Send your personnel news items to drainey@delawarebusinessnow.com
Green appointed SVP at Naviant
Navient, Wilmington, appointed David Green as executive vice president of consumer lending. Green will continue as CEO of Earnest.
In his expanded role, Green is responsible for Navient’s suite of education financing tools and services offered under the Earnest and NaviRefi brands. Under his leadership, Earnest expanded student loan refinancing volume. He also launched a new consumer-friendly in-school private education loan.
Green also leads Going Merry, a national financial aid platform acquired by Earnest in 2021, where students match to and apply for scholarships, institutional aid, and government grants through a single free application.
Belfint, Lyons and Shuman name shareholder/directors, principal
The accounting firm of Belfint, Lyons and Shuman announced shareholder/directors and principal. The firm has an office near Wilmington.
Michael D. Kelly, Karly A. Laughlin, and Jonathan A. Patterson have each been named a Shareholder/Director in their respective Practice Groups. Michael E. Mast was promoted to Principal in the firm’s Government Practice Group.
Kelly started with BLS as a Staff Accountant and will celebrate his 15th work anniversary in 2023. He graduated from the University of Delaware with a BA in Mathematics Education and a BS in Accounting and subsequently earned an MS in Taxation from Villanova University. Over the course of his career, Mike has become an expert in business entity services, including tax compliance and financial statements, trust and estate taxation, and a resource for interpreting the tax code.
Laughlin will celebrate her 14th work anniversary in 2023, starting as an intern in the firm’s Tax & Small Business Department in 2009. Upon graduating from the University of Delaware with a BS in Accounting and Finance that same year, she joined BLS as a Staff Accountant. Karly is an Accredited Estate Planner and leads the firm’s Estate & Trust section.
Peterson will celebrate his 15th work anniversary in 2023, having started as an Intern in the firm’s Tax & Small Business Department in 2008. He graduated from the University of Delaware with a BS in Accounting and became a Staff Accountant upon graduation. He has earned a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) credential.
Mast will celebrate his 16th anniversary at BLS in 2023, starting as a Staff Accountant in 2007. He graduated from the University of Delaware with a BS in Accounting and earned his Certified Public Accountant and Certified Forensic Examiner certifications. In 2015, when the firm began to build its Government practice group, Michael dedicated his attention to developing this specialized assurance service.
DRBA chairman, vice chairman sworn in
Samuel E. Lathem of Bear and James N. Hogan of Franklinville, NJ, were sworn into the leadership posts of Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively at the bi-state agency’s monthly meeting. Lathem and Hogan were unanimously selected by their fellow Commissioners to serve in these leadership roles. The leadership posts rotate between the States of Delaware and New Jersey every two years.
Lathem, a U.S. Army veteran and retired United Auto Workers (UAW) member, will be starting his second term as chairman during his commission tenure. Beginning his sixth term as commission Vice Chairman, Hogan serves as the Gloucester County Clerk, a position he has held since 1998.
Welch named GM of Blue Rocks
Liz Welch has been named general manager of the Wilmington Blue Rocks. Welch is only the fourth general manager in the team’s 31-year history.
Welch has been with the club for six years. She joined the Blue Rocks in February 2017 as the team’s first Client Services Manager. In that role, she oversaw the fulfillment and relationships of the team’s key corporate partners. In 2019, she was named Director of Marketing, a role she held until being named Assistant General Manager at the beginning of the 2021 season. Since then, Welch has overseen many departments and projects, including a multi-phase renovation plan that brings Frawley Stadium up to Major League Baseball’s new standards.
Getman joins Autism Delaware staff
Autism Delaware announced that Dan Getman has joined the staff of the statewide autism agency. Getman has stepped into the agency’s fund development and engagement director role. Getman will oversee all fund development initiatives while simultaneously providing direct leadership to fund development and engagement staff.
Before joining Autism Delaware, Getman was the senior manager of donor relations at MANNA. This Philadelphia company empowers people to improve their health and quality of life through medically tailored meals and nutrition education.
Brown to chair Inland Bays board
Partnership for the Delaware Estuary welcomed a new head of its board of directors and five new board members. As of Jan. 1, Nicole Brown, client development manager for Suburban Consulting Engineers is PDE’s new board chairperson.
In addition to Brown’s election as board chair, PDE also welcomes five new board members: Kate Campbell of Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox, LLP, Kelly Anderson of the Philadelphia Water Department, Matin Katirai of West Chester University, Shawn Rodier of Jacobs, and Jeannie Morris of Vicinity Energy.
Brown has more than 25 years of experience with all phases of water and wastewater projects, having worked with clients to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of their systems. As an engineer, she utilizes her problem-solving skills along with effective communication to speak to the community on behalf of her clients.
Goldey Beacom names HR director, Title IX coordinator
Goldey-Beacom College, Pike Creek, announced the following:
Sarah ElShawarby has been promoted to director of human resources. Her responsibilities include fostering a culture of continuous improvement and meaningful work, compliance, benefits, employee relations, talent management, and performance management.
ElShawarby joined the College in 2019 as a human resources coordinator and was later promoted to assistant director of human resources. She was responsible for processing payroll, benefits, and employee relations. During that time, she also served as the Title IX deputy coordinator.
ElShawarby holds a B.S. and M.S. in Accounting.
Leilani Decena-Shepherd has been appointed as the Title IX coordinator.
As the Title IX Coordinator, Decena-Shepherd serves as the primary compliance officer for state and federal laws relating to sexual misconduct and violence prevention. She manages the College’s efforts to ensure that faculty, staff, and students are aware of their legal rights under Title IX as well as through the institution’s policies, procedures, and practices.
Previously, Decena-Shepherd worked for Delaware’s Division of Small Business, where she served as a portfolio administrator and worked with the Council on Development Finance Committee. She has also served as an AmeriCorps member and worked for the Delaware Tourism Office. She is a television producer, writer, and former television anchor and reporter.
Decena-Shepherd holds a B.S. in Radio, Television, and Film from Temple University and an Associate in Applied Science degree in Nuclear Medicine Technology from Delaware Technical Community College.
