In a class of their own

These rising stars are all unique, but see what they have in common: they accept guidance, they give back, and they set boundaries between work and life.

Welcome to the DBT40 Class of 2015, a group of influential young achievers and innovators selected annually by Delaware Business Times.

They follow in the same tradition as our first class last year, in that they’re all under  age 40 and are making a difference in the Delaware  community. They’re in technology, yes, but also finance, law, nonprofits, and real estate. There are elected officials and Miss Delaware 2015.

The nominators who suggested these candidates were colleagues or people who  interact with them someway in Delaware business and community activities. All of the nominations included reference to accomplishments made in their respective career path as well as contributions made to help their community.

Answers from the honorees also showed that they attribute community service and  work-life balance as key to their success.

We’ve created profiles about these 40 men and women based on three sources: comments from their nominators, personal answers to questions, and their resumes.

A panel of three members of the 2014 class of DBT40  – Mike Vanderslice, Nic DeCaire and Diane Urban – helped Today Media executives make the final decision,  culling the DBT40 from more than 80 nominations. We are proud to recognize the achievements of this class of 2015 and we welcome  you to join us Sept. 30 for a cocktail reception at the Delaware Art Museum to celebrate their accomplishments.

~ Michael J. Mika, Executive editor