painter and has had her work displayed in Delaware museums and in the U.S. Capitol, and now she works for the Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover. She's one of many artists who work a "day job" while pursing a passion. DBT PHOTO BY ERIC CROSSAN
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FEBRUARY 17, 2026 / DELAWARE BUSINESS TIMES 3
AT A GLANCE Year after year, Delaware’s nonprofit organizations receive a variety of state funding for general operating support, project support, education resources, and more through the Delaware Division of the Arts. For the 2026 grant period, the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation received the highest general operating support grant at $390,000, representing a 14% increase compared to 2025. Overall, the foundation received $405,000 in total grant funding in 2026. In 2025, the Delaware Art Museum received the highest total amount of grant funding at $368,280, which included a general operating support grant and a special project grant for the second annual Hip-Hop Cultural Summit. In 2026, the museum received those same two grants, along with an additional education resource grant. For two consecutive years, the Grand Opera House received the same types of funding: a general operating support grant and an education resource grant. Overall, grant funding for Delaware nonprofits tends to fluctuate from year to year, typically increasing or decreasing within an average range of 20%.
Arts, Crafts & Grants Art Organizations
Total Grants 2026
Total Grants 2025
Joshua M. Freeman Foundation
$405,000
$356,500
The Grand Opera House
$403,807
$337,450
Delaware Art Museum
$360,072
$368,280
Delaware Theatre Company
$251,199
$249,790
Music School of Delaware
$238,255
$215,610
Source: Pew Reach Center and Delaware Department of Technology and Information 2025.
3/5 - 3/6 6 PM - 6 PM
Join your fellow Delawareans and support your favorite Delaware nonprofits during Delaware’s largest giving! Delaware Gives Day | DoMore24Delaware.org 42 DELAWARE BUSINESS TIMES / FEBRUARY 17, 2026
MANUFACTURING & DISTRIBUTION
Dot Foods to invest $33M in Bear site By Katie Tabeling BEAR — Dot Foods will invest $33 million to nearly double the size of its redistribution center in Bear, an investment that could expand its regional customer base to more than 1,200 customers across the Northeast region. Dot Foods, the country’s largest food redistributor, announced that it would add roughly 150,000 square feet of new storage space at its warehouse along Delaware Route 72. The investment would bring its total space to 340,000 square feet in size. The company would also add more than 19,000 pallet positions, 15 new dock doors and 100 trailer parking spaces. Representatives from Dot Foods told the Delaware Business Times the expansion will create 50 to 100 new jobs over the next few years “and possibly more over time.” Construction is expected to start in spring 2026 and be completed by summer 2027. “The Bear distribution center plays a key role in our national network, and this expansion improves our ability to serve our customers and supplier partners across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic,” Dot Foods Vice President of Warehousing Chris
Landrum said in a press statement. “This investment gives our teams greater flexibility to manage volume growth while maintaining excellent service. We're excited about the impact of this project and what the future holds for Dot Foods Delaware.” Dot Foods first opened its warehouse and offices at 301 American Blvd. near the intersection of Red Lion and Wrangle Hill road in early 2020 after it secured a $1.1 million in taxpayerbacked grant from the Strategic Fund. The family business was started in 1960 and now carries 137,000 products from 1,500 food manufacturers, making it the largest food redistributor in North America.
Dot Foods plans to nearly double the size of its Bear redistribution center and hire at least 50 workers over time as it ramps up operations. | PHOTO COURTESY OF DOT FOODS
Delmar targeted for next warehouse project By Katie Tabeling DELMAR — The upstart developer Ocean Crest Properties is planning its third industrial park in four years and, this time, the company has set eyes on building an 800,000 squarefoot park in Delmar. Ocean Crest Properties is a new venture formed with Chesapeake Plumbing and Heating owner Travis Martin and Salisbury developers Bret and Kirk Davis to identify and develop industrial space for small to medium companies in the southern Delaware region. The latest project will feature 13 buildings at the intersection of U.S. Route 13 and Old Stage Coach
This expansion is about placing capacity to where it's most effective for Dot Foods customers in food service, grocery, convenience store and more, according to Landrum. Since Delaware is within a three-hour drive of at least 15 million people, the state is a prime location for warehouses and distribution centers to reach a large swath of customers at one time. Dot Foods, which brought in $11.4 billion in revenue last year, has a strong Mid-Atlantic network of distributors, including locations in Williamsport, Md., and Liverpool, N.Y., as well as in Delaware. The company has 13 distribution centers in the United States. The Bear facility already handles more than 275 million pounds of product annually and is approaching full capacity. To date, Dot Foods’ Bear facility serves more than 250 customers with weekly deliveries.
Road between 32,500 square feet and 100,000 square feet in size. The developers will soon settle on the 73 acres of land for the Delmar Business Center and, pending approvals, construction will start in the summer. Phase one of construction would include three buildings totaling 175,000 square feet of space at a cost of $11.2 million. Formed in 2024, Ocean Crest Properties’ sweet spot is building flex space for small and mediumsized companies that want to enjoy Delaware’s low cost of doing business but not be too far from prospective customers in Maryland. “We don’t have any competition;
there’s no other product out there. There’s one-offs and singular buildings, but those are contractor slips at 500 to 5,000 [square feet]. We can build 1,000 square feet for someone, and even larger, depending if someone calls and asks,” Bret Davis told the Delaware Business Times. The Sussex County Economic Development Office receives inquiries every week for companies looking to expand, sometimes looking for space as much as 40,000 square feet to as much as 100,000 square feet. Right now, Ocean Crest Properties is receiving calls for businesses all over the map, from sports facilities to automotive parts. A “small” data center will also be placed on the site for Bret Davis’s other venture Simple Fiber as a selling point for
Landrum told DBT in an email that the expansion would allow the company to raise that to 350 customers or more. “We continue to make investments that benefit all channels and customer segments. Each of our facilities can serve everyone from our ingredients division, food service broad liners, and large retailers. This expansion in Bear represents an ongoing effort to place capacity where it’s most effective for our partners and will provide opportunities to expand those relationships in the Northeast,” Landrum wrote in an email. Beyond direct B2B deliveries, the expansion will have a broader impact along Dot Food’s footprint. Much of the forecasted growth the company is seeing will come from the Bear distribution center and how the company manages inventory across its network of centers. The Bear facility currently impacts 900 customers across the region. The company expects that to grow to 1,200 customers once the expansion is complete. Gov. Matt Meyer said in a press release that the state was grateful and excited Dot Foods chose to increase its investment in Delaware. “[This] announcement demonstrates how our state's strategic location, strong workforce, and supportive economic climate make Delaware an ideal home for growing companies,” the governor said. prospective tenants. Davis said he considered data centers as a possible use, but the Delmar Business Park was being designed as flex space for any user’s need.
BY THE NUMBERS
73 acres
Site for Delmar business park
$11.2 million Phase 1 projected investment
The Council on Development Finance recommended awarding the Delmar Business Center $1.4 million for Level II Site Readiness Funds on Feb. 2. The grant will be used to build an entrance to the property from U.S. Route 13.
FEBRUARY 17, 2026 / DELAWARE BUSINESS TIMES 5
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
Golf simulator coming to Wilmington Riverfront By Katie Tabeling WILMINGTON — Two cousins have gone into business and have big plans to open a cutting-edge golf simulator and entertainment center next door to the Penn Cinema Center on the Wilmington Riverfront. The Clubhouse of Delaware will open an 8,000 square-foot indoor golf facility with a 64-seat restaurant this summer. The restaurant will be golfthemed and feature a menu of bar favorites and selected entries. The concept is co-owned and operated by cousins Rick Knight and Matt Piecara. The pair signed a 10-year lease for 401 S. Madison St. with the Buccini Pollin Group. Jonathan Blyer, president & CEO, Byler Holdings LLC, helped broker the lease. Inside the venue, there will be nine bays and the best-in-class GOLFJOY simulator system which includes artificial intelligence software that helps simulate a putting green. While other indoor golf simulators have a screen to help visualize a putting green, golfers have no real way to determine distance while putting. GOLFJOY has a smart putting platform that has 28 sensor points through pressure plates to detect the ball after it’s hit; the simulator can
mimic green slopes and curves from real life courses. People will have the opportunity to play simulations of more than 350 courses. GOLFJOY also has 3D visuals in high definition powered by Unreal Engine, a leading virtual reality tool. “For people practicing or trying to hone their skills, there’s only so much you can do on a simulator with a screen. You can’t really practice putting like that,” said Knight. Knight and Piecara are both golf players with varying levels of experience; Knight started three years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic while Piecara is a lifelong golfer about to complete the Professional Golfers' Association training program. The duo played golf together almost weekly but struggled to find a place to play during the winter months. That inspired the cousins to go into business with each other after years of working for their own companies. Knight had several enterprises, including a marine flooring business and trucking company, while Piecara had a landscaping company. The duo had explored a franchise agreement, reportedly for The Grove in Newark, but eventually settled on
DEMEC inks $1.25M land deal for Seaford location By Jennifer Antonik
SEAFORD – Part of the Western Sussex Business Campus in Seaford has been sold to the tune of $1.25 million to the Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation, or DEMEC for short. Seaford Economic Development Director Trisha Newcomer said the sale of more than 20 undeveloped acres at more than $62,500 per acre was a positive one for the community. DEMEC is a not-for-profit public corporation and joint action agency that serves as a wholesale electric utility for Delaware’s communityowned electric systems. It represents and supplies power to the municipal electric distribution utilities of
cities and towns such as Newark, Middletown, Smyrna, Clayton, Milford, Lewes, New Castle, Seaford and Dover, collectively serving tens of thousands of residents and businesses across the state. “DEMEC is a value add to all of our organizations,” she told the Delaware Business Times. “To have the land sold and to know the economic viability of the park, the chance of jobs, essentially our main goal to begin with. . . it’s a great feeling.” DEMEC is planning on constructing an office at the site in hopes of an expanded presence in Sussex County with future development opportunities, Newcomer said. Those opportunities have yet to be disclosed.
62 DELAWARE BUSINESS TIMES / FEBRUARY 17, 2026
White Clay Creek Golf Course listed for $3M The Penn Cinema Center has a ground-floor retail space now leased to a small business that plans to open a golf simulator and restaurant.| PHOTO COURTESY OF BPG
their own venture to have the topnotch technology available. The spot at the Wilmington Riverfront came up and it fit their market research for being within a 15-minute drive from apartments, restaurants and offices, as well as within striking distance from Philadelphia and New Jersey. Piecara and his family live within four minutes from the Riverfront Wilmington, and he said there’s a “void of entertainment” there he hopes The Clubhouse will fill. “There’s restaurants, but there’s not something you can take your three kids to do that’s within 5 or 10 minutes of us. So, the Riverfront really checked all the boxes we were looking for,” he said. The land purchased by DEMEC is still undeveloped and will require water, sewer and other hookups to be viable for use. Newcomer said a unique condition was added to the sale to ensure the land’s use even if that becomes impossible for DEMEC. “Should DEMEC not be able to develop that land as intended, the city would actually purchase back those lands at the same price so we can ensure that economic development and job creation is going to occur,” she said. Kimberly Schlichting, president and CEO of DEMEC, expressed excitement about future opportunities available to the organization thanks to this purchase. She said DEMEC will work “slow and steady to ensure that we’re ready to meet the needs of our members” as they consider forward movement at the site.
By Katie Tabeling WILMINGTON — One month after the White Clay Creek Country Club closed its 18-hole championship course, it has been listed for $3 million. The property was listed on Feb. 4 by Fasy Realtors, noting that a 64 acre lot of 279 acres was recently subdivided. The listing also mentions that the golf course would work as a “golf destination, event venue or a component of a broader mixed-use development.” The 18-hole championship course was closed for good on Jan. 1. Members were notified by White Clay Creek Country Club General Manager Ryan Kidwell via a letter sent on Dec. 30. The letter notes the decision was made “with careful consideration by ownership” and was not made lightly. The country club is “working on multiple options to find a new owner but this will take time.” Requests for comment by the Delaware Business Times were not immediately returned. KemperSports was brought on as the golf course’s manager in 2022, shortly after the Rickman family sold Delaware Park Casino and Racetrack at the end of last year to a coalition of investors led by a Canadian private equity firm. It was KemperSport’s first course in Delaware; it currently manages about 120 courses across 24 states. The course, which opened 20 years ago, is a hidden gem as it was designed by famed golf course architecture duo Arthur Hills and Steve Forrest. It spans 7,007 yards of fairways and greens. The course has five different tee placements on each hole and golfers of all abilities can have an enjoyable experience.
NONPROFITS
Do More 24 Delaware prepares for showtime By Katie Tabeling WILMINGTON — Do More 24 Delaware, the state’s largest single day of charitable giving, has opened registration for the state’s thousands of nonprofits looking to get a boost. Organized by the United Way of Delaware (UWDE) and Spur Impact, Do More 24 Delaware brings the state’s nonprofit sector together through collective marketing, awareness and fundraising. About 600 Delaware nonprofits participate in the event. Nonprofits also have the opportunity to win prizes sourced from corporations and businesses. The event will run for 24 hours beginning at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 5. “It has been widely known that research shows that when there is an incentive, more people give. So, it’s just a great way to get everybody valued together and support the nonprofit
sector here in Delaware,” Spur Impact Director of Nonprofit Engagement Jenn Saienni said. In the past five years, Do More 24 Delaware has raised more than $12
million for nonprofits across the state over five 24-hour periods. It spans every ZIP code in Delaware and every type of organization, from small community programs to large statewide initiatives. Last year, 20,000 donations at a total of $2.5 million supported Delaware organizations from throughout the U.S. and other countries, showing that the event draws in people from beyond
the First State. About 30% of those donations came from first-time donors. “Very few other organizations can really say that. We have seen that growth, not just in dollars, but also in the number of donations coming through,” she told DBT. Saienni says the campaign is successful because of the matching grants and incentives, such as offering match donations to participating nonprofits. Other incentives include offering a prize every hour, ranging from $200 to $5,000 to a nonprofit’s cause. Additional prizes are offered throughout the event thanks to partnerships with corporate partners like CSC, Bloom Energy and Discover Bank, among others. Those companies also often promote Do More 24 Delaware within internal company channels to encourage its employees to participate. Colleen Mulligan, CSC’s global program manager, said that the event aligns with the company’s philanthropic goals to ensure the communities in which it operates is better than before.
Do More 24 Delaware is the largest single-day philanthropic event in the state, and Spur Impact hopes to set another record in 2026. | PHOTO COURTESY OF DO MORE 24 DELAWARE
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FEBRUARY 17, 2026 / DELAWARE BUSINESS TIMES 7
GOVERNMENT
Data center denied key environmental permit By Katie Tabeling DELAWARE CITY — The Delaware Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) has ruled early Wednesday morning that plans for a 1.2 gigawatts data center are not allowed under the state’s Coastal Zone Act. Starwood Digital Ventures, the developer for the project, may appeal DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson’s decision within 14 days under the state’s regulations. There is no restriction on whether the project can be resubmitted with a new application for a new decision. Representatives for Starwood Digital Ventures told the Delaware Business that they “were confident the project will be successfully completed and remain on track”
despite DNREC’s decision. The Coastal Zone Act was passed in 1971 to prohibit and regulate the construction of new heavy industry in its coastal areas beyond the heavy industry use sites. In the decades since, the Coastal Zone Act has required companies to coordinate with the state environmental office and complete a separate application for a permit. Starwood Digital Ventures planned to build the state’s largest data center to date on a 580-acre parcel between Governor Lea and Hamburg Road, right across the street from a Delmarva Power substation. The data center called “Project Washington” included 6 million square feet across 11 buildings, with one land parcel already zoned Heavy Industrial with data centers listed as a permissible use. In its Coastal Zone permit
application filed by Starwood Digital Ventures show that it would have 516 double-walled diesel fuel tanks for backup generators in case of a power outage. Each of these tanks would hold 5,020 gallons of diesel fuel. DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson wrote in his decision that this would be “entirely unprecedented and inconceivable just a few years ago.”
BY THE NUMBERS
516
On-site generators planned
1.2
Gigawatts produced The DNREC secretary also wrote that the backup generators would pollute the air, with worst-case emissions estimates provided by Starwood Digital Ventures which would have the “potential to emit more tons
of nitrogen oxides than any other industrial use” in the Coastal Zone, barring the Delaware City Refinery. Patterson noted that there was “dramatic uncertainty” in regional power markets when Delaware-based generators would fall even short of blackout conditions. The secretary pointed to directives from the U.S. Department of Energy noted that emergency conditions exist in the PJM Interconnection grid operator due to the below freezing temperatures and the recent snowstorm. “The declared emergency authorized PJM to direct backup generation sources at data centers to operate as a ‘last resort’ before firm load interruption. Were these proposed 516 generators to become subject to such orders on an ongoing basis, the potential to pollute would be significant,” Patterson wrote. DNREC officials declined to comment further to DBT on the decision, because the issue is “an active legal and regulatory matter subject to appeal.”
Reassessment identified as major business issues By Katie Tabeling DOVER — Small businesses are feeling a squeeze at the state and local level, struggling to keep pace with rapidly moving legislation through the statehouse while contending with fragmented local control on panhandling, according to chambers of commerce and business advocacy groups. Business and chamber leaders recently met with the House Small Business Caucus to talk about the temperature of the state’s economy. Most legislators in this caucus own small businesses and typically hold monthly meetings to talk about top issues; this time, they were joined by Rob Herrera, owner of The Mill and 9th Street Development Company and co-chair of the Delaware Prosperity Partnership. In Herrera’s mind, there’s two big and pressing concerns at hand: the high property and school tax bills from reassessment and panhandling deterring customers. Reassessment is a lingering issue in Delaware, particularly in New Castle County when thousands of property
owners started to see exorbitant high tax bills come through the mail. New Castle County homeowners saw their tax burdens rise more than 400%. The General Assembly passed a series of short-term solutions to split the tax rate for New Castle County schools, which also withstood a lawsuit argued before the Court of Chancery. The split tax rate put more of the burden on non-residential properties, which could range between businesses, apartment complexes or mixed-use developments. On top of years that saw minimum wage raised and paid family leave rolled out, the high tax bills Rep. Mike Smith (R-Newark) said “was the straw that broke the camel’s back.” The state legislature recently passed Senate Bill 228 to extend New Castle County’s abilities to investigate outliers in commercial properties reassessment until March 31, 2027. It is one of several bills expected to be proposed on reassessment this legislative session. “A lot of the small businesses are dealing with the passing of those costs down to them, and just now they’re dealing with that,” Herrera
82 DELAWARE BUSINESS TIMES / FEBRUARY 17, 2026
Rob Herrera, one of the chairs of the Delaware Prosperity Partnership, shares thoughts on top issues in the business community during a meeting. | DBT PHOTO BY KATIE TABELING
said, referencing what he heard in downtown Wilmington. Other issues lie in how properties were classified, as many mixed-use developments with retail on the ground floor had the entire property classified as commercial property, thus taxed at a higher rate for the county school tax formula. Panhandling and loitering was also identified as a prevalent issue for Delaware’s business districts, with Dover recently working on a controversial ordinance to ban the practice in the city. “It’s a problem throughout the
city, because oftentimes liquor stores, convenience stores and all that, they're a magnet for that kind of activity. The business owners don’t like it because customers feel like they have to run the gauntlet,” Downtown Visions Executive Director Michael Magetti told DBT in a later interview. “For the most part, these folks are not serious criminals, but it’s still not good for business.” Herrera said he’s also heard from downtown Wilmington businesses that are grappling with people asking customers for money on their way into a store.
XSPECIAL SECTION: ARTS
Grimes to retire from Freeman Foundation By Jennifer Antonik SELBYVILLE – The Joshua M. Freeman Foundation will have a bittersweet celebration this year in July during the grand opening of its new permanent stage at the Freeman Arts Pavilion. It’s one and only executive director, Patti Grimes, will celebrate her retirement after nearly two decades at the helm. The announcement has also sparked a search for a new executive director to help continue and expand the work of the Sussex County-based economic driver Grimes came to love since its first day in 2007. She will step aside later this year when her successor is finally appointed, according to an announcement from the foundation’s board of directors. “It’s the right time,” Grimes
said. “This feels like a moment of celebration. I’m writing my next chapter and I’m very open to what that’s going to unfold.” While she may not know where her next steps will take her, she said she will surely continue to champion the Freeman Arts and likely volunteer to help ensure its success. The Freeman Arts Pavilion first opened its stage in 2008 and has since grown into a regional cultural anchor, welcoming tens of thousands of attendees each summer. Today, the venue draws approximately 100,000 people annually and has reached more than one million individuals through performances, education initiatives and community programming over the life of the organization. Under Grimes’ leadership, the foundation expanded arts access
Patti Grimes, who has been the sole executive director for the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation since its inception in 2007; Grimes will retire later this year. | PHOTO COURTESY OF FREEMAN FOUNDATION
through innovative programming and partnerships, including collaborations with more than 100 arts organizations offering outdoor performances during the summer months. The organization also prioritized free and low-cost access, providing hundreds of thousands of opportunities for students and families to experience live arts. Beyond the numbers, Grimes said the daily energy of the pavilion has
been one of the most rewarding aspects of her role. “There isn’t a night that goes by without laughter,” she said, recalling evenings shaped by volunteers’ stories, shared experiences and the collective joy of live performance. “Every night is a barrel of laughs.” The foundation’s board emphasized that the timing of the transition reflects strong governance and long-term planning. The board has engaged executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates to lead a national search for the next executive director, with interviews expected to begin this spring. Grimes noted that a thoughtful succession plan was essential in helping to prepare her next chapter. “You want the next leader to have the runway to work with the board and build on what we’ve collectively created over 19 years,” she said. “I’m so proud of being a part of an organization where the board trusted us and we had a staff that was so innovative, creative and [ready to be] problem solvers to bring the arts.”
FEBRUARY 17, 2026 / DELAWARE BUSINESS TIMES 9
The
XSPECIAL SECTION: ARTS
Struggling
Artist While Delaware's "creative economy" is bustling, many artists are working gigs and day jobs
Some are self-employed, some are gig workers and some also work for a paycheck. By profession, the NEA counts in Delaware 280 architects; 380 art directors, fine artists and animators; 2,100 designers; 45 dancers and choreographers; 345 musicians; 55 actors; 70 entertainers; 390 writers and authors, and 375 photographers. Most Delaware artists find themselves settled into an economic category, often not one of their own choosing: • Freestanding artists who have the creativity, personal drive and good fortune to make a living solely by their talents. • Accomplished artists who also have steady arts-related employment. • Gig artists making a portion of their income as artists, but also holding full- or part-time jobs. • Hobbyists or volunteers who have talent but aren’t all that concerned with being paid for exhibiting it.
Feeding the Creative Economy
By Roger Morris Contributing Writer A recent study by the Delaware Arts Alliance shows that the arts or creative economy is big business in our small state – Delaware’s arts sector in 2022 generated $209.4 million in economic activity and created 3330 jobs that provide $150.8 million in personal income and another $40.2 million in taxes. What the study does not show is that the artists who provide the basis
There's thousands of artists in Delaware, and their work contributes to more than $200 million in economic activity in the First State. | DBT PHOTO BY ERIC CROSSAN
for all those economic statistics – whether full- or part-time, whether painters, musicians, writers, dancers, actors or some other talent – often don’t have steady employment or even a solo employer. They also generally have few paid benefits or a retirement plan to show for their creativity, and they spend a lot of time at the beginning of each year collecting 1099 forms for filing income taxes. In short, artists in Delaware are
102 DELAWARE BUSINESS TIMES / FEBRUARY 17, 2026
primarily gig workers in the same category as Uber drivers, independent contractors and seasonal workers. And while the old portrait of the “starving artist” may be too severe, most can certainly be painted as “struggling artists.” The most recent study by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports there are about 4,780 artists living in Delaware.
Artists must have venues, and venues need audiences. To help sustain this model there are several Delaware and federal government agencies, nonprofits organizations and private foundations whose grants and programs provide muchneeded financing. “We’ve supported a fellowship program since 1980,” said Roxanne Stanulis, program officer for the Delaware Division of the Arts (DDA). “For 2026 our applications for fellowships were way up, with 246 artists applying.” Of those 246 applicants, 27 received fellowships, with 1 being granted $12,000 as a master’s fellow, 14 receiving $8,000 each as established professions and 12 awarded $5,000 each as emerging professionals. The awards are based on merit and not need and are judged by outside jurors,” DDA also gives artist opportunity grants up to $1,000 each based on needs. Delaware Contemporary, a gallery in Wilmington, also offers a fullyfunded artist-in-residence program for three artists who occupy a shared studio, receive one-to-one mentorship and participate in professional development. Following the 2008 financial crisis, the Delaware Arts Alliance was created to serve as both advocate and lobby for the arts. The Alliance’s
XSPECIAL SECTION: ARTS survey of the creative economy cited earlier – the Arts and Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6) report – helps provide justification for that advocacy. “We were able to get a $2.2 million increase for arts funding in this year’s state budget,” said DAA executive director Neil Kirschling. He notes that Congressional lobbying by the National Endowment of the Arts in January successfully restored arts funding to states originally not in the 2026 budget. Another primary source of financial grants is private foundations, including the Longwood Foundation whose fall 2025 arts grants included $350,000 to Clear Space Productions in Rehoboth Beach for satellite facilities, a $272,927 cultural restoration project for a permanent culture center in Wilmington, $350,000 to the Delaware Children’s Museum for a learning-centered net maze and $150,000 to the Delaware Historical Society for renovation on the Read House gardens in New Castle.
The Economic Pyramid Even those who make a living as artists often have ancillary duties. For example, Elizabeth Heflin and Lee Ernst, two actors who met while University of Delaware students, have reunited as members of UD’s Resident Ensemble Players (REP) and, along with five other actors, receive a salary but also teach acting and production classes. Likewise, OperaDelaware, the state’s only professional opera company, has four performers who are full-time employees with benefits. “The program started two years ago with partial funding by Longwood Foundation and the Presser Foundation,” said soprano Kerriann Otaño, who is also the company’s VP for engagement. “We all have other roles such as recitals, community activities and popups.” The performers are learning arts management while they are getting an opportunity to perform, Otaño adds.
where sales are slower,” she said. “Though not every artist does them, commissions are another way for visual artists to stir up interest and income during a slow time.” Marcia Reed is a professional painter who needed a gallery and so decided to open her own. “After a career in teaching art in western Massachusetts, I moved to Milford 13 years ago and opened Gallery 37,” she said. “Although much of my sales are my own works, I currently represent 45 other artists.” Wilmington artist Christian Kaniensberg, whose company – Wish – is also his atelier, has worked in graphic design and exhibit construction since art school at the University of Cincinnati. Most recently, he has been engaged in longterm, public-facing mural projects, including one at the ShopRite at Christiana Crossing commemorating the Kenny family’s founding of the Delaware supermarket chain. “My goal is to get more murals commissioned across the U.S. and even globally,” Kanienberg said.
Working the Gigs For many professional artists the reality of everyday life is a “day job” to pay the bills while painting, playing music or writing fiction “on the side.” Krystal Harding has self-published four novels and hopes to become a noted author. In the meantime, Harding is a full-time barber at a U.S. Male salon on Limestone Road in Wilmington. “My boss is very supportive,” said Harding, the mother of two young children. “As long as
I’m ready to go when a customer comes in the door, he doesn’t mind if I’m writing on my laptop. But my next goal is getting an agent and a commercial publisher.” JaQuann LeRoy Daniels has partially made a living as a painter and general visual artist since 2018 after classes at Delaware Tech. “I work at commercial design, I work at teaching art and recently I’ve taken on a role as a contractor for a community organization,” said the young Wilmington resident. “That doesn’t leave a lot of time for my art.” While he hasn’t totally given up the dream, Ghana-born drummer and guitarist Jeffrey Attakorah tries to be realistic. “Right now, music is more of a hobby,” he admits. He plays in, and has managed for 20 years, the Blues Reincarnation Project, but gigs since the pandemic have dwindled to four or five a month. So Attakorah is content employed at Delaware State University as a communications and technical services specialist.
Improving Opportunities While there is considerable funding for arts education in the state’s schools and universities, Arts Alliance’s Kirschling thinks business education for artists needs improvement, as the average income for Delaware artists, he says, ranges between $29,000 and $93,000 annually. “We need to educate young artists on how to be entrepreneurs and to set up small businesses,” he said. “We need to teach them how to market themselves about IP [intellectual property] and copyrights – things
Solo Success Similarly, individual artists often have side incomes. “All the artists we represent are full-time artists,” said Rebecca Moore, director of Somerville Manning Gallery in Greenville. “But many fulltime artists often teach workshops in their studio or at art centers which help supplement income during years
Kiara Florez works an entry-level job to pay the bills while she continues to hone her craft, including painting abstract art that reflects her hertiage. | DBT PHOTO ERIC CROSSAN
they don’t necessarily teach in school. You can make a living as an artist in Delaware, and we are working on opportunities to make it easier to do.” One small step forward to reach that ambition is the recently passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 109 that begins a process to evaluate and enhance education and workforce pathways supporting the creative economy. At the adult level, Kirschling said, “We want the state government and the Division of Small Business to seek greater involvement of artists in the small-business realm. Give them Edge grants and give special consideration for arts funding and funding for creative businesses.” Another approach to allow skilled artists to make a living wage is through professional representation. Rosaria Macera, a violinist, conductor and educator, is president of Local 21 of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), which represents 187 musicians in Delaware and nearby Pennsylvania. The organization currently has contracts with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra and Opera Delaware and a wage agreement with the Playhouse.
Which Path to Take?
It any economic discussion, it’s easy to forget that the essence of being an artist, especially if you are a young one, is the joy of achieving, and of experiencing the excitement of, artistic aspirations. In 2021, Kiara Florez was finishing B.A. requirements in studio art at Delaware State University when she was awarded a 2022 DDA fellowship as an emerging artist. Part of the fellowship involved having her work exhibited at various galleries with other fellows. “Gallery owners started to reach out to me,” she said. “I felt like the fellowship helped me get my foot in the door.” At the same time Florez accepted an entry level job at the Biggs Museum in Dover and has since become a development associate. Now, four years later, that is Florez’s sweet dilemma. “I like the stability and benefits of my job,” Florez said. “I love working in the arts and for nonprofits. I’m only in my mid 20s, so it’s still a nagging question – to work in an arts-related environment or to be a full-time artist? “I want to push myself, and I’m afraid time is running out,” Florez said, pointing to a dilemma all artists wanting to be famous must eventually come to terms with.
FEBRUARY 17, 2026 / DELAWARE BUSINESS TIMES 11
XSPECIAL SECTION: ARTS
DAC business development program heads north By Katie Tabeling REHOBOTH BEACH — The Developing Artists Collaborative, a Rehoboth Beach nonprofit dedicated to helping artists succeed creatively and in commerce, will be expanding its reach thanks to a new partnership with the Delaware Art Museum. The Developing Arts Collaborative will bring its Emerge program to north Wilmington, opening a professional development program for artists through structured mentorship, networking, careerbuilding opportunities and business and marketing training. “I would say the biggest thing that artists struggle with is that they have 10,000 projects and 50,000 ideas. The idea of running a functional business as an artist can be so alien, and they often don’t teach you that aspect at art school,” said Leah Beach, the founder of Developing Artist Collaborative. Beach would know; she was one of those artists. She is a muralist and photographer and traveled to Africa
and Central America to document dementia patients, while spending time as a bartender on the side. In 2017, she turned her own struggles into a grassroots movement funding itself by selling do-it-yourself arts kids nationwide to full-fledged nonprofit. With the backing of the Longwood Foundation in 2021, the Delaware Arts Collaborative started to expand its mission. It held pop-up art shows and organized a creative market in West Rehoboth to give artists visibility and the chance to sell their work.The Delaware Division of Arts has also awarded the collaborative several grants over the years to keep it operational, while the organization also relies on membership dues. In 2025, the Delaware Arts Collaborative launched the Emerge program as a way to help give new artists and hobbyists the tools to turn their creativity into a business. The program offers education through prerecorded lesson plans, an interactive web application with business tools
122 DELAWARE BUSINESS TIMES / FEBRUARY 17, 2026
like a cash flow projection system and pricing calculator. The program also includes inperson meetings and mentoring opportunities. Each artist in the cohort is paired up to hold each other accountable. But that face-to-face aspect is what Beach calls the secret sauce of the collaborative as a whole. “We have a community that is really strong. We have artists that
“I would say the biggest thing that artists struggle with is that they have 10,000 projects and 50,000 ideas. The idea of running a functional business as an artist can be so alien, and they often don’t teach you that aspect at art school.”
LEAH BEACH
Founder, Developing Artist Collective
show up for each other. We make artists feel like they're part of something that is the secret, and we believe that all arts organizations should feel like that,” she said. With the support of the Delaware Art Museum, the Emerge program would expand to 20 participants, with one cohort in Rehoboth Beach and a second in Wilmington. Kent County artists can choose between either cohort and travel. The program’s curriculum includes lessons on setting goals and overcoming procrastination, financial planning, time management as well as marketing. The marketing section is not focused on building websites and social media campaigns, it’s how to build an audience and nurture it through custom systems. Beach, who describes herself as an entrepreneur, said that most artists are small business owners without realizing it. She hopes the Emerge program’s expansion will help many artists start to see their work through that lens.
XSPECIAL SECTION: ARTS
New Ladybug Music festival owners look ahead By Katie Tabeling WILMINGTON — The show will go on for the Ladybug Music Festival under the new ownership of nonprofit Igniting Delaware Edutainment Association (I.D.E.A). This year it will take flight with a new vision of events. Married couple and I.D.E.A. founders Dan and Jill Slader-Young have set the 14th annual Ladybug Music Festival for May 30 on Market Street with performances by women and women-fronted bands, as well as artisan shops. Although the festival is traditionally just a day long, the couple believe there’s a path to expand the brand into a weeklong experience that takes on social issues and other artistic mediums. “We’re trying to make a shift where Ladybug isn’t just presenting visibility. It’s shifting access and cultural expectation. We’re trying to show what’s,” said Jill Slader-Young Dan Young has already built a name in Wilmington as the man who organizes TEDx Wilmington for the past 15 years. He hopes that one TEDx talk in late May can launch a slate of events before the one-day music festival, such as movie shorts with women directors and seminars focusing on health, wellness and financial literacy. “We want to build off these different communities and have people come out and find a friend. The hope is by the end of it, they can turn to each other and say, 'I really enjoyed meeting you and let’s find a way to meet.’ That way the event becomes more a capstone of a week’s worth of activities of women supporting each other,” Dan Young said. He is a retired college administrator
who had worked for the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Goldey-Beacom College and helped create the first doctorate for business administration at Williams University. These days, he offers services for companies while running events at the Wilmington Whiskey Club. Aside from diversifying the types of events offered in Ladybug Music Festival, the couple would like to broaden the genres of performances from music acts to up-and-coming acts performing in Spanish, R&B artists, Hip-Hop, folk and country and more. There’s already a strong foundation to start with, in Dan Young’s opinion. “When you look up the largest female-led music festival in the country, it’s Ladybug in Wilmington. That has leverage and a lot of power. I’m not sure we’ve ever really leaned into that in terms of outreach when it comes to the arts and the tourism potential,” he said. I.D.E.A is hoping to use that unique perspective when it looks for sponsorships, as two major sponsorships have dropped out. Before she retired, Dillman told the Delaware Business Times how difficult it was to put on the festival due to the profit margins becoming slimmer over the years after the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out reserve funding. The Youngs said the nonprofit structure will allow Ladybug to rely on volunteers in a more flexible operation model. But it will also be looking to offer ticketed events throughout the week to make sure the Ladybug will remain free to concertgoers.
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The Ladybug Music Festival is now under nonprofit ownership of I.D.E.A, and its founders want to expand the brand's mission. | PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CITY OF MILFORD
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FEBRUARY 17, 2026 / DELAWARE BUSINESS TIMES 13
THE LIST
ART ORGANIZATIONS
AT THE TOP
Ranked by Total Grant Value 2026
TOTAL GRANT VALUE 2026
TOTAL GRANT VALUE 2025
% CHANGE, GRANT VALUE 2025-2026
(302) 436-3015 freemanstage.org
$405,000
$356,500
14%
Community Arts
Patti Grimes (Executive Director)
The Grand Opera House 818 N. Market St. Wilmington, Del. 19801
Joshua M. Freeman Foundation Executive Director
(302) 652-5577 thegrandwilmington.org
$403,807
$337,450
20%
Theater
Skip Pennella (Executive Director)
3
Delaware Art Museum 2301 Kentmere Parkway Wilmington, Del. 19806
(302) 571-9590 delart.org
$360,072
$368,280
-2%
Museum
Molly Giordano (Executive Director)
Since 2013 Alma Mater: James Madison University
4
Delaware Theatre Company 200 Water St. Wilmington, Del. 19801
(302) 594-1100 delawaretheatre.org
$251,199
$249,790
1%
Theater
Candice Buchanan (Managing Director) Mimi Warnick (Artistic Director)
5
The Music School of Delaware 4101 Washington St. Wilmington, Del. 19802
(302) 762-1132 musicschoolofdelaware.org
$238,255
$215,610
11%
Performing Arts
David Pacific (President & CEO)
6
Biggs Museum of American Art 406 Federal St. Dover, Del. 19901
(302) 674-2111 biggsmuseum.org
$168,739
$176,082
-4%
Museum
Hassan Najjar (Executive Director)
7
The Delaware Contemporary 200 S. Madison St. Wilmington, Del. 19801
(302) 656-6466 decontemporary.org
$152,853
$149,950
2%
Museum
Brett Johnson (Executive Director)
8
Delaware Symphony Orchestra 100 W. 10th St., Suite 1003 Wilmington, Del. 19801
(302) 656-7442 delawaresymphony.org
$144,893
$151,000
-4%
Performing Arts
J.C. Barker (CEO)
9
Christina Cultural Arts Center 705 N. Market St. Wilmington, Del. 19801
(302) 652-0101 ccacde.org
$139,341
$131,250
6%
Performing Arts
James Rhodes (Executive Director)
10
OperaDelaware, Inc. 4 S. Poplar St. Wilmington, Del. 19801
(302) 658-8063 operade.org
$139,051
$134,720
3%
Performing Arts
Brendan Cooke (General Director)
11
The Candlelight Theatre 2208 Millers Road Ardentown, Del. 19810
(302) 475-2313 candlelighttheatredelaware.com
$128,226
$118,510
8%
Theatre
12
Choir School of Delaware 2013 N. Market St. Wilmington, Del. 19802
(302) 543-8657 choirschoolofdelaware.org
$122,180
$113,280
8%
Performing Arts
Grant Farmer (Executive Director)
13
Clear Space Theatre Company 20 Baltimore Ave. Rehoboth Beach, Del. 19971
(302) 227-2270 clearspacetheatre.org
$108,935
$96,900
12%
Theaters
Joe Gfaller (Managing Director)
14
Rehoboth Art League 12 Dodds Lane Rehoboth Beach, Del. 19971
(302) 227-8404 rehobothartleauge.org
$107,007
$97,590
10%
Visual Arts
Sara Ganter (Executive Director)
15
Elevate Vocal Arts PO Box 769 Wilmington, Del. 19899
(302) 212-0314 elevatevocalarts.org
$95,492
$2,500
3,720%
Performing Arts
Arreon Harley-Emerson (CEO & Artistic Director)
16
Developing Artist Collaboration 37401 Malloy St. Rehoboth Beach, Del. 19971
(302) 604-2351 developingarts.org
$84,562
$71,730
18%
Visual Arts
Leah Beach (Founder)
17
First State Ballet Theatre 818 N. Market St. Wilmington, Del. 19801
(302) 658-7897 firststateballet.org
$83,789
$98,605
-15%
Performing Arts
Kristina Kambalov (Executive Director)
18
Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival 30732 Sassafras Drive Lewes, Del. 19958
(302) 576-2104 rehobothjazz.com
$83,177
$72,020
15%
Performing Arts
Denny Santangini (President)
19
Center for the Creative Arts 410 Upper Snuff Mill Row Yorklyn, Del. 19707
(302) 239-2434 ccarts.org
$75,993
$71,350
7%
Visual Arts
Melissa Paolerico (Executive Director)
20
Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library 5105 Kennett Pike Winterthur, Del. 19735
(800) 448-3883 winterthur.org
$75,000
$79,440
-6%
Museum
Chris Strand (Director & CEO)
21
Delaware Dance Company 168 S. Main St. Newark, Del. 19711
(302) 738-2023 delawaredancecompany.org
$73,226
$67,830
8%
Performing Arts
Sunshine WebsterLatshaw (Artistic Director)
22
Delaware Theatre Shakespeare 4 S. Poplar St. Wilmington, Del. 19801
(302) 468-4890 delshakes.org
$71,183
$69,470
2%
Theatre
Mariah Ghant (Artistic Director)
23
Cityfest, Inc. 800 N French St. Wilmington, Del. 19801
(302) 576-2100 cityfestwilm.com
$70,000
$60,750
15%
Community Arts
Tina Betz (Director)
24
Rehoboth Beach Film Society 107 Truitt Ave. Rehoboth Beach, Del. 19971
(302) 645-9095 rehobothfilm.com
$69,786
$59,830
17%
Media Arts
Dave Bever (Executive Director)
25
The Everett 47 W. Main St. Middletown, Del. 19709
(302) 232-6338 theeverett.org
$69,243
$61,150
13%
Theatre
Kim Court (Board President)
RANK
COMPANY
CONTACT
1
Joshua M. Freeman Foundation 31556 Winterberry Parkway Selbyville, Del. 19975
2
DESCRIPTION
SENIOR EXECUTIVE(S)
PATTI GRIMES
9,947 No. of employees in arts, entertainment, and recreation industry in 2024, per Delaware Department of Labor (DDOL).
$29,848 Average salary for employees in arts, entertainment, and recreation industry in 2024, per DDOL.
Bob Kelly (Artistic Director)
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.
Our upcoming lists include: Manufacturers (3/3) Banks/Credit Unions (3/17) Commercial Real Estate (4/7) Auto Dealers (4/21) If your organization should be on one or more of these lists email swade@delawarebusinesstimes.com
142 DELAWARE BUSINESS TIMES / FEBRUARY 17, 2026
NEWS BRIEFS For more coverage of these stories, visit DelawareBusinessTimes.com
John Gooden | SUBMITTED PHOTO
Gooden named Delaware State Chamber chair
The Delaware State Chamber of Commerce recently announced that John Gooden, chief operating officer of industrial construction company M. Davis & Sons, was elected as chair of the organization’s Board of Directors. Gooden takes over the lead role of the chamber following the end of the tenure of previous president, Marie Holiday who is the managing director of The Bonadio Group. Holliday served as president since August 2023 in a slightly longer stretch than the traditional two-year term with the DSCC. Gooden has been with M.Davis & Sons since 1995 and has worked his way up into leadership roles for the company over the past 30 years. He joined the State Chamber’s board in 2022 after becoming heavily involved in several other associations like the Wilmington Rotary Club, the Delaware Workforce Development Board and the Delaware Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors.
John Sisson will be retiring from DART later this year. | PHOTO COURTESY OF DART FIRST STATE
DART CEO Sisson to retire
Delaware Transit Corporation, which operates DART First State, is now next in line for leadership transitions in the First State as its CEO, John Sisson, plans for retirement after spending more than half of his life working in public transportation. He is hoping DART can find a new CEO prior to his retirement so he can leave some institutional knowledge with the person chosen for that role with plans on formally retiring later this year. Sisson began his career with DART in 1993 with the former Railroad Administration section of what later became part of DART’s operations and, with a short break in the middle, he stepped into the CEO role at DART in 2014. He said his decision to pursue retirement was driven by both personal timing and a belief that the agency is ready for new leadership.
Dwain Kalup of La Fia earned his second James Beard semifinalist nomination in a decade. | PHOTO COURTESY OF DWAIN KALUP/LA FIA
La Fia chef nets James Beard nomination Delaware’s restaurant scene was once again in the spotlight as La Fia chef Dwain Kalup earned his second James Beard nomination in 10 years. The semifinalist nominations, announced last week by the James Beard Foundation, are some of the highest honors for American chefs. In the past five years, Wilmington-area chefs like William & Merry chef Bill Hoffman and Bardea chef Antimo DiMeo have made the cut to represent the First State while Sussex County restaurateur Matthew Kern of Coastal One made history as the only chef from Delaware to make it to the finals. The overall winners of the awards will be announced in a ceremony likened to be the Oscars of the food industry on June 15.
Chemours has agreed to sell its former titanium dioxide manufacturing factory in Taiwan to a coalition of Taiwanese construction companies connected to offshore wind. | DBT PHOTO BY KATIE TABELING
Chemours to sell titanium dioxide site for $360M Chemours has agreed to sell around the former titanium dioxide manufacturing in Taiwan to a coalition of Taiwanese construction companies connected to offshore wind for $360 million in cash. Proceeds of the deal are expected to pay down Chemours’ debt which was at $3.6 billion as of September 2025, according to the company’s third quarter report. Chemours is expected to release fourth quarter and annual financial results in the coming weeks. The deal is part of Chemours’ plan to “strengthen the long-term earnings power” of the company’s titanium technologies division by “optimizing its manufacturing circut,” according to Chemours representatives.
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SHOWCASING DELAWARE’S INNOVATORS
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NVR, Inc. to Kevin & Jennifer Lamb; 1131 Spyglass Hill Way, Wilmington 19808; $1,047,950
Millrose Properties to Lencraft; 29471 Oxford Drive, Millsboro 19966; $2,228,628 Kenneth Minton to Jeffrey & Laure Kirby; 40126 W Virginia Ave., Fenwick Island 19944; $2,200,000 Manntino Realty Holdings to Two Elizabeths; 26822 Lewes Georgetown Highway, Harbeson 19951; $2,150,000 114 Chesapeake to Mary Patricia Van Veen; 114 Chesapeake St., Dewey Beach 19971; $2,110,000 Kathleen Sellers to Sahin Real Estate; 1301 Coastal Highway, Dewey Beach 19971; $2,025,000
HCA Model Fund 2015-8 Indio to Jianping Wu & Yi Zhang; 129 Patterson Court, Middletown19709; $919,900
Michael & Margaret Servello to Gordon & Heidi McGregor; 30955 Stallion Lane, Lewes 19958; $1,900,000
KENT CO.
Jonathan & Amanda Larsen to Bruce & Tracy Palmieri; 26415 Crosswinds Landing, Selbyville 19975; $1,780,000
Heritage Trace Properties to Warren & Kara Ford; 24 Gainscott Place, Smyrna 19977; $585,462
James & Mary Parker to Sockman Wash; 200 Broadkill Road, Milton 19968; $5,000,000 91 Columbia Ave to Tipey Taut; 91 Columbia Ave., Rehoboth Beach 19971; $3,200,000 Judith Peiffer & Gene Jordin to Richard & Tracey Horn; 121 1st St., Bethany Beach 19930; $2,500,000 SD Harbeson to Westside Drive; 26352
162 DELAWARE BUSINESS TIMES / FEBRUARY 17, 2026
Laurel Place to 116 Laurel; 116 Laurel St., Rehoboth Beach 19971; $2,287,500
Patricia & Kirsten Dahlberg to Robert Kaplan; 39692 Kittiwake Drive, Bethany Beach 19930; $1,930,000
SUSSEX CO.
www.MealsOnWheelsDE.org
DRP Multistate 1 to Beazer Homes; 21034 Blue Jay Drive, Selbyville 19975; $2,328,106
Dominic Balascio to Lauren & Kevin Schregel; 757 Idlewyld Road, Middletown 19709; $989,000
K. Hovnanian at Woodfield to Samuel Saitie; 411 Winding Wood Drive, Magnolia 19962; $585,000
More Information
Stacey Morris to Ostenso Holdings; 109 Central Blvd., Bethany Beach 19930; $2,400,000
Richard & Brynn Byerly to Donald & Dianne Short; 32156 River Road, Millsboro 19966; $1,950,000
Insight Building Co. to Richard & Laura Semmens; 225 Galena Road, Frederica 19946; $799,197 Steve Crifa asi
Frederick & Laura Dougherty to Robert & Nora Joyce; 110 Rodney St., Rehoboth Beach 19971; $2,400,000
NVR, Inc. to Mahesh Madasu; 1316 Muirfield Way, Wilmington 19808; $996,075
Ricka Neuman to Daniel & Rhoda Troyer; 1879 Fox Hole Road, Camden Wyoming 19934; $1,000,000
Outstanding brunch plates prepared by award-winning national and local chefs with delicious cocktails, live entertainment and more!
Lewes Georgetown Highway, Harbeson 19951; $2,495,000
C&SH Rehoboth Beach to Nancy Laubenthal & Ronald Zellar; 19911 Church St., Rehoboth Beach 19971; $1,585,000 Michael & Kathy Shea to McCabes Farms; 24011 Shea Road, Millsboro 19966; $1,575,000 Schell Brothers to Mary & Lawrence Hineline; 30531 Lightkeepers Way, Selbyville 19975; $1,557,902 Paul & Tiffini Anderson to John & Susan Doehler; 41333 Gloucester Drive, Rehoboth Beach 19971; $1,545,000 Dennis & Debra Conway to Gregory Hostetter; 30547 N Magnolia Crossing, Selbyville 19975; $1,400,000 Melissa Nassar to Marc Boutin; 37341 10 St., Rehoboth Beach 19971; $1,355,000 Robert Boyd to Matthew & Maryam Smith; 13 Read Ave., Dewey Beach 19971; $1,350,000
BUSINESS CALENDAR Unless otherwise noted, webinar access details (including dial-in information) will be e-mailed to registrants. Dates and times subject to change.
FEBRUARY 19 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM 8(a) Business Development Program Info Session The SBA will discuss the 8(a) Business Development Program and how this federal contracting certification can assist small businesses. The program is a robust nine-year program created to help firms owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. Businesses that participate in the program receive training and technical assistance designed to strengthen their ability to compete effectively in the federal marketplace. For more information, visit sba.gov/event
MARCH 5 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM 17th Annual Spring Expo The Middletown Area Chamber of Commerce will host the 17th Annual Spring Expo in the Delaware region, providing an opportunity for sponsors, corporate exhibitors, and vendors to promote their businesses to the surrounding community. For more information, visit business.maccde.com/events
MARCH 5 - 6 Do More Delaware Do More 24 Delaware is a 24 hour day of giving designed to help nonprofits raise more money and engage new donors. To support these and other Delaware nonprofits year round, visit degives.org.
MARCH 10 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Foundations of Financial Literacy Crypto Join us for this session in the Foundations of Financial Literacy series. Designed to support educators in exploring key topics in financial education, this workshop offers practical insights and resources to enhance classroom learning. For more information, visit events.udel.edu/event
MARCH 18 CEO and C-Suite Awards Application The CEO and C-Suite Awards recognize outstanding CEOs and C-Suite leaders
across Delaware. This program celebrates outstanding professionals not only for their leadership within their organization, but also for their contributions to the Delaware business community. Applications close March 18. For more information, visit delawarebusinesstimes.com/ events/ceo
APRIL 16 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM 25th Annual 55+ Expo The Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce will host the 25th Annual 55+ Expo, providing an opportunity for organizations to share their products, services, and information with attendees. The Expo offers a platform to reach potential clients, and double booth spaces are available at discounted rates for those seeking additional visibility. The event will be promoted statewide by The Dover Post to over 300,000 people over the next three months and will include an official program guide. For more information, visit cca.cdcc.net
Vital Alzheimer’s research at University of Delaware
Making Memories Community Transformation Growing Community Medical Achievement Quiet Philanthropy Rescuing History Statewide Innovation
In 2025, the DCF’s Boerger Fund committed $13.1 million to the Center for Cognitive Aging Research to advance Alzheimer’s and dementia research at the University of Delaware. The funding supports a long-term study to understand the early warning signs of cognitive impairment and enables purchase of a state-of-theart MRI scanner critical to advance knowledge of the disease.
delcf.org
302.571.8004
YEARS
APRIL 23 8:30 AM - 12 PM SBDC Spring Grants & Loans Fair The Spring Grants & Loans Fair, presented by the Delaware Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Delaware Business Times, features two educational sessions on securing funding and managing capital (tracking and reporting) after you receive it—followed by the opportunity to connect with key lenders and grant organizations to help fuel small business growth. For more information and tickets, visit delawarebusinesstimes.com/ events/sbdc.
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MAY 6 Excellence in Nursing Delaware Today and 302Health present the 14th Annual Excellence in Nursing Awards and pay tribute to the outstanding nurses who have made a difference in our community. This elegant event will recognize the state’s top nurses who will also be featured in Delaware Today‘s May 2026 issue. The awards program includes cocktails, dinner, entertainment, and the opportunity for the honorees to celebrate with their distinguished peers. For more information, visit delawaretoday.com/events.
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VIEWPOINT
Delaware’s rural care gap requires a ‘proven engine’
Delaware finds itself at a defining moment in healthcare policy. Despite our state’s modest size, we face Kemal Erkan outsized challenges in primary care access—particularly across rural Kent and Sussex counties. Decades of workforce shortages, fragmented delivery models, and underinvestment in community-based care have left many Delawareans navigating a system that works harder for institutions than for patients. The launch of the Delaware Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program marks a long-overdue inflection point. Backed by an initial $157 million federal award beginning in 2026, Governor Matt Meyer’s administration has articulated an ambitious vision: modernized facilities, expanded clinical capacity, mobile health services, and technologyenabled care reaching communities that have long been underserved. This is a bold and necessary step. But funding and vision alone will not close the rural care gap. Success will depend on whether Delaware can pair this investment with a delivery engine that already understands value-based care, population health, and the realities of community medicine. That engine already exists. United Medical Accountable Care Organization (UMACO), Delaware’s largest private ambulatory ACO, and the
larger independent practice network, offer a ready-made platform to translate policy into measurable outcomes.
From Policy to Practice: ValueBased Care in Action At its core, the RHT Program seeks to move Delaware away from the inefficiencies of fee-for-service medicine and toward sustainable value-based care (VBC). This transition is not theoretical for UMACO—it is operational. UMACO manages performancebased contracts across Medicare and commercial payers, coordinating care for tens of thousands of patients through a physician-led network of more than 180 providers. Our “one patient, one chart” philosophy ensures continuity across settings, reducing duplication, avoidable hospitalizations, and gaps in care that disproportionately harm rural patients. Rather than building new systems from scratch, the state has an opportunity to leverage an infrastructure that is already delivering savings, improving quality scores, and aligning incentives around outcomes—not volume.
Closing the Rural Technology and Data Divide Technology is a central pillar of the RHT Program, from telehealth expansion to real-time eligibility and care coordination. Yet technology
182 DELAWARE BUSINESS TIMES / FEBRUARY 17, 2026
alone does not improve care unless it is embedded in clinical workflows and population health strategy. UMACO’s deep integration with Oracle Cerner demonstrates how this can be done at scale. Our analytics capabilities allow for real-time monitoring of chronic conditions such as diabetes—an explicit focus of the RHT’s Rural Diabetes Wellness Pilot. Remote patient monitoring, risk stratification, and proactive outreach are not future aspirations; they are current practice. As Delaware contemplates mobile units and “Hope Centers,” the question should not be whether patients can be seen once, but whether they can be followed continuously. Integrating these initiatives into an ACO-driven digital health ecosystem ensures rural care is not episodic, but longitudinal.
Recruitment Is Not Enough— Retention Requires Structure The RHT Program’s planned $274 million investment in medical education and residency recruitment represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity. But attracting clinicians is only half the equation. Retaining them—especially in rural settings— requires an environment where physicians can practice medicine without being buried under administrative burden. UMACO offers a pragmatic middle path: preserving independent practice
while providing centralized support for revenue cycle management, compliance, data reporting, and care coordination. By reducing the “paperwork tax” that drives burnout, we make rural practice professionally viable and personally sustainable. This is not consolidation for consolidation’s sake. It is alignment— physician leadership supported by scale. The Delaware Rural Health Transformation Program is an investment in people, not just infrastructure. To honor that investment, the state must ensure that federal dollars are paired with operational expertise and proven delivery models. By formally integrating UMACO’s value-based framework, technology backbone, and physician network into the RHT strategy, Delaware can accelerate results while minimizing risk. More importantly, it can ensure that rural residents experience real change—not just new buildings or pilot programs, but better health outcomes. Delaware has been given a rare opportunity to bridge the gap between healthcare policy and patient reality. If we align vision, funding, and execution, we can turn this moment into a lasting legacy for rural communities across our state. Kemal Erkan is the chairman and CEO of the United Medical Accountable Care Organization.
IN THE C-SUITE
Hassan Najjar Executive Director, Biggs Museum of American Art By Jennifer Antonik DOVER – On paper, Hassan Najjar’s job is to run an art museum. In practice, the executive director of the Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover says his biggest responsibility is – to listen as he and his team works to grow the impact of the organization in a way that embeds its programming into the cultural identity of not just Dover and Kent County, but Delaware as a whole. Early on in Najjar’s career, a mentor gave him a litmus test he still holds as a value to this day. The mentor was retiring from the job Najjar was about to take on at the time and, in congratulating him on the job, the mentor instilled urgency, as well as wisdom. In Najjar’s words, the mentor vividly described a fictitious, but possible, scenario that could live in the mind of any director. “Accidents happen,” Najjar told the Delaware Business Times. “If something tragic happens one night and the place burns to the ground and the news crew is there filming, they’re getting reactions from people, you know, mascara is running down the women’s faces. . . the flames are gone but the embers are still there and the smoke is rising. . . he was really painting a picture.” What might happen next was the critical reminder Najjar needed, however. “He said if the community is not there with shovels and wheelbarrows and two-by-fours to rebuild that very next day, then you have not done your job in making that organization relevant for
the community,” he said. Now 16 months into his tenure, he is building toward that kind of indispensability for the Biggs. He began his Delaware role in September 2024 with more than 20 years of experience in arts and culture, including leadership roles at Foothills Art Center in Colorado and the Museum Center at 5ive Points in Tennessee. As unique as Delaware is to many, he said the concepts behind his work is something he has seen across the country. “People want to be able to express themselves. People want to see themselves in artwork or in creative expression,” he said, adding that the theme of self-expression and personal reflection can be seen everywhere, not just in Delaware. Even as he walks around the museum in Dover, he can personally see the theme play out in real time. One of the works chosen in honor of the state and country’s 250th
anniversary celebration and placed around the museum, for example, is a work of metal, crafted to look like human arms and tree limbs growing out of half of an eggshell. Najjar said that piece, in particular, can be jarring to some but reflective for others. Najjar couldn’t identify his own favorite pieces but hovered around a large work of art by local artist Mary Tobias Putnam. Known for her agricultural and panoramic landscape paintings, he detailed how she was known for getting higher views from stands – then she would watch the landscape unfold around her. One time, this led to a 911 call when she noticed a patch of land on fire. Then she painted what she witnessed. “The stories behind the artwork are just as important and it’s fun to learn about,” he said. It’s also one of many reasons why Najjar pushes back on the idea that art is only for “creative people.” In his view, creativity is a muscle that everyone uses daily. “It’s the existential dread of every night, cooking for your family or figuring out what to eat and you got like eight ingredients, and you haven't gone shopping yet, right? You've got to get creative,” he said. “That’s what I think true artists are – people who are creative. They take the
tools that are available to them and they solve problems or they are able to create something that engenders a reaction out of the person that is viewing it and maybe helps them see something new or see something in a different way. All of us are artists whether we want to admit it or not." For his role at the Biggs, this translates into listening to the community so the organization can foster that creativity in new ways. The most surprising part of
“All of us are artists whether we want to admit it or not.” leadership isn’t the big initiatives, he added – it’s the unexpectedly personal feedback from visitors highlighting moments that added value to their experience, encouraging staff and volunteers to continue growing the Biggs. That, along with working to decrease barriers to access, is how he can help lead his team at the Biggs to build belonging, rather than just attendance – all of which can support the greater economy in the local area as visitors, artists or even travelers start to turn to the Biggs for something fun and creative to do. “We know that if we attract people to town because of the arts, they will spend money. They’ll spend money on food, lodging and, if they’re local, they might spend money on a sitter. There’s a multiplier effect and that has a ripple effect on local economies,” he told DBT. “But also, businesses are good for the arts. If we're able to help businesses be successful and if we're able to help them thrive, well then that's good for everyone. . . investing in the arts is good for business. That street goes both ways.”
FEBRUARY 17, 2026 / DELAWARE BUSINESS TIMES 19
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