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.
The Delaware Farm Bureau has named farmer William Donald Clifton, II, to serve as executive director. Clifton brings a variety of farming and agribusiness experience into his new position. The Clifton family has grown grains and soybeans, and processed vegetables in northeast Sussex County since the 1920s. In addition, they operated Clifton Canning Company, a vegetable cannery, for nearly 50 years before closing the operation in 1995.
Clifton has received presidential appointments as State Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency twice, serving in the Clinton and Obama administrations. In addition to performing his Delaware responsibilities, he was occasionally tapped to perform detail service at USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C. working on items from administrative streamlining to policy on farm lending program delivery. Back in Delaware, he was responsible for the development of the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) for the state.
The Clifton Farms, Inc. currently grows about one thousand acres of crops. The Cliftons maintain a fleet of pea and lima bean harvesters to harvest their own crops and those of other local farmers. Clifton Farms, Inc. also operates a vegetable cleaning facility, handling about five million pounds of baby lima beans annually for Seabrook Brothers & Sons, of Seabrook, NJ. “Vegetable processing must be in my blood,” Clifton said in a statement.
DuPont announced Kristina M. Johnson has been elected to its Board of Directors.
“We’re excited to welcome Kristina Johnson to DuPont’s Board of Directors,” Ed Breen, DuPont Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer said. “Kristina’s leadership experience across education, business and government, coupled with her passion for science and technology will be a tremendous benefit to DuPont and its shareholders as we continue our transformation as a premier multi-industrial company. Her diverse background will provide unique perspectives for our innovation, sustainability and talent strategies.”
Dr. Johnson currently serves as president of The Ohio State University. Previously she served as the chancellor of the State University of New York from 2017 to 2020. From January 2014 to September 2017, Dr. Johnson served as chief executive officer of Cube Hydro Partners, LLC, a clean energy company, and a joint venture between Enduring Hydro, a company she founded in 2011 and I Squared Capital, a private equity firm.
Dr. Kandis Samuels-Leutzinger, MD, MPH, has been awarded the Young Physician of the Year by the National Medical Association’s (NMA) First State Chapter. This award is reserved for physician leaders, five years or less into their practice, who consistently achieve high standards in the practice of medicine and are looked upon as a role model by their peers.
“I was surprised when they called my name—I wasn’t aware that I had been nominated and there are so many physicians doing wonderful work in our region,” Dr. Samuels said in a statement.
Dr. Samuels has traveled to events such as the vaccination education seminar at Calvary Baptist Church in Wilmington, Delaware in February 2022. She educated the women’s ministry on topics such as COVID vaccine hesitancy and provided information about receiving the booster.
In March 2022, she spoke to the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League, Chapter of the NAACP. Dr. Samuels taught about prevention of chronic kidney disease in the African American community, covering topics such as living a heart healthy lifestyle in diet and exercise, establishing care with a primary doctor, and the benefits of knowing family history.
Delaware State University announced Kimberly Krzanowski as executive director of its Early Childhood Innovation Center (ECIC), which is set to improve and expand educational opportunities for all Delaware’s young children by supporting early childhood professionals in the field.
Krzanowski currently serves as executive director of the Delaware Department of Education’s (DDOE) Office of Early Learning. She has more than 20 years’ experience as an early childhood teacher, higher education faculty member, center director and policy maker.
“I am excited about Delaware State University’s selection of Dr. Kimberly Krzanowski as the Executive Director of the ECIC,” Dr. Saundra DeLauder, provost and chief academic officer said. “Dr. Krzanowski has more than 20 years of experience in early learning and will be integral to meeting the goals of the ECIC.”
“The stars aligned. This idea has been on the top of minds for several years and the federal COVID funds that the state received helped bring it to reality. This was an opportunity to build from the ground up a center that was focused and targeted on the early childhood population as they build their career,” Krzanowski said.
Krzanowski holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware, concentrating on education, human services and public policy, a master’s degree in Education from Wilmington University with an emphasis on teaching and learning, and a Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from Wilmington University, with a concentration in innovation and leadership in the context of the early childhood workforce.
WSFS Financial Corporation, the parent company of Bryn Mawr Trust, has announced James A. Hutchinson, CFA, senior vice president, wealth director in Berwyn, Pa. Hutchinson will lead the Berwyn team and be responsible for new business, community visibility, and brand development in the market.
“We are thrilled to welcome a Client-focused wealth management executive like Jim to the Bryn Mawr Trust team,” said Bradford. “Jim brings with him more than 30 years of experience and a multi-faceted expertise in investments, tax and legal aspects of financial advising that will help us further connect our Clients to a life, mission and legacy fulfilled.”
Hutchinson most recently served as senior vice president and market executive in Delaware for PNC Private Bank. Hutchinson held a variety of other leadership roles during his more than 20 years with PNC, and also previously served as a senior financial counselor for Ernst & Young.
Hutchinson earned his B.S. in accounting from Pennsylvania State University, an M.S., magna cum laude, in finance from Temple University, and graduated, cum laude, from the Widener University Delaware Law School. Hutchinson also holds a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. He is a member of the CFA Institute and Financial Analysts of Philadelphia.
The Carman Auto Group announced Nina Pedraza-Zinna as manager of body shop and collision service operations.
With Carman since late 2021, Zinna managed repair manager for Progressive Insurance for three years. In that capacity, she served as liaison between Progressive policy holders and collision centers during the body repair process. Zinna is formerly a collision repair instructor and has been a vice president of operations at an independent collision repair company.
She has served multiple terms on the board of directors of the Women’s Industry Network, an association of women in the collision repair industry.
Richards, Layton & Finger announced twenty attorneys have been recognized by Super Lawyers in its annual rankings of Delaware’s leading lawyers. Super Lawyers selects lawyers on the basis of their professional skill, achievements, and peer recognition, choosing only 5 percent of the lawyers in the state.
The Richards Layton lawyers chosen for the Super Lawyers list are:
- C. Stephen Bigler: Business/Corporate
- Mark D. Collins: Bankruptcy – Business
- Frederick L. Cottrell III: Intellectual Property Litigation
- Doneene K. Damon: Business/Corporate
- Catherine G. Dearlove: Business Litigation
- Raymond J. DiCamillo: Business Litigation
- Kelly E. Farnan: Intellectual Property Litigation
- Anne C. Foster: Business Litigation
- Jennifer C. Jauffret: Employment & Labor
- John H. Knight: Bankruptcy – Business
- Rudolf Koch: Business Litigation
- Robert J. Krapf: Real Estate
- Gregory W. Ladner: Business/Corporate
- Jeffrey L. Moyer: Intellectual Property Litigation
- Blake Rohrbacher: Business Litigation
- Lisa A. Schmidt: Business Litigation
- W. Donald Sparks II: Estate Planning & Probate
- Sara T. Toner-Wagner: Real Estate
- Robert W. Whetzel: Environmental
- Gregory P. Williams: Business Litigation
Cover & Rossiter, a CPA & advisory firm, welcomed five new members.
Margaret Mendoza joined the Cover & Rossiter team in August 2021 as a staff accountant in the tax department. In May 2021, she graduated from Goldey-Beacom College with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, and she is currently pursuing her MBA with a concentration in Financial Management. Before joining C&R, she was the accounts payable specialist for a site management company in Maryland.
Leo Bacchieri began as an intern at Cover & Rossiter in January 2020 while completing his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting at the University of Delaware. Following 6 months of interning, he returned to the University of Delaware to earn his Master’s in Accounting. In August 2021, Leo rejoined Cover & Rossiter as a staff accountant in the tax department. He also has experience as an accounting intern at Santora CPA Group.
Danielle Diaz joined the Cover & Rossiter team July, 2021 as a staff accountant in the tax and audit department. In May 2021, she graduated from Goldey-Beacom College with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, and she is currently pursuing her MBA in Finance. She previously participated in an internship in the tax and audit department at Horty & Horty, PA.
Karen Wright rejoined Cover & Rossiter in October 2021 in the accounting services department as a manager. Her role includes providing top-level CFO services to clients as well as working with the client accounting services team to provide such services as software training and consultation, payroll processing, monthly and quarterly review work, budget preparation, and part-time controller services.
Karen graduated from Temple University with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting. Prior to rejoining Cover & Rossiter, Karen was Finance Director and shareholder for a prominent Delaware engineering firm. She assisted with the renaissance of that firm, which made it highly profitable and led to a lucrative merger. Karen has also provided accounting services to multiple small businesses along the way, including her husband’s IT consulting business.
Indy Singh joined Cover & Rossiter in November 2021 as a staff accountant after working as an intern during his senior year in college. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Rowan University in May 2021. In addition, he holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from India. Before joining Cover & Rossiter, he was a team leader at GGB in Thorofare, NJ for a CNC Machinist department. Prior to 2017, he was running a business in India providing students consulting service to get enrolled in international universities. He has also worked in the retail sector and construction industry in the UK and New Zealand.
