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.
Gov. John Carney has been appointed by President Joe Biden to the bipartisan President’s Council of Governors. The 10-member council focuses on matters of homeland security; homeland defense; civil support; synchronization and integration of state and Federal military activities in the United States; and other matters of mutual interest, including those involving the National Guard.
Joanne McGeoch has been named Interim Executive Director for Delaware Nature Society (DelNature.) McGeoch has been a successful fundraiser and non-profit executive for over 18 years. McGeoch joined DelNature in January 2015 and was promoted to deputy executive director in 2018. She has expanded the organization’s fundraising to include a robust a portfolio of grants and major gifts during her tenure and has led successful concurrent major gift campaigns to underwrite capital, capacity building, open space protection, and regenerative agriculture.
DelNature President Eric Brinsfield said, “When we learned of Anne’s retirement, the board was pleased to appoint Joanne McGeoch as Interim Executive Director. Serving as both the Chief Development Officer and Deputy Executive Director for the last three and a half years, we were fortunate to have a strong leader ready to step into the role. Joanne and Anne have spent the last few months working closely together to prepare for this transition. The Board will continue to work closely with Joanne as we conduct a national search.”
The Delaware Department of Technology and Information announced that former Deputy Attorney General Aleine Cohen will be joining the Office of the Chief Information Officer as deputy CIO. Cohen’s general counsel experience to DTI for the past six years has enabled her to collaborate across divisions and with DTI’s partners. In this new position, Cohen will drive and execute the strategic goals of the organization as well as oversee the human resources, fiscal, and procurement teams.
United Way of Delaware announced that Rick Deadwyler has been elected to a three-year term as chair of its board of directors. Deadwyler succeeds John D’Agostino, who served as chair for the period 2018-2021. Deadwyler is U.S. East Region government and industry affairs leader at Corteva Agriscience, where he leads strategic efforts to advance and promote public policy initiatives.
Rachel Levitan will be assuming the role of Communications Director for U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.). Levitan will oversee press operations for Senator Carper’s personal office, as well as the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee.
“Rachel led the charge for our committee communications as we transitioned to the Senate majority and dove into fast-paced infrastructure legislative negotiations. I’m pleased she’ll be bringing her leadership skills to this new role overseeing all press strategy and operations here in D.C. and in Delaware,” said Senator Carper.
Sussex County has appointed Rachel T. Lynch as the next director of Sussex County Department of Libraries. Lynch, currently serving as Assistant County Librarian, will take over for retiring director Kathy M. Graybeal.
“I’m thrilled to have been selected to lead the County library system,” Lynch said. “I look forward to working more closely with the libraries and their communities to support their literary and informational needs.”
Lynch wants to build more strategic partnerships in the community like the recent relationship with Beebe and the County bookmobile to provide vaccines to underserved communities. Lynch said her goal is to make libraries the first place a community looks to for outreach assistance.
Lynch holds a Master of Science degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Tennessee; and worked at the Rehoboth Beach Public Library and the Milford Public Library for a total of 18 years prior to starting her career with Sussex County Department of Libraries, joining the organization in 2006. Starting as head cataloger, she co-created and chaired the Delaware Library Consortium Cataloging Executive Committee. Promoted to Assistant County Librarian in 2013, Lynch served as a trainer for the library system, created promotional materials, and managed the budget for the Sussex County Mobile Library.
The Pilot School welcomed new Head of School Dr. Alli Williams on July 1st. Her vision for Pilot, and education in general, reflects her diverse experiences. “We’re at an inflection point in education,” said Williams. “Not just for kids who learn differently, but all kids. We’ve watched as other industries have leaned into individualized, curated services. Yet education remains a bit of a monolith, focused on broad standards of excellence instead of considering unique skill sets and varying definitions of success. Luckily, Pilot has been delivering individualized programming as long as it has been open”, said Williams.
Dr. Williams arrives at Pilot from AIM Academy, a research-to-practice school in Pennsylvania. There, she relied heavily on cutting edge research in neuroscience and education to drive her programmatic decision making. She also leveraged her background in design thinking to merge her understanding of the science with what her students and their families were needing. Williams hopes that background will serve her well in the Pilot community. She’s set her gaze upward and plans not only to ensure excellence at The Pilot School, but also to make Pilot a beacon of what education should look like in the community at large.
The Sussex County Land Trust, a non-profit conservation organization, has appointed a new board member, Jason King. A Sussex County native, he joined Dogfish Head Craft Brewery/Boston Beer Company in 2015 and currently serves as a National Accounts Manager for the organization.
King is an avid outdoorsman and specifically enjoys hunting and fishing. He is also the current record holder for the largest Mahi-Mahi caught by a captain in Delaware and is a longtime committee member of the Eastern Sussex Ducks Unlimited Chapter. King resides in Lewes with his wife, Ashley.
Davis, Bowen & Friedel, Inc. has welcomed Eric C. Kells to their Milford, Delaware office.
Kells, a graduate from Temple University with a Bachelor in Community and Regional Planning, a minor in Environmental Science, and a certificate of environmental sustainability, will be joining as a new civil engineering designer. Kells comes with a vast knowledge of city and regional planning, civil, site, environmental and ecological engineering, and landscape architecture.
“With the recent surge in work throughout all three offices, we have been fortunate to expand our team to keep up with the growing demands of the firm. We love to see our firm and industry continue to be successful and can’t wait to see what these new employees bring to the table,” said DBF Principal Jason P. Loar.
The Delaware Racial Justice Collaborative (DRJC) announced that Raina Harper Allen has been named director of the DRJC, effective immediately. Allen’s primary role will be to further accelerate the pace of the DRJC’s efforts to eliminate systemic racism in public and private organizations across Delaware.
Among other things, Allen will oversee advancement of the DRJC’s legislative agenda, expand partnerships with the corporate community, work with many of the state’s school districts to implement expansion of learning pods in high-need communities, leverage the DRJC’s collective influence to drive systemic change at a state, regional and local level, and advance the group’s action plans in the areas of Criminal Justice, Education, Wealth Creation, Health Equity, Diversity/Equity and Inclusion, and Youth and Young People.
Cover and Rossiter has announced that Andy Johnson, Principal, has completed the ConvergenceCoaching Spring Transformational Leadership Program. Johnson has been an employee in the tax department since 2008. His primary focus is helping clients navigate the constantly changing tax landscape. In addition, he has taken on a leadership role in evaluating and implementing new technologies intended to help shape Cover & Rossiter as a CPA and advisory firm positioned for growth well into the future. With his exceptional problem-solving skills and attention to detail, Johnson is an incredible asset to the C&R team.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, Realtors Hockessin-Pike Creek Home Marketing Center, welcomes back Stacie Lewis Pugh as a sales associate and member of the Jason Duncan Team. Lewis Pugh, who has been licensed since 2015, is a member of the New Castle County, Delaware, and National Associations of Realtors. She resides in Middletown with her husband, Duke, and their three children.
