DeCicco new COO for Archer Group
The Archer Group announced that it has promoted VP, Operations, Joe DeCicco to Chief Operations Officer (COO).
Since joining The Archer Group in 2013, he has played a critical role in the agency at a time of record growth, helping to install the processes that allow the agency to continue to expertly, and reliably, operationalize increasingly complex digital strategies for an expanding list of Fortune 500 clients.
Robert Brinck named Port Engineer
Cape May-Lewes Ferry officials announced that Robert Brinck was selected to be the new Port Engineer for the Delaware Bay ferry service. Brinck, who began his official duties on February 16, reports to Heath Gehrke, Director of Ferry Operations. Brinck will succeed James Gillespie who retires on March 31.
Serving as the Port Engineer for the Cape May – Lewes Ferry, Brinck manages and directs the ferry service’s marine mechanics and marine engineers. In this leadership role, he is responsible for determining priorities and establishing plans to ensure that the ferry vessels are operated and maintained in accordance to regulatory requirements, company standards and customer expectations.
The Port Engineer’s office is currently overseeing and directing the repowering effort on the M/V DELAWARE at Caddell’s Drydock and Repair Company in Staten Island, NY. “Given the complexities of this capital project, it is fortunate that Mr. Brinck will work alongside Mr. Gillespie at the Shipyard to learn our new propulsion system,” Gehrke added. “This six week overlap will greatly facilitate an orderly transition.”
For the past four years, he has served as the Port Engineer for the high-speed vessels, USNS GUAM and USNS PUERTO RICO, managing a $7 million project to convert these former Hawaii Superferrry vessels for military service. Prior to that, he was Director of Operations for the Caesar’s / Horseshoe Casino and Hotel, Elizabeth, Indiana; and served as Chief Engineer aboard the S/S AMERICAN QUEEN, a 418 foot steamship paddle wheeler as well as several other high-capacity passenger vessels in the casino industry in the Midwest.
Xia to lead Predictive Analytics Team
Inuvo, Inc. an advertising technology and digital publishing company, today announced the appointment of Dr. Shugao Xia, research scientist and mathematician, to lead the predictive analytics team within SearchLinks.
Xia is a research scientist and mathematician. Prior to joining Inuvo full-time, he was Research Scientist at the Applied Mathematics Research Center at Delaware State University, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Visitor Researcher at the Department of Radiology at the University of Pennsylvania. Xia has authored 12 publications and has Ph.D in Applied Mathematics from Delaware State University.
Leadership Delaware adds members to board
Leadership Delaware, Inc. announces the appointment of four new members of its Board of Directors, as well as the full slate of officers and board members for 2016. Joining the Board are Peter Atwater, LaMont Browne, Andy Lubin and David Ripsom.
Peter Atwater is the president of Financial Insyghts, where he advises asset managers, corporations and public policymakers on the role of confidence in decision making. He is the author of “Moods and Markets” and has written articles for the World Policy Institute, Fortune, and Time. His research on confidence has been mentioned in The Financial Times, Reuters, Barron’s and Time Magazine. Atwater has also been a commentator on television, appearing on CNBC, Bloomberg and Fox Business News and he can be seen in “Money for Nothing,” an award-winning documentary on the Federal Reserve.
Atwater is an adjunct professor at The University of Delaware and is a member of the New America Foundation World Economic Roundtable. Earlier in his career, he was a financial services executive, serving as the Treasurer of First USA and Bank One, CEO of Bank One Private Client Services and CFO of Juniper Financial (now Barclaycard US). A graduate of the College of William and Mary, Peter is a trustee of the Tatnall School.
Lamont W. Browne, Ed.D is an accomplished educator and certified Principal with 12 years of experience in education. In January 2015, Browne began leading Delaware’s first multi-charter partnership. He is the Executive Director of three schools: EastSide Charter School, Family Foundations Academy Elementary School and Family Foundations Academy Middle School. He was asked by the Delaware Charter School Network to save Family Foundations from closure. Under his leadership, EastSide made a tremendous academic turnaround, that resulted in EastSide making AYP for each of the last four years, and, the creation of an Early Learning Academy, serving 66 three and four year olds.
In February of 2014 Browne was recognized by the Delaware State Board of Education as one of only five Award Winning School Leaders of the Year in Delaware and in April of 2014. EastSide hosted Governor Markell, former Delaware Secretary of Education Mark Murphy and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, each of whom eagerly touted EastSide as a model for school culture, staff commitment, and innovative practices, with the suggestions of , state-wide replication.
In May of 2015, Browne was named a recipient of the Ryan Award for exceptional leadership in closing the achievement gap in urban K-12 schools. The prestigious award, sponsored by the Accelerate Institute, included a $25,000 honorarium and the opportunity to teach his successful methodologies at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Lubin retired from the University of Delaware after having spent five years as the Director of Real Estate for the University. He was responsible for the development of the former Chrysler assembly site into the University’s Science, Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus.
In addition to the STAR Campus development, he was also responsible for all university campus and academic real estate. Andy is also the president and founder of Delaware Financial Group, a real estate and investment consulting firm that provides real estate consulting services principally focused on economic development, job growth and retention. Currently, he is assisting the Governor and his administration with mitigating the impact of the DuPont Company’s downsizing and merger with Dow.
He is Chairman of the Board of Directors and an officer of the Delaware Technology Park, and a member of the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council (DEFAC), the DelDOT Corridor Preservation Program, Delaware Business Roundtable, Inc., the Delaware Economic Development Office, Easter Seals Board and Real Estate Trust and the Red Clay Education Foundation. In addition to being Chairman of the Council of Development Finance for DEDO and the Lottery Commission, Lubin is a director of Artisan’s Bank, Resource America, Inc. the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, and The Grand Opera House. He is also a Christiana Health Care System Trustee and a member of the Nominating Committee.
David Ripsom retired in 2015 as President & CEO and Board Member of Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited (NEIL), which, with $5 billion in assets, insures all the nuclear power plants in the United States and many elsewhere. During his 9 year tenure, he emphasized enhancing both risk management and leadership development. In his previous eleven years at NEIL, he progressed from General Counsel to Senior Vice President with responsibilities for legal affairs, and claims, and later for international and underwriting. Prior to joining NEIL, he was in the private practice of law for twenty years, with a varied business and corporate law practice, with the last 8 years as a partner at Duane, Morris & Heckscher LLP.
He received a Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lafayette College. He also attended the Advanced Management Program at Duke University Fugua School of Business and the Reactor Technology Program for Utility Executives at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Ripsom’s current and recent selected Board memberships include NEIL (ret), Overseas NEIL (ret, as Chairman), Delaware Charter Guarantee & Trust Company d/b/a Principal Trust Company (ret), Ursuline Academy (ret), Catholic Charities Appeal (Diocese of Philadelphia) and Cranaleith President’s Council.
Temple named General Manager
Scott Kammerer, president and CEO of SoDel Concepts in Rehoboth Beach announced the promotion of Jack Temple to general manager of Matt’s Fish Camp in Lewes, which is scheduled to open in early summer.
Temple studied political science at Towson University, where he was an active member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. Over a span of nine years, he managed two different locations for Atwater’s restaurants in Baltimore. While at Atwater’s, he helped open one of the company’s restaurants. Temple moved to the beach in October 2015, when he began working for SoDel Concepts.
The new Matt’s Fish Camp will be located in the former site of Donut Connection in Tenley Court on Route 1. It’s perhaps best known as the original home of Lazy Susan’s, which is now located across the highway. The Lewes restaurant will be the second Matt’s Fish Camp in the SoDel Concepts family. The first is in Bethany Beach.
Campaign Staff Annouced
Congressman John Carney announced that he has named Cerron Cade to lead his gubernatorial campaign as campaign manager. Cade is a graduate of Delaware State University, and has worked as a Regional Organizer for the Democratic National Committee, a Legislative Aide in the Delaware House of Representatives’ Democratic Caucus, and Deputy County Director for Senator Tom Carper. Cade worked as Field Director for Senator Tom Carper’s 2012 campaign. In January 2013, Cade joined Congressman Carney’s district staff as the State Projects Director. Cade most recently served as the Legislative Liaison to Governor Jack Markell.
Jessica Borcky, who served as the Campaign Coordinator, will become the Deputy Campaign Manager. Borcky joined Congressman Carney’s congressional campaign staff in 2014 as the Volunteer Coordinator and became the Campaign Coordinator in January 2015. She transitioned to Congressman Carney’s gubernatorial Campaign Coordinator in September 2015. Borcky is a graduate of Padua Academy and the University of Delaware.
Jacqueline Paradee Mette, who joined the campaign staff in December 2015 as the Finance Coordinator, will now serve as the Finance Director. Mette will oversee fundraising efforts throughout the state. Mette previously served as Project Coordinator for Delaware Family Court’s Education Demonstration Project, is the former Executive Director of the Delaware Bar Foundation, and served as legal counsel to the Democratic Caucus of the Delaware General Assembly House of Representatives. Mette graduated from St. Andrew’s School and Vassar College, and holds a law degree from Villanova University.
