Passing the Baton: Veda Davida Wooley, Esq., and her father Dave Wooley

Five years — that’s how long Veda Davida Wooley, Esq., has practiced law, and she’s only 28. A deputy attorney general at the Delaware Department of Justice, this Wilmington University alum has passed two state bar exams on her first attempt: Delaware and Nevada.   

“Proud is probably an understatement. It’s a manifestation of a lot of hard work, determination and prayers,” says her father, Dave Wooley, a veteran entrepreneur in the sports and entertainment industry and fellow WilmU graduate and adjunct professor who’s taught at the University for almost 30 years. “You have to believe in yourself, and sometimes you have to believe in things you can’t see.”  

CBS News Philadelphia recently profiled the highly accomplished daughter-father duo, introducing viewers to their “remarkable story of generational strength, sacrifice and service” — “one that proves the power of love, vision and perseverance.”   

Dave Wooley, who earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and MBA from Wilmington University, founded a production company and built a very successful career working with top recording artists and athletes, including Dionne Warwick and Julius “Dr. J” Erving. As a single custodial father, he shifted from entertainment to education, prioritizing his daughters, Davina and Veda. Davina, a computer engineer, earned her bachelor’s degree and MBA from Wilmington University, as well as a master’s degree in Computer Science from Georgia Institute of Technology.   

“Children are the destiny of our legacy,” Dave Wooley told CBS.  

From an early age, his daughters sat in the back of the classroom while he taught business courses.  

WilmU Business Degrees  

“I grew up in higher education,” says Veda Wooley, who earned a B.S. in Finance with honors and an MBA with Finance concentration from WilmU. She qualified for the accelerated J.D. program at Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, graduating in just two years. “The reason I got into that program was because of my proven performance at WilmU.”  

She’s also a proven teacher, following in her father’s footsteps as an adjunct instructor at Wilmington University.   

“WilmU has been huge,” Veda Wooley says. “It instilled my confidence. It’s always been a family there.”  

That family is growing. Her son, King, is 3 years old.  

“He’s the hardest endeavor, project, I’ve ever done and most rewarding,” Veda Wooley says. “My dad’s been an amazing grandfather.”  

Dave Wooley produced and his daughters served as associate producers on the 2023 award-winning documentary “Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over,” which can be seen on HBO-MAX. Veda Wooley is Warwick’s goddaughter and is also the president of Wooley Entertainment.   

Beyond her many professional accomplishments, “she’s a giver” who’s “very loving and nurturing,” Dave Wooley says. “I think she’s been put here, as I’ve taught her, to be of service to others.”  

As Veda Wooley told CBS, “I don’t want people standing behind me. I want everybody standing next to me or in front of me. You know, I’m going to start pushing people forward.”   

She also wants to be a relatable example for students, showing them what a WilmU education can make possible.