People on the Move: May 24

People on the Move is a rundown of recent hirings, promotions, appointments and other notable movements by professionals in the state. If you’re interested in submitting an entry, please contact news@delawarebusinesstimes.com.

Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, a national law firm, announced the addition of former Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Deputy Chief Judge James T. Moore to its Delaware office. He joins the firm’s Intellectual Property (IP) section and Patent Office Litigation practice group.

James Moore | PHOTO COURTESY OF BUCHANAN

Moore is a patent attorney with extensive prosecution and litigation experience in both private practice and corporate settings. He has judicial experience in all areas of PTAB jurisdiction, including appeals, interferences, America Invents Act (AIA) trials, and management as a member of the Senior Executive Service as Vice Chief Judge, Deputy Chief Judge, and Acting Chief Judge of the PTAB. He served the PTAB from 2001 – 2022.

“We are pleased to welcome Judge Moore to our IP group and our growing Delaware office,” Joseph Dougherty, the firm’s Chairman and CEO, said. “Our Delaware IP and litigation practices are key components within Buchanan’s overall strategic plan and the addition of Judge Moore is an exciting step forward in the implementation of our plan.”

Moore is a founding director of the American Association of Patent Judges and a member of the Delaware State Bar Association. He holds a bachelor’s degree from The Johns Hopkins University and a law degree from the William & Mary Law School.

WSFS Financial Corporation, the parent company of WSFS Bank, announced David Burg will join the company as executive vice president, chief financial officer. In this role, Burg will lead the financial operations and strategy, including financial planning and analysis, accounting and financial reporting, treasury, and investor relations.

Prior to joining WSFS, Burg held several senior leadership positions during his nearly 17 years at Citigroup. Most recently, he was the head of strategy and execution for legacy franchises. From 2021 to 2023, he was chief financial officer for the entire Latin America region.

WSFS named Arthur J. Bacci the executive vice president, chief operating officer. Bacci joined WSFS in April 2018 as executive vice president, chief wealth officer. In his new role, Bacci will have oversight responsibilities for the commercial, wealth, consumer and cash connect lines of business, as well as technology, operations, customer experience, marketing and communications.

Jamie P. Hopkins will now serve as executive vice president, chief wealth officer. Hopkins joined WSFS in October 2023 as senior vice president and director of private wealth management. As chief wealth officer, Hopkins will lead WSFS’ Wealth Management segment which includes Bryn Mawr Trust, Bryn Mawr Capital Management, LLC, The Bryn Mawr Trust Company of Delaware, Powdermill Financial Solutions, WSFS Institutional Services, WSFS Wealth® Investments, and WSFS Private Banking.

“David’s expertise and visionary approach to financial strategy are exactly what we need as we accelerate our growth,” Rodger Levenson, Chairman, president and CEO, said. “His proven leadership, strategic decisioning and commitment to culture will play an instrumental role in our continued drive to deliver superior value for our stakeholders. Additionally, the promotions of Art and Jamie strengthen our leadership team consistent with our commitment to long-term talent development.”

Abraham C. Schneider | PHOTO COURTESY OF BAYARD

Bayard, P.A., a Delaware-based law firm, announced the addition of Abraham C. Schneider, to the litigation group. Schneider will focus his practice on corporate and commercial litigation in the Delaware Court of Chancery. A former clerk in the Court of Chancery, Schneider has handled matters spanning from major deal litigation to alternative entity and Delaware statutory actions, as well as commercial matters in the Superior Court’s Complex Commercial Litigation Division and in the Federal Court for the District of Delaware.

Schneider graduated magna cum laude in 2019 from Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law and was inducted into the Order of the Coif.  While in law school, Schneider served as an intern for the Honorable Mark A. Kearney in the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and served as an Associate Editor of the Villanova Law Review.  Following law school, Schneider further honed his skills by serving as a law clerk for Vice Chancellor Sam Glasscock III in the Delaware Court of Chancery.

Wilmington Trust announced Senior Wealth Advisor Brad Weingart has been named to Forbes’ Best-in-State Wealth Advisor list for Pennsylvania for 2024.

Brad Weingart | PHOTO COURTESY OF WILMINGTON TRUST

“Brad’s inclusion on this list is a testament to his commitment to his clients and the impact he has on Wilmington Trust’s entire business,” Doris Meister, Wilmington Trust’s CEO and chairman, said. “We believe this recognition is well-deserved, and his leadership in this critical region and specialty is a significant differentiator for Wilmington Trust.”

Weingart provides wealth management advice and solutions to high-net-worth individuals and families in the Philadelphia region. He strives to help his clients work toward meeting their objectives and ultimately transfer their wealth. Developing relationships with his clients helps Weingart assess their needs and create integrated plans. He currently serves as a committee member for the Jewish Community Center in Margate, NJ and has served as trustee and board member for the Jewish Community Foundation in Cherry Hill, NJ.

“I’m thrilled to be included in the company of these other outstanding wealth advisors from all around the country,” Weingart said. “It’s a gratifying recognition of all the work we do for our clients at Wilmington Trust.”

Regina Beardsley, BSN, of Christiana Hospital, has received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.

Beardsley, a nurse in the hospital’s 5B Medical Unit since 2023, was nominated by a patient who wrote that Beardsley “made all the difference” in her two-week hospital stay, especially during the difficult times of feeling alone, scared and frustrated.

Regina Beardsley | PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTIANACARE

“Regina could sense when I was feeling those things without me even saying a word,” the patient wrote in the nomination. “She was able to use her compassion and kind heart to bring me back to a place of peace… I looked forward to seeing Regina every day because I knew she was going to give me the best care she could and was going to put my mind at ease regarding my situation.”

In the nomination, the patient recalled a particular act of kindness from Beardsley: When the patient missed dinner one evening, Beardsley stayed late to hunt down a meal tray. “She could have easily given me a sandwich or Jell-O from the unit,” the patient wrote. “Instead she went out of her way to make sure I had an actual dinner.”

The patient wrote that Beardsley truly cared about her well-being. “I did not feel like just another room number on her list of duties for the day,” the patient wrote. “I will never forget the kindness she showed. She is a genuinely good person, not just a good nurse.”

Beardsley, who paused her nursing career to homeschool her five children, has been an active church volunteer and traveled to Nigeria to teach health and wellness classes.

“These varied experiences I bring to work with me every day help me deliver the love and excellence that each patient deserves,” she said. “Caring is the same, no matter the context.”

Shannon Gronau | PHOTO COURTESY OF DOE

Shannon Gronau, a school counselor from the Milford School District, has been named the 2024 Delaware Behavioral Health Professional of the Year.

The Mispillion Elementary School counselor said by building strong relationships with students, she’s able to understand how to best support them.

“This feeling manifested in many negative ways like attendance issues and aggression. Their parent considered pulling them from school,” Gronau said. “To help I had to understand the student’s needs by building a strong, positive relationship.”

Through check-ins and weekly counseling, she helped the child build coping and anger management skills. She realized the student didn’t feel connected at school and didn’t have healthy morning and night routines at home. She also learned the student’s mother had died, and her family was grieving.  Gronau helped connect the student to therapy, worked with the child’s teacher on classroom behavioral techniques and met with the child’s parent to help develop good morning/nighttime routines. She also worked with the school’s family interventionist to connect the family with needed community resources.

Teaching leadership development is one of Gronau’s passions. She created a peer leadership group project that trains fourth and fifth grade students to mentor first graders who need a positive connection at school.

“Walking the halls, you can see the hugs and waves she receives. The students trust her and confide in her,” Mispillion Elementary School Assistant Principal Ashely Ganley said. “During her workday, Shannon can be found providing individual and group counseling. Her students learn valuable self-regulation skills in small groups or whole classes, which is so needed in today’s classroom and society.”