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.
President Joe Biden has nominated Robin Talley to serve as Delaware state executive director for the Farm Service Agency.
She has served in various capacities within the USDA-Farm Service Agency since 1984. Most recently, in her capacity as district director, she was responsible for administration of federal farm and loan programs delivered by three field offices in Delaware. Born and raised on a dairy farm in Delaware, Talley has a Bachelor of Science in agricultural economics and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Delaware.
Talley’s service to agriculture has been recognized numerous times by USDA and farm organizations. She is a recipient of the George M. Worrilow Award, presented by the University of Delaware Ag Alumni Association for outstanding service to agriculture. Talley was a trustee and volunteer for the Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village.
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Jessica Ball | PHOTO COURTESY OF DDA[/caption]
Secretary of State Jeff Bullock has appointed Jessica Ball to serve as the next director of the Delaware Division of the Arts. She most recently served as the executive director of the Delaware Arts Alliance and will assume the new role effective Nov. 29.
Having led the Delaware Arts Alliance since 2018, Ball oversaw all aspects of managing a statewide nonprofit organization and developed sector wide strategies to advance arts and culture. She serves as the Delaware State Captain for Americans for the Arts’ State Arts Action Network and volunteers on the Delaware Fund for Women’s Young Founders Committee and the Delaware MillSummit Planning Committee.
Arreon A. Harley-Emerson, DAA board president, said the alliance has engaged an executive search firm to assist the board in recruiting a new executive director. DAA will name an interim executive director to oversee operations while the search is underway.
Applied Bank has named John Murray vice president and commercial loan relationship manager for the Bank’s Southern Delaware and Eastern Shore markets. He will be responsible for developing and managing commercial loans and business relationships out of the bank’s Rehoboth Beach office.
Murray has nearly 20 years of experience in the commercial banking industry with a background in originating, underwriting, and managing business and commercial real estate loan portfolios in the Southern Delaware and Delmarva markets. Before joining Applied Bank, Murray held positions as vice president at County Bank in Rehoboth Beach, as well as vice president roles at Provident State Bank and Hebron Savings Bank in Maryland.
Murray currently serves on the board of the Bay Area Center for Independent Living and is a former chairman of the Maryland Special Olympics in Salisbury, Md. Murray earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from University of Maryland, College Park.
U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) announced the hiring of Will Baskin-Gerwitz as his new communications director.
Before joining Senator Coons’ office, Baskin-Gerwitz worked as a regional press secretary for the Democratic National Committee, where he worked with states in the Mid-Atlantic and across the Northeast to secure President Biden’s election and advance the Biden agenda.
Prior to that, he worked across the country on Democratic campaigns, including as the communications director for the re-election campaign of former Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.). He will work primarily in Coons’ Washington office.
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Sade Smith | PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTHNODE GROUP COUNSELING[/caption]
Sade M. Smith has joined NorthNode Group Counseling in Dover as a clinical therapist.
Smith is a practicing therapist whose work focuses on treating adolescents and adults experiencing a myriad of behavioral disorders, relationship issues, substance use disorders and/or eating disorders. She enjoys working with the LGBTQ+ community, helping at-risk youths and their families heal together, and she can even converse with patients in Spanish.
Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish language and literature from Delaware State University, she is also currently pursuing a Masters of Science in counseling and human services with a concentration in clinical mental health counseling from Post University.
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Katie Johnson | PHOTO COURTESY OF BEEBE[/caption]
The Beebe Medical Foundation Board of Directors has unanimously approved Dr. Katie Johnson, medical director of palliative care at Beebe Healthcare, and Juli Decker, treasurer and owner of Short’s Marine, to join the Board of Directors.
Johnson joined Beebe Healthcare in the summer of 2017 and has grown the Palliative Care program into a large inpatient and outpatient program.
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Juli Short Decker | PHOTO COURTESY OF BEEBE[/caption]
Decker, the owner of Short's Marine, a local family-owned, 72-year-old business, was born and raised in Sussex County. Along with her parents and husband, she operates and manages the day to day operations of Short's Marine.
Santora CPA Group, a Newark-based CPA and consulting firm, is pleased to announce the following additions to its team:
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Samantha Finfer | PHOTO COURTESY OF SANTORA CPA[/caption]
Samantha G. Finfer has joined the Trust Services Team as a trust associate, after interning with SCG during her senior year. She is a 2021 cum laude graduate of the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Science degree in finance with a minor in trust management.
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Emily Mowen | PHOTO COURTESY OF SANTORA CPA[/caption]
Emily M. Mowen has joined SCG as a staff accountant. She is a graduate of the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting with a double minor in management information systems and trust management (2020) and a Master of Science degree in business analytics and information management (2021). Mowen is a member of the American Institute and the Delaware Society of Certified Public Accountants.
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Jerry Troutner | PHOTO COURTESY OF SANTORA CPA[/caption]
Jerrold M. Troutner has joined SCG as a staff accountant. He is a 2021 graduate of the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting. Troutner is a member of the American Institute and the Delaware Society of Certified Public Accountants.
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Ann Camper | PHOTO COURTESY OF BECKER MORGAN[/caption]
Becker Morgan Group’s Ann Camper has become the first certified health care interior designer (CHID) in the state of Delaware. The CHID credential is the key indicator of expertise, comprehension, and application of current codes and protocols that protect and improve the health and safety of patients, residents, family members, and health care providers.
Since 2009, Camper has played an active role in the firm’s health care studio, providing interior design services to health care providers across the region.
The Delaware BioScience Association (Delaware Bio) announced the election of two new members of its board of directors, Nikkia Squires, of ChristianaCare, and Alex D. Meredith, of Delaware State University (DSU).
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Nikkia Squires | PHOTO COURTESY OF DELAWARE BIO[/caption]
Squires currently serves as senior counsel at ChristianaCare, where she concentrates her practice on healthcare information technology, data privacy, innovation, and related matters. Squires has over 15 years of experience in a wide range of health care regulatory and transactional legal matters. The majority of her career has been dedicated to working in state government and nonprofit health care system roles.
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Alex D. Meredith | PHOTO COURTESY OF DELAWARE BIO[/caption]
Meredith is director of the Office of Student Engagement with DSU’s College of Agriculture, Science and Technology (CAST) as well as program director of the school’s 1890 Agricultural Scholarship Program. A Dover native, Meredith is a DSU graduate who has worked to recruit, retain, and professionally develop underrepresented populations to meet the demands of a 21st century STEAM workforce.
Delaware Bio also announced the reelection of three directors: Izak Bahar – Vice President, R&D Assay Development at Siemens Healthineers, Ben Hsu – Chief Administrative Officer at QPS Holdings, and Ray Yin – President at ANP Technologies.
In addition to the board updates, board Chair Chris Yochim acknowledged the impending departure of longtime board and executive committee member Fran DiNuzzo, who recently announced his retirement as CEO of ILC Dover.
The Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau, the destination marketing organization for New Castle County, has appointed three new members to its board of directors. They are Jame McCray, Quincy Watkins, and Amelia Wiggins.
McCray is the founder of Ecotonic Movement, dedicated to facilitating conversations about climate change through the performing arts. She is the managing director of the National Wildlife Federation’s Alliance for Watershed Education of the Delaware River and is on the advisory council of the University of Delaware’s Partnership for Arts and Culture.
Watkins is CEO of Milk and Honey Coffeehouses LLC, CEO of Developing Next-Level Achiever’s (DNA) and lead pastor of The Neighborhood Church in Wilmington.
Wiggins is director of communications and engagement at the Delaware Art Museum. She has a background in museum education, fine art and horticulture.
McCray, Watkins and Wiggins join 24 current members for a total of 27 board members. Seven are appointed by the Governor of Delaware, seven are appointed by the New Castle County Executive, and seven are appointed by the Mayor of Wilmington. The remaining six are appointed by the board itself. The director of the Delaware Tourism Office and the Bureau’s executive director are ex-officio members.
McCray was appointed by the governor. Watkins was appointed by the mayor. Wiggins was appointed by the board.
