Distinguished Alumni List | 2018
The Nominations Are In!
In honor of Wilmington University’s 50th anniversary, the Alumni Association is excited to announce the names of those alumni nominated for its Distinguished Alumni Award.
Congratulations to the following alums, and thanks to family members, friends and colleagues who nominated them.
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Victoria ArnoldNurse and officer of the Delaware Air National Guard. Served the children of Saudi Arabia in the fall of 2016 as a nurse in a pediatric hospital.
Class of Spring 2015
Luddie AustinRetired Trenton Police Detective Sergeant and mentor for at-risk male youth in his community.
Class of Spring 2013
Paul BechlyFirst Vice President at Morgan Stanley.
Class of Spring 2018Business Administration, Doctor of Business Administration
Jeffrey BensonCEO, Benson Development Group, LLC. Honored with a Delaware House of Representatives tribute.
Class of Spring 2015
Skye BorisPara-educator, John S. Charlton Program. Head varsity softball coach for Caesar Rodney High School.
Class of Spring 2016
Tiffani BrookeFamily support worker at Children and Families First. Her goal is to partner with parents to create a healthy and safe environment to prepare young children for school.
Class of Spring 2017
LeFeisha CannonAssistant Vice President, Delaware State University. Member of the Delaware ACE Women’s Network.
Class of Fall 2009
Dr. Mary ChenAssistant Director of Business Services, Delaware Technical and Community College. Vice President of the WilmU Alumni Association.
Class of Spring 2003, Spring 2006, Fall 2009
Jeffrey ChinStaff Sergeant, United States Air Force. Awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service.
Class of Spring 2013
April ClarkProgram Director of Allied Health, Miller Motte College. Shows dedication to her students while encouraging them to follow their dreams.
Class of Summer 2016, Fall 2017
Dr. Heather CollinsSenior Director of Pupil Personnel Services, Christina School District. Continues to strive for school improvement and community involvement.
Class of Spring 2005, Summer 2007
Margarita DavidClinical professor. Created a pharmacology bootcamp for graduating nursing students.
Class of Spring 2016
Nic DeCairePresident, Fusion Racing. Founder, Friend of Fusion Foundation. Co-founder of Preston’s Playground.
Class of Spring 2005
Robert DeMasi, Jr.President at Muscle Movement Foundation, Director of Admissions at Saint Mark’s High School
Class of 2017Bachelor of Science in Behavioral ScienceClass of 2019Master of Science in Management, Nonprofit Management
Felicia DormanOwner, Dayspring Consulting Group. Started the Aspiring Professionals College and Career Exploration Program, Inc.
Class of Summer 2009, Spring 2012
John ElasicVice chairman, Stepping Stones Federal Credit Union. Awarded the 2017 Barclays Citizenship Award and Delaware Community Reinvestment Action Council 2017 Award for his contributions.
Class of Fall 2013
Geneva Fonda EspinosaCEO, Geneva Fonda Global. Contributing writer to Huffington Post, Thrive Global, Today Media, Inc.. Reading and Financial Literacy Advocate for and Educator of children and adults; and Business Coach. Received the “Women in Business” Award from Delaware Today and the “Her Story, Our History” Award from the Women’s Business Center with special recognition from U.S. Senator Tom Carper.
Class of Spring 2004, Fall 2005, Summer 2017
Aaron GravattYeoman Second Class Petty Officer, US Coast Guard
Class of Fall 2014Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Science
Kim HabbertFounder, First State Volleyball Club. Technical Advisor, Premier Volleyball club of Delaware. Department Chair of Student service and School Counselor, Christiana High school. Head Volleyball Coach, Wilmington University. Serves on the Head Coaches Committee for the CACC.
Class of Spring 2000
Sherri HagemanGuardianship Advocacy Director, Office of the Public Guardian
Class of Spring 2005, Fall 2007
Debbie HarringtonBoard of Trustees and chair of the Student Success Committee, Delaware State University. Chairs Delaware State Council and State Use Law Commission and the Vocational Rehabilitation Advisory Council for persons with visual impairments.
Class of Fall 2015
Andre HenryProject Controls Analyst, Exelon. Founder of Dream Again.
Class of Spring 2016
Kaitlin HearnIntelligence analyst with the Delaware Information and Analysis Center. Volunteer volleyball coach.
Class of Spring 2012, Spring 2015
Dr. Steven HicksProgram Manager at Eastern Florida State College
Class of 2003Master of Education in Applied Technology in Education
Class of 2007Doctor of Education in Education Leadership and Innovation
Dr. Adriene HobdyDirector of Leadership Development and Talent Management, Montgomery County Community College. Member of Next Generation Leadership Academy.
Class of Summer 2014
Andrew HullParalegal.
Class of Fall 2013
Dr. Frank IngrahamPublished author, volunteer mediator for the Delaware Center for Justice, and President of the WilmU Alumni Association.
Class of Spring 1994, Spring 1996, Spring 2017
David IrizarryDeputy Director of Philadelphia’s Office of Violence Prevention. Board member to Aldersgate Youth Services Bureau.
Class of Fall 2014
Samuel KilleenPresident and owner, H and H Disposal Services. Helped pilot & institute single stream recycling programs within several municipalities in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
Class of Fall 2013
Justin KingSenior probation officer, Delaware Probation and Parole. Honored through the Governor’s Task Force.
Class of Fall 2007
Robert LingenfelterDriver education teacher, safety specialist at Delaware Military Academy, and staff photographer for U.S. Senator Tom Carper in Delaware for 27 years.
Class of Spring 1995, Fall 2000
Givvel MarreroCEO, Promotion Zone. Appointed to the Delaware Hispanic Commission by Governor Jack Markell.
Class of Spring 2003
Gregory McCallumDepartment chair and special education teacher, William Penn High School.
Class of Fall 2008
Nathaniel McQueenSuperintendent, Delaware State Police. Graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy.
Class of Spring 1996
LeAnn MyersDirector of Quality Improvement at Westside Family Healthcare
Class of Spring 2017Leadership, Master of Science in Nursing
Dr. Gwyn Parris-AtwellJefferson Health Nurse Practitioner. Medical Group Commander, Delaware Air National Guard. Served in Iraq and Afghanistan as an Air Force Nurse. Fellow in the Academy of Emergency Nursing.
Class of Spring 1994, Spring 1998
Dr. Keith PettifordExecutive Director, JP Morgan Chase. Honored with the Community Service Award from Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Class of Fall 2004, Fall 2011
Louisa PhillipsRetired as senior director of operations for the cardiovascular service line at Bayhealth Medical Center
Class of Spring 1988Business, Master of Science
Class of Summer 2001Business Administration, MBA
Class of Fall 2013Leadership, Master of Science in Nursing
Joseph ProPresident Pennsylvania Machine Works, Former WilmU Alumni President and Past President of the PVF Roundtable Houston, TX.
Class of Spring 1998
Charmaine QuarlesHousing program supervisor, Delaware HIV Consortium. Children’s author of Kayden the Dog.
Class of Summer 2010, Fall 2013
Sara RissoloFounder and president of the board, Realslow Recovery, LLC. Adjunct clinical faculty at Chesapeake College.
Class of Spring 2015, Fall 2016
Larider RuffinChairman & Founder at Ruffin Associates Healthy Housecalls
Class of Spring 2016Nursing Practice, Doctor of Nursing Practice
Daniel SalfasSergeant, Delaware State Police. Retired military veteran, holds numerous military awards.
Class of Spring 2014
Hollie SeatonSenior Manager of Engagement and Inclusion, Perdue Farms, Inc., Vice Chair of the Board and Community Service Community Chair” of the Recovery Resource Center in Salisbury, Maryland.
Class of Summer 2009, Spring 2014, Spring 2016
Avshalom ShongweChief Executive Officer at ProIt Up (Pty) Ltd.
Class of 2020Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Administration
Andrea SingletonFounder/board treasurer, Proud Professionals Network. Biochemist at Siemens Healthineers.
Class of Spring 2017
Kymmberli StoweClass of 2010Master of Business Administration, Business Administration and Management
Andrea SweenyNurse manager, Christiana Care. National conference presenter on “New Nurse Support Group.”
Class of Spring 2016
Courtney StewartDeputy Secretary of the Delaware Department of State. Her dedication to the state of Delaware and the betterment of its citizens can most recently be seen in her spearheading an initiative to include social workers in Delaware libraries throughout the state.
Class of Fall 2012
Felicia TaiwoResidential program specialist, Elwyn. Results Delaware advocate.
Class of Spring 2014
Rebecca Tankersley (Harnois)Program director of Lion’s Heart in Irvine, California. Founder and chair of Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Orange County.
Class of Fall 2009
Lindsey ValachovicProbation officer, State of New Jersey. Supervising high-risk clients, ensuring compliance with their treatment and drug abstinence, as well as helping them gain employment or schooling.
Class of Spring 2013
Carriann VanDzuraAdjunct, Wilmington University. Spent 12 years as head teacher and IEP coordinator at an alternative school.
Class of Fall 2006, Fall 2009
Henry WagnerEducational leadership consultant to Wicomico County Public Schools. Served as superintendent of Dorchester County Public Schools.
Class of Fall 2011
Adrienne WalstrumAssociate Director, Global Trial Optimization at Merck Research Laboratories.
Class of Summer 2014, Fall 2016
Jeanetta WarrenDirector of Community Stabilization Programs, Catholic Charities. Received the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People President’s Service Award.
Class of Spring 2011
Rosemary WatrasAcademic advisor, Wilmington University. Dedicated to inspiring students in pursuing their dream of higher education for over 25 years.
Class of Spring 1995, Spring 1998
Dr. Debra WebsterDirector and Professor, School of Nursing at Salisbury University
Class of 2008Doctor of Education, Organizational Leadership & Innovation
Dr. Lemar WhiteProgram Manager, Google LLC. President of DC Black MBA Association. 2019 Recipient, Leader of Tomorrow Torch Award from UNCF. Adjunct Instructor, Wilmington University.
Class of Fall 2015, Spring 2018
Kathleen WilliamsonChair of the Wilson School of Nursing, and the John and Nevils Wilson Distinguished Professor of Nursing at Midwestern State University. Continuously attempts to secure grant funding for her research interests.
Class of Spring 1992, Spring 2000
Jeffrey WinslowMarketing and communications manager, Mohawk Electrical Systems. Developed a partnership between Delaware Technical and Community College and Mohawk Electrical Systems to create an internship program.
Class of Spring 2016
Paul WoodlandDeputy Chief of Police, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Helped New Castle County Police set up a Delaware Veterans Response Team for veterans in crisis.
Class of Fall 2013, Fall 2014
Rachel WoodleeRegistered Nurse in US Air Force
Class of Summer 2018Leadership, Master of Science in Nursing
Ronald WuestOwner and head instructor at Delaware Self-Defense Academy. Ron strives to support the communities where his schools are and promotes self-defense for all throughout the state of Delaware.
Class of Summer 2002, Spring 2003
LeAndre A. YarrellSenior Cybersecurity Engineer, Collins AerospaceRet. Army Sergeant, Serves as Mentor in Rising Leader Program, Sits on Disability & Inclusion Council for Mission Systems Business Unit within Collins Aerospace, Serial Volunteer (Travis May Foundation, NSBE, Operation Homefront, Light the Night), Fostered relationship between Collins Aerospace & Loudoun County School for the Gifted to provide Cybersecurity mentorship to Middle and High School Students.
Class of Fall 2015
Melissa ZebleySuperintendent of Delaware State Police
Class of Fall 2002Administration of Justice, Master of Science
