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May/June 2013 $3.00

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Superstarsin Education

Saluting Innovation in Delaware Public Schools

A Publication of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce

20132013

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Building the future means doing one thing every day – surpassing expectations. We proudly support Superstars in Education. Congratulations to all the winners.

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DELAWARE BUSINESS | May/June 2013 1

Volume 18, Number 3 / Delaware Business (USPS 012098) (ISSN 153253542) is published bi-monthly by the DSCC Center for Business Management. Subscription price is $18 a year (included in membership dues). Known office of publication is 1201 N. Orange St., Suite 200, Wilmington, DE 19801. Periodicals postage paid Wilmington, DE 19850. Postmaster: Send address changes to Delaware Business, c/o DSCC Center for Business Management, P.O. Box 671, Wilmington, DE 19899-0671. Telephone (302) 655-7221.

Departments

President’s Message ..............................2Introducing Joan Verplanck

Legislative Priority ..................................3History Provides Clues to Economic Recovery

Member News and Notes ......................5Berger Harris undergoes serious growth, Cancer Support Community welcomes a new leader, and we recap the 2013 Spring Manufacturing Conference and Legislative Brunch.

Q&A: Delaware Secretary of Education Mark Murphy

Nonprofit Spotlight: Kind to Kids, Inc.

Nonprofit Spotlight: Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library

Welcome New Members ......................16

Chamber Scene .....................................20

Newsbites ...............................................66

Calendar .................................................69

Chamber Committees ..........................70

Chamber Member Benefits .................71

For Assistance, Contact the Chamber ..........................................72

Features

2013 SUPERSTARS IN EDUCATION ......................................................................... 24Meet the seven educational programs that earned the right to call themselves super.

GUIDE TO LEGAL SERVICES AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS .................................... 51A frank discussion about bankruptcy. What to do, who to contact. We talk to the experts. Also: What a government relations firm can do for your company. BY DOUG RAINEY

GUIDE TO WELLNESS AND HEALTH ........................................................................ 57Delaware boasts some of the region’s top medical facilities. Herein, a guide to our award-winning hospitals. BY LARRY NAGENGAST

On Th e Cover2013 Superstars in Education Winners. PHOTO BY TOM NUTTER

In this Issue

DELBIZ SNAGS AWARD! Delaware Business magazine has been awarded First Place in the Delaware Press Association’s annual Communication Awards. In the category of “Publications regularly edited by entrant,” wherein writing, editing, design and content were considered by judges, Delaware Business came out on top. The magazine will be honored at a May awards banquet.

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May/June 2013 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 2

1201 NORTH ORANGE STREET, P.O. BOX 671 • WILMINGTON, DE 19899-0671

(302) 655-7221 • (800) 292-9507 • WWW.DSCC.COM

The mission of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce is to promote an economic climate that strengthens

the competitiveness of Delaware businesses and benefits citizens of the state. The Chamber will provide services

members want; it will serve and be recognized as the primary resource on matters affecting companies of all

sizes; and it will be the leading advocate for business with government in Delaware.

DELAWARE STATE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

EDITORIAL STAFF

Hinton J. LucasChairman

Joan VerplanckPresident

Matt AmisManaging Editor

CHAIRMANHinton J. LucasDuPont

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN:William R. AllanWilliam Allan & Associates LLC

CHAIRMAN-ELECTMark S. StelliniAssurance Media

TREASURERBarry A. CrozierBelfint, Lyons & Shuman, P.A.

Sylvia BanksDuPont

Thomas J. Cooper Cooper Realty Ernest J. DianastasisCAIDonald T. FultonGeorge J. Weiner AssociatesAlan B. LevinDelaware Economic Development OfficeWilliam E. ManningSaul Ewing LLPSalvatore J. “Chip” Rossi Bank of AmericaDennis M. SalterSummit Realty Advisors, Inc.

Mark A. TurnerWSFS BankRichelle VibleCatholic Charities, Inc.Katie WilkinsonFulton Bank, N.A.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Joan VerplanckPresident Marianne K. AntoniniSenior Vice PresidentA. Richard HeffronSenior Vice President, Government AffairsJanine G. SorbelloSenior Vice President & Executive Director, The Partnership

John H. Taylor, Jr.Senior Vice President & Executive Director, DPPIMatt AmisCommunications ManagerCheryl CornExecutive Assistant to the PresidentSenior Vice President CommunicationsLinda D. EriksenAccounting AssociateGreg GrossDirector of Government Relations

Chuck JamesAccount ExecutiveArlene SimonEvents ManagerBill StephanoDirector of MembershipPatrina WallaceInformation AdministratorKelly WetzelProgram and Communication Specialist

STAFF

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Linda AmmonsWidener University School of LawJulian H. “Pete” BookerDelmarva Broadcasting CompanyKevin C. BroadhurstComcastDavid B. Brown, Esq.Potter Anderson & Corroon LLPTim ConstantineHighmarkCharlie CopelandAssociates International, Inc.Brian DiSabatinoEDiS CompanyDr. Orlando J. George, Jr. DE Tech. & Community CollegeMartha S. GilmanGilman Development CompanyRobert V.A. Harra, Jr.Wilmington Trust Co./M&T BankJohn (Jack) E. Healy, IIIHealy Long & Jevin, Inc.Rita P. HollingsworthBank of AmericaMichael Houghton, Esq.Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell, LLP

Tyrone Jones AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LPChristopher L. KennyShopRites of DelawareBernhard M. KochAAA Mid-Atlantic Richard H. LaPenta Insurance & Financial Services Ltd.Robert J. Laskowski, M.D., MBAChristiana Care Health SystemRenee LewandowskiAgilent TechnologiesAndy LubinUniversity of DelawareMichael S. MacFarlandTD BankScott MalfitanoCSC – Corporation Service CompanyNicholas Marsini PNC Bank, DelawareJohn McCarthyAstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LPPaul McConnellMcConnell Development, Inc.Bonnie MetzVerizon DelawareChad Moore The Bellmoor

Theodore J. PrushinskiCitizens Bank, NAMichael N. RatchfordW.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. Richard D. RowlandRowland, Johnson & Co., PA Fred C. Sears, IIDelaware Community FoundationW. Laird Stabler, III, Esq. Laird Stabler & Associates, LLCGary R. StockbridgeDelmarva PowerMichael S. UffnerAutoTeam DelawareClinton WalkerBarclaycard USWilliam S. WallaceJPMorgan Chase – Card Services Kristine M. WellmanCapital One Financial CorporationRobert W. Whetzel Richards, Layton & FingerHarry L. WilliamsDelaware State UniversityJoan Verplanck DE State Chamber of Commerce

Fred MillerPresident

ADVERTISING SALES / Miller Publishing, Inc.

Message fromthe President

This is my inaugural messagein the award-winning DelawareBusiness magazine, and I amexcited to introduce myself toyou as the new president of theDelaware State Chamber ofCommerce. The DSCC is the fifthchamber in the third state of mycareer, and I’ve been congratulatingmyself regularly on the good sense I

demonstrated in coming here. Delaware is a beautiful statefull of surprises. There seems to be history around everycorner in Wilmington, where my office is located, and Icannot wait to hit the beaches this summer.

Perhaps the First State’s most alluring feature to a“newbie” like me is the culture, and I mean this in thebroadest possible sense. There is a culture of “in the sameboat” that is reflected in the willingness of people to worktogether. Whether we’re talking about the need to produceexceptional workers, quality healthcare or fiscal stability,the conversation is civil. People seem to feel strongly abouttheir politics, but the party labels seem to matter a bit lessin Delaware.

Time will tell whether these, my first impressions,actually play out.

In the meantime, let’s focus on the issue at hand -- thisissue of Delaware Business. We’ll touch on the politics ofour state and the lobbyists who help educate legislatorson all sides of an issue. We’ll learn about the outstandingquality of healthcare delivery through our award-winninghospitals, and we will pay our annual homage to Superstarsin Education. I learn something with every article, andhope that you find the features enlightening as well.

Until next time, I’ll be making the rounds, getting toknow people. The advent of spring releases all of us tothe outdoors, clearing the cobwebs and encouraging freshideas and renewed energy. I look forward to your ideas,suggestions and support.

DELAWAREBUSINESS

Joan Verplanck



MOST ECONOMISTS AND BUSINESS observersagree that the country and our state are experiencing anexceptionally slow economic recovery. Things are certainlybetter than they were five years ago, when the financialsystem stumbled to the point where total collapse seemedpossible. Quick and drastic actions, some which are stillquestioned by doctrinaire economists and politicians onboth sides of the political spectrum, prevented the ultimatedisaster and allowed the local, national and world econo-mies to begin a tortuously sluggish recovery process.

Now we’re at a point where a fragile economic recoverycould be compromised. We are forced to consider any andall policy decisions carefully. Looking back through history,there is one period that can provide a cautionary lesson onthe consequences of recovery decision-making.

From 1937 to 1938 all the signals showed that the United Statesand Europe were coming out of the Great Depression. With thisin mind, policy makers proceeded with changes in budgetary,investment, monetary, regulatory and tax policy, anticipating thatthe pace of the economy would continue to escalate. Instead, theeconomy quickly turned downward and for the next few years theeconomy at home and in Europe suffered a recession whose onlybenefit was that it was not as bad as the depression.

Economists and historians disagree on the culprits. Restrictionson the inflow of gold, tax increases, expanded regulation, reducedgovernment spending, a tight money supply, loose monetary policy,and reduced lending because of business and consumer uncertaintyhave all shared the blame. From this list, all that can be determinedis that Harry Truman was correct when he said, “If you took all theeconomists in the world and laid them down end to end they’d stillpoint in different directions.”

Here’s the lesson for today: Be very careful about decisions thatcould affect how businesspeople, decision-makers, and consumersreact. Today, businesses face a multitude of additional costs andregulations that effect how they operate, and impact future plans.In the next few months, Delaware businesses will face an addi-tional burden of higher Federal Unemployment Tax Act surcharge($21 per employee increased to $42), higher worker’s compensationrates (increases of up to 22%), increases related to the sunset of thefederal tax holiday, and an increase in the minimum wage. All thiswhile the Affordable Care Act repercussions are still undetermined,although everyone agrees the cost of health insurance will rise foremployers and employees.

In addition, the General Assembly passed Governor Jack Markell’s

tax proposal that removes the sunset on the 2009 increase in GrossReceipts, Personal Income, Corporate Franchise and Estate taxes,sunsets that would have returned these taxes to 2008 levels.

This tax package and accompanying spending cuts are designedto help balance the budget, along with 2011 tax reductionsdesigned to lower the tax obligation. But the fact remains that mostbusinesses (and people making more than $60,000 annually) willbe paying more in taxes than they did five years ago. Add to thisincreased regulation, especially at the federal level, and we are in aplace where the lessons of 1937 should be recognized.

This governor and the General Assembly, in an effort to lessenthe current tax burden, cut the budget, found creative means toincrease infrastructure funding, and launched a campaign to elimi-nate or adjust burdensome regulation. They appreciate the chal-lenge of balancing government obligations while avoiding over-burdening businesses and consumers. They attempt this all whilepaying close attention to the decisions made by our nationalleaders that will have an impact on the direction of the economy.It’s a challenge—but one that, if correctly managed, can accelerateeconomic growth. Just like in 1937, we are experiencing a fragileeconomic recovery—what we do next can prevent history fromrepeating itself.P

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Looking back through history, there is

one period that can provide a cautionary

lesson on the consequences of recovery

decision-making.

LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY

History Provides Clues to Economic Recovery

BY RICH HEFFRON





Membernews&Notes

Engaging students and

supporting teachers are key

roles for Sec. of Education

Mark Murphy. PHOTO BY DICK

DUBROFF/FINAL FOCUS PHOTOGRAPHY

The Principal of PrincipalsQ&A WITH DELAWARE’S SECRETARY OF EDUCATION, MARK MURPHY BY NICK LA MASTRA

››Appointed in April 2012,Delaware’s new Secretary of

Education Mark Murphy has seen it all. Whether through teaching, being a school principal, or as executive director of Vision Network, leading the way for school improvement efforts in Delaware, Secretary Murphy is sharp, focused, and determined to have his goals take action in the Delaware public school system. We had a chance to catch up with Secretary Murphy amidst his very busy schedule to

talk about his initiatives, leadership, and traversing the great outdoors.

We’re about midway through your firstfull school year as DOE Secretary. Howdo you think you’ve done so far?

Well, I think the way to answer that isto ask how the kids are doing, how the teachers are doing, and if they’re doing well and being successful, then I know that I’m doing my job, so where I believe we’re at with that is I believe we’re seeing our

students make significant gains. Last year, we ended the year with 10,000 more of our children showing really solid performance than the year before, so that’s a significant additional number of families and students who are doing really well. This year, what we’re hearing from teachers is that they’re continuing that growth with their students and they’re continuing to work together, and so I hope that the way that my perfor-mance is judged is based on how teachers and students are doing.



Membernews&NotesGive us an update on the newly installed state assessment system. There’s been some dramatic improvement from year one to year two. What do you attribute that to?

I think I attribute it to a number of things. So that state assess-ment system, we’ve had for a couple years now, and one of the things that assessment system does is it allows the kids to take the assessment at the beginning of the year and immediately get feedback. So now that student knows how they did – in fact my son came home and he currently has a two on the assessment and he wants to move to a three, and so in the old days, you didn’t get any data back. So one of the things that is driving success is that students and teach-ers and parents are getting immedi-ate feedback on how their kids are doing. Another thing is that it helps to invest the kids in their own growth, so now, my son for example knows that he got a two on this in the middle of the school year, and he comes home and he says “I got to work harder and this is what I’m not doing so well on.” That now engages the student actively instead of the old testing system at the state level where you never knew anything for months and months. The third reason, and I think probably most importantly, especially what I’m hear-ing from teachers and school leaders is that the time teachers have to work together, to plan, to use the data, to understand their next moves—that is the core of it, this PLC time that we have around the state is incredibly important, and it’s what is being stated from our teachers and leaders as one of the most important factors for driv-ing students and kids.

Where do you see opportunities for improvement in Delaware public schools?

I see opportunities everywhere. This is about making sure all our students are leaving our walls ready to be suc-cessful beyond 12th grade, so even if you simplify it to that level, we want our students to graduate and then be able to choose, I can go to college or I can go into a career and I can lead a successful life. That’s a big bar, and we currently do not have all of our children in that situ-ation, and so the improvements have to be everywhere to build a whole system to support our kids. So let me touch on one or two specifics. One is that our students are not developing the college readiness skills that they need, and those are both skills of resilience and grit, those types of soft skills, as well as the hard skills. Can they write? Can they read four or five pieces of text? Can they use that information? Can they write persuasively about it? Can they make an argument through writing? Those are college readi-ness skills that our colleges are looking for, and we have to have more of our stu-dents reaching that sort of benchmark. Currently, less than half of our kids are meeting that sort of benchmark by the time they graduate.

How would you define your leadership style?

I would define it one way, and I hope the people I have the opportunity to interact with would define it similarly. What I would define it as is a leadership style that tries to value the people who are closest to our kids, in all of our deci-sions and all of our thinking, and so that is what I would refer to as a leadership style that aims to empower people, to make decisions, to think, to act in a way that most benefits our kids. If you take

that empowering style and couple it with really clear outcomes and really clear goals, preparing all of our students to be ready with college and careers, then you put those things together and hopefully it creates a synergy where people are working together towards really ambi-tious outcomes.

There’s been a lot of talk about teacher accountability. As secretary, what can you do to make sure they’re being supported and provided with all they need to succeed?

The most important thing that I can do is to understand the needs of our teach-ers and listen to them. So last night I was with about 50 teachers who were all engaged in a little learning experience coupled with the University of Delaware, and they were very clearly saying that what they needed was additional depth and understanding in the content areas that they can then translate into plans and pedagogical with their kids—so teaching strategies and plans. And that’s important for me to hear, so my goal in that is to understand, to listen, to con-stantly hear from them on all the work we’re doing—everything from teacher evaluation to how we’re supporting new teachers, to how we’re preparing our teachers, to how their professional growth in their trajectory in their career—what that looks like, what they need, what motivates them. It’s about listening and hopefully using that listening to turn into policies.

Growing up, were there any teachers in particular that you didn’t like?

There weren’t any teachers that I didn’t like, but there were certainly teachers I felt a lot more warmth from, who I felt pushed me more. There were some at



the time I didn’t like, probably because they were pushing me. But in hindsight, you knew that they were good.

Certainly school safety is huge news these days. What do you tell concerned parents about the safety of Delaware schools?

I tell them that the number one priority of all of our schools needs to be to create a safe environment, and that safe envi-ronment is not just the physical safety of our kids, but it’s also the emotional and mental safety that our kids feel comfort-able coming into class, that they’re smil-ing, that they’re happy and they know that kids aren’t going to tease them and they won’t be bullied. And then on top of that, obviously, that they are physically safe, so first and foremost, let’s name that the priority. Then let’s say that we have a renewed emphasis in the state to ensure that all of our schools have school safety plans, and that’s being led by the Department of Homeland Security and they’re leading that charge. In fact, we’ve had a renewed emphasis on this in the last few months and have increased our robust nature of the plan, which means that we’re going from a five-year timeline of all of our schools having a school safe-ty plan to a two-year timeline, so within two years, all of our schools will have safety plans that they build with experts in the area of school safety.

There seems to be a renewed synergy between the business community and public education. Can you talk a little about that relationship? Do you appreciate the interest that business leaders take? Or can it be like having too many cooks in the kitchen?

I deeply appreciate the interest. Our business leaders, they are the same

people as our parents, they’re our com-munity members, they live next door to you and I, and so what’s important here is that that is a partnership. I think that there has been some national rhetoric in the last four or five years, especially that pits the education community against the business community and I think that could not be farther from the truth here in Delaware. So not only do I welcome it, but actually I am incredibly energized by it and I’ll give you a concrete example. I met with a number of business leaders in the last month and they’re saying, “how do we best support education in this state, what do you need? How can we be helpful?” And this is not a butting heads situation, this is a synergistic situation where we’re able to say, we all want the same goal, we all want our kids to gradu-ate, to be successful. How do you create that environment, how can the business community lend a hand? And we’re all in this together, these are our communities.

What does the Delaware school system have that no other state does?

I haven’t worked in every state. I’ve worked in a lot of states but what I would say is clearly different here from the other states I’ve worked in is that there is an ability here to gather all of the key play-ers together and to move forward as a team. And that comes from an orientation that we’re all in this together to support our communities, to support our kids. So that’s an orientation and a set of actions. The other thing that is important in there is that this does not have to be a battle, this doesn’t have to be an argument, and we can debate and we constantly get better and better, but in other states I’m watching groups of people constantly argue with each other, I’m watching them not make progress because of those

arguments—that’s different here. We get in a room here and we work through our challenges, we solve these problems together. And we’re not always going to agree. But actually, I think you get to better solutions because you don’t totally agree. The other thing that’s a little bit different here is we’re starting to be recognized around the country for doing some really good work. Just last week it was announced that we won an award for state level innovation in education, the Newman Award 2013, and that’s recognizing us as an entire state, not just as a district or a school, but an entire state that is being innovative and moving things forward for kids.

Can you tell me more about Delaware’s Race to the Top Plan, and what it hopes to achieve?

It’s a large body of work, but I think you can sum up that work pretty con-cisely with four areas: One is about improving the quality of our teachers and leaders. Those are the people who mat-ter the most for our kids, let’s do a huge amount of work there. Two, let’s ground that work in really good standards and assessments—high quality standards that will prepare our kids to be success-ful beyond, and assessments that match that. The third area is you have to have a back-end data system to do all this data work to make sure that what you’re learning about kids translates to policies. And so that’s not only about the kid get-ting their score on the DCAS 20 minutes after they took it, it’s also about us hav-ing a back-end infrastructure that allows us to make really good policy decisions. The fourth area is working with our low-est performing schools, making sure that none of our kids are in a school that is deeply struggling, and that is about us



Membernews&Notesputting additional resources in, and an additional emphasis in the schools that struggle the most and to make sure that they are radically improving their trajectory of students and performance.

In recent weeks we saw the revocation of a charter school. What do you think it takes for a charter school to be effective?

It takes incredibly good leadership, it takes really good governance, and it takes strong academic performance. We have just adopted as a state a set of performance frameworks for charter schools. Those performance frame-works outline a whole bunch of areas that we would look at—and they’re not just the academic performance of a school. We need to have a school that is fiscally sound, we need to have a school that has really good governance structures with the board and with the principal. And so we’re right now look-ing at all of those areas and saying that all three of those areas lead to a char-ter school being a great school. And most importantly, let’s make sure that our students have an incredibly positive experience that drives their academic achievement, and you have to have the systems around that educational expe-rience such as the governance, such as the financially sound operations.

What are your favorite hobbies?I’m an outdoors guy, I love mountain

biking, I love hiking. Actually, just last week I took my family on Lake Placid and we went snow-shoeing for the first time.

What was your favorite school lunch?I was a pizza and burger guy, abso-

lutely. And there weren’t choices back then, so you got what you got. So it was pizza and burgers for me.

Legally LargeBOUTIQUE BERGER HARRIS FOCUSES ON GROWTHBY NICK LA MASTRA

›› Berger Harris, a mid-sized boutique law firm in Wilmington

is thriving in a tough economy thanks to its unique business model. Created in October 2009 by partners Benjamin J. “Buddy” Berger and John G. “Jack” Harris, the firm started out with small beginnings, but has recently added its eighth partner to the team.

The firm focuses on busi-ness litigation and commercial and corporate transac-tions—important services in a cor-porate haven like Wilmington. And though its growth rate is impres-sive, Harris readily admits there is no secret to success, besides a deep-seated passion for serving clients.

Berger Harris’ client base contin-ues to grow, as does its staff, with the addition of attorney Michelle Quinn, who joined in December, 2012. “Frankly, the volume of work has grown and I’d like to think that the volume of work has grown because we’re good at what we do,” Harris says.

Several factors make Berger Harris unique. For one, the firm’s partners all come from a big firm background.

“There are clients that wouldn’t ordi-narily be comfortable using a smaller firm, just because they are used to

dealing with large practices,” says partner Brian Gottesman. “A lot of those clients are comfortable using us because they know everyone has that big firm background. They get a small firm level of attention and flexibility in fee arrangements and things like that.”

No matter the success, it always

comes down to work environment. Berger Harris is proud of the fact that not a single person has left the firm in its three and a half year existence, which is rare for a law firm, Harris says. “Everybody in this firm feels that they are a part of something special,” Harris says.

With plans to move to a bigger loca-tion in June—1105 N. Market St., designed by famed architect I.M. Pei—the future looks bright for Berger Harris.

For more info, visit www.bergerharris.com.

Attorney Michelle Quinn joined the growing

roster at Berger Harris.

PHOTO BY KELLY WETZEL





Membernews&Notes

›› In February, Kathryn “Kate” McKenzie stepped into a new

role as president and CEO of the Cancer Support Community of Delaware, a non-profit organization that educates, strengthens, and sustains patients through a sense of community.

“It’s support—it’s patients that are diag-nosed with cancer who go through differ-ent levels of concern and fear and all the crazy things—the many levels until accep-tance of what you’ve got,” McKenzie says. “You are encouraged to go through all the different therapies the best that you can.”

The result of a merger between The Wellness Community Headquarters and Gilda’s Club Worldwide, the CSC is comprised worldwide of nearly 50 local affiliates, 12 affiliates in development, and more than 100 offsite and satellite loca-tions. With locations in Wilmington, Dover, and Rehoboth Beach, the CSC makes sure that residents can be reached.

Spurred on by her mother’s melanoma diagnosis, McKenzie developed an inter-est in oncology that eventually led her to where she is today.

“At that time, I didn’t quite under-stand what was going on. But, it was ‘your mother’s going to die.’ Well, my mother lived to be 95, so I did have an interest when I went to nursing school,” McKenzie says. “I had a keen interest in oncology, but at that date when I went to nursing school, things were not nearly like they are today.”

McKenzie has been Delaware Field Representative for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Philadelphia Affiliate, since 2011. At AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, she was Senior Manager for Corporate Affairs, Alliance Development for Oncology, responsible for national and international oncology programs. This included National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a collaboration of 17 cancer organizations. She managed oncology charitable contributions, in addition to educational and marketing program development. She is past pres-ident of the Komen Board of Directors – Philadelphia Affiliate, and past president of the Westside Family Health Service in Wilmington. She is licensed as a regis-tered nurse in Delaware and New Jersey.

Equipped with nutritionists, psycho-therapists, and programs such as Tai Chi, Yoga, and Art Therapy, the CSC also helps to get one’s life back on track

after treatment. All services are also free of charge, with a large portion of their funds coming from donations, McKenzie says.

As for the results, the Research and Training Institute of the CSC deter-mined in March 2013 that there was a “decrease in emotional distress for people living with cancer and who are screened with CSC’s distress screening program.” Based on the CSC’s results, 88 percent of people felt less alone, 87 percent were happier because they were in the group, and 82 percent felt that they regained a sense of hope.

“If you are diagnosed, don’t think that you are by yourself, don’t think that you have to take it on by yourself, and don’t keep it to yourself. Call one of our facili-ties, talk to somebody,” McKenzie says. “If you do come in, come in and be a part of this and walk through it until you feel comfortable. Because any major life change like cancer – you need some help through it.”

New Leadership at CSCKATE MCKENZIE TO LEAD CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY BY NICK LA MASTRA

“If you are diagnosed,

don’t think that you are by

yourself, don’t think that

you have to take it on by

yourself, and don’t keep it

to yourself. Call one of our

facilities, talk to somebody.”

— Kathryn McKenzie



Driving Growth at Home and Competition AbroadTHE 2013 LEGISLATIVE BRUNCH AND MANUFACTURING CONFERENCE

›› The 2013 Spring Manufacturing Conference was a celebration

of all things Delaware-made. Forty-two tabletop displays lined the walls of Sheraton Dover Hotel on Wednesday, March 20, encompassing industries as far-ranging as banking to realty to pale ale and Jell-O.

AstraZeneca’s Mike Crawford, chair-man of the Delaware Manufacturing Association, greeted morning session attendees with a colorful welcome. The DMA, he said, is all about enhancing the competitiveness of Delaware manufac-turers through government regulation, trade and tax policy.

Crawford then introduced keynote speaker Geoff O’Hara, executive direc-tor of the eastern region of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, who updated the audience on the state of manu-facturing industries on the national

level. O’Hara, along with Secretary of Economic Development Alan Levin, and Dupont Pencader plant manager Allan Best, then took part in a panel discus-sion relating to all things manufacturing. John Taylor, executive director of the Delaware Public Policy Institute, moder-ated the discussion.

After a wonderful meal from the folks at Sheraton Dover Hotel, Gov. Jack Markell took to the podium to once again keynote the Spring Legislative Brunch. “We are still in a challenging economic time,” Markell said, while pointing out bright spots amid the local business landscape.

Thank you to our 2013 Sponsors, which included: Presenting sponsor: Delaware Manufacturing Extension Partnership Gold sponsors: Agilent Technologies, AstraZeneca, Bank of America, and Delmarva Power. Silver sponsors: Delaware City Refinery, Delaware Economic Development Office, EVRAZ Claymont Steel, Inc., Invista, Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust, Norfolk Southern Corporation. Bronze sponsors: BASF Corporation, Blood Bank of Delmarva, Calpine Corporation, Chimes Industries, DuPont, Energizer Personal Care, Environmental Alliance, Inc., Kraft Foods, Payroll Management Assistance, PPG Industries, Progressive Software Computing, Inc., W.L. Gore & Associates, We Work For Health



Membernews&Notes

››Winterthur is full of surprises.Most Delawareans know it on

some level, but the scope of the proper-ty is difficult to process. Even if you have remarkable walking shoes, don’t attempt to explore it all in one day. From the premier collections of American decora-tive arts to an accompanying research library drawing scholars from across the country—from the 1,000 acres of forests, meadows and gardens to a 175-room home—you can’t see all of Winterthur over an extended weekend.

The rolling hills and luxurious man-sions belonged to Henry F. duPont, known as a premier gardener in his time. But duPont wanted more people to experience the wonder of Winterthur, so in 1951, he turned the property into a museum. A quarter of a century later, Greta Brown Layton, a lifelong volunteer

and member of the Winterthur board of trustees, took his appeal to the next level when she organized the property’s first Point-to-Point steeplechase race.

Fast forward to 2013. The race, the tailgates, and, of course, the outfits have become a legendary spring tradi-tion—a rite of spring—a time to emerge from hibernation.

“Point-to-Point signifies the begin-ning of spring in the Brandywine Valley,” says Jill Abbott, race director for the last fifteen years and Point-to-Point tailgate competitor in the years before becom-ing an employee. “Greta was the vision-ary that brought this event to life, so we honor the day’s most winning trainer with the Greta Brown Layton Trophy.”

This year, the 35th annual steeple-chase falls on Cinco de Mayo. If your Point-to-Point tailgating menu needs a

little Mexican kick, master chefs Jennifer Behm and Julio Lazzarini are hosting three tailgate cooking demonstrations leading up to the event. And just so you don’t get too much sun, renowned designer brand Helen Kaminski created a 35th anniversary Vilamoura hat.

Even as significant as the race itself is the annual Parade of Carriages, the largest assem-blage of vintage and antique car-riages in the United States. The spectacle briefly transports you to the late 19th century, but don’t stop there. Move forward through time as you work your way over to the antique automobile dis-play, hosted by the Keystone

Rolls Royce Club. And whether you’ve been eyeballing the clothing and accessories in the marketplace or sad-dled up the family at the pony rides, when the clock strikes 2 p.m., it’s time to race.

But you don’t have to wait quite until Point-to-Point to jump into your time machine. Winterthur indulges your inner traveler with “Common Directions,” which opened April 20. The display transports visitors to the 18th and 19th centuries as they explore the role of maps in the United States.

“Maps became a sort of social glue during our country’s formative years,” says Winterthur spokesperson Liz Farrell. “These pieces are extraordinarily rare; some have never been exhibited to the public.”

Whether you are enticed by the end-less gardens, classic coaches, American arts, or just need an excuse to show off your spring best and fire up the grill, Winterthur has surprises in store.

Th e tailgaters (and

their hats) will return

this month for the 35th

annual Point-to-Point

festivities at Winterthur.

NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT Winterthur Museum,Garden & Library BY DANTE LAPENTA



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Membernews&Notes

››As a court-appointed child advo-cate, Caroline Jones witnessed

scores of children enduring extreme hun-ger, poverty, unsafe living conditions, and, in many cases, abuse. Even after a child is removed from an unsafe home and placed into foster care, a bleak future is, in many cases, imminent. With the deck stacked against them, these children have a nar-row view of what the future will entail.

With these issues weighing on her mind, Caroline and her husband, Mark, took their kids, Chris and Catherine, to a basketball game, a tradition in the Jones household.

“From my line of work, Chris and Catherine understood that these kids didn’t get to come to games,” Caroline Jones says. “They said to us: ‘We should

bring all those kids with us.’ At first, Mark and I said it wasn’t possible, but the more they pressed the issue, we thought, ‘Well, why not?’”

So the Joneses started asking sports teams, theatre companies, and concert venues if they would donate unused seats. For the Delaware’s 750 children in foster care and the 36,000 living in pover-ty, attending events is a distant thought. But the Jones family saw an opportunity to broaden their horizons.

As more and more tickets were donated, the Joneses created a 501c3 charity and Kind to Kids became the state’s only organization focused on sending kids to events. By maximizing the resources in Delaware and the region, the non-profit has sent more than 6,500

Delaware children to plays, concerts and sporting events with total ticket values now exceeding $100,000. Whether it’s the Blue Rocks, Longwood Gardens or the DuPont Theatre, Kind to Kids identi-fies venues with open seats and fills them with wide-eyed kids—and the experi-ences are enriching lives.

Kinds to Kids is also collaborative. With a team of two employees that Caroline describes as “lean and mean,” the non-profit is as adept at partnering with other organizations as it is at working with events venues. To stay accountable to its donors, Kind to Kids only partners with groups that are family-friendly, including state organizations and other non-profits that serve the abused, neglected and impoverished.

NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT Kind to Kids BY DANTE LAPENTA

Kind to Kids has sent more

than 6,500 Delaware children

to sporting events, plays and

concerts. PHOTO BY NICK WALLACE



Senator Tom Carper @SenatorCarperSo glad I made it back from the @NAIASDetroit in time to talk to 900+ @DEStateChamber Annual Dinner attendees!

DE State Chamber @DEStateChamberHumerous Throwback: Check out this BONEified picture of @SenatorCarper!

Belfint Lyons Shuman @BelfintCPAsThanks @DEStateChamber for profiling BLS in the March/April 2013 Delaware Business. We are honored! #NetDE

DE State Chamber @DEStateChamberAnybody who tells you they know how a piece of legislation will fare in either house will be going out on a very flimsy limb - Rich Heffron

DE State Chamber @DEStateChamberDid you know Wilmington is nicknamed The Chemical Capital of the World? Thanks to all the manufacturers in the world that choose #Delaware!

DE State Chamber @DEStateChamberBest practices: Written content paired with a picture goes a long way on social media #sbaworkshop @ABCadvertising

DE State Chamber @DEStateChamberHonored to have you MT @GovernorMarkell: Want to thank mem-bers of @DEStateChamber for the progress we’ve made together to sup-port the economy

Juggling Hoffmans @JugglingHoffman#Thanks to @DEStateChamber for invit-ing us to participate in their LEAD group last week. Lots of great people.#netDE

DE State Chamber @DEStateChamber@GovernorMarkell - “We are in a global war for jobs & talent. And we need to compete for this by investing in education & infrastructure.”

J. Morgner @jmorgnerFire alarm here at @BreakfstMission. Just in time for the @DEStateChamber networking breakfast!

Word on the Tweet THE DSCC’S BEST FROM THE TWITTERVERSE

As the charity receives more funding, Kind to Kids adds targeted programs. Caroline recognized that foster kids, who often moved from home to home, didn’t receive any toys during the holidays. So the organization orga-nized a holiday book and toy drive. When kids are placed in a new home, she saw their belongings placed in trash bags, so Kind to Kids created ‘My Blue Duffel.’

A new program, “LifeSkills” is tackling perhaps the most daunting statis-tics facing Delaware foster children. In the First State, two-thirds of foster teens will not graduate high school. Even more startling, more than half in foster care will become homeless within five years of “aging out” of foster care and 22 percent will become incarcerated. Fostered teens often fail to learn requisite life skills needed to succeed.

“When you grow up in a stable home, you learn to cook, cash a check and pay bills—skills you probably take for granted,” says Caroline. “These teens are capable, but nobody ever taught them these very basic, but imperative skills.”

If attending events opens their minds to new possibilities, LifeSkills prepares teens to become independent adults. The evidence-based program, which com-pleted its pilot run in 2012, teaches job readiness, budgeting and money manage-ment, home care, and drug and alcohol prevention among other sessions. The pilot exceeded expectations. Every single attendee requested advanced sessions. Through more funding, Kind to Kids will extend the program teens from 13 to 17 years old.

Kind to Kids is giving Delaware’s abused, impoverished and neglected youth the pos-sibility of becoming productive, liberated adults. Elevated expectations will replace a formerly narrow and grim outlook.



WELCOMENew MembersAFFINITY RESEARCH CHEMICALS, INC Peter Wei Ph.D.Germay Drive, Suite 300 BWilmington, DE 19804(302) 525-4060Fax: (888) 683-0988www.affinitychem.comAffinity Research Chemicals provides syn-

thetic and analytical service to the pharma-

ceutical and biotech community. It also pro-

vides catalog products of rare intermediates

to the general scientific community.

ALLIED PRECISION, INC. Ms. Sandee Hartzel106 Sleepy Hollow Drive, Suite CMiddletown, DE 19709(302) 376-6844Fax: (302) 376-8203www.alliedprecisionusa.comAllied Precision, Inc. is a machine shop

which includes turning, welding, fabrication,

production runs, and custom one-off jobs.

It also includes a complete, state-of-the-art

CNC facility.

CATHOLIC CHARITIES MARYDALE RETIREMENT VILLAGEMr. Brothe Robert Gilroy135 Jeandell Drive, Newark, DE 19713(302) 368-2784Fax: (302) 731-0584www.cdow.org/charities.htmlCatholic Charities provide a range of social

services such as Certified Alcohol and Drug

Counselor training.

CORNERSTONE RECORDS MANAGEMENT Mr. Matt Service35 Industrial BoulevardNew Castle, DE 19720

(302) 327-6225 Fax: (302) 326-1125www.cornerstone-rm.comCornerstone Records Management, LLC is

a full-solution records and information man-

agement partner, operating in select geog-

raphies, that helps our customers achieve

their operating and compliance objectives in

a flexible and responsive manner.

CRTRAVEL1 Ms. Cecile L. Roth315 Pierce Run, Newark, DE 19702(302) 834-8422CRTravell is a full service travel agency

specializing in travel for small and medium

sized businesses.

DELAWARE CHIROPRACTIC SERVICES NETWORK Dr. Douglas A Fasick1536 Kirkwood HighwayNewark, DE 19711(302) 655-8398Fax: (302) 655-8398DCSN provides cost-effective, quality chi-

ropractic care throughout the first state and

surrounding areas.

FIRST STATE COMMUNITY LOAN FUND Mr. Vandell Hampton, Jr.100 West 10th St., Suite 1005Wilmington, DE 19801(302) 652-6774Fax: (302) 656-1272www.firststateloan.orgFirst State CLF is a non-profit loan fund that

provides loans and technical assistance to

small businesses, community organizations

and developers of affordable housing.

GAUDENZIA FRESH STARTMs. Lynnanne Schaeffer604 W. 10th StreetWilmington, DE 19801(215) 205-1533Fax: (302) 655-5030www.gaudenzia.orgGaudenzia Fresh Start is a non-profit provider

of drug & alcohol treatment services. Fresh

Start of Delaware provides residential treat-

ment for young adults ages 18-25 and stabili-

zation and outpatient services to any age.

HARFORD MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANYMs. Rhonda Payne-Rothe200 N. Main Street, Bel Air, MD 21014(800) 638-3669Fax: (410) 638-8513www.harfordmutual.comHartford Mutual Insurance Company pro-

vides insurance agent brokers and services

commercial property and casualty insurance

HOST MERCHANT SERVICESMs. Christine Holland250 Corporate Boulevard., Suite LNewark, DE 19702(302) 224-9837Fax: (888) 535-7463www.hostmerchantservices.comHost Merchant Services is a registered

Independent Sales Organization (ISO) with

Visa U.S.A. and MasterCard International

with bank sponsorship provided by Wells

Fargo Bank, Walnut Creek, CA that provides

payment processing services.

INCYTE CORPORATIONMs. Pamela M. MurphyRoute 141 & Henry Clay Road - E336

GAUDENZIA FRESH START



Wilmington, DE 19880(302) 498-6797Fax: (302) 425-2707www.incyte.comIncyte Corporation is a Delaware based

biopharmaceutical company focused on the

discovery, development and commercializa-

tion of proprietary small molecule drugs for

oncology and inflammation.

KENCOR Ms. Jean Elliott882 S. Matlack Suite CWest Chester, PA 19382(610) 430-2110Fax: (610) 430-2109www.kencorelevator.comKencor provides installation, repair & service

of elevators, dumbwaiters and handicap

accessibility lifts.

MARSHALL, DENNEHEY, WARNER, COLEMAN & GOGGIN Mr. Richard R. Wier, Jr., Esq1220 N. Market Street, 5th FloorWilmington, DE 19899(302) 552-4300Fax: (302) 651-7905www.marshalldennehey.comMarshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman and

Goggin are exclusively a defense litigation

firm with professional practices encompass-

ing a broad spectrum of litigation matters.

Members of the firm have considerable

experience handling high-profile and com-

plex litigation, including class actions and

mass tort matters.

MIDI LABS, INC.Ms. Jeanette Feery125 Sandy DriveNewark, DE 19713(302) 737-4297Fax: (302) 737-7781www.midilabs.comMIDI Labs, Inc. is an FDA registered, cGMP

compliant service laboratory providing rapid,

accurate, and affordable solutions for your

bacterial, yeast, and fungal identification

needs.

OUT & ABOUT TSN PUBLISHING Mr. Jim H Miller307 A StreetWilmington, DE 19801(302) 655-6483Fax: (302) 654-0569www.outandabout.comTSN Publishing is a Wilmington-based

company that has produced Out And About

Magazine, which celebrates 25 years this

year. In addition, TSN publishes several

other niche magazines and playbills.

PATTERSON WOODS & ASSOCIATESMr. Chris Lee3801 Kennett Pike, D100Wilmington, DE 19807(302) 622-3511Fax: (302) 622-3535www.pattersonwoods.comPatterson Woods and Associates provide

quality services for the sale, lease, exchange

and management of office, retail, industrial,

land, and investment properties.

PGB TRUST & INVESTMENTS OF DELAWARE Ms. Lisa K. Berry20 Montchanin Road, Suite 210Greenville, DE 19807(302) 255-1506www.pgbtrust.comPGB Trust and Investments is a limited

purpose trust and investment company

established to help our clients find the most

efficient way to preserve and protect their

assets and maximize the amount they pass

on to their heirs.

PLAN AHEAD EVENTS OF WILMINGTON Ms. Christy Myers4023 Kennett Pike, Ste 725Wilmington, DE 19807(302) 358-2777Fax: (302) 358-2581www.pae-wilmington.comPlan Ahead Events is a full-service meeting

and event management company, serving

clientele worldwide. We specialize in large

conferences and trade shows to smaller

sales & strategic planning meetings, incen-

tive travel, product releases, customer or

employee appreciation events, life celebra-

tions, and a full line of promotional products

to market and brand any event.

POSHALICIOUS DIAPER CAKES INC Ms. Michelle Schlussel25 Old Stable LaneNewark, DE 19711(302) 598-8255Poshalicious creates decorated diaper

cakes using one to five tiers made out of

diapers and adorned with flowers, ribbon,

glass beads, charms, rhinestones, stuffed

animals, baby products, and more.

S.T. GOOD INSURANCE, INC.Mr. Michael Fallon67 Christiana RoadNew Castle, DE 19720(302) 328-1888Fax: (302) 328-1431www.thegoodagency.comS.T. Good Insurance, Inc. is an insurance

agency that sells commercial, personal,

aviation, and life insurance.

SHIELDS MANAGEMENT, INC. Mr. William Shields2652 Grubb Road.Wilmington, DE 19810(302) 893-1212www.shieldsmanagement.comShields Management, Inc. is a business

management firm for sports celebrities.

SKANSKA USA BUILDING, INC. Mr. Dave Strange518 East Township Line Road, Suite 200Blue Bell, PA 19422(267) 470-1016Fax: (267) 470-1010www.skanskausa.comSkanska is one of the largest, most finan-

cially sound construction and development

companies in the country, serving a broad

range of industries including healthcare,

education, corporate, mission critical,

sports, and aviation.

Wilmington, DE(302) 498-6797Fax: (302) 425-2www.incyte.coIncyte Corporatio

biopharmaceutic

discovery, develo

tion of proprietar

oncology and inf

KENCOR



STEPHEN STARR EVENTS Ms. Janet Binswanger667 N. Broad StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19123(215) 978-8105www.starrevents.comStephen Starr Events provides off-premise,

full-service catering.

THE ARC OF DELAWARE Ms. Trish Kelleher2 S. Augustine Street, Ste. BWilmington, DE 19804(302) 996-9400Fax: (302) 996-0683www.thearcofdelaware.orgThe Arc of Delaware promotes and protects

the rights of people with intellectual and

developmental disabilities and actively sup-

ports their full inclusion and participation in

the community throughout their lifetimes.

THE GOLDFATHERMs. Elissa Stroumbis507 Eastern Boulevard, Essex, MD 21221(443) 821-4520www.goldfather.netThe Goldfather is a precious metal buyer

franchise with 10 locations in Maryland,

Pennsylvania and Florida, specializes in pur-

chasing gold, silver, platinum, diamonds, high

end watches and coins and bullion, with an

emphasis on superior customer service.

THE SIEGFRIED GROUP, LLP Mr. Jeffrey W. Mitchell, Jr.1201 Market Street, Suite 700Wilmington, DE 19801(302) 984-1800Fax: (302) 984-1811www.siegfriedgroup.comThe Siegfried Group provides professional

resource services, accounting, tax compli-

ance, consulting, and advisory services.

TRACKSTEL NIGERIA LIMITED Mr. Dara Uchechukwu1314 Oberlin Road, Wilmington, DE 19810(302) 477-1609Trade Associations

WHOLESALEPERSONALCARE.COM Mr. Vince McIntosh359 Mockingbird Hill RoadHockessin, DE 19707(302) 234-9294Fax: (302) 234-1805www.wholesalepersonalcare.comWholesalePersonalCare.com sells travel size

personal care products used in corporate

wellness programs, fundraising by schools

and teams, e-commerce and holiday gifts

on wholesale basis.

WELCOME New Members





1.

State ChamberSCENE

3.

1. Todd Metzger of Trellist

Marketing & Technology, Inc.,

Chip Rankin of EBC Carpet

Services, and Bill Freeborn of

Trellist take a moment to pose

for the camera before a Chamber

Leadership Breakfast with Dave

Atadan at University & Whist

Club on February 20. Photo by

Brian Mulligan.

2. Dave Atadan, managing

partner of Trellist Marketing

& Technology, Inc. provided

keynote remarks during a

Chamber Leadership Breakfast

at University & Whist Club on

February 20. Photo by Brian

Mulligan.

2.

3. J Morgner leads a tour of the

Sunday Breakfast Mission during

a networking breakfast on March

5. Photo by Brian Mulligan.



4. 4. Rev. Tom Laymon of Sunday

Breakfast Mission, and DSCC

President Joan Verplanck, March

5 at Sunday Breakfast Mission.

Photo by Brian Mulligan.

5. Jon Fletcher of J.R. Fletcher

Consulting and Jack Coleman of

Maintenance Engineering, Ltd.

network at Sunday Breakfast

Mission on March 5. Photo by

Brian Mulligan.

6. Dante LaPenta of ab+c

Creative Intelligence led a work-

shop on social media platforms at

the DSCC boardroom on March

26. Photo by Brian Mulligan.

5. 6.



State Chamber SCENE

8.

7. 7. Attendees traipse down

the bleachers at Frawley

Stadium at an April 4 net-

working breakfast with the

Blue Rocks. Photo by Brian

Mulligan.

8. Snow White, with dwarves

Brainy and Grouch, made

their way from the Delaware

Children’s Theatre to network

with the chamber. Photo by

Brian Mulligan.



9.

10.

9. Lauren Skiver of

Delaware Transit Corp., Amy

Eschenbrenner of Doherty

and Associates, and Sandy

Drzewicki of Jos. A. Bank

pose during a network-

ing breakfast at Frawley

Stadium on April 4. Photo

by Brian Mulligan.

10. Chef Sherm (Michael

Porter) of Sherm’s Catering,

flips omelets during a net-

working breakfast at Frawley

Stadium on April 4. Photo

by Brian Mulligan.





Recognizing Excellence in Education PHOTOS BY TOM NUTTER

School District Category Winner:Red Clay Consolidated School DistrictProgram: Preschool FRIENDS Program

Families Reading to be Invested, Engaged,

Nurturing, Devoted and Supportive

(FRIENDS) focuses on literacy and language

by welcoming and engaging parents and

family members in reading activities.

1502 Spruce Avenue, Wilmington, DE

Contact: Ms. Dawn Alexander, Warner

Elementary School, (302) 651-2740,

[email protected]

High School Category Winners: John Dickinson High School (Red Clay Consolidated School District) Program: Ninth Grade Transition Academy

A school-within-a-school model, Ninth

Grade Transition Academy creates a shel-

tered, nurturing environment that eases the

transition from middle school to high school.

1801 Milltown Road, Wilmington DE

Contact: Mr. Christopher Kohan

(302) 992-5500, [email protected].

de.us

Dover High School (Capital School District) Program: 21st Century Senator Success

After School Program

This after-school program is designed

to increase academic achievement while

increasing school and family connectedness

though a series of academic, social and

wellness activities.

1 Patrick Lynn Drive, Dover DE

Contact: Dr. Evelyn A. Edney,

(302) 672-1525,

[email protected]

Middle School Category Winners: Central Middle School (Capital School District) Program: Mastering the Schedule

for Academic Success

The master schedule at Central Middle

School is designed creatively to allow teach-

ers the time during the school day to meet

in teams to examine students’ needs, meet

with students, or to block time for in-depth

studies.

211 Delaware Avenue, Dover, DE

Contact: Dr. Darren Guido, (302) 672-1772,

[email protected]

W.T. Chipman Middle School (Lake Forest School District)Program: Curriculum Support/

Enrichment Time

This program consists of a 30-minute

intensive instruction period that occurs

during school each day. It allows students

who are having difficulty meeting stan-

dards to receive curriculum support in

reading and math.

101 West Center Street, Harrington, DE

Contact: Ms. Jill Rumley, (302) 398-8197,

[email protected]

Elementary School Category Winners: Star Hill Elementary School (Caesar Rodney School District) Program: Fluency Station

A school-wide initiative aimed at improv-

ing fluency, this program comprises weekly

reading passages based on student need.

Research-based fluency strategies are

implemented by a trained staff.

594 Voshell Mill Road, Dover, DE

Contact: Ms. Barbara Miklus,

(302) 697-6117, [email protected]

Robert S. Gallaher Elementary School (Christina School District)Program: Gallaher Positive Action Program

Instilling a positive, productive lifestyle

is at the core of this program, which

targets behavioral expectations, physical

activity and nutrition as keys to

educational success.

800 North Brownleaf Road, Newark, DE

Contact: Ms. Jacqueline Lee,

(302) 454-2464, [email protected]

Superstars inEducation



2013 Superstars in Education Sponsors

LeadershipDelaware Department of Education Delmarva Power DuPont JPMorgan Chase & Co. The Rodel Charitable Foundation of Delaware

GoldBank of America Capital One 360 Discover Bank PNC Bank Wilmington University WSFS Bank

SilverBarclays Christiana Care Health SystemCitizens Bank Corporation Services Company (CSC) Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware M&T BankThe News Journal Company PSEG Nuclear, LLC TD Bank TELEDUCTION, Inc. University of Delaware Verizon

BronzeAssociates International Blood Bank of Delmarva Delaware Cadillac, Saab & Subaru Delaware Economic Development Office Delaware State Education Association Delmarva Broadcasting Company FastSigns Fulton Bank Kenny Family Foundation/ShopRites Nixon Uniform Service

FriendsBack to Basics Learning Dynamics, Inc. Fraunhofer USA CMB George J. Weiner AssociatesInsurance & Financial Services, Ltd. W.L. Gore & Associates

Inc.



2013 Superstars in Education Selection Committee

MARY LIZ BIDDLEPNC BANK

PHYLLIS S. BUCHANANDUPONT

HON. DORI A. CONNORSTATE SENATOR

ROB EPPESJUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT

PHYLLIS HANDLERDELAWARE TEACHER CENTER

PAUL A. HERDMANTHE RODEL CHARITABLE FOUNDATION OF DSCC

MICHAEL A. MARINELLIARCHMERE ACADEMY

LISA S. OBERDORFDELMARVA POWER

HON. JOSEPH E. MIROSTATE REPRESENTATIVE

LINDA F. POOLEEDUCATIONALLY SPEAKING, LLC

ROBERT W. RESCIGNOWILMINGTON UNIVERSITY

LAVINA J. SMITHCHRISTINA SCHOOL DISTRICT

BEVERLY L. STEWARTBACK TO BASICS LEARNING DYNAMICS, INC.

JOSEPH L. YACYSHYNWILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY

VICTORIA C. YATZUSTHE INDEPENDENCE SCHOOL

PAUL HARRELLDELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

DARYL A. GRAHAMJPMORGAN CHASE

RALPH A. KUEBLERCHAIRMAN

JANIS JULIANWSFS BANK

PEGGY STRINE



WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND?WSFS WANTS TO KNOW.As a small business owner,you’ve got a lot of things to think about.And just asmany decisions tomake. We understand. We’ve beenhelping businesses like yours grow for over 180 years. Today, ourWSFS Small Business Relationship Managers can provide a fullarray of solutions for every aspect of your business. All deliveredwith the caring and personalized service you deserve.

Call us today at 1-877-WSFSBIZ.©2013 Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB | Member FDIC



MOST OF US CAN STILL REMEMBER that unsettling expe-rience during the first few weeks of high school. Bigger schools, unfamiliar faces, intimidating upperclassmen, and increased workloads can be nerve-wracking. Luckily, ninth graders at John Dickinson High School in Pike Creek have little to worry about thanks to the school’s unique Ninth Grade Transition Academy.

“The NGTA is a planned environment of caring adults who meet the needs of our kids, whatever those needs may be,” says Assistant Principal Christopher Kohan.

Kohan helped create the NGTA along with Principal Byron Murphy, and initiated the program during the 2009-2010 school year to combat an unflattering 43 percent retention rate among ninth-grade students. The NGTA also addresses disciplinary issues, which, combined with the high retention rate, created a “culture of failure among students,” Kohan says. The negative impact was felt not only by students and staff, but by the community as a whole.

“The public perception of our school was very negative, and our stu-dents knew that perception,” Kohan says. “When our new ninth graders

got here, because we kept them isolated from the upperclassmen, who had been beaten down with those feelings for two, three, four years, our kids didn’t know that they were supposed to feel [good] that way,” he says.

Ninth graders at Dickinson—part of the Red Clay Consolidated School District—truly have their own space, which can best be defined as a “school-within-a-school.” Double-doors are boldly marked “Ninth Grade Transition Academy,” an area that only ninth graders can access. Complete with its own library, students have everything they need to thrive academi-cally. If any upperclassmen wish to use the library, they must receive a pass that allows them access, Kohan says.

Isolation is part of what makes the NGTA work, though these students are far from being truly isolated. Instead, a sense of community is built that stays with the students until they graduate, as the same teachers remain in the Academy, only teaching ninth graders. Relationships are created, encouraging students to seek out teachers they have connected with, Kohan says. Many students take advantage of this during “fifth block,” an after-school class designed to have teachers readily available to help students.

Smooth TransitionDickinson freshmen build confidence at Ninth Grade Transition Academy BY NICK LA MASTRA



“Our school day is four blocks long, so we added a fifth block after school with transportation provided where we can go to a student and say, ‘you missed these two assignments, your bus has been re-assigned from 2:30 to 4:15, you’re going to stay with the teacher you missed the assign-ments with, and do those assignments before you leave today,’” Kohan says.

On the other hand, optional “fifth block” has proven to be very popu-lar among the student body, with many students using this time to finish homework, ask questions, and get help from their favorite teachers.

“I go through and I count the number of kids who stay and one day we were over 90 kids out of 190 [amount of students in NGTA] because they can sign themselves up or they can choose to stay with a teacher,” Kohan says.

Freshman seminar is also a key component of the program. Beginning every day at the start of their school day, students are taught what it means to be a Dickinson student, with goals and expectations outlined. Important skills for their future outside high school, such as college, are also taught, Kohan says. Checklists and credit sheets are also given at the end of mark-ing periods, which allows them to keep track and take responsibility for what they have accomplished, he says.

Disciplinary action was also targeted by the NGTA. Before the program, a time out room was assigned. But when frequently disruptive students pooled together, kids became encouraged to get kicked out of class and join their friends in time out, Kohan says. The solution? Time out is now in the assistant principal’s office.

“Shenanigans that would happen in an area like that, they don’t happen here. And no kid wants to be in in-school suspension sitting right there in that cubicle next to me all day long. There’s no fun in that,” Kohan says.

The results are staggering for a school that was once placed in state-mandated restructuring, and whose fate was uncertain. Over four years, the proficiency rate in math has increased from 44 percent to 68 percent, 52 percent to 75 percent in English language proficiency, and Dickinson met Adequate Yearly Progress for the first time ever in 2011, and again in 2012. In addition, suspensions have been slashed to less than half of what they were. In 2009, there were 2,050 suspensions, and by 2012, 756. During its first year, the NGTA brought the retention rate down to 14 percent from 43 percent.

“The core teachers who do this are my personal heroes,” Kohan says. “They completely adjusted what they do everyday. They worked as a team to do it.”

Teachers who normally taught different subjects in different grades vol-unteered to join the NGTA because there was such a need for it. In fact, only one teacher has left the NGTA since it first went into effect, Kohan says. Other schools are recognizing what Dickinson has done and they wish to incorporate it in their school as well, he says.

As for future accomplishments with the NGTA, Kohan hopes to take his success even further, with his current goal being set at a retention rate of less than 10 percent. However, Kohan has an even more ambitious goal in mind.

“I’d love to have a retention rate of zero, I would love to have parents who are so connected to our school that they are here all the time, I would love to have all kids who want to be here,” Kohan says. “I don’t know that we’ll ever get that far, but when I talk about what would be ideal for us, that would be the perfect world. So, we’ll keep fighting to get there.” ■

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THE DOVER HIGH SCHOOL 21st Century Senator Success After School Program is a well-rounded program designed to produce well-rounded adults. Its three main components—academic achievement, school and family connectedness, and preparation to become productive adults—provide participating students with a full plate of opportunity.

“We designed this program with the idea to expand student’s horizons,” says Ann Flocco, 21st Century Senator Success site coordinator.

Students who participate in the program attend two days a week—either Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday—between 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., and are provided transportation home. During this time, stu-

dents are exposed to opportunities for academic improvement, enrichment programs, and recreational or arts programs.

The program draws a diverse cross-section of students, according to Evelyn Edney, Dover High School’s principal. The variety of offerings allows students to form friendships that they may not otherwise have formed. Students not only are able to learn from the program, but from each other.

On a 21st Century Program day, students enrolled in the program report to home base at 2:30 p.m. after school is finished. The first 45 minutes of the program focus on academics. Students can use this time to

The Century ClubDover High’s 21st Century Senator Success program gives students an outlet for advancement BY LEAH LAWRENCE



complete homework, catch up on missing assignments, or get extra help from an on-hand support teacher.

Next, students participate in an enrichment program for 45 minutes. Programs vary depending on which days the student is enrolled, and rotate about every seven weeks to keep things fresh and interesting for the students.

Enrichment programs include robotics, Junior Achievement, service learning opportunities or clubs that focus on improving math and reading Delaware Comprehensive Assessment System (DCAS) scores.

“The newest enrichment program is crime scene investigation run by Charles Woodard, or ‘Coach Woody,’ who is a retired police offer,” Flocco says.

Finally, students receive a snack provided by the Delaware Book Bank before participating in 45 minutes of recreation. Recreation activities can include step team, sports, arts and crafts, or even cooking clubs.

The success of the program is obvious: enrollment rates continue to increase and have, at times, become maxed out. The program is open to all Dover High School students who complete the enrollment and application process. The big difference, according to Flocco, is that unlike previous after-school programs where students were forced to come, participation in this program is voluntary, and students are showing up with arms wide open.

Academic improvement is measured by DCAS scores. In the program’s sec-ond year, from 2011-2012, 75 percent of students who participated in the 21st Century Program improved their DCAS math scores, increasing an average of 31 points. Similarly, 71 percent of participating students increased their DCAS reading scores, with an average increase of 17.5 points.

Students and parents also consider the program a success. Ninety-five

percent of participating students rated the 21st Century Program activities as helpful, and 88 percent said that the program helped them feel more connected to Dover High School.

Flocco says that the program has provided students with a place to find new friends, learn new skills and excel, when they otherwise might not have been able to.

“21st Century seems like a catch all for students that want a place to be after school, and want to be part of the community,” she says.

Although improvements in behavior are not tracked through the pro-gram, it is obvious to school administrator Courtney Voshell that many of the students mature greatly through participation.

“Students are learning to advocate for themselves,” Voshell says. “Instead of getting frustrated in class when they don’t understand something, and acting out, they know that they will have the opportunity to ask for help.”

Students in 21st Century are also learning to become leaders. “There are a lot of leadership opportunities that our kids are exposed to

when they would not necessarily be the type of kid to step forward in the past,” Flocco says. “This includes things like being step captain, or being put in charge of the programming on the robotics project.”

Students are excited about their own progress. Flocco shared a story of several students who participate in the program’s math club who came to the program one day excited to share that they have improved their DCAS math score. As a result, these students are now eager to join the English club to see the same improvement in the DCAS read-ing scores. ■




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THE PRESCHOOL FRIENDS PROGRAM at four Red Clay elementary schools is just as focused on teaching students as is it on teaching their families. The first lesson: Parents and families are an essen-tial part of the learning process for their children, and a vital part of the school community.

“For many of our children, this is the first school experience that they have, and the same is true for their parents,” says Dawn Alexander, preschool team leader and teacher at Warner Elementary School in Wilmington. “We wanted to make sure that this is a positive experience for parents, that they feel welcome, and know that they are a vital part of the learning process.”

FRIENDS—which stands for Families Reading to be Invested, Engaged, Nurturing, Devoted and Supportive—is implemented through-out the school year by the Title 1 preschool teachers at Baltz, Mote, Shortlidge and Warner elementary schools. Its focus on literacy and language, both in the classroom and at home, has resulted in tremendous

increases in Test of Preschool Early Literacy (TOPEL) results and has increased the number of children who go into kindergarten at the appro-priate literacy levels.

The first component of the FRIENDS Program is inviting family members to participate in the Mystery Reader program. Parents are invit-ed to surprise their student with a pre-scheduled in-classroom visit to read a story aloud to the class. The child of the Mystery Reader is invited to sit next to the reader at the front of the classroom, and all of the chil-dren are invited to meet the Mystery Reader by shaking his/her hand and introducing themselves.

“The Mystery Reader component provides children with the opportu-nity to see their families at school in the learning environment and helps them to see their parents as one of their teachers,” Alexander says.

The interaction between family members and the classroom is a valu-able one, and one that helps children to learn the importance of reading. It also gets family members excited about the reading experience. This

Friends of the FamilyRed Clay preschoolers get reading help from the fam BY LEAH LAWRENCE



excitement can be carried over from the classroom into the home using the program’s Lending Library.

The Lending Library is made up of books and other literacy materials, such as alphabet games or rhyming games that the children borrow and take home. Several weeks after school begins, the students are taught how to care for books, and the importance of reading at home. The Lending Library only allows a student to have one item out at a time, but the item can be exchanged multiple times within a week.

“I had a little boy last year who said, ‘I love books, but we don’t have any at my house,’” Alexander says. “This program means that children always have a book at home, or they always have access to rhyming puzzles or literacy games.”

Ideally, children take home items from the Lending Library and engage their parents to understand and apply the school’s methods for teaching literacy and phonics.

In the classroom, the students are taught Tucker Signs, a series of hand movements associated with letter sounds and chunks, and Cheer Words, which are cheers that accompany sight words. Each week, as the curricu-lum addresses new letters, teachers provide the students new Tucker Signs and Cheer Words.

Videos and pictures of signing and Cheer Word sessions are accessible online via the school’s website, and families without internet access are

given handouts with pictures and explanations.Now in its third year, the Preschool FRIENDS Program can track

student progress in literacy and language skills. Between 2011 and 2012, when 102 students took part in the program, 91 percent of them demon-strated kindergarten readiness.

TOPEL scores also reflected the improvement. Typically a score of 90 to 110 is considered to be within the average range.

“We gave the test to children who started the school year with us and they averaged 90.4,” Alexander says. “At the end of the school year, the average score was 109.5, which is a little over 19 points in improvement.”

In addition, 71 percent of students from the 2011-2012 Preschool FRIENDS Program were proficient in beginning kindergarten literacy com-pared with 55 percent for all kindergarten students in the district, according to the fall 2012 Dynamic Indictors of Basic Early Literacy Skills.

Alexander also could not say enough about the intangible results of the program, and the impact it has had on her students and their families, and she is just one of five teachers in the program who all have stories of the program’s effect.

“It is very rewarding when I teach something to the children on Monday and Tuesday, and they go home and work with their parents and come back in on Thursday to tell me about their progress,” she says. “It is something that really benefits the whole family.” ■




Together we can help them reach higher.

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THE TEDIUM OF SITTING at a desk for seven straight hours during school is but a distant memory at Gallaher Elementary School in Newark. Gallaher, part of the Christina School District, chose a less tradi-tional route to get students focused, active, healthy, and feeling good about themselves.

“Working together, we believe in educating the whole child. You’ve got the academic, the social, the behavior, and the physical,” says Principal Jacqueline Lee.

Gallaher, which houses grades K-5, focuses on teaching students that a positive and active lifestyle can lead to many educational rewards for the future. These are the tenants of the Gallaher Positive Action program.

The GPA Program is essentially a schedule designed to help encourage

kids make good decisions and healthy choices. Good behavior is reinforced through a rewards system.

First initiated during the 2009-2010 school year to address rising behav-ior referrals that hampered academic progress, the GPA Program branched into four separate and distinct areas: the Positive Behavior Support System, physical activity, Making Healthy Choices, and mental well-being.

In the PBS System, good behavior is rewarded with “panther dollars”—Gallager’s version of Monopoly money. Students can then use “panther dollars” to purchase classroom rewards and other treats. “You can buy lunch with the teacher, lunch with the principal. You can get to sit in the principal’s chair and get your picture taken and take part in the morning announcements,” Lee says.

Breaking the MoldGPA program promotes holistic wellness at Gallaher Elementary BY NICK LA MASTRA



Physical activity also plays a large role through-out the day, and is something Lee believes is essential in helping kids to stay focused dur-ing the long school days—whether it’s running around the track before recess, jumping jacks or knee bends. Throughout the week, students undertake 175 minutes of physical activity via gym class and its in-house rock-climbing wall, recess, Take-10 lessons, the Jammin’ Minute, and other fun activities, Lee says.

Students are also encouraged to eat smart. Fresh fruits and vegetables are always available during lunchtime, Lee says, where teachers model healthy eating choices, too.

The mental well-being of a student has a direct correlation to academic success, physical activity, and healthy eating, Lee says. The combination helps kids to stay positive and focused through-out the day. Along with counseling tailored to individual needs—including small group, individualized, monthly, and even at-home ses-sions—students at Gallaher are getting the care and attention they need.

In addition to counseling services, break passes are also provided to students so that they can come to the office and find someone to talk to and offer support, Lee says.

“Checking in with kids is a lot better than saying, ‘Now your kid is in trouble. He got suspended, he got in a fight.’ Maybe something happened, he comes out, talks to me, finds out that there is someone here that is going to listen,” she says.

The results of the GPA Program are impressive. Before the GPA Program was initiated during the 2008-2009 school year, there were 359 referrals and 181 instructional days lost due to discipline. By the 2011-2012 school year, the numbers dropped to 186 referrals and 170 instruc-tional days lost due to discipline. In addition, during the 2008-2009 school year, 58 percent of students were proficient in reading and 57 percent were proficient in math. By the 2011-2012 school year, 79 percent of students were proficient in reading and 72 percent were proficient in math.

Students are well aware of the success they helped create, as evidenced by increased morale and attendance, Lee says.

As for the future of the program? Lee is still looking for ways to improve.

“It’s not just about coming in and doing the bare minimum, it’s always about how can we enhance, how can we improve, how can we be the best? I’m very competitive, I want the best,” Lee says. “To me, I’m in a race between the Charter schools, I’m in a race between the private and Catholic schools,” she says.

Wellness nights, educational fairs, increasing the 175 minutes of weekly exercise, and involvement with the University of Delaware to lecture third graders on obesity and healthy living are just a few of the ideas Lee has to improve the program.

“I have great people here. It’s not just about what ideas I have, but what ideas do you have,” Lee says. ■




A CLASSROOM FULL OF CHILDREN pretending to be robots and cowboys might seem unusual, but it’s the norm at Star Hill Elementary School in Dover. Reader’s Theatre is just one of the many exer-cises used in the school’s Fluency Station program, where fun goes hand in hand with critical parts of learning.

Part of the Caesar Rodney School District, Star Hill Elementary began implementing the Fluency Station in 2008 as a response to low reading test scores. Barbara Miklus, Achievement Liaison Teacher and founder of the program, quickly identified that the root cause was a lack of oral reading fluency in her students. Reading fluency pertains to a student’s rate of read-ing and the ability to express a passage.

“I decided to base the station on best practices,” Miklus says. Research suggests that repeated readings, such as guided oral reading, peer modeling, choral reading, and echo reading improve fluency. “Research also strongly correlates improved reading fluency and improved comprehension, which is the ultimate goal of reading instruction.”

With this information, Miklus designed the Fluency Station around weekly exercises tied to the curriculum’s assigned, themed monthly read-ings. For grades one through five, the week begins with an introduction to the reading, where a student reads aloud and is timed. The passage is prac-ticed throughout the week using model, partner and choral exercises, and on Friday, the student is timed again.

“It is truly amazing to see the growth in every child,” Miklus says. Students follow their growth as they chart their progress each week and all through the year. Donna Carter, third grade teacher at Star Hill, explains: “It is wonderful to see the students’ excitement from their first read to Friday and their thrill to announce their progress to the class.”

The Fluency Station, a 15-20 minute daily activity, caters to student need. Some students need more help than others, which led Miklus to incorporate parents. Parents volunteer to work with classrooms as model readers and one-on-one helpers to students. “We have both moms and dads that love to participate in the classroom,” says Miklus.

Miklus trains parents during a workshop at the beginning of the school year, providing them with the latest information and practices on effectively teaching fluency. “What is great about including the parents in the lessons is they get a glimpse into their children’s school day,” says Miklus, who also pulls proficient students from fourth and fifth grade to peer tutor lower grades.

Through such methods it is easy to see the students’ growth through dramatic increases in standardized test scores. At the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, 48 percent of students at Star Hill met the stan-dard on the reading portion of the Delaware Comprehensive Assessment System, or DCAS. By the spring reading DCAS assessment, 89 percent of overall students met or exceeded the standard.

But success isn’t limited to test scores.

Next Stop: FluencyReading comprehension improves at Star Hill Elementary BY KELLY WETZELLY WETZEL



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Jonathon* came to Star Hill from Haiti as an English as a Second Language first grade student. His primary language was French Creole, which made reading an instant struggle. He struggled both academically and socially. He enrolled in the Fluency Station as a second grader, where he worked with teachers, parents and other students in his class to better understand what he was reading.

Over the past three years, his scores progressively increased to the point where he is a confident and hard worker in the classroom. “The Fluency Station gave him the success he needed to ultimately have confidence out-side the classroom,” Miklus says.

“I know now what fluency means. If I read at a just right pace for me and I know what I am reading about, I’m fluent. I do really well now—especially on DCAS,” Jonathon says.

Star Hill has experienced such success with the Fluency Station that it became a district-wide professional development initiative in 2012. Students continue to see improvement in their reading comprehension and fluency. “Stronger readers realize faster doesn’t mean better. The way they read is the most important thing,” says Miklus.

More notably, the students of Star Hill look forward to working with the Fluency Station each day. They truly enjoy that time of day when they practice reading with parents and friends. Students want to become a char-acter and read in the voice of a robot. It’s more than learning, more than fluency—it’s fun. ■

*Student name has been changed.




TODAY SCHOOLS ARE MUCH MORE than the standard, 45-minute periods of reading, writing and ‘rithmetic. And at Central Middle School in Dover, staff has taken things a step further.

Rather than following simple curriculum guidelines, they are carving out time to advise students on test-taking skills, strategies for handling relationships in the classroom and using extended class periods to “acceler-ate” learning in a program they call “Mastering the Schedule for Academic Success.”

Central Middle School principal Darren Guido, with input from his staff, set about creating 90-minute block classes, gaining an additional 14 minutes of learning from time lost to shuffling between classes, and the typical “recap” that begins each new class.

The first 20 minutes of the school day now includes student-teacher advisory time, where students and staff members meet one-on-one. Advisory period can address class topics or behavior issues. Advisory is also

when students and their advisor establish what to address during student-led parent conferences.

Acceleration classes target struggling students. Taking place of explor-atory classes, they are generally loaded on to the beginning of the year to get students back up to speed after the summer break in preparation for the Delaware Comprehensive Assessment System, the standardized test stu-dents take during the year.

“If students are struggling, they get a second math or English class,” Guido says. “If the teachers (in the non-acceleration math or English) are always reaching back, they’ll never keep up.”

A block schedule with advisory and acceleration classes are all the cur-rent Central Middle students know, now that the program is in its fourth year. Guido says the challenge was bigger for the staff to acclimate to the timing and to incorporate the Professional Learning Community meetings.

PLC meetings are now a part of every school as indicated by the state’s

Central Middle tackles block scheduling and creative advisory periods to achieve success BY APRIL HALL

Schedule Masters



Race to the Top education reform, but Central Middle was out in front ofthe curve, giving teachers and administrators a chance to talk about best practices and challenges in the classrooms with peers who either teach the same subject or teach the same students. The meetings also give Guido the opportunity to catch up on classroom happenings—a difficult task for any principal.

The Vision Network, a coalition of Delaware businesspeople and educa-tors who support local school reform programs, assisted Central Middle in introducing the PLCs and block scheduling. The school utilizes a “thought partner”—retired school principal Susan Whitaker—who says she consid-ers the school as a “grandchild” of sorts and enjoys seeing principal Guido implementing new ideas.

“We go into the schools and work with the leadership team,” Whitaker says. “Central Middle was one of the first schools in the Vision Network.”

One of the first discussions between Guido and Whitaker concerned Professional Learning Communities and setting up the team and depart-ment meetings. When the topic turned to overhauling the daily schedule, Whitaker had two simple questions for Guido: “What is it that you want and how much time do you have to do it in?”

The master schedule has helped increased student achievement. In the five years leading up to 2010, most student groups meeting or exceeding the reading standard on the state’s standardized test has increased an aver-age of 13 percent. Student groups meeting or exceeding math standards have increased an average of 25 percent.

Thanks to continuing improvements on student scores, Central Middle moved away from the state’s “Under School Improvement” and into “Commendable” status. But the schedule is a work in progress, Guido says. He says he is open to making adjustments when necessary to accommodate new testing, curriculum or staff needs.

“Each year he tweaks it and refines it to what they need for that par-ticular year,” Whitaker says. “I’ve watched Darren and the Central Middle team grow so much. It’s been great to see.” ■


for helping to shape the future.PNC is proud to support Superstars in Education. Because we know that brighter futures begin in the classroom.

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FOR STUDENTS WHO STRUGGLE with academics, hands-on classes like music, computer science and the like can provide a valuable respite. At Chipman Middle School, administrators grappled with balanc-ing the fun, especially with special education students who needed extra attention for English and math lessons.

“We were pulling kids from exploratory classes and they need that time,” says Jill Rumley, special education coordinator. “You have to value that whether it’s band, choir, business or family skills.

“When you take away what they’re really good at, they suffer. We stress kids out with tests—some kids were tested four times with (the Delaware Comprehensive Assessment System) last year. That doesn’t leave a lot of

‘other time.’”The day’s schedule at Chipman was broken into 90-minute blocks. By

shaving 10 minutes off each block, staff found not much lost in the class-room, but a half-hour was still left in the day for enrichment, either in academics or more non-traditional pursuits.

“When you get down to why I felt we won a Superstars in Education award,” Rumley says, “I think it’s because we had time specifically in the day that got to a small group of kids.”

Breaking students into smaller groups was a recipe for success. Before implementing the curriculum support class and adjusting the day’s sched-ule, administrators found the school’s special education subset was keep-

Beating the ClockCreative scheduling allows for curriculum support and enrichment programs at Chipman Middle BY APRIL HALL



ing Chipman from making the Annual Yearly Progress expected by the Delaware Department of Education for math and English test scores. Just three years in, during the 2011-2012 academic year, Chipman moved out of “Under Improvement” status by exceeding Annual Yearly Progress.

Over time, the school also added “Achieve 3000” to English support that introduced concepts by focusing on nonfiction text. This new program has also demonstrated marked results.

Though the needs were brought into focus by the special education pop-ulation at the school, general education students who are lagging behind their classmates also take part in the support classes. While those who need help in math or English get focused time to review, students who don’t need the help can pursue lessons in cooking, science or fitness.

The curriculum support classes shrink through the year, Rumley says, and that has made all the difference in students’ attitude about the support time.

“In the beginning, when we first started the program, students thought they were being punished,” says Denise Timberman, chair of the math department at Chipman. “They didn’t see it was to help them.”

The curriculum support also gives students a leg-up in their math and English classes by previewing upcoming lessons. Timberman says the stu-dents in the support classes are often the last to raise their hands in the traditional classroom, and by having extra time with a concept, they are often the first to participate in class discussions now, building confidence and impressing classmates.

Improved test scores aren’t the only goal. “We want you to get a ‘3,’ but we want to see growth,” Rumley says. “If you made a growth of 100 points and you’re still getting a ‘1,’ that’s still something to talk about.” ■


Th ough the needs were brought into focus by

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general education students who are lagging

behind their classmates also take part in the

support classes. While those who need help in

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IT ISN’T SOMETHING a business owner wants to contemplate.Changing markets, debt burdens and management problems may have led

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the Bankruptcy, Insolvency and Restructuring practice at Cozen O’Connor in Wilmington. “Wait too long and the options are narrowed.”

Neil Glassman, board chairman of Bayard P.A. in Wilmington and chair of its bankruptcy group, says “a frank, open discussion can open the door to other options.”

“Don’t wait to address problems, and be realistic, says Regina Kelbon, chair of the Business Restructuring and Bankruptcy practice at Blank Rome in Wilmington. “The biggest problem is that business owners refuse to recognize the severity of the situation and are unrealistically optimistic about the immediate turnaround prospects.”

According to Kelbon, outside directors should be involved in the restructuring at an early stage. At the same time, attorneys and others involved in the process should be sensitive to the many ties owners have to their business.

When it comes to seeking out a lawyer, business owners should not be afraid to talk to a high-profile member of the bankruptcy bar, who can refer the owner or manager to the right attorney, Glassman says.

The Delaware State Bar Association has a bankruptcy section with its officers listed on the website of the association at www.dsba.org. The Bar Association works to provide an environment that makes the state a good choice when a decision is made to go to Bankruptcy Court. Delaware typically gets high marks for its bankruptcy bench (judges) and overall ability of the legal community to work on such cases, both Glassman and Felger note.

“We have excellent insolvency lawyers throughout the state,” Glassman says. Attorneys can have specialized experience in a variety of business areas.

Businesses that have accumulated real estate and other assets may have options in addition to Chapter 11 protection from creditors or Chapter 7 (the liquidation of the business), Glassman notes. In addition, private investors are looking for restructuring opportunities that lead to a stake in the company. While not ideal, the investment can be preferable to a bank-ruptcy filing.

According to Glassman and Felger, investment money has contributed to a sharp decline in bankruptcies here and elsewhere. While 2012 figures have not yet been compiled, the American Bankruptcy Institute reported the number of business bankruptcies in Delaware peaked at 1,670 in 2009 and dropped to 645 in 2011. Local attorneys expect the 2012 filings to be at or below 2011 figures.The U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington recently listed about two dozen Chapter 11 cases that had been been filed in the past 45 days.


BANKRUPTCYWho to call, what to do when equity is gone BY DOUG RAINEY


52 May/June 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS


Felger says a typical Chapter 11 bankruptcy case in Delaware involves companies with sales of less than $1 billion a year. Larger companies often file in their hometown or New York City.

Glassman also attributes the decline in filings to a lack of economic activity. As conditions strengthen, more bankruptcies are likely, he says.

The Delaware court does see larger filings. Paper companies have been hit with a sharp drop in demand as tablets and computers take the place of newspapers, books, annual reports and other materials.

Sometimes a case in Delaware can mean the end of the line for an industrial employer. RG Steel, formed in 2011 to purchase the troubled Sparrows Point steel mill in Baltimore, ended up in financial trouble and filed for bankruptcy protection in Delaware. Assets were sold in the fast-moving case, with plans now under way to demolish the Baltimore steel complex that once provided employment for thousands.

Media companies have also filed for Chapter 11 in Delaware in efforts to restructure debt as advertising revenues plunged. One case that kept Bankruptcy Court and lawyers busy for years in Delaware was the Tribune Co. The broadcast and newspaper company—whose holdings include the Baltimore Sun, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and Chicago TV sta-tion WGN—saw a lengthy battle that stemmed from real estate investor Samuel Zell’s purchase of the company at a premium price. The Tribune Co. has since emerged from Chapter 11.

More common than the messy proceedings of the Tribune Co. are “pre-packaged bankruptcies” that involve previously negotiated agreements with

major lenders and creditors. With those agreements in place, the company goes into Chapter 11 reorganization while any remaining deals with other are worked out. Such cases can be resolved in a relatively short period of time.

Kelbon says cases become “more litigation-focused as recoveries for unse-cured creditors become more negligible.”

No stranger to bankruptcy courts in the state are restaurant chains. A number of mid-size players have paid a trip to bankruptcy court to ensure an orderly process of restructuring or winding down remaining operations.

More recent examples include the owners of the Hometown Buffet and Bugaboo Creek Steak House. Both have restaurants near Newark.

Looking ahead, a continuing wave of mergers and acquisitions could lead to some failures that end up in Bankruptcy Court here and elsewhere, Kelbon says. And as interest rates rise, companies will feel the impact on liquidity. How long this cycle will take is unclear. However, intervening forces on the economy, including international crises and domestic budget crises, could impact the time frame for bankruptcies,” Kelbon says.

One closely watched area is health care, an area that could see restructur-ing and consolidation. Recently filing for Chapter 11 in Delaware was Liberty Medical, a Florida-based mail-order supplier for those being treated for diabetes.

Anytime there is a disruption in an industry, there are associated failures and we would expect this result as the industry moves to compliance,” Kelbon says.

She sees 2014 (the year when many provisions of the Affordable Care Act go into effect) as a watershed period. “A reduction in reimbursement rates for medical services will take place as the industry scrambles to maxi-mize their future economic picture,” she says.

Two other areas that have seen activity are maritime and energy compa-nies. One such company that filed in Delaware was Solyndra, a solar cell maker from California that filed for Chapter 11 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington. A federal loan to Solyndra ended up being an issue in the 2012 presidential campaign.

Another was A123 Systems, a maker of the batteries used in Fisker plug-in hybrid automobiles. Fisker, which has plans to build a vehicle in Delaware, suspended production of its luxury Karma coupe when A123 ceased operations last year.

In the maritime industry, the largest domestic manufacturer of tankers filed for Chapter 11 in bankruptcy last year. Also being closely watched is retailing as industry analysts speculate on the disruptions caused by online retailers, bad strategic moves and other factors.

Some of the direst predictions of five years ago did not materialize. Glassman of Bayard says the “surprising staying power of the American consumer” kept the doors open for many retailers.

Glassman says companies need “bricks and mortar” as well as an online presence.

One example in Delaware is Tiger Direct, an online retailer that has opened stores near Newark and in Dover. The stores formerly operated under the CompUSA name. Tiger Direct acquired the name of the defunct retailer and others as it moved into retailing.

With a vast knowledge of many industries, the state’s restructuring com-munity stands ready to help.

Just don’t wait too long pick up the phone. ■© 2013 Cozen O’Connor

Deborah Alford HamiltonLegislative [email protected]

Cheryl HeiksLegislative [email protected]



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Lobbyists: YOUR FRIENDS AT LEGISLATIVE HALL BY DOUG RAINEY

The sales staff caught wind of a rumor about possible legislation or an administrative rule that could pose a serious threat to your business.

It may be time to check with your trade association or call a government relations firm, even if the next session of the General Assembly is months away.

“You can avoid a lot of stress by starting early,” says Rhett Ruggerio, of Rhett Ruggerio Government Relations and Public Affairs in Dover.

While Delaware has a reputation for being a business-friendly state, it is still possible for legislation or administrative orders to “literally make or break companies,” Ruggerio says.

Bob Byrd, president of The Byrd Group in Wilmington, says last-minute efforts to deal with legislation can be expensive as well as stressful. Moreover, face-to-face meetings at an earlier stage are more effective.

Byrd does not mind being called a lobbyist, but says the popular image of individuals prowling the halls and catching legislators in between meetings is misleading. “Seventy percent of the time, we are meeting with clients,” he says.

The government relations business in Delaware consists of firms like Byrd’s and Ruggerio’s, among many others, along with law firms and mem-bership groups such as the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce.

Lobbying has been under the microscope in the state, with critics tak-ing note of former legislators becoming lobbyists soon after leaving office. Regulations on disclosure of lobbying efforts were strengthened last year, after

the state received a C-minus grade from the Center for Public Integrity. Issues handled by government relations firms can be relatively simple

and involve conversations with regulators. Others can be complicated. Byrd has told clients on some occasions that a lawyer is needed.

A handful of issues may require a crisis management strategy that includes hiring a firm that deals in that arena and provides media and pub-lic relations services.

Relationships with county government and municipalities often center on zoning, with a lawyer often taking the lead, perhaps with the developer appearing at public hearings.

Government relations firms typically have a list of organizations on retainer, with the practice serving as the “eyes and ears,” for the client, Byrd says. Clients can be heavily regulated, two examples being utilities and alcohol-related busi-nesses. In other situations, firms are hired on a one-time basis.

One of Byrd’s clients is Norfolk Southern. Shipments of crude oil are being transported to the Delaware City Refinery from Canada and North Dakota and once-quiet rail lines are busy, a situation that does not sit well with some residents. First responders are also concerned about crossings being temporarily blocked. The railroad has been a part of public meetings on the issue.

Byrd, whose practice has been in existence for a quarter of a century, says businesses may face less of a direct threat from legislation than in the past.

One exception this year is legislation calling for an increase in the minimum wage. The bill faces opposition from the business community, which fears the change will drive all wages up during a fragile economic recovery. The pro-posed legislation gained more attention when President Barack Obama men-tioned a minimum wage increase in his State of the Union address.

Over the years, the action has shifted from government agencies that draw up regulations and budgets that may affect businesses and other orga-nizations, Byrd says.

Another example comes in health care. As the Affordable Care Act phases in, the effects will be felt by virtually all businesses, Byrd says. The uncertainties are compounded as rules and regulations continue to be for-mulated. While there is widespread belief that the act amounts to a federal takeover of the health care system, many of its rules and regulations will be administered at the state level, according to Byrd and Ruggerio.

Byrd says rules and regulations that impact employers will come out of the Insurance Department and other agencies as many of the provisions of the act go into effect in 2014.

Contractors and the general public will also feel the impact of a decision by the Delaware Department of Transportation to reduce its debt load and putting more money into maintenance by delaying some highway projects aimed at improving safety.

Emerging as an issue with legislative and administrative implications is the soaring cost of worker’s compensation insurance. Rates are recommend-ed by an insurance group, with the Delaware Insurance Commissioner set-ting the final rate. A number of organizations are involved with the issue, including the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce.

The General Assembly is likely to enter the process as recommendations to reform the system for injured workers are made.

Hearn Enterprises, LLC

CLIFFORD B. HEARN, JR.ATTORNEY

REGISTERED LOBBYIST FOR OVER 30 YEARS

LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY PRACTICEALL LEVELS OF STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

326 E. Main Street (302) 378-4827Middletown, DE 19709 (302) 378-4946 (FAX)

Email: [email protected]

RhettRuggerioGovernment Relations & Public Affairs

RhettRuggerio.com

Legislature

Public Strategies

State and Local Lobbying

Rhett [email protected]

(302) 345-8468





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CARDIACRanked In the Top 5% in the Nation for Coronary Interventional Procedures

ORTHOPEDICRanked In the Top 5% in the Nation for Overall Orthopedic Services, Joint Replacement, and Spine Surgery

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WOMEN’S HEALTHRanked In the Top 5% in the Nation for Women’s Health (2012)

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BEEBE MEDICAL CENTERTHE ONLY HOSPITAL ON DELMARVA TO BE A DISTINGUISHED HOSPITAL FOR 4 YEARS IN A ROW (2010–2013)

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Wellness & Health

WHEN HOSPITALS WIN AWARDS, it’s often not because they’re trying to earn the recognition. It’s because they’re doing the right thing all along.

“We don’t sit around and say we have to go after it,” says Jeffrey Fried, president and CEO of Beebe Medical Center in Lewes, after earning the Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence from Healthgrades, a leading provider of comprehensive information about physicians and hos-pitals, for the fourth consecutive year.

“Healthgrades has their proprietary algorithms” for evaluating hospi-tals, Fried says. “We don’t know what they are, so we don’t know what we would have to do” to receive the award.

“The work that we do is about caring for our patients and our families. It’s not about winning awards. But it’s always nice when your work is rec-ognized,” says Dr. Janice Nevin, chief medical officer at Christiana Care Health System, recently named one of the top 100 teaching hospitals in the United States by Truven Health Analysis.

Such recognition programs not only validate hospitals’ work but also shows them how they can do better, says Dr. Stephen T. Lawless, vice presi-dent for quality and safety at Nemours, operator of the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, named one of the nation’s top 12 children’s hospitals for 2012 by the Leapfrog Group, a national organization of large purchas-ers of healthcare services.

“Where the DuPont Co. is known for safety in the industry, for going above and beyond, we want to be known the same way for safety in pediat-ric hospital care,” Loveless says.

Hospitals throughout Delaware have received recognition for numerous accomplishments in the last year or so. Here is a look at some of them.

BEEBE MEDICAL CENTER, in addition to securing rec-ognition from Healthgrades, has earned honors for its orthopedic care as well as its treatment of cancer patients and stroke sufferers. “This really reflects everybody’s commitment here at Beebe. We’re very proud of what our people are doing to provide the best of care for our community,” Fried says.

Above andBEYOND

Saluting Our Award-Winning Local Hospitals

BY LARRY NAGENGAST

Surgery prep plays into Beebe Medical

Center’s award-winning services.



Wellness & Health

In another Healthgrades ranking, Beebe was named one of America’s 100 best hospitals for overall orthopedic, joint replacement and spine survey. It was the only hospital on the Delmarva Peninsula to receive this recognition for both 2012 and 2013.

The hospital’s Tunnell Cancer Center has been recognized by the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) Certification Program, an affiliate of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). This voluntary self-assessment and improvement program certifies oncology practices that meet the highest quality standards for cancer care.

This year Beebe again received certi-fication from The Joint Commission as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center. The recertification means that Beebe provides a nationally recognized standard of care that fosters the best possible out-comes for stroke sufferers. The Joint Commission assesses hospital stroke programs every two years. Beebe Medical Center has offered a certified stroke program since 2010.

Becker’s Hospital Review, a trade publication, named Beebe as one of the nation’s top 100 community hospitals and Home Care Elite, a national rat-ing program, named Beebe Home Health Agency, which provides in-home care to the ill and disabled, one of the nation’s top 500 home health agencies.

Beebe’s marketing and communications team also earned recognition in 2012 in two national competitions. The Beacon, Beebe’s quarterly market-ing publication, earned a gold award in the Aster Awards and the Annual Healthcare Advertising Awards competition, and its cancer survivors calen-dar won a merit award in the latter competition.

CHRISTIANA CARE HEALTH SYSTEM, in addition to securing the top 100 ranking from Truven Health Analytics, was ranked in the top 50 in the nation for gastroenterology by U.S. News & World Report, and, according to the magazine, fourth overall among 93 hospitals in the Philadelphia region.

Two keys to securing such recognition are the dedication of the staff and a commitment to the community, Nevin said.

“We’re ‘all in,’ from the person who helps park your car, to the greet-ers at the front desk, to the physicians, the bedside nurses and the clinical pharmacists,” she says.

And the commitment to the community is evident in the increased involvement of patients and family members in the continuum of care. Two examples: nurses doing their shift change reports at the patient’s bedside, giving the patient the opportunity to ask questions, and “interdis-ciplinary patient-centered rounds,” with a physician, nurse, clinical phar-macist and a social worker meeting together with the patient and family members.

Other recent honors for Christiana Care include: Gold Seal of Approval as a primary stroke center from the Joint Commission, Gold Plus certi-fication for stroke care and heart failure care under the American Heart Association’s Get With the Guidelines program, one of 28 hospitals nation-wide cited for exemplary surgical outcomes by the American College of

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Surgeons, a Grade A for patient safety from the Leapfrog Group, and one of only eight hospitals nationwide to achieve “exemplar” status in care for the elderly under the Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE) program.

NEMOURS/ALFRED I. DU PONT HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN has received several honors that recognize its excellence in pediatric care. The Leapfrog accolade was especially rewarding, Lawless said, because the program’s emphasis on patient safety squares with one of the hospital’s guiding principles, “to treat every child as we would our own.”

The hospital does analyze its scores in the annual Leapfrog analysis to look for areas where improvements are possible. For example, after examin-ing data related to “central line infections,” which can occur when catheters are used to deliver fluids to patients intravenously, the hospital adjusted its procedures and has not had an incident of a central line infection in its intensive care unit for two years, Lawless said.

Other recent quality-control advances, he said, have come in medica-tion reconciliation — literally cross-checking family practices against vials of medications and pharmacy records to make sure patients are taking proper dosages — and in error disclosure, by letting families know when-ever errors are made and advising them later on how procedures are being changed to prevent mistakes in the future.

Other honors the hospital has recently received include: recognition in the 2012-13 edition of Best Children’s Hospitals, published by U.S. News

Wellness & Health

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& World Report; “magnet recognition” for pro-fessionalism and superior patient care from the American Nurses Credentialing Center; a listing among the nation’s “most wired” hospitals by Hospitals and Health Networks magazine, and Human Resources Department of the Year hon-ors from the Delaware Valley HR Awards, Inc.

BAYHEALTH, the operator of Kent General in Dover and Milford Memorial Hospital, has earned recognition for a range of achievements, including the 2012 Best Interior Design Award from the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware Chapter of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA). The award recognizes the “dynamic comfort level for both patient and staff ” pro-vided in the $147 million expansion at Kent General, which includes a new Emergency Department, Cancer Center, Welcome Pavilion, Central Services Building and parking garage.

“When you come into a hospital, you come in under some kind of stress, so we tried to do anything we could, through the architecture, to reduce that stress,” said Jerry Peters, Bayhealth’s facilities director.

Public areas are light and airy, “to make it look less like a hospital and more like a hotel atmosphere,” he said.

In the new Emergency Department, individual bays with sliding glass doors have replaced cubicles separated by curtains, and family and friends may stay in an interior waiting area while their patient is being treated, Peters said. In the Oncology Center, where patients receive chemotherapy treatment, patients are separated by half-walls, giving them a sense of pri-vacy while enabling nurses to monitor several patients simultaneously.

Other recent honors for Bayhealth include: a Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for both Kent General and Milford Memorial for exceeding the American Heart Association’s “Get With the Guidelines — Heart Failure” standards and a Silver Quality Achievement Award for meet-ing the association’s cardiopulmonary resuscitation practices for one year, listing in Becker’s Hospital Review as one of the nation’s top 100 community hospitals, and Home Care Elite status for 2012 for its home care program;

Wellness & Health

Among other recognitions,

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ST. FRANCIS HEALTHCARE, formerly known as St. Francis Hospital, received recognition through the 2012 Davey Awards, a program of the International Academy of the Visual Arts, for a rebranding cam-paign developed by its marketing agency, the Konkordia Group.

Jenifer Harris, marketing director for St. Francis, said the campaign included a change in the organization’s name, logo and tagline (“We specialize in you.”), as well as the newly coined concept of “Care-ology,” which “perfectly describes our blend of technology and best practices with highly indi-vidualized care.”

“Konkordia really came up with the total look and feel of St. Francis, and allowed us to put it out in a bigger way,” with a new website, radio and print advertising and billboards, she said.

The “care-ology” message has resonated well in Wilmington and the surrounding area, where most patients of the 395-bed hospital reside, she

said. “What we’ve found is this is what folks had always thought about care at St. Francis, but didn’t know how to express it.”

ROCKFORD CENTER, a 118-bed mental health facility in Newark that has been serving the state since 1974, provides comforting, skillful interventions in our safe environment, with the goal to return consumers home as soon as possible. In 2010, the Rockford Center was recognized as the Service Excellence Award winner by its parent company, Universal Health Services Inc., operator of about 200 hospitals nationwide.

In 2012, Rockford Center received an Excellence in Construction award from the Delaware Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. for completion of a 24-bed unit that featured consumer friendly bedrooms, high visibility treatment areas with natural light and decorated with bright colors, and spacious therapy rooms. The expansion also included a new creative arts therapy department and an employee learning center.

Also in 2012, the pharmacy staff at Rockford Center was recognized by their parent company, Comprehensive Pharmacy Services, as the “Clinical Site of the Year” based on a number of pharmacy and consumer related measures. ■

Wellness & Health

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NewsbitesNickle Electrical Employees Clock One Million Safe Hours

On March 13, Nickle Electrical reacheda remarkable milestone in company histo-ry. Through continuing education classes and perpetual execution of safety pro-cedures, Nickle employees have worked one million man-hours without a lost-time accident. It is an achievement reached thanks to the company’s dedicated per-sonnel who work hard to keep themselves and others out of danger.

“One million hours proves that we can get the job done safely and on time,” said Nickle Safety Director Mike Anderson, CHST. “At the end of the day it’s about sending our employees home safely while keeping the company profit-able.”

Within the past three years, Nickle’s experience modification rate (EMR) has been cut nearly in half to .693, lower than industry average. A company’s EMR is a comparison between payroll dollars and the value of any workers’ compensation claims—the lower the EMR, the better.

To continue successfully avoiding injuries such as shocks, burns and falls, a Safety Plan for 2013 has been putinto place. Strategies for this year’s plan include distributing a follow-up safety perception survey to all employees for feedback, written safety audits to be conducted by the Safety Department on a weekly basis, and implementing a company-wide “Stretch and Flex” pro-gram to reduce injuries on and off the job, lower medical costs and enhance production.

“I am extremely proud of every employee’s commitment to safety and their devotion to looking out for the well-being of their co-workers,” said CEO/President Steve Dignan. “They should be proud of themselves; after all, they are the individuals that collectively worked the million hours.”

Junior Achievement’s “JA BizTown” Welcomes Corporation Service Company (CSC)

Rod Ward, CEO and President of Corporation Service Company (CSC), along withCSC Chairman Dan Butler, cut the ribbon on the new CSC branded presence in JA BizTown. A cohort of enthusiastic students from McCollough School in New Castle, along with their Superintendent Dorothy Linn, were on hand for the festivities.

Delaware Secretary of State Jeff Bullock and Chief Deputy Secretary of State Rick Geisenberger presided over the ribbon cutting, along with new City of Wilmington Senior Administrative Assistant to the Mayor, Stephen Williams. 20 CSC volunteers stayed on to work with the McCollough students in JA BizTown.

More than 35,000 students have participated in the JA BizTown curriculum since 2004, involving over 840,000 instructional contact hours of Work Readiness, Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy education.



Corexcel Captures Inscape Publishing Diamond Award

Owner Sue Bowlby and the Corexcel team have been honored as an Inscape Publishing Diamond Award winner for the seventh consecutive year.

Diamond Award status is Inscape’s highest award level. In 2012, less than one percent of Inscape Distributors earned the honor of Diamond Award.

“Corexcel brings insight and practical tools to help individuals be more effec-

tive in the workplace. To be success-ful in workplace relationships, people need to have a memorable framework to understand themselves and others,” says Jeffrey Sugerman, president and CEO of Inscape Publishing.

Corexcel has been an Authorized Distributor of Inscape Publishing since 1998. Corexcel offers online courses, behavioral assessments and training resources for development in important areas such as:

• Customer Service & Sales

• Leadership & Management• Time & Stress Management• Job-Related Skills• Professionalism and Interpersonal

Relationships“It’s very fulfilling to know that we

help organizations offer professional development opportunities and training programs to their staff,” says Jonelle Burns, Marketing Coordinator. “One client in particular recently told us that we are their first point of contact for all training solutions. We’re so honored to help individuals and organizations reach their full potential.”

Intellitec Solutions Acquires Pennsylvania Microsoft Dynamics Practice

Intellitec Solutions, LLC announced today they have acquired the Microsoft Dynamics practice of AFS, Inc., a tech-nology and consulting firm located in Valley Forge, PA. This acquisition will add to the team of experienced consul-tants available to Intellitec Solutions cli-ents, and will further enhance Intellitec Solutions presence in the greater Philadelphia region.

Founded in 1995, AFS has had a long-standing presence in the Microsoft Dynamics community and has per-formed services for clients in a wide array of industries, including profes-sional services, wholesale distribution and not-for-profit. As a top reselling partner for Microsoft Dynamics, AFS has provided support for clients using Dynamics GP and Dynamics SL finan-cial management solutions.

“We are proud to have an established Dynamics practice join our team,” said Rick Sommer, president and CEO of Intellitec Solutions, “This is a significant milestone in our continued growth. We are excited to enhance our presence in the greater Philadelphia region, and

Bayard’s GianClaudio Finizio Accepted to Leadership Institute

Bayard, P.A., a Meritas member law firm based in Wilmington, announced today that GianClaudio “JC” Finizio is one of nine attorneys accepted to participate in the Meritas Leadership Institute. The Meritas Leadership Institute is a year-long program that provides a forum to development of leadership skills and future leaders of the Meritas alliance of attorneys.

“We are pleased that JC is a pursuing a leadership role within Meritas, a global organization of attorneys, that expands the boundaries of legal services that Bayard can provide to its clients,” said Neil B. Glassman, Chairman of the firm. “Through Meritas, Bayard’s clients have access to a global network of law firms that have been vetted through rigorous quality assurance standards. Bayard is a founding member of Meritas and it is exciting that one of its newest directors has become an active member of the organization.”

GianClaudio Finizio concentrates his practice in the areas of bankruptcy and insolvency law, insurance law and mergers and acquisitions, including general corporate and business law matters. GianClaudio regularly represents debtors, official committees of unsecured creditors or equity holders, financial institutions, and publicly and privately held businesses in bankruptcy cases. He also focuses on insurance matters including advising insurance companies regarding compli-ance with state regulations and changes in ownership or control. During 2008, GianClaudio performed the duties of Deputy Insurance Commissioner for then Insurance Commissioner of Delaware (now Lieutenant Governor) Matthew Denn. GianClaudio is admitted to practice in the state and federal courts of Delaware.

Founded in 1990, Meritas is a global alliance of business law firms that deliver localized legal service of the highest quality on a fully coordinated basis. An international alliance of over 170 business law firms, located in 70 countries and encompassing 7,000 lawyers, Meritas law firms offer clients an extensive global reach, while maintaining a single point of contact with an uncompromising ser-vice standard. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Meritas membership is extended by invitation only.

GianClaudio

Finizio



Newsbitesare very pleased to be able to provideadditional consulting services & sup-port options to AFS clients.”

Mark Calabria, president of AFS, Inc. adds, “Our decision to partner with Intellitec Solutions was based upon their ability to provide greater resources and support options for our Dynamics customers. This acquisition will allow us to continue to focus on our core technology services, as well as offer the expanded services that Intellitec Solutions is able to provide. We look forward to a successful long term busi-ness relationship.”

In addition to Microsoft Dynamics services, Intellitec Solutions will offer Intacct cloud based ERP Solutions and Microsoft CRM consulting services to AFS clients.

AT&T Invests in Delaware

AT&T Invested Nearly $75 Millionin Delaware From 2010 Through 2012 To Enhance Speeds, Reliability And Performance For Customers

AT&T invested nearly $75 million in itswireless and wireline networks from 2010 through 2012, with a focus on expand-ing 4G LTE mobile Internet coverage and enhancing the overall performance of its networks.

AT&T has made more than 175 wire-less network upgrades in six key catego-ries in Delaware during 2012, including activating new cell sites, adding capac-ity, upgrading cell sites to provide fast 4G LTE mobile Internet speeds, deploy-ing high-capacity Ethernet connections to cell sites, and adding or upgrading Distributed Antenna Systems, which boost wireless coverage and capacity in buildings and at major venues like con-vention halls or sports arenas.

AT&T launched 4G LTE in the Wilmington area in September of 2012.

AT&T 4G LTE is the latest generation of wireless network technology and pro-vides faster mobile Internet speeds and improved performance on a variety of mobile smartphones and tablets.

The AT&T 4G LTE network has been nationally recognized for its speed and coverage. AT&T 4G LTE delivered faster average download speeds than any of the competitors in PCWorld’s most recent 13-market speed tests, and telecommu-nications industry analyst firm Frost and Sullivan awarded AT&T its North American Mobile Network Strategy Award for the second year in a row in 2012.

“We know our customers depend on us for fast, reliable mobile Internet con-nections at home, work and everywhere in between,” said Tiffany Baehman , vice president general manager, AT&T eastern Pennsylvania/Delaware. “Delivering for our Delaware customers is a top prior-ity and our ongoing investment here is designed to deliver a superior mobile Internet experience, encompassing speed, coverage and reliability.”

“Broadband access is a powerful driver of business and economic development in Delaware and around the country,” said Joan Verplanck , president and CEO of the Delaware State Chamber. “We’re

working hard to promote an economic climate that strengthens the competitive-ness of Delaware businesses and benefits citizens of the state. AT&T’s investment will help us meet our goal while helping Delawareans stay connected in today’s fast-moving technological world.”

“Across Delaware this robust invest-ment in the AT&T wireless and wireline networks is important to spurring the economy and creating jobs. In our wireless world, mobile and broadband networks help create economic oppor-tunities for health care, manufacturing, education, transportation and public safety and virtually every other economic sector,” said J. Michael Schweder , pres-ident, AT&T Mid-Atlantic.

Planned Investment to Expand Reach of Wireless and Wired Broadband

AT&T recently launched Project Velocity IP (VIP), a three-year investment initiative to expand and enhance its wire-less and wired IP broadband networks. As part of Project VIP, AT&T plans to increase the density of its wireless net-work by deploying more than 10,000 macro sites, more than 1,000 distributed antenna systems, and more than 40,000 small cells. Through this initiative, we also plan to:

Ann Bailey Joins NAI Emory Hill Lewes Office

NAI Emory Hill is pleased to announce that Ann Baileyhas joined the firm as a commercial real estate broker rep-resenting all property types in Kent and Sussex counties out of Emory Hill’s Lewes office on Coastal Highway near Five Points.

Ann is a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) and commercial real estate broker who was previously with Jackson Cross Partners and employed by the original Jackson Cross Company for 16 years. She specializes in multi-family properties and has more than 27 years of real estate experience in commercial brokerage, holding licenses in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Florida. Ann received her Bachelor of Arts at Temple University where she studied at the Center City Real Estate Institute.

Ann Bailey



• Expand 4G LTE to cover more than 300 million people by year-end 2014

• Expand the AT&T wired IP broad-band network to cover approximately 75 percent of customer locations in our wired service area by year-end 2015

• Expand the AT&T fiber network to reach 1 million additional business loca-tions by year-end 2015

EDiS Company Receives Governor’s Construction Safety Award

On March 8th, EDiS Company was presented with the 2012 Governor’s Construction Safety Award from the Delaware State Department of Labor and the Delaware Contractor’s Association (DCA), award co-sponsors, at the DCA’s 2nd Annual Governor’s Safety Awards Luncheon.

The Governor’s Construction Safety Award, first initiated in 2001, is awarded to companies that display a strong com-mitment to construction safety excellence. The award criteria includes: a review of the contractor’s safety performance; the firm’s safety program and policy; management’s involvement; safety training and orientation; and administrative procedures in place to support the program.

Safety consistently plays a major role in construction for EDiS Company. The firm has received the Governor’s Construction Safety Award eleven times since its start. A team of Field Managers, Project Managers and office staff sup-ported by key management sets EDiS’ safety standards and procedures.

EDiS’ Safety and Health Manager, Jim Ruggiero, CSHS was present to accept the award on behalf of EDiS Company. Picture from left to right, DCA Immediate Past President David McQuigan, EDiS Safety and Health Manager Jim Ruggiero and Delaware Secretary of Labor John J. McMahon, Jr.

MAY 2Networking Breakfast at SSD Technology Partners 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Location: SSD Technology Partners, 1024

Justison Street, Wilmington, DE 19801

For more information, contact Arlene Simon

at (302) 576-6586 or [email protected].

MAY 6Superstars in Education Awards Dinner4:45 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Location: Chase Center on the Riverfront

Cost: $80 per person for corporate indi-

viduals and $50 per person for educators

Tables of 10: $800 for corporations and

$500 for educators

For more information, contact Janine

Sorbello at (302) 576-6575 or jsorbello@

dscc.com.

MAY 14Employer’s Guide: Combating Unlawful Employment8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

Location: DSCC Board Room

For more information, contact Arlene

Simon at (302) 576-6586 or asimon@

dscc.com.

MAY 21Women in Business with the Honorable Nicole Poore9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Location: DSCC Board Room

For more information, contact Kelly Wetzel

at (302) 576- 6564or [email protected]

MAY 23YE Community Outreach Day11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Location: Sunday Breakfast Mission


at (302) 576- 6564or [email protected]

MAY 31Young Executives Golf OutingTBD

Location: Deerfield


at (302) 576- 6564 or [email protected]

JUNE 4Evening Mixer at Dogfish Head Brewery5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Location: 6 Cannery Village Center, Milton,

DE 19968



dscc.com.

JUNE 6Chamber Leadership with Scott Malfitano7:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

Location: University & Whist Club



dscc.com.

JUNE 19Small Business Conference & End-of-Session Legislative Brunch9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Location: Sheraton Dover



dscc.com.

JUNE 20Networking Breakfast at MySherpa7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Location: 2060 Limestone Road, Suite

204, Wilmington



dscc.com.

Calendar of Events



Ambassador Committee: The Ambassador Committee is a specially chosen group of volunteers that assists in increasing membership and retention, and acts as a liaison between the State Chamber staff and the membership at large. Contact: Chuck James at (302) 576-6562 or [email protected].

Benefits & Services Committee: This committee identifies group-oriented benefits, such as health care coverage, den-tal and vision care, discounted office supplies, phone service, direct mail, radio advertising and much more to help Chamber members be healthy and competitive. Contact: Kelly Wetzel at (302) 576-6586 or [email protected].

Education & Development Committee: This committee pro-vides practical, valuable and affordable education and develop-ment programs to help existing members and potential mem-bers be more successful. Contact: Kelly Wetzel at (302) 576-6586 or [email protected].

The Employee Relations Committee: This committee meets each month and brings in knowledgeable experts to discuss ever-changing labor and employment laws and regulations that impact all Delaware businesses. The interaction between speak-ers and committee members provides a cost-effective and effi-cient way to obtain up-to-date information that helps employ-ers create or modify personnel policies and procedures before legal problems arise. Contact: Greg Gross at (302) 576-6568 or [email protected].

Environmental Committee: Working closely with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), members are involved in the review and shaping of environmental legislation and regulation. Contact: Greg Gross at (302) 576-6568 or [email protected].

Health Care Committee: Members discuss key health care issues facing Delaware businesses and provide feedback to the Chamber legislative team to assist in formulating policy. Contact: Matt Amis at (302) 576-6566 or [email protected].

Holding Company Committee: Provides a forum to discuss issues affecting Delaware holding companies on the state and national levels. Contact: Matt Amis at (302) 576-6566 or [email protected].

Legislative Forum: Members, lobbyists and legislative repre-sentatives work together to address legislative issues of inter-est to Chamber members. Monthly lunchtime meetings feature guest speakers who cover current topics of interest to the business community. Contact: Greg Gross at (302) 576-6568 or [email protected].

Tax Committee: This committee reviews tax legislation and lobbies for the reduction of personal and business taxes in Delaware. Contact: Greg Gross at (302) 576-6568 or [email protected].

Transportation Committee: The transportation committee creates a unified voice when making recommendations to the Delaware Department of Transportation. Contact: Greg Gross at (302) 576-6568 or [email protected].

Women in Business Forum: The Women in Business Forum was formed to forge relationships, break boundaries and build a better business environment for women in our community. Former guest speakers include First Lady Carla Markell, Gov. Ruth Ann Minner, Family Court Chief Judge Chandlee Kuhn, State Reps. and Sens., and business leaders. Contact: Kelly Wetzel at (302) 576-6586 or [email protected].

Young Executives Committee: The Delaware State Chamber of Commerce’s newest committee was formed to encourage young executives in Delaware to be involved in the Chamber, network with other young professionals and further their busi-ness growth. The Young Executives Committee, for profession-als between the ages of 21 and 40, aims to develop Delaware’s young workforce through professional business networking and personal growth. Contact: Kelly Wetzel at (302) 576-6586 or [email protected].

State Chamber members play a visible, active role in the business community by serving on committees. If you would like to

get involved, contact the committee’s Chamber representative or register online at www.dscc.com.

Committees & ForumsCHAMBER



Delaware State Chamber of Commerce

The State Chamber Health PlanThe cost of employee health care is a top concern among Delaware business owners. DSCC has devised an affordable, quality health care plan for its members. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware announced new reduced rates and added an addi-tional lower-cost plan choice. Visit www.dscc.com/healthplan.htm today or call (302) 576-6580 for more details.

Prescription Drug Discount CardThe Delaware Drug Card will provide savings of up to 75-per-cent on prescription drugs at more than 50,000 pharmacy locations across the country. The Delaware Drug Card has no restrictions to membership, income or age, and you are not required to fill out an application. This program helps all resi-dents of Delaware afford their prescription medications. For more information, go to www.dscc.com/rxdiscount.htm.

Discounted Cell Phone products and ServiceState Chamber members can get a 10-percent discount from T-Mobile on qualifying monthly recurring charges and other special offers. Email Melissa Williams at [email protected] to learn more about this benefit.

Notary ServiceDid you know that Notary Public services are free for Chamber members? Call (302) 655-7221 to make an appointment to stop in for a notary seal on your documents.

W.B. Mason Office SuppliesW.B. Mason offers Chamber members exclusive deep discounts off their most commonly used items. Discounts are up to 90 percent. Contact Doreen Miller for more information at [email protected] or (888) 926-2766, ext. 8358.

Blood Bank MembershipMember companies with five employees or less are offered unlimited group cover-age in the Blood Bank of Delmarva. Call (302) 655-7221 for more information.

Certificate of Origin DocumentsCertificate of Origin documents are $20 for Chamber members ($100 for non-mem-

bers). Call (302) 655-7221 for more information.

Delmarva Broadcasting CompanyFifteen-percent in bonus airtime on commercial orders placed by new advertisers on any Delmarva Broadcasting radio station. Contact Mike Reath at [email protected] or call (302) 478-2700 for more information.

DSCC Affinity Credit Card with WorldPoints RewardsThe DSCC affinity card by Bank of America is a business credit card offered exclusively to State Chamber members that also offers a rewards program for discounted airline tickets, free hotel nights and car rentals and more. The Chamber affinity card with WorldPoints® lets members combine points from personal and business cards to get rewards even faster. Call (800) 598-8791 to apply, mention priority code FABLHRAQ.

Dental and Vision PlanDominion Dental Services provides dental and vision benefits on a group and individual basis with competitive, member-exclusive rates. Dental care coverage for most diagnostic and preven-tive services is 100 percent with up to 80 percent coverage for restorative care including fillings, root canals, crown and bridge work, periodontal treatment, oral surgery and more. Go to www.dscc.com/chamber/dental_plan.aspx or call (888) 518-5338 for more information. No application fee for DSCC members.

Constant Contact Email Marketing ServiceState Chamber members are eligible to receive discounts on their Constant Contact account subscriptions. Members can save 20-percent if they prepay for 6 months and 25-percent if they prepay for 12 months. That is a 10-percent deeper dis-

count than what is available to other customers. To sign up, visit the Constant Contact link on the State Chamber’s members-only page or call (866) 876-8464 to activate your member discount.

Access full details on these benefits of membership in the members-only section of the DSCC website. For more informa-tion about obtaining your company’s members-only login credentials, please email [email protected].

Member-to-Member Discount DirectoryState Chamber members offersubstantial savings on products and services to fellow members. To see the full list of discounts online, visit www.dscc.com and click on Member2Member Discounts.

SMALL STATE. BIG BENEFITS.



Joan Verplanck 576-6560President and CEO [email protected]

A. Richard Heffron 576-6563Sr. Vice President Government Affairs [email protected]

Marianne K. Antonini 576-6567Sr. Vice President Finance & CFO [email protected]

Janine G. Sorbello 576-6575Sr. Vice President Education & [email protected]. Director, The Partnership Business Mentoring AlliancePrincipal for a DaySuperstars in Education

John H. Taylor, Jr. 576-6590Sr. Vice President & [email protected]. Director, Delaware Public Policy Institute

Matt Amis 576-6566Communications Manager [email protected] Delaware Business ProductionWebsiteHealth Care Committee Holding Company Committee

Cheryl Corn 576-6572Sr. Vice President Communications [email protected] Assistant to the President

Linda D. Eriksen 576-6569Accounting Associate [email protected]

Gregory L. Gross 576-6568Director of Government Affairs [email protected] Relations CommitteeEnvironmental CommitteeLegislative ForumTax Committee Transportation Committee

Chuck James 576-6562Account Executive [email protected] Committee

Arlene M. Simon 576-6586Events Manager [email protected]

Bill Stephano 576-6574Director of Membership [email protected]

Patrina Wallace 655-7221Information Secretary [email protected]

Kelly Wetzel 576-6564Program & Communication Specialist [email protected] in BusinessYoung Executives CommitteeBenefits & Services CommitteeEducation & Development Committee

Miller Publishing, Inc.Fred Miller 576-6579President, Miller Publishing, Inc. [email protected] Sales

For Assistance,

The State Chamber of Commerce staff works for you, serving nearly 2,800 member companies and organizations statewide.

This State Chamber staff directory lists phone numbers and Email addresses, as well as individual areas of responsibility.

If you need business assistance or information, please don’t hesitate to call.

DELAWARE STATE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

1201 N. Orange Street, P.O. Box 671Wilmington, DE 19899-0671(302) 655-7221 / Fax (302) 654-0691(800) 292-9507 Kent & Sussex countieswww.dscc.comBlog: dscc.wordpress.comfacebook.com/delawarestatechamberflickr: flickr.com/dscctwitter: @Destatechamber

CALL THE CHAMBER


Delmarva Power is proud to support Superstars in Education and our shared commitment to the communities we serve.

WE SUPPORT YOUR ENERGY.

delmarva.com


Delaware is the training ground for the future. For over 200 years, DuPont education programs aid preschool to post-doctorate students, strengthening our communities, our academicalliances and our research. DuPont is proud to support professionaldevelopment opportunities for teachers to advance inquiry-based training, strengthen STEM learning, and promote diversity.

DuPont has been bringing world class science and engineering to theglobal marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials, andservices since 1802.

To learn more, visit: dupont.com/collaboratory

©2013. DuPont. All rights reserved. The DuPont Oval Logo and DuPont™ are registered trademarks or trademarks of E.I. duPont deNemours and Company or its affiliates.

Congratulations, Superstars...and Superstars In Training!

In Delaware, we’re working to solve global challenges.
