Personnel files: March 15, 2018

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AmeriHealth  Caritas  appoints Weisman

 AmeriHealth Caritas Delaware, a Medicaid managed care health plan serving Delawareans,  announced that it has appointed Jordan Weisman  as its behavioral health chief medical officer. Weisman is responsible for the health plan’s behavioral health program, including clinical affairs and provider relations.

He also will play a key role in AmeriHealth Caritas Delaware’s integration of physical and behavioral health.

Weisman comes to AmeriHealth Caritas Delaware after more than 20 years of experience in psychology and behavioral health. He most recently served as vice president of clinical services for Community Education Centers (CEC), a   national provider of rehabilitative services for offenders in reentry and in-prison treatment facilities that is now part of GEO Group. 

Weisman also previously held clinical positions at Philadelphia Mental Health Centers, Assessment and Treatment Alternatives, University of Pennsylvania Health System, and other organizations. He holds a Doctor of Psychology from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. 

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New civil rights chief  at AG’s office

Attorney General Matt Denn announced the appointment of Deputy Attorney General Sonia Augusthy as the new head of the Office of Civil Rights and Public Trust.

Since November 2016, Augusthy served as the head of the Department of Justice’s Felony Screening Unit. Augusthy has been with the department since 2009, previously serving in the Sex Crimes Unit, and as the assistant head of the Felony Trial Unit. Before joining DOJ, Sonia was a litigation associate with the firm of Casarino, Christman, Shalk, Ransom & Doss. Augusthy is a graduate of Temple University and the Widener University School of Law.

Augusthy replaces Deputy Attorney General Allison Reardon who was recently named State Solicitor.

Attorney General Denn created the Office of Civil Rights and Public Trust on his second day in office in 2015.

Phillips named Chief Administrative Officer

New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer announced that he has named Vanessa Phillips the county’s Chief Administrative Officer on a permanent basis.  Phillips has been serving in the position in an acting capacity since the departure of Kathy Jennings in January. Appointed by the County Executive, the Chief Administrative Officer is the county’s second-in-command, with management responsibility over day-to-day operations of county government and all county departments.

Phillips, a former Washington, D.C. prosecutor, joined the Meyer Administration as Chief Human Resources Officer in January, 2017 after serving for more than a year as Director of Administration for the Delaware Department of Labor.  At the Department of Labor, she was charged with improving operations related to human resources, equal employment opportunity, and organizational management.  Before that, she served in management positions for three years at the Delaware Department of Transportation, including the agency’s Director of Human Resources.

Family Court Commissioner sworn in.

The Honorable Samantha J. Lukoff was publicly sworn in for her first term as a Commissioner of the Family Court of the State of Delaware on March 9.  Commissioner Lukoff replaces John Carrow who retired in September.

Prior to being nominated, Commissioner Lukoff has been an Assistant Public Defender with the Delaware Office of Defense Services where she was a Juvenile Justice Policy Specialist and represented defendants in Family Court.

From 2009-2012 and again from 2014-2017, Commissioner Lukoff worked as a public servant in the City of Wilmington, first providing legislative assistance to Wilmington’s City Council, then in 2014 as deputy to the Mayor’s Chief of Staff and leader of the City’s Integrated Technologies Department.

 Lukoff earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts and her law degree from the Widener University School of Law.

Dawson honored

Bassett, Dawson and Foy, Inc. announced that Executive Vice President Fred Dawson  was among the advisors named to the Forbes list of  Best-In-State Wealth Advisors.

The list, which recognizes advisors from national, regional and independent firms, was released online.  He was ranked fifth in the State of Delaware.

Dawson  has more than 35 years of experience in the financial services industry. 

Laffey-McHugh Foundation director to retire

After 18 years as Executive Director of the Laffey-McHugh Foundation, David L. Sysko has announced he will retire later this year.

Since stepping into the role as Executive Director in 2000, Sysko has guided the Laffey-McHugh Foundation in awarding $58 million in grants to hundreds of nonprofit organizations throughout Delaware. Arthur G. Connolly, III, president of the Laffey-McHugh Foundation, credits Sysko as both a trusted advisor to the board and a valuable resource to many fledgling organizations that are now a vibrant part of Delaware’s community.

Connolly said the search for the Foundation’s next Executive Director will begin immediately, but thanks to Sysko, the Board of Directors is in a strong position to continue building on the legacy and platform he leaves behind.

After retirement, Sysko said he plans to continue volunteering with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware, The Mike Clark Legacy Foundation (MCLF), an award-winning mentor program for children he launched in 2008 with Peter Borden, Peter Cloud and Dave Ford, and the Riverside Renaissance Redevelopment project headed by Charles McDowell.

Hollis wins education award

The Delaware State Chamber of Commerce and its affiliate, The Partnership, Inc., announced this year’s recipient of the John H. Taylor, Jr. Education Leadership award is John Hollis.  Hollis is the founder and director of MERIT – Minority Educational Regional Incentive Training. This prestigious award will be presented at the Superstars in Education Reception & Awards Ceremony on Monday, May 14, 2018.

The John H. Taylor, Jr. Education Leadership Award recognizes someone within the community who has provided sustained leadership in advancing Delaware education and who, by doing so, has also made our community a better place in which to live and work. The Partnership, Inc. is the 501(c)3 education affiliate of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce.

  In collaboration with a group of engineers from DuPont’s Seaford plant in 1974, Hollis created MERIT to provide academic enrichment and college preparatory opportunities for minority students from the Greater-Seaford area, and across Sussex County.

In addition to his work with MERIT, Mr. Hollis was a longtime administrator, teacher and coach in the Seaford School District, and was the Personnel Director for Delaware Technical Community College. He has also served as Senior Vice President of the Delaware Community Foundation, President of the Western Sussex Boys and Girls Club in Delaware, and the Sussex County Manager of Community and Government Affairs at Nemours Health and Prevention Services.

  Hollis is a graduate of the University of Delaware and earned a Master’s degree in counseling from Salisbury University.

Morris James attorney honored

Morris James, Wilmington,  announced that Jill Di Sciullo was recognized by the Combined Campaign for Justice (CCJ) at their appreciation breakfast honoring campaign leaders and leadership donors. Di Sciullo, a member of the CCJ Communications Committee, was named an honoree for the “Largest Dollar Amount Raised.”

Di Sciullo has been active with the CCJ this past year and is a long-time supporter of Delaware Volunteer Legal Services.  She also volunteers for the Office of the Child Advocate and Child, Inc. – Domestic Violence Advocacy Program.

She represents clients in all aspects of domestic relations matters. 

Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission

Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission (DTRC) Chairman W. Duncan Patterson announced that two candidates had been selected for the positions of Associate State Steward and Safety Steward.

Cynthia L. Smith, a Level II Steward and racing official was selected for Associate State Steward. Smith has a national racing background, having worked in California, Florida, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma.

The Safety Steward position was awarded to Robert E. Colton, a former jockey and an accredited official.

Corrections department announces top positions

Corrections Commissioner Perry Phelps announced he has selected a new Warden IV to serve at the Sussex Correctional Institution (SCI) in Georgetown and new Deputy Chief of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP).

Robert May, a 25 year veteran of the Department, was chosen to lead SCI, an all-male facility that also houses the Youthful Criminal Offenders Program (YCOP). May began his career as a Correctional Officer at Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in 1993 following his graduation from the Academy. He possesses an Associate’s Degree in Business, a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Management and a Master of Business Administration. May is also a veteran of the United States Army and the United States Air Force Reserve.

Shane Troxler will replace May as the Deputy Bureau Chief of Prisons. The Deputy Chief is responsible for providing administrative and technical guidance, strategic planning, reviewing and developing policies and procedures, and preparing for and participating in the audit process for all facilities within the Bureau of Prisons.

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