People on the Move

People on the Move – Feb. 5

Mike Rocheleau February 5, 2021

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.

Maria Gunther

Maria Gunther has been appointed CEO of Trellist Marketing and Technology. As part of this transition, Trellist founding partner and longtime CEO David Atadan will become Chief Ventures Officer, while continuing to hold the role of COO and serve on the firm’s Board.

Gunther joined Trellist in 2005 as a design contractor and soon moved into project management, building strategic relationships throughout the years and across industries. She was promoted to an Account Services Lead in 2010, a role that gave her an enhanced view of customer challenges and how Trellist’s unique portfolio of services can help meet them. In 2016, Gunther was unanimously elected as a partner in the organization thanks to her extraordinary efforts in building the business.

As CEO, Gunther says, “One of my goals is to be reflective of what I can bring to the position in order to keep the company running in a sustainable way—as well as working with the extended leadership team to explore areas of growth that are in line with our charter, mission, and vision. I was honored to be chosen as Dave’s successor two years ago, and I am now ready to help drive the organization forward.”

Gunther’s assumption of the role of CEO marks the next stage of Trellist’s evolution from an “entrepreneurial company to a corporation,” says Atadan, who founded the firm in 1995 with Pat Toman. “When you start a company from the ground up, you play all the positions. You’re the finance person and the operations person and the HR person and the chief bottle washer. But as the company grows, you pull yourself out of each of those positions and move into new roles where you add the greatest value.”

While marking its 25th Anniversary in 2020, Trellist celebrated the maturity of its internal operations and the start of new stage of growth. Along with continuing to build a set of service offerings that meets the needs of today’s clients, the company hired senior talent in a variety of practice areas—from Corporate Communications to UX/UI Design—from around the country. Trellist also deepened its strategic partnerships with several leading marketing technology providers. Moreover, the company recently expanded its geographic footprint to include a new office in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

But for Gunther, it is the durability of Trellist’s existing clientele that is most gratifying. “I’m especially proud of the tenure of so many of our client relationships,” she says. “We don’t consider ourselves a revolving door. We treasure our client partners who see the difference in the solutions we offer. And we do everything we can to ensure that we are setting them up for success and long-term growth.”

Following a national search, the board of directors of Woodlawn Trustees Inc. announced Richard T. Przywara as the organization’s next president and CEO. Rich will begin at Woodlawn on Feb. 15.

Richard T. Przywara

Woodlawn Trustees was founded in 1901 by William Bancroft, who felt he owed a ‘special debt’ to the residents of Wilmington. He began Woodlawn Trustees as a way of continuing his passion for affordable housing, planned orderly development and preservation of open space.

Rich has the vision and expertise to further Bancroft’s ideas. He brings the skills and knowledge necessary to complete the Flats Redevelopment Project on the West Side of Wilmington. He will help to continue Woodlawn’s commitment to the East Side of Wilmington and the remaining land in Brandywine Valley. Rich will become only the fifth CEO and president in Woodlawn’s 120-year history.

Rich succeeds Interim President Benjamin Lovell, who will return to his duties as chair of Woodlawn’s board of directors. Lovell, the great grandson of Bancroft, stated that “the board is pleased that Rich will join the company to help build upon the legacy of William Bancroft.” Members of the Bancroft family have served on Woodlawn’s board since 1901.

Przywara stated, “I am proud to be invited to join Woodlawn Trustees. The opportunity to continue William Bancroft’s vision to improve the quality of life through responsible development, stewardship, and conservation with access to nature, is an exciting and vibrant mission. I look forward to working with our community partners and residents to advance the legacy of our founder.”

Prior to joining Woodlawn, Przywara was the chief operating officer/vice president of risk management for YMCA of Greater Brandywine where he supervised seven branches and developed plans to reach membership goals while containing expenses.

In prior leadership positions, he has demonstrated a record of success. As the executive director of the West Chester University Foundation, he oversaw fundraising to benefit the university. Additionally, Przywara was the executive director of University Student Housing for West Chester University where he implemented a multi-year Housing Renewal Initiative over 14 years. He was also chief of staff and general manager for New Castle County government from 2005 to 2007 where he was responsible for the construction of the Woodlawn Library.

Przywara holds a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Delaware. He and his family reside in Wilmington.

Craig Lynch P.E.

Craig M. Lynch, a civil engineer with Landmark Science & Engineering, has been approved by DAPE as a Professional Engineer in Delaware.

Lynch earned a Bachelor of Civil Engineering with a concentration in Environmental Engineering at Michigan State University in 2010. Because of his appreciation for the beauty of the lakes in the region, an interest in water preservation resulted in the goal of remediating water pollution. Prior to joining Landmark last March, Lynch worked as a plan reviewer for New Castle County Department of Land Use. During his five years with the County, he was assigned to review 231 Land Development Applications involving many notable projects, including Landmark’s Avenue North mixed-use redevelopment, where he identified severe erosion that required complex channel restoration. He gained valuable insight into the land development plan review and approval process and continues to draw upon that experience in his current role as a project engineer.

Lynch applies civil engineering, site design and construction review experience to the commercial, industrial and residential development projects on which he works, while specializing in stormwater runoff conveyance, stormwater management facility design, erosion and sediment control, and floodplain delineation studies. He is a DNREC-certified Sediment and Stormwater Management Certified Construction Reviewer with expertise inspecting erosion and sediment control practices and reviewing stormwater management plans. Due to his proficiency in New Castle County Drainage Code and the Delaware Sediment and Stormwater Regulations, he was selected in 2018 to serve on the Standard Plan Regulatory Technical Advisory Subcommittee.

Principal and EVP Keith A. Rudy, P.E., LEED AP, who supervises Lynch’s work, says “it is so satisfying to see a serious young professional, such as Craig Lynch, advance to the next stage in his career as a Professional Engineer. We look forward to him playing an increasingly key role in the future of the company.”

Daniel Shoy, Jr., president and CEO of the East Lake Foundatio,n has been appointed as a new member of the board of directors for REACH Riverside. Shoy has 26 years of experience in the nonprofit sector with organizations focused on youth and community development. In his current role, Shoy is responsible for strategic planning and goal setting that drive’s The Foundation’s mission of providing tools for families in The Villages of East Lake and students in the Charles R. Drew Charter School pipeline to build better lives for themselves and future generations.

Upon joining the board, Shoy said, “I am honored to be joining REACH’s Board of Directors. REACH continues to do tremendous work while offering desperately needed services for the Riverside community through its three pillars of redevelopment, education, and community health. I look forward to learning from the innovative approach that the REACH staff and board are leading through the WRK Group to bring those best practices to East Lake, Atlanta, and other Purpose Built Communities’ neighborhoods.”

“As REACH begins phase one of its EMPOWER (Economic Mobility Places Ownership Within Everyone’s REACH) initiative, which combines sequential and ongoing services designed to support families holistically as they transition into new housing units of high-quality, mixed-income homes, we are excited to continue to partner with community leaders such as Danny and to position his unique skills and interests towards our mission of serving the Riverside neighborhood,” said Logan Herring, CEO of REACH Riverside, The Warehouse and the Kingswood Community Center.

Shoy joins a 15-member board that oversees REACH’s financial and strategic growth including: Perry Beberman, Stephen D. Briggs, Hon. Sherry Dorsey Walker, Don Fulton, Rita Landgraf, Charles S. McDowell, Esq. (Chair), Sonia Paredes, Ray Rhodes (Vice Chair), Bettina Tweardy Riveros, Dionna J. Sargent, Fred Sears, Kevin L. Smith, Hon. James Spadola, and Jocelyn Stewart.

Scott Rathfon P.E.

Scott Rathfon P.E. and Jennalee Fede P.E. have been selected by NSPE-DE, formerly the Delaware Engineering Society, as the Engineer of the Year and Young Engineer of the Year respectively.

Rathfon is a Professional Engineer with over 40 years of comprehensive engineering experience in various areas of the civil engineering field as well as project and program management. He has been employed by Century Engineering in the Delaware office for over 33 years and has been involved in numerous projects throughout the State. Rathfon has guided the Delaware operations for over 20 years and has been involved with various design and construction projects throughout the State of Delaware, as well as surrounding states. He has been involved in some of the largest infrastructure projects in the State including the SR1, US 13 Relief Route project and the recently completed US 301 project. One of the highlights of his engineering career was having the opportunity to work on the management team for the design and construction of the cable-stayed bridge over the C&D Canal. Many of the projects he has been involved with over the years have been recognized in the state for their excellence by his peers.

Jennalee Fede P.E.

Fede has worked for Duffield Associates for over 10 years and is currently a project manager in Duffield’s Environmental Division. She has worked on various projects throughout the region, involving environmental investigations, permitting, remediation, and regulatory compliance for various residential, commercial, and industrial sites. Her clients have varied from private developers and realtors to government and utility companies. She takes pride in each project she works on, looking to provide value to her client while also making a positive impact on her community. She is active in various professional organizations, secretary of the Delaware Section of the American Water Resource Association (DEAWRA) and active member of the Society of Women Environmental Professionals (SWEP), Delaware Real Estate Women (DREW), and the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (PDE). She is also active in her community, participating in the Christina River Cleanup (15+ years), Adopt-A-Highway Cleanup (8+ years), and various food and clothing drives. She has also assisted the Delaware Association of Professional Engineers (DAPE) with mentoring and presentations regarding the importance of professional licensure to undergraduate future engineers attending the University of Delaware.

For more information on both the award winners, please visit our website: www.nspe-de.org.

Dr. Anughav Kanwar

Anubhav Kanwar MD, an infectious disease physician, has joined Beebe Healthcare and Beebe Medical Group welcomes who now sees patients at Beebe Infectious Disease as well as in the hospital.

Dr. Kanwar is board certified in internal medicine and infectious diseases. He received his medical degree (MBBS) from Indira Gandhi Medical College in India. He completed his internal medicine residency at Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center and completed his fellowship in infectious diseases and HIV Medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

“We’ve seen firsthand during this pandemic how critical infectious disease experts are to our community,” said Bobby Gulab MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Beebe Medical Group. “Beebe Medical Group is committed to bringing specialists to Sussex County, and we welcome Dr. Kanwar’s expertise to care for our community.”

Prior to joining Beebe Healthcare in 2020, he served as director of antimicrobial stewardship at Washington Hospital and as a member of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Advisory Group subcommittee with the Idaho Department of Health. He also spent time working for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda.

“Infectious diseases are evolving as we have seen with COVID-19 and it further highlights the important role of infectious disease experts in handling and managing such pandemics,” said Dr. Kanwar.

Kris Ohleth

Kris Ohleth, a 15-year veteran in offshore wind, has been named Executive Director of the Special Initiative on Offshore Wind (SIOW), a policy group providing expertise, analysis, information sharing, and strategic partnership support for key offshore wind stakeholders. Ohleth was previously the Senior Manager of Stakeholder Engagement at Ørsted.

“This is a pivotal time for U.S. offshore wind, and I am delighted Kris is taking the helm at SIOW,” said Stephanie McClellan, SIOW founder and a leading offshore wind expert. “The offshore wind farms that are in the development queue will create thousands of good clean energy jobs and are critical to states achieving their climate goals. This is the moment to propel the industry forward and Kris’s background makes her extremely well-positioned to lead SIOW during this important phase.”

“Offshore wind provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to help solve societal issues such as threats from climate change and a slowed economy,” Ohleth said. “I look forward to my new role at SIOW to support the responsible advancement of offshore wind.”

“SIOW does a great job of highlighting the economic and environmental benefits of our industry,” said David Hardy, CEO Ørsted Offshore North America. “While we will miss Kris on our team, we know that SIOW is gaining an incredibly talented and driven offshore wind expert who is motivated by the launch of this new American industry.”

“The National Wildlife Federation works with a broad and growing alliance of partners across sectors to accelerate the responsible development of offshore wind energy in a manner that protects and benefits both people and wildlife,” said Collin O’Mara, President/CEO, National Wildlife Federation. “Considering her multi-disciplinary background, we are delighted that Kris will be taking the lead at SIOW and look forward to working with her on key strategic issues essential for the success of critical climate solution at this pivotal moment in America’s offshore wind story.”

The Delaware State Chamber of Commerce is pleased to welcome new members of its Board of Directors and Board of Governors.

Members joining the Board of Directors are:

Nicholas A. Moriello, RHU, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware
Marie Holliday, Cover & Rossiter
Natalie Keefer, Bank of America

The following business leaders were elected to the State Chamber’s Board of Governors:

Bryan Fisher, Agilent Technologies
Mona Jantzi, Barclays US Consumer Bank
Jeffrey Joseph, PNC Bank
Michael A. Meoli, The Meoli Group
Mark Mumford, Nemours Children’s Health System
Dr. David Tam, Beebe Healthcare

Each year, a board member is recognized by Chamber staff as Board Member of the Year. This year, Marie Holliday of Cover & Rossiter was the honoree for her leadership, guidance, and volunteer time towards the Superstars in Business awards program.