People on the Move: April 8

People on the Move is a rundown of recent hirings, promotions, appointments and other notable movements by professionals in the state. If you’re interested in submitting an entry, please contact [email protected]. 

Milford Wellness Village, owner and operator Nationwide Healthcare Services announced new leadership for the growing campus in southern Delaware. 

Alonzo Kieffer joined the Nationwide team as the executive director for the Milford Wellness Village. He ensures that all service partners located within the Village work in tandem to enhance the shared mission of delivering exceptional health, education, and wellness services to the community.

Kieffer has over 20 years of experience working in leadership positions within the healthcare industry, including skilled nursing facilities, independent and assisted living facilities, rehab management and family caregiving. He was previously the executive director for a 400-acre continuing care retirement community in Maryland.

Mona Boyer is the new general manager at the Milford Wellness Village. Boyer is responsible for ensuring a safe and comfortable working environment for current tenants, leasing available spaces, and working with contractors as they continue with renovations across the campus.

Prior to joining the Nationwide team, Boyer managed the facilities and operations for a medical provider with three locations serving Kent and Sussex counties. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Wesley College and a Certificate in Human Resources Management from the University of California-Santa Cruz.

Polaris Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center (Polaris), owned and operated by Nationwide, welcomed Karen Hurst as the facility’s administrator. Hurst has made a career in healthcare management with experience across many fields in the industry. She was most recently the administrator for a 130-bed rehabilitation center and has also held leadership positions overseeing admissions, operations, billing and accounting.

Polaris also welcomed Ila Klinger as the facility’s director of nursing. Klinger is a registered nurse with more than two decades of experience in nursing. She previously served as manager of clinical operations and director of nursing at a short- and long-term care services provider, overseeing clinical practice in 13 nursing centers. As part of her overall role to ensure each patient receives the quality care they need, she will oversee the new Ventilator Care Unit, which is scheduled to open soon.

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Dean of the College of Agriculture, Science and Technology and a Professor of Chemistry, Cherese Winstead Casson has been appointed to serve as a member of the President’s Committee on the National Medal of Science.

This Committee evaluates the nominees for the National Medal of Science, a Presidential Award to recognize individuals for their outstanding contributions to knowledge in the physical, biological, mathematical, engineering, as well as social and behavioral sciences. Prior to becoming a College Dean, Dr. Winstead was the Chair of the Department of Chemistry. Under her leadership, the University is currently moving toward the construction of a new building for its Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

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Delaware Nature Society announced Jennifer Adkins will be the organization’s next executive director. A non-profit executive in the environmental field for more than fifteen years, Adkins will bring a commitment to developing and sustaining strong relationships between natural places and the people who love and depend on them. “There is nothing more crucial to the long-term success of our work than people who care about the future of the environment,” Adkins says. “Whether we are cleaning up a river, protecting a forest, or advocating for a policy to reduce pollution, lasting change depends on people. I want us to be imaginative and inclusive in how we reach out ─ to engage and involve them.”

Most recently, Adkins served as director of Clean Water Supply at American Rivers, and previously as executive director of Partnership for the Delaware Estuary. She has worked with DelNature staff on the Clean Water for Delaware campaign and the lower Christina and Brandywine Rivers Remediation, Restoration, and Resilience (CBR4) plan. Adkins has an extensive background in natural resources conservation, including fieldwork, land and water protection, environmental advocacy, land trust administration, and has held several leadership positions in science-based organizations.

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The Board of Directors of the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays announced Chris Bason’s resignation as executive director. Bason joined the Center in 2004 to lead an assessment of the watershed’s wetlands and was quickly promoted to the role of Science Coordinator. In 2011, he assumed the operations of the Center as its third Executive Director.

Bason will be devoting his next few years to raising his two daughters Mira and Freya while his wife Archer focuses on her career in conservation biology.  We can’t thank Chris enough for his eighteen years of dedicated service which involved many significant accomplishments, including the creation of the comprehensive State of the Bays report demonstrating continued water quality improvement; development of legislation allowing shellfish farming; renovation of the James Farm Ecological Preserve; large-scale expansion of citizen-based environmental monitoring; and creation of initiatives for reforestation, oyster restoration, and living shorelines. 

Anna Fagan has been named deputy director and will serve as acting director during this transition. Fagan joined the Center in 2018 as an administrative specialist and was promoted to Development Coordinator that same year. With her passion, sharp organizational skills, and professionalism, Fagan has created a robust and successful development program to support the Center’s mission. She will continue this progress in her new leadership role.

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WSFS Bank, the primary subsidiary of WSFS Financial Corporation, announced Shilpa Kumar as senior vice president, head of Corporate Finance. In her new role, Kumar will lead consolidated business planning and analysis, investor relations, business unit profitability, investment decisioning, and the financial aspects of corporate development.

Kumar has nearly 20 years of experience in the banking and financial services industry, including financial planning and analysis, budgeting, forecasting, corporate finance, strategic planning and investment optimization. Most recently, she served as head of Financial Planning and Analysis at Citadel Credit Union, where she managed a $4 billion asset portfolio, including end-to-end financial activities. 

“I am excited to join the dynamic and collaborative team at WSFS and look forward to contributing to the continued success of the Company and delivering value for all of our stakeholders,” said Kumar.

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Cover & Rossiter, certified public accounting and advisory firms, announced Pete Kennedy has joined the board of the Delaware Community Foundation (DCF). 

Kennedy, a director at the firm, joined Cover & Rossiter in 1999. As head of the Audit practice, he has expertise in nonprofit accounting, auditing, and tax issues, and is privileged to work with many of the region’s leading not-for-profit institutions. 

DCF President and CEO, Stuart Comstock-Gay, said “Pete has been a volunteer and friend to the DCF for years, and we are delighted to welcome him to our board. His incredible expertise in all areas of nonprofit accounting is sure to be tremendously valuable as we continue our mission of growing philanthropy in Delaware.”

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Artis Baker has been a personal care worker with BAYADA Home Health Care for more than 30 years. In that time, she has helped many medically fragile Delaware children, adults, and seniors stay in their homes through the State’s Medicaid Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) home care program. This program allows for thousands of medically complex state residents to stay at home and out of costlier and potentially more dangerous settings like nursing homes and hospitals. But in recent years, Delawareans in need of home care have experienced more difficulty in accessing these services due to the caregiving labor shortage.

Baker once worked in nursing homes and made the switch to home care in the 1980s after seeing how much more one-on-one and personalized home care is for those in need. One of the clients she cares for, Lorvin, has been with Baker since she was a child. Lorvin recently celebrated her 38th birthday, and her family states that if it weren’t for Baker, Lorvin would likely be in a long-term facility–something that is more costly for the State and is not ideal for someone so young. Baker has acquired sign language skills and, because of the longevity of their relationship, can read Lorvin’s signs and symptoms better than most. She even took Lorvin to the doctor when she felt that Lorvin was telling her she was in pain, and the doctor found arthritis in her legs and has since been able to treat her properly.

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OMG Hospitality, owner and operator of Grain Craft Bar + Kitchen, Lewes Coffee Company and Grain Exchange announced the promotion of Christine Wesley to oversee restaurant operations: focusing on brand operations, accountability, ownership and execution across the organization.

“Christine is an excellent leader with a penchant for team building and knack for driving successful business outcomes,” said OMG co-owner, Jim O’Donoghue. “Christine knows our business inside and out, has created a model for success at H2O and will continue to elevate operational excellence throughout the company.”

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Jefferson Street Center (JSC) has hired Amanda August as exclusive director. August will be initially focused on the expansion of current operations and community engagement efforts as JSC’s community impact continues to grow. August will oversee the growth of JSC and its transition from an all-volunteer 501(c)3 to a staffed organization. She is also working to create an accessible community hub, in partnership with Hanover Presbyterian Church, as well as support the implementation of Blueprint Community community-driven revitalization efforts. 

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Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP announced Connor Q. Lynch to its Delaware office as an associate in the firm’s Corporate Practice.

Lynch focuses his practice on matters involving Delaware limited liability companies, limited partnerships, and general partnerships. He advises on transactional matters and renders legal opinions in connection with investment funds, structured finance transactions, mergers, and other transactions. Lynch handles matters involving Delaware alternative entities with respect to formation, operation, governance, dissolution, and enforceability matters.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]