Personnel File: April 18, 2022

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SBA Delaware director named

Michelle Harris has been named District Director of SBA’s Delaware Office. In her new role, Harris will manage the delivery of SBA programs and services to small businesses throughout Delaware.

Harris

Before joining SBA, Harris was Regional Assistance Division Manager for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. Prior to that, Harris served as an SBA Lead Business Opportunity Specialist in SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Continuing Eligibility Office.

“I am pleased Michelle Harris will head SBA’s field operations in Delaware,” said Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator and former SBA Delaware Director John Fleming. “Her leadership and experience will serve our First State small business community well.”

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ChristianaCare  announces  board chair, vice chair

Marsini

ChristianaCare announced a new board chair and vice-chair, as well as the appointment of new board members.

Nicholas M. Marsini, Jr. will now serve as board chair with George Foutrakis moving into the vice-chair role.

, Marsini joined the health system’s board five years ago. During his time on the board, he has been vice chair of the board, chaired the board’s Finance Committee and served on several other committees.

After 39 years with PNC Financial Corp, Marsini retired in 2016. Over those four decades, he held a variety of executive roles, including president of PNC Bank Delaware.

Marsini succeeds Doneene K. Damon as chair of ChristianaCare’s board. Damon led the board from 2016 to 2021, guiding the system through growth, including integrating with Union Hospital, opening the Center for Women’s and Children’s Healthpartnering with Highmark on multiple ventures and responding for the past two years to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Foutrakis has been a board member since 2017. During his time on the Board, he has chaired the Quality & Safety Committee and served on many other committees. He is Director of Market Access Strategy for W.L. Gore & Associates, where he is worked for 27 years on a wide range of medical products. 

Patrick Carroll, M.D., and Alexandra von Plato are also joining ChristianaCare’s system board.

Carroll is Chief Medical Officer at Vida Health.

Von Plato is the CEO of Publicis Health. She is a leader in shaping the role of digital media and new technology in health care communications. 

The ChristianaCare Health Services Board added new members Pawan Rastogi, M.D., Barry Niziolek, Julie Topkis Nason and Tom Moore. David Stratton, Esq. and Lolita Lopez continue to serve as chair and vice chair, respectively.

Landgraf nominated for federal post

Former Delaware Health and Social Services  Cabinet Secretary Rita Landgraf was nominated by President Joe Biden as Assistant Secretary of Aging in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Landgraf would lead the Administration for Community Living, which supports older Americans and individuals with disabilities. 

Currently, Landgraf is a Professor of Practice and Distinguished Health and Social Services Administrator in Residence in UD’s College of Health Sciences. She also serves as Director of the UD Partnership for Healthy Communities. 

Landgraf served as DHSS Cabinet Secretary from 2009 to 2017. 

WSFS names chief credit officer

WSFS Bank, the primary subsidiary of WSFS Financial Corporation announced that Liam Brickley has been named Senior Vice President, Chief Credit Officer.

Brickley will be responsible for the oversight and administration of the bank’s commercial, consumer, and other credit exposures, loan policies, and procedures.

Brickley joined WSFS as part of its combination with Bryn Mawr Trust, where he most recently served as Senior Vice President and Chief Credit Officer.

Giordano named vice chair of Fund for Women

The Fund for Women (FFW) at the Delaware Community Foundation announced that Molly Giordano is the incoming Vice Chair for Fund for Women.

Giordano is the Executive Director of the Delaware Art Museum. She has worked at the museum for more than a decade in successive leadership roles until assuming the top position in 2021. Molly became a Fund for Women Founder in 2013.

Cantwell named executive chef at Matt’s Fish Camp

Cantwell

Derek Cantwell was named   executive chef at Matt’s Fish Camp in Fenwick Island, one of SoDel Concepts restaurants in Coastal Delaware.

Cantwell, who grew up in South Carolina, attended Temple University in Philadelphia and interned at Alinea in Chicago, which has received three stars from the Michelin Guide. 

Cantwell joined SoDel Concepts as a line cook at Bluecoast Seafood Grill + Raw Bar in Bethany Beach, the hospitality group’s flagship restaurant. 

He moved to Matt’s Fish Camp in Fenwick in late 2021. The restaurant, which opened in fall 2021, is the third Matt’s Fish Camp under the SoDel Concepts umbrella.

Grover named Rockwood director

Ryan Grover was named director of New Castle County’s Rockwood Museum and Park.

Grover has been a curator at the Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover for the past 18 years. 

Grover built his career hosting over 100 feature exhibitions on regional and national artists, publishing more than a dozen exhibition catalogs; managing capital improvement projects; crafting original projects with hundreds of regional artists; expanding representation to artistic projects with the African American, Latin American and Lenape populations of Delaware and doubling the size of the Biggs’ permanent collection.


Erhart joins the advisory board of a Better Delaware

William “Bill” Erhart has joined as an Advisory Board member at A Better Delaware, a non-partisan public policy and political advocacy organization that supports pro-growth, pro-jobs policies and greater transparency and accountability in state government.

“I see my role at A Better Delaware as an extension of my work as an Elder Law Attorney, ministering to the elderly and veterans through advocacy on their behalf. I look forward to advising ABD as they help protect our most vulnerable citizens against the effects of fraud, waste and abuse within Delaware’s healthcare system.”

Erhart, a certified elder law attorney, became a lawyer in 1982 and focuses on estate and elder law exclusively. 

Popelka joins Community Foundation staff

Popeika

The Delaware Community Foundation (DCF) welcomed Matt Popelka as marketing and communications associate.

Popelka, who is also a broadcaster and public address announcer for the University of Delaware athletics department, was previously the communications coordinator with Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance in Downingtown, Pa. A resident of Newark, Popelka holds a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech and a master’s degree from Saint Francis University.

Mercury names chief legal officer

Mercury  Financial LLC, brought on legal veteran Susan Steinthal as Chief Legal Officer. 

Mercury has offices in  Delaware and Texas.

Steinthal joins Mercury Financial from Citizens BankMercury Financial has more than one million accounts in 2021 and extended more than $3.5 billion in credit access to the near-prime market.

WSFS names 12 senior vice presidents

WSFS Bank, the primary subsidiary of WSFS Financial Corporation announced that the following 12 Associates from across the organization have been elevated to Senior Vice President (SVP) positions:

  • Rebecca Acevedo – SVP, Director of Corporate Communications
  • Laura Almeda – SVP, BSA/OFAC Officer
  • Patrick Best – SVP, Director of Talent Acquisition
  • Michelle Burroughs – SVP, Chief Diversity Officer
  • Dana Di Bruno – SVP, Digital Business Strategy Manager
  • Matthew Glanden – SVP, Credit Quality & ACL Director
  • Marylynne Hoffman – SVP, Director of Retail Operations
  • Nicholas Leati – SVP, NCino Product Owner
  • Christopher Scarpitti – SVP, Senior Relationship Manager, Middle Market
  • Scott Sukeena – SVP, Senior Relationship Manager
  • Phanny Torn – SVP, Director of Loan Production and Fulfillment
  • Carolyn Urbanovich – SVP, Regional Manager.”

Hagan joined Courtyard Newark

Hagen

The Courtyard by Marriott Newark – University of Delaware announced the promotion of Reid Hagan to Operations Management Intern.

Reid recently graduated  from the University of Delaware’s Hospitality Business Management program. He officially joined the hotel team a few months ago.

 Reid’s new role will embody the newly created Manager-in-Training program, designed to garner the best and brightest hospitality students to embark upon a one-year management rotation within all the operational departments of the hotel. 

Del-One announces branch managers

Del-One Federal Credit Union announced changes and promotions within its branches.

  Teresa Dixon, a Contact Center Shift Supervisor at Del-One since July of 2020, has been promoted to Branch Manager at the Middletown location.

Chavonya Reddick, the original Branch Manager at the Middletown location since it opened in early 2019, will now be the Branch Manager at the West Dover Branch.

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