People on the Move – Feb. 19

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.

Sen. Chris Coons

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., was named Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations (SFOPS). Coons is the first Delaware Senator in over 40 years to serve on the powerful Appropriations Committee, and he has been a member of the SFOPS Subcommittee since 2013. He also sits on the Senate Foreign Relations, Judiciary, Small Business, and Ethics Committees.

In a statement to the press Coons said, “I am honored to serve as the next Chair of the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, which has a budget of over $55 billion to fund U.S. diplomacy, national security, global health, and life-saving humanitarian and international development efforts around the world. I am deeply grateful to Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy for his decades-long leadership and stewardship of this subcommittee since 1989. I look forward to continuing to work closely on these issues with Chairman Leahy and his skilled and talented staff.”

Becker Morgan Group is proud to announce the following employee promotions:

Jonathan Richard, was promoted to Senior Associate. Richard  is a civil engineer and has been with the firm for 16 years. He has completed numerous successful projects ranging across commercial, healthcare, and institutional sectors.  Richard takes a vested interest in developing younger staff members and serves on the firm’s Blue Zone committee responsible for recruitment, retention, and company culture. 

Josh Bennett is a structural engineer with Becker Morgan Group and was promoted to Associate. Bennet joined the firm in 2013 and has stepped into a leadership role within the firm’s structural department.  He serves as project manager on a variety of project types, including healthcare, industrial, and residential.  

Emily McMullen has been promoted to Associate. Since joining the firm, McMullen has taken an active role in the education and public safety sectors. Outside of the office, she is an active member of the A4LE Northeast Region, staying up-to-date on design trends in K-12 education.  

Jonathon Street is a civil designer with Becker Morgan Group and was promoted to Associate. Street is an active member of the Dover, DE community who joined the firm in 2011. He sits on the Parking and Safety Committee and serves as chairman of the Economic Development Committee for the Downtown Dover Partnership. Jon has successfully completed numerous commercial and institutional projects in Kent County, DE.  

Kevin Utz was promoted to Associate. Utz started with Becker Morgan Group in 2015 and quickly found a niche within the firm’s healthcare studio. He is an active member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), advocating for the profession. He currently serves as Board President for the AIA Chesapeake Bay Chapter and sits on AIA Maryland board. 

Chris Weeks was promoted to Associate. Weeks joined Becker Morgan Group in 2007 and leads the firm’s business development efforts across its four offices. He serves on the Beebe Board of Directors and is actively involved in the Rehoboth Beach – Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce. 

Daniel Wenzel has been with the firm since 2017 and has been promoted to Associate. Wenzel serves as a project manager in the firm’s educational studio with a focus on higher education. Outside of the office, he serves on the Cape Fear Community College Architectural Technology Board, helping shape the next generation of designers.

Steve Norcini has been appointed to the newly created role as head of sustainable investing at Wilmington Trust. In addition to his role as senior equity portfolio manager, Steve will lead the team’s efforts to provide clients with sustainable investing solutions.

“Steve’s expanded responsibilities strengthen our ESG and sustainable investment capabilities for clients who want to invest according to their values,” said Tony Roth, chief investment officer for Wilmington Trust Investment Advisors. 

Steve has led Wilmington Trust’s proprietary ESG equity strategy offering since its 2019 inception and the firm’s thought leadership around sustainable investing. He brings more than a decade of in-depth fundamental equity investing and portfolio management experience.

Alex Cavaliere

Alex Cavaliere of Diamond State Financial Group has been authorized by the Certified Student Loan Advisors Board of Standards (CSLA Board) to use the CERTIFIED Student Loan Planner and CSLP certification marks.

The CSLP denotes professionals that have demonstrated competency in: financial aid basics, repayment options, repayment risk management, student debt tax planning, and student loan repayment in employee benefits, retirement, and business planning.

Leadership Delaware, Inc. (LDI) has announce the appointment of three new members to its Board of Directors, one from each County – from New Castle County, Bianca Fraser-Johnson, from Kent County, Linda Parkowski, and from Sussex County, Preston Schell.

“We are extremely fortunate to have these stellar individuals join our LDI Board of Directors. They bring with them a wealth of experience that will make both the Board and the LDI Program better! We are also thrilled to be adding additional Board members from Kent and Sussex Counties!” said CEO of LDI, Jennifer Cohan.

Bianca Fraser-Johnson

Bianca Fraser-Johnson spent 20 years in the financial services industry, joining MBNA America through their Accelerated Management Development Program, and retiring from Bank of America in 2019 as a senior vice president. 

Passionate about leadership development, Bianca chaired the Delaware Chapter of LEAD (Leadership, Education and Advocacy) for Women at Bank of America, co-founded the Delaware Youth Leadership Network, and completed her fellowship with Leadership Delaware (LDI) in 2010. She launched the LDI Alumni Council, and served terms on the LDI Board and Advisory Board.

Linda Parkowski

Linda Parkowski is the executive director of the Kent Economic Partnership, Inc. (KEP), also known as Choose Central Delaware, the economic development agency for Kent County. Parkowski is charged with business attraction, retention, and expansion in Central Delaware along with business assistance for Kent County. Since taking on her role, she has rebranded Central Delaware ChooseCentralDelaware.com and works collectively with many municipalities and groups to raise awareness of Central Delaware as a prime business location.

In 2020, during the pandemic, KEP attracted and located 4 new manufacturing companies to the area resulting in over 200 jobs.

Prior to taking this position, she was the Acting Director of the Division of Small Business for the state. Prior to that position, she was Director of Tourism for the State of Delaware. She launched several successful marketing initiatives, including the state’s first-ever multi-platform branding campaign. 

Preston Schell

Preston Schell is the co-founder and president of the Ocean Atlantic Companies (OAC), a diversified group of real estate development, management, construction, and brokerage firms primarily focused and operating in Southern coastal Delaware. Schell serves as the managing member of approximately 50 limited liability companies engaged in OAC’s various real estate activities and development projects. Prior to starting OAC in 1997, he worked as an investment banker for Merrill Lynch in Chicago.

Schell is also involved in several not-for-profit entities. He is a board member of the Lewes Historical Society. He co-founded in 2001 the Sussex County Land Trust, a public/private partnership between the real estate community and the county with the mission of preserving open space in Sussex County, and served as its Vice Chairman for over 10 years. He recently served as the Chairman of the Delaware Chapter of the Nature Conservancy. Preston is also a leader in the formation of the Sussex Academy charter school, serving as the Chair of the site selection, design, and construction committees.