People on the Move – Feb. 26

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.

Steve Baccino

Steve Baccino has been named Chairman of the Board for the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce. Baccino is currently the director of regulatory and government affairs for Chesapeake Utilities Corporation.

The Chamber’s board represents a wide range of experiences, diverse perspectives, and a strong commitment to our mission to improve businesses and strengthen the community. By having a dynamic leader like Steve Baccino, we look forward to all that we can accomplish together.

“This is an important year as we address issues around economic development, growth, and unity amid a global pandemic,” said Steve Baccino in a statement. We will continue to build strong partnerships and connections that benefit the Delaware business community.”

Tim Daly has been appointed president of Clearfield Communications. Clearfield is a provider of data, product security and consumer engagement services to the cannabis, tobacco, consumer goods and healthcare industries.

Clearfield Communications, founded in 2020, leverages NFC technology to deliver critical reporting and enhanced management capabilities for government and industry. Its exclusive TrueSYS platform enables intelligent or “connected” packaging to customers, and ensures regulatory compliance and product chain of custody.

Rodney Wyatt has been named Vice President of Vice President of Artesian Wastewater Management by the organization’s board of directors.

Wyatt joined the Company in 2005 and has over 40 years of professional engineering experience and operations management in the water and wastewater fields.

Mike Maier

Mike Smith

Navient has appointed Mike Maier as chief information officer and Mike Smith as chief human resources officer.

Maier most recently served as senior vice president of strategic initiatives at Navient, and has served in the company and its predecessor Sallie Mae since 2008. A Navy veteran, he is also the executive sponsor of Navient’s employee Veterans Resource Group, a trustee of the Naval Academy Athletic and Scholarship Foundation and past board member of the Delmarva American Red Cross.

Smith most recently served as vice president of Total Rewards at Navient, and has served in the company and its predecessor Sallie Mae since 2005. He has also held HR roles at Freddie Mac and Capital One and served on several industry boards such as the Client Advisory Board for Fidelity Investments. Smith is a board member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware and chairs the board’s HR committee.

Damian DeStefano, director of the Delaware Division of Small Business who gained an unexpectedly large profile over the last year as the office sought to aid businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, will leave his role March 5.

He is reportedly taking a private-sector job, but declined to elaborate on his plans. Replacing DeStefano will be the current division deputy director, Jordan Schulties, who has served in her role since 2016.

DeStefano was appointed to the director position in August 2018, after Gov. John Carney created the office amid breaking up the Delaware Economic Development Office.

Charuni Patibanda

Charuni Patibanda was recently appointed the economic development director of New Castle County, succeeding Tamarra Morris Foulkes who retired last fall.

A Delaware native, Patibanda has spent the last eight years in Los Angeles working as a lawyer and economic development consultant. She gained experience working on high-profile projects including the bidding on a new L.A. city contract to operate the famed Greek Theatre amphitheater as well as representing Netflix in its redevelopment proposal of Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre.

After graduating from Emory University School of Law, she served for a time as a judiciary intern for Sen. Chris Coons and said that she wanted to return to public service.