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.
Arthur Hall Insurance announced Dan Mackarevich, CCIC, CIC, has been named vice president, shareholder and partner of the firm.
[caption id="attachment_225011" align="alignright" width="192"]
Dan Mackarevich | PHOTO COURTESY OF ARTHUR HALL[/caption]
Mackarevich has built and continues to expand on several industry-specific insurance programs for clients all over the country. In addition to Mackarevich's other duties, he also serves as the Agency’s Cyber Insurance Practice Leader. He holds the Cyber COPE Insurance Certification (CCIC) from Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College and was part of the 1st cohort of insurance brokers selected for such a designation in 2019. He also obtained the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation in 2015.
“It is an honor to join the leadership group and become a shareholder of such an incredible firm.” Mackarevich said. “I have to thank each and every client who continue to put their trust in me and my team. I look forward to the exciting years ahead as we continue to serve as an advisor, advocate and agent to all of our clients.”
Prior to his career at Arthur Hall Insurance, Mackarevich worked in finance in New York City and Atlanta. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Bucknell University.
The U.S. Small Business Administration welcomes Robert Piechota as the deputy district director of SBA’s Delaware Office. In his new role, Piechota will act as senior advisor to SBA Delaware Director Michelle Harris and assist in overseeing the delivery of SBA programs and services to Delaware’s approximately 1 million residents and 88,000 small businesses, the small business sector employing 98.4 percent of Delawareans.
Piechota joins SBA Delaware following turns as SBA’s Long Island, NY Branch Manager and Director of the New York City College of Technology Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Brooklyn, NY. Earlier, Piechota ran his own consulting business and served in the U.S Army Military Police Corps. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
In addition to Piechota’s leadership and program delivery responsibilities, he will help to oversee SBA-backed ‘Resource Partner’ organizations in Delaware: The Women’s Business Center at TrueAccess Capital, SCORE Delaware, and the Delaware Small Business Development Center.
[caption id="attachment_225013" align="alignright" width="257"]
Melody Phillips | PHOTO COURTESY OF WILMINGTON [/caption]
The City of Wilmington announced
Melody Phillips has been appointed deputy director of the Department of Parks and Recreation. Phillips will assist Parks and Recreation Director Ian Smith with managing one of the City’s most important departments as far as providing extensive community-based programs and services to individuals, children, and families.
Phillips has more than 15 years of experience in program management with an emphasis on building and enhancing community and social justice initiatives. Through her previous work experience and managing her own consulting firm, Phillips has provided counsel to executive leadership on needed local, state, and federal reforms connected to youth systems, juvenile justice, adolescent health, and education.
Phillips obtained a Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology in 2010 from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Her dissertation focus is on co-developed youth and adult leadership models in community centers. She anticipates achieving her Ph.D. next year.
In addition to Phillips’ previous work at the Teen Warehouse – a popular meeting and programming space in Northeast Wilmington designed for teens by teens – and her work at Del-Tech, she was also a Program Manager at Washington, DC-based Generation USA, a nonprofit organization that provides free job training, placement, and support to help people find life-changing careers.
[caption id="attachment_225014" align="alignleft" width="231"]
Matthew T. Orrino | PHOTO COURTESY OF M&T[/caption]
Matthew T. Orrino has been named a managing director and head of Institutional Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Capital Markets at M&T Investment Banking.
"It's an exciting time for the industry, and for M&T, as we expand our CRE footprint into new markets," Orrino said. "M&T has earned a best-in-class reputation with its deep roots in commercial real estate and loyal customer base. I look forward to building on that foundation and bringing my experience in capital markets to our institutional clients."
With operations across
the United States, M&T Bank delivers a fully integrated offering of investment banking products, including real estate capital markets, loan capital markets, corporate securities underwriting and institutional loan sales and trading.
Bringing 20 years of transactional experience across diversified financial service organizations with him, Orrino will concentrate on commercial real estate debt capital markets within the Investment Bank and report to
Hugh Giorgio, managing director and head of Debt Capital Markets for M&T Investment Banking.
Prior to joining M&T, Orrino was a senior vice president and head of Capital Markets at CoreVest American Finance.
[caption id="attachment_225016" align="alignright" width="172"]
Michael Durstein | PHOTO COURTESY OF DSFG[/caption]
Michael Durstein earned the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) designation from The American College in the King of Prussia, PA. The ChFC® designation is awarded to candidates who complete a prescribed program of study and exams and fulfill certain ethical and professional experience requirements. Designees receive in-depth industry training focused on the comprehensive financial process to help clients identify and establish their financial goals and to implement a comprehensive program to achieve those goals.
Durstein specializes in working with individuals and businesses on their insurance and financial services needs. He is with Diamond State Financial Group. He is also a Registered Representative and Investment Advisor Representative with Securian Financial Services, Inc.
[caption id="attachment_225015" align="alignleft" width="179"]
Alexander Vazquez | PHOTO COURTESY OF GOODWILL [/caption]
Alexander Vazquez has been selected as chief operating officer (COO) for Goodwill of Delaware and Delaware County.
Over 100 plus years, Goodwill of Delaware & Delaware County has grown to become a leading community-based, non-profit organization providing workforce development services throughout the First state and Delaware County, PA. As COO, Vazquez will provide executive leadership for the organization’s revenue-generating operations, including Donated Goods/Retail, e-Commerce, Goodwill Staffing Services, and Goodwill Industrial Services. These operations provide much of the funding needed to deliver Goodwill’s Workforce Development programming.
Before joining Goodwill of Delaware & Delaware County, Vazquez provided executive leadership for several other member Goodwill organizations. From 2015-2022, he served as the Vice President of Business Services & Performance Excellence for Goodwill of Southeast Georgia in Savannah, where he provided oversight for government contracts, business development, and performance excellence. From 2014-2015, he served as the Vice President of Retail Operations for the Goodwill of South-Central Virginia and from 2011-2014 as Manager of Special Projects for Horizon Goodwill Industries in western Maryland.
Vazquez earned both his MBA and undergraduate degrees in Political Science & Sociology from Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, MD. Additionally, he is a graduate of both Goodwill Industries International’s Senior Leader and Executive Development programs.
Zip Code Wilmington, a software coding boot camp, welcomes Ayanna Hill, chief operating officer of Vanguard/Vanguard Fintech Ventures, and businessman and technology entrepreneur, and Diego F. Calderin, to its board of directors.
Hill, who also is senior innovation manager at Vanguard, provides budgetary, compliance and reporting oversight for Vanguard Fintech Ventures, which invests in startups. She began her career with Vanguard in March 2015 as a data quality product owner. Hill was promoted to senior product owner, then to investment management development program manager in May 2020. One year later, she was promoted to senior strategist. Seven months after that, she was named Vanguard Fintech Ventures COO.
“I’m excited to join Zip Code’s board and look forward to helping it reach greater success,” she said.
Before Vanguard, Hill was a data analyst for Russell Reynolds Associates in New York City from 2014 to 2015 and an HR business partner for Duff & Phelps Global Advisory in New York City from 2012 to 2014. Last year, Hill co-founded Neptune, an ed-tech startup that uses virtual reality for early childhood education. She received her bachelor’s degree in computer science at Long Island University in 2010, and looks forward to attending the MBA program at Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania (2022 decision pending).
Calderin is a principal at PreCode Labs LLC, a Silicon Valley technology incubator that helps identify and create companies in the cyber security space. Calderin began his career in 1984 as a software engineer with General Electric in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. In 1992, he joined technology startup Actium and consulted at Fortune 500 companies, including Corning, J&J and Exelon.
“Zip Code is training the next generation of coders and connecting them to well-paying jobs with international businesses,” he said. “I’m proud to join this forward-thinking company.”
In 1999, Calderin founded Acatar, a firm specializing in database repurposing, e-commerce and digital content integration. The next year, Calderin co-founded digital integration firm Anexinet, creating its innovative concept for Near-Site™ Development Centers and wrote its systems development methodology. By late 2014, with annual revenues exceeding $100 million, Calderin and his partners sold the business to a California private equity firm. In 2015, Calderin co-founded Banbury Systems LLC, an RFID-enabled Internet of Things (IoT) data acquisition platform. Banbury was acquired by a national manufacturer of cleanroom products and services in 2020.
Born in Havana, Cuba, Calderin immigrated to the Philadelphia area with his family in 1962. He earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from La Salle University in 1983 and a master’s degree in engineering from Penn State University in 1988.
Becker Morgan Group, an architecture firm, welcome eleven new team members across all four offices and six disciplines.
Becker Morgan Group President, W. Ronald Morgan said, “We are proud to welcome these talented individuals to our team and we are excited for their contributions to the firm.”
Since the new year, the architectural, civil engineering, surveying, interior design, finance, and administrative departments have grown. New staff members will continue to uphold the exceptional service clients have come to expect from Becker Morgan Group across the Delaware, Maryland, and North Carolina offices. Please help the firm welcome the following: Shane Anderson, Colby Klecan, Derek Dutton, Mckenzie Smith, Matthew Oates, Adrian Bradshaw, Morgan Carter, Shea Cannon, Elizabeth Seabright, and Jack Cauley.
[caption id="attachment_225019" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
PHOTO COURTESY OF BECKER[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_225017" align="alignleft" width="143"]
Jeremy Hager | PHOTO COURTESY OF DBG [/caption]
Delaware Botanic Gardens (DBG) announced two community leaders and one former DBG Board Member have joined the DBG Advisory Council.
Jeremy Hager served with distinction for three years as a DBG Board Member and Special Advisor on the safety and health of the woodlands. He is President and Founder of the Land Care Advisory Group and Coastal Plant Care in Ocean View, DE. Jeremy is an ISA Certified Master Arborist. He has demonstrated a passion for educating the public about tree and environmental stewardship. Jeremy holds a Master of Science Degree (Entomology) and Bachelor of Science (Environmental Resource Management, Horticulture) from Virginia Polytechnic and State University.
[caption id="attachment_225018" align="alignright" width="239"]
Jeremy Hager | PHOTO COURTESY OF DBG[/caption]
Dan Barbato is a Civil Engineer at Pennoni [Engineering] Associates and is Office Director of their Newark Office. He has 27-years of experience in Civil Engineering, habitat restoration, and water resource projects. Dan has a record of distinguished community service in various leadership positions at the Delaware Nature Society (DNS) including over eight years of service on the DNS Board of Directors and served as Vice President of the Board. He is a Mentor of STEM students and young environmentalists. He does “pro-bono” project design work for non-profits and advises non-profit boards. He has been actively involved in several Delaware Botanic Garden Projects since its inception. Barbato said, “I am well aware of the important conservation and wildlife preservation role that Delaware Botanic Gardens plays in Sussex County. I am proud to continue my active role in this amazing non-profit public garden enterprise.”
[caption id="attachment_225020" align="alignright" width="178"]
Dan Levin | PHOTO COURTESY OF DBG[/caption]
Dan Levin was born and raised in Wilmington, DE. He attended Ithaca Art Institute in Philadelphia where he received an Associate’s Degree in the Culinary Arts. He is also a Certified Human Resources Professional, by George Mason University. Levin began his career at SoDel Concepts in 2012 working his way through various capacities from Line Cook, to expeditor, and is a member of the HaleyKammerer Consulting and Highwater Management Team.
Weber Gallagher announced
Krista E. Shevlin has been elected partner.
Shevlin is a litigator defending clients in various insurance defense related issues including general liability, subrogation, premise liability, and employment matters. Shevlin handles the defense of motor vehicle accidents, construction defects, medical negligence, and product liability. Handling all phases of litigation up to and including trial, she works with her clients to develop defense strategies, negotiate settlements, attend alternative dispute resolutions, and interpret contract and lease language to provide the most cost-effective way to handle a case. Shevlin has successfully argued cases before the Supreme Court of Delaware, the District Court of Delaware, and the Appellate Court.
