Long to head Bankers Association
The Delaware Bankers Association (DBA) announced Sarah A. Long of Wilmington will become the new president of the association. Long will replace outgoing president David A. Bakerian who retired effective May 31st.
For the last four years Long served as the Director of Retail Strategy & Customer Advocacy, PNC Bank. Prior to that, she was a Card Products Executive with PNC.
She has more than 20 years of experience in financial services focused on payments, product development, program management, marketing, regulatory issues, risk management, and customer loyalty.
She was formerly with Bank of America and MBNA America, where she held a variety of positions. She is a graduate of the University of Delaware and earned her Masters of Business Administration from Widener University.
Long is the fourth administrative director in the 120 year history of the DBA. Bakerian served in the position for the past 22 years.
Grimes named to Delaware Tech board
Gov. Jack A. Markell nominated, and the Delaware State Senate confirmed, Patti A. Grimes as a member of Delaware Tech’s Board of Trustees, effective May 13, 2015. Grimes replaces Louis F. Owens, Jr., M.D. as the Sussex County appointment.
Grimes is the executive director of the Carl M. Freeman Foundation. She leads the foundation in providing grants and guidance, managing millions in grant programs annually. Grimes also serves as executive director of the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation. In this role, she manages the programming and performances at The Freeman Stage at Bayside in Selbyville.
Grimes previously worked as vice president of marketing, sales and customer relations for the Carl M. Freeman Companies. She is actively involved in the community and has served on the Delaware YMCA Advisory Board, Sussex Economic Development Action Committee and Adopt-a-Family and Adopt-a-School programs. Grimes also served as president of the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce and received its prestigious Lighthouse Award in 2011. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from James Madison University.
LeCates named IT manager
Allen Harim, a producer and processor of chicken on Delmarva, has named Everett LeCates as Information Technology Manager.
LeCates previously spent 16 years at Safran Labinal Power systems in Salisbury, where he was the Information Systems Lead. He also served his country in the United States Navy, where he worked as a Sonar Technician for 13 years.
At Allen Harim, LeCates will oversee all activities of the Information Technology department including planning and implementation of the latest available software and hardware.
3 join Diamond State Financial
David Tate, April Taylor and Philip Travaglini, CLF, have joined Diamond State Financial Group, a financial services firm affiliated with the Securian Financial Network. The firm is located at 121 Continental Dr., Newark, DE, and serves the mid-Atlantic region.
Tate joined the Firm as a Financial Advisor graduating from Vanderbilt University majoring in both Economics and English. He went on to obtain a Master of Divinity at Westminster Theological and pursued his Doctor of Ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary. He then served in pastoral ministry in two congregations in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Taylor jointed the firm as a Financial Advisor with over 12 years of experience in financial services. She graduated from Delaware State University, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Business Administration.
Both Tate and Taylor are Registered Representatives and Investment Advisor Representatives of Securian Financial Services, Inc., securities dealer and registered investment advisor, member FINRA/SIPC.
Travaglini, CLF (Chartered Leader Fellow), joined the firm as a Field Director with over 10 years of management experience. His role as a Field Director focuses on advisor growth, partnership, and leadership. Travaglini is a Registered Representative of Securian Financial Services, Inc., securities dealer and registered investment advisor, member FINRA/SIPC.
Waked joins Nanticoke
Nanticoke Health Services and the Nanticoke Physician Network welcomed Tarek Waked, MD, a board certified general surgeon who performs weight loss surgery. Waked graduated from the American University of Beirut in Beirut, Lebanon in 2006. He completed residency in General Surgery at Inova Fairfax Hospital, VCU Campus in Virginia and a fellowship in Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota in 2013.
Waked is a Fellow of the Association of Metabolic & Bariatric Surgeons.
Barrett joins Berkshire
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, Realtors Newark Office, welcomes Saday M. Barrett as a Sales Associate. Licensed since 2003, in both Delaware and New Jersey, Barrett works with both buyers and sellers, including first time homebuyers. Prior to real estate she was in sales and was a marketing manager with several well-known companies including AT & T and Lucent Technologies, where she received sales performance awards. She is a member of the New Castle County Board of Realtors and Middletown Chamber of Commerce.
Sapko steps down as executive director of DCH
Delaware Center for Horticulture Executive Director Pamela Sapko stepping down after 20 years.
Sapko joined TheDCH as Executive Director in 1994, there were five employees and the operating budget was $300,000. Under her tenure, the organization grew to a staff of 17, more than 500 volunteers, and a $1.5 million budget. Her final years at TheDCH included green renovations and expansion of the Trolley Square facility, and a supporting $3.5 million capital campaign.
Sapko will be joining The Nature Conservancy, a large international nonprofit, and helping its ecosystem–wide conservation efforts in Delaware.
The Board is preparing to launch a national search for the next Executive Director, and hopes to have a new leader in place by this fall. Interested parties should visit TheDCH.org in June for more information.
Mike Riska, retired Executive Director of Delaware Nature Society and former Board member of TheDCH, will advise staff during the transition. Under Riska’s leadership at DNS, the organization solidified its national reputation as an outstanding center for environmental education, conservation and advocacy. After 28 years as Executive Director there, Riska retired and went on to serve as honorary co-chair of the Delaware Children in Nature Task Force with Delaware’s First Lady, Carla Markell.
“We are extremely grateful to Mike for accepting this role. His advisory capacity acknowledges the Board’s confidence in the outstanding staff in place at TheDCH,” Brownlee said.
Pirrung president elect of national group
Joan Pirrung, Christiana Care’s Trauma Program manager, was elected to serve a one-year term as national president-elect of the Society of Trauma Nurses.
The Society of Trauma Nurses is a professional, nonprofit organization whose mission is to ensure optimal trauma care to all people through initiatives related to prevention and education, and focused on trauma nurses’ collaboration with other health care disciplines.
Pirrung has worked with the Delaware trauma population for 22 years, first at the bedside in intensive care and for the last 13 years as trauma program manager.
A major part of Pirrung’ s role is to manage and actively participate in Performance Improvement, which has a major impact on re-designating as a Level 1 trauma center every three years.
This includes case review, co-chairing Performance Improvement committee meetings, programs and research, and assisting in loop closure.
She also manages 12 advanced practice nurses, a registry staff, injury- and violence-prevention coordinators, addiction counselor, an educator/trauma coordinator and office staff. The position extends into several nursing floors through various multidisciplinary committee memberships and works closely with the trauma physicians to ensure optimal care is provided to trauma patients.
Pirrung has authored or co-authored nine articles in peer-reviewed journals on topics including trauma care, advanced-practice nursing careers, education, rounding, motorcycle safety, brain injury and early recognition of pelvic fractures.
