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.
Kent-Sussex Industries, Inc. (KSI) name Heath Chasanov the CEO after retiring from his current position of eleven years as the Woodbridge Superintendent of Schools.
“The Board is incredibly excited about the future of KSI under Heath’s guidance,” KSI Board Chairman Travis Frey said in a statement. “Heath will bring his superior leadership, sense of community and compassion to the KSI team.” Chasanov has thirty-one years of public education experience.
Susan N. Giove, a Sussex County Association of Realtors member, has been named the 2023 Delaware Realtors of the Year.
The award was presented by Chrissy Steele, president of the Delaware Association of Realtors (DAR), during the association’s annual Delaware Realtors 302 Welcome Reception held at Hyatt Place in Dewey Beach. Giove was also honored with a special citation from the Delaware House of Representatives, presented by State Rep. Kevin Hensley (D-9).
Giove has over fifteen years of industry experience, having held various roles within the association, including committee work and presidencies at SCAOR and DAR. Her impressive list of designations, including ABR, CIPS, CRS, CDPE, e-PRO, RSPS, and SRS, highlights her commitment to professional development.
This annual award honors the Delaware Realtors whose outstanding service has delivered positive impact to Realtors organizations on the national, state, and local levels as well as the real estate industry and community.
Beebe Medical Group announce the addition of Martha Hughes, MS, WHNP-NC, ANP-BCN, a women’s health nurse practitioner who works at Beebe Women’s Health Lewes. Melissa Noah, PA-C, is a certified family medicine physician assistant who sees patients at the Beebe Millsboro Dupont Boulevard. Victoria Ruch, PA-C, is a certified physician assistant who sees patients at Beebe’s Walk-In Clinics in Rehoboth, Georgetown, and Millsboro.
Hughes provides comprehensive care to women throughout the course of their lifetimes, addressing medical needs that range from standard contraception management and pregnancy to standard gynecologic care and menopause. She earned a Master of Science in Nursing from Simmons College in Boston, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Salem State College also in Massachusetts. Hughes is certified by the National Certification Corporation (NCC) as a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, and by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as an Adult Health Nurse Practitioner.
Prior to joining Beebe, Hughes served in the United States Air Force as a registered nurse at the rank of Captain and with an honorable discharge. Most recently, she worked as a women’s health nurse practitioner for University Health Care in San Antonio, Texas, where she provided collaborative obstetrical and gynecological care for an under-served, under-insured, non-English speaking population of patients.
Earlier in her career, Hughes served as a women’s health nurse practitioner at several clinical practices, hospitals, and academic healthcare systems located in diverse geographies across the country, including Southern Connecticut State University, Fairfield University School of Nursing, and Affiliates in Healthcare, Main Line Women’s Health Care, and Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates.
“I have spent a good part of my career as a women’s health practitioner, caring for women’s needs in diverse patient populations,” Hughes said. “I’m pleased to be able to bring this high level of care to the women within the Beebe Healthcare community.”
Noah is a family medicine provider who works with patients ages 6 and older. She focuses on caring for patients holistically, managing chronic medical conditions, providing care for acute illnesses, and implementing preventative measures during annual exams that provide patients with the tools needed for long-term wellness. Noah earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry and Biochemistry from the University of Maryland at College Park and earned her Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree from the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore. She is certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. Noah worked at the primary care office of Mitchell S. Gittelman, DO, in Salisbury prior to joining Beebe. There, she served as a primary care provider for both pediatric and adult patients.
Ruch is a walk-in care provider who sees patients of all ages, for a variety of non-emergent acute conditions including eye and ear infections, upper respiratory infections, gastrointestinal issues, sprains and other minor injuries, and minor burns and rashes. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, and is also a graduate of Salus University in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, where she earned a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies.
Ruch is certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. Prior to joining Beebe, Ruch served as an internal medicine Physician Assistant in Wilmington, Delaware. Before that, she held volunteer roles at an urgent care facility in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and worked as a local Emergency Medical Technician.
“When I moved to the Southern Delaware region, I knew I wanted to be a part of Beebe Healthcare,” said Ruch. “I’m excited to be a part of Beebe’s welcoming presence in the community where patients feel comfortable knowing they are going to the best facilities.”
Bayhealth announce the addition of Madhulika Urella, MD, a medical oncologist.
As a hematologist and medical oncologist, Dr. Urella provides a range of care to treat blood diseases and various types of cancer. She comes to Bayhealth from Marshall University, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, in Huntington, West Virginia, where she recently completed a hematology and oncology fellowship, following completion of her internal medicine residency there.
“We are thrilled that Dr. Urella has joined us. She is a highly trained oncologist dedicated to providing attentive and personalized patient care,” Iftekhar A. Khan, MD, chief, oncology services and medical director, medical oncology at Bayhealth, said. “She is a valuable addition to our Bayhealth Cancer Centers serving central and southern Delaware as we provide exceptional and comprehensive services to meet the needs of our community members facing cancer.”
Dr. Urella has a medical degree from Shadam Institute of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad, India. She is board certified in internal medicine. She worked as a staff physician in Yashoda Hospitals in India and has done post-graduate research in the Department of Hematology and Oncology and the Department of Internal Medicine at Marshall University, as well as the Department of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Kings County Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Bayhealth also announces Pulmonologist and Critical Care Physician Bilal Bangash, MD, joins Rabab Nasim, MD, and Syed Nazeer Mahmood, MD, at the Bayhealth Pulmonary and Critical Care practice.
“We know that the needs for respiratory care in our area continue to grow so building a new practice in this specialty has been a long-term goal for us,” Bayhealth Vice President, Physician Services and Clinical Integration Lawrence Ward, MD, MPH, FACP, said. “We’re thrilled that with the addition of Dr. Bangash we now have three talented physicians available to offer exceptional care for community members who suffer from COPD, lung disease, complications of lung cancer, and other conditions impacting the respiratory system.”
Dr. Bangash comes to Bayhealth after his fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Spectrum Health and Michigan State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Previously he completed two internal medicine residencies—one at Bridgeport Hospital and Yale New Haven Health in Bridgeport, Connecticut and another at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland in Sligo, Ireland. He earned his medical degree from Quaid-e-Azam Medical College in Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
Dr. Bangash also served as a clinical instructor during his fellowship at Michigan State University and his residency at Yale New Haven Medical School, where he earned the Vincent Andriole Teaching Award for best resident teacher. Additionally, he was a recipient of the WOW recognition for exceptional patient care during his time at Spectrum Health.
Board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, Dr. Bangash is a member of the American Thoracic Society and the Society of Critical Care Medicine. In addition to seeing patients with a range of respiratory conditions in the practice setting and a clinical interest in lung cancer screening, he also cares for patients with serious and life-threatening conditions in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Bayhealth Hospital, Kent Campus.
Morris Nichols announces Alexandra Cumings and Kyle Pinder have joined the firm partnership and Elizabeth Mullin has been promoted to special counsel.
“On behalf of the partnership, I am pleased to announce the promotion of Ali, Kyle, and Liz. I have had the privilege of working with all three individuals since early in their tenure at the firm, and I look forward to seeing them embark on this next phase of their careers,” Bill Lafferty, chair of the firm’s executive committee, said. “Their exceptional talents and dedication will carry them, and the firm, onto a promising future.”
Cumings is a corporate litigator. Her practice focuses on complex business disputes before the Delaware Court of Chancery and Delaware Supreme Court. Cumings has broad experience working on a variety of corporate and commercial issues, including litigation involving mergers and acquisitions, fiduciary duties, shareholder demands, employee non-compete and non-solicitation obligations, breach of contract, and appraisal demands.
Cumings joined Morris Nichols in 2015 as a member of the firm’s Corporate & Commercial Litigation group. She graduated summa cum laude from Penn State Dickinson Law in 2015, where she was an editor of the Penn State Law Review. She also served as secretary of the Women’s Law Caucus and law school representative to the Pennsylvania Bar Association Young Lawyer’s Division. Cumings earned her BA in philosophy, cum laude, from the Clemson University in 2012.
Pinder is a member of the firm’s Corporate Counseling group. He provides Delaware law advice on matters of corporate governance and transactions involving publicly traded, as well as privately held, corporations.
He counsels corporations, directors, officers, and stockholders on fiduciary duty, corporate governance, and transactional issues arising under Delaware law. Pinder is a contributor to the Wolters Kluwer treatises Mergers, Acquisitions, and Buyouts and Structuring Venture Capital, Private Equity, and Entrepreneurial Transactions.
Kyle joined Morris Nichols in 2015, after graduating magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, from Villanova University School of Law. While at Villanova Law, he served as staff writer and articles editor of the Villanova Law Review. Kyle earned his BA in history from the University of Delaware in 2012.
Mullin has significant trial experience, focusing on corporate and commercial litigation before the Delaware Court of Chancery, including matters involving post-closing disputes, fiduciary duty claims, mergers and acquisitions, and breaches of contract.
Her experience spans a range of expedited cases, including shareholder demands, advancement and indemnification disputes, and validation of corporate acts. In 2023, Mullin was appointed by the Delaware Supreme Court to serve as an associate member of the Delaware Board of Bar Examiners.
Mullin joined Morris Nichols in 2016 as a member of the firm’s Corporate & Commercial Litigation group. She earned her JD from Villanova University School of Law in 2016. While in law school, she served on the editorial team of the Villanova Law Review and earned her MBA from Villanova University. She graduated with a BA in Classics from Georgetown University in 2012.
M&T Bank announces April Birmingham, Randy Kunkle, Pablo Velazquez, and Alisa Graves have been promoted.
Birmingham, the Delaware region’s vice president and charitable and community involvement manager, to senior vice president and charitable foundation regional manager for the bank’s mid-Atlantic region. Birmingham will continue to serve as the bank’s charitable foundation program officer for Delaware.
Birmingham joined M&T in 2020 after 30 years with Bank of America and understands the diverse needs of the communities throughout Delaware, focusing primarily on the bank’s charitable endeavors.
In this new role, Birmingham is responsible for overseeing the strategic allocation of charitable investments and programs for designated regions as well as leading a team of Regional Program Officers. She works closely with local nonprofits and the bank’s regional leaders to understand the needs in each community to further advance the M&T Charitable Foundation’s vision to partner with communities and impact equitable change.
Birmingham is a member of the board and immediate past Treasurer of the Food Bank of Delaware. She also serves on the board of Philanthropy Delaware, Wilmington Alliance Board of Investors, Delaware Business Roundtable Education Committee and Delaware State Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner Planning Committee.
Kunkle was promoted to senior vice president, regional Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) manager, after serving as vice president, regional CRA officer since joining the bank in 2018.
In his new role, Kunkle is responsible for developing and implementing CRA programs to meet the needs of low-to-moderate income individuals and organizations in Delaware, the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Greater Philadelphia and South Florida, while also having oversight of the Greater Baltimore market. Prior to his time with M&T, Kunkle amassed extensive industry experience, most notably throughout a 23-year tenure with Bank of America.
Kunkle’s impact extends beyond his role with M&T. He is an active volunteer, participates in mentoring programs and serves on the board of several organizations including NeighborGood Partners, Nehemiah Gateway Community Development Corporation and La Plaza Delaware.
Velazquez was promoted to senior vice president, business banking regional manager for Delaware. Prior to assuming his new position, Velazquez served as business banking team lead and senior business banking relationship manager.
As senior vice president business banking regional manager, Velazquez leads the Delaware Eastern Shore Business Banking Group as they strive to consistently bring value to the small and emerging middle market business community.
Prior to joining the bank in 2018, Velazquez brings considerable business acumen and experience from his time at key financial institutions including Citizens Bank, OneMain Financial and Springleaf Financial Services.
Graves was promoted to senior vice president, business banking team leader for Northern Delaware after serving as administrative vice president, retail regional manager.
With two decades of business banking experience, Graves has led more than 100 employees, overseeing 18 M&T branches across Delaware. In her new role, Graves is responsible for leading a team of Relationship Managers working with Northern Delaware small business owners to grow their business by providing sound financial advice and guidance. Committed to supporting her team members, Graves mentors bank employees as they strive to achieve career goals. She is also part of M&T’s internal Women’s Resource Group and Intergenerational Resource Group.
Outside of her role at the bank, Graves has served on the Board of Directors for Humane Animal Partners for several years, combining her passion for animals with her desire to connect with others and support the community.
Easterseals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore announce the addition of John Mager and Paula Swain to its Board of Directors.
Mager joins the Easterseals board as the District Governor of Rotary District 7630. He joined the Brandywine Naamans Rotary Club in 1979 where he had the privilege and honor to serve in various positions within the Club and later at the district level. Mager worked for Bumpers and Company where he was managing director of the firm until he retired from practice in 2015.
“I am excited to join the Easterseals Board of Directors because, along with Rotary, Easterseals creates hope in the world and always will,” Mager said. “They provide much needed services for the community.”
Swain joined Incyte in January 2002 and serves as executive vice president of Global Human Resources with additional responsibility for Facilities, Environment, Health & Safety, and ESG reporting. She is also the Chair and Secretary of the Incyte Charitable Giving Foundation. Swain serves on several boards and advisory boards in the community. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Rockhurst University and graduated from the Strategic Human Resources Planning program at Harvard Business School.
“I am honored to join the Easterseals Board. In my role as the Chair of the Incyte Charitable Giving Foundation, I have learned about the work Easterseals is doing to support individuals, caregivers, and families by providing services that provide equal opportunities to live, learn, work, and play in our community. I have heard first-hand from caregivers and participants the impact Easterseals has had on their lives,” Swain said. “I’m proud to be asked to serve this organization and to help celebrate its 75-year anniversary.”
