Board of Directors
Board of Directors 2011-2012
Anne J. Wright (President)
Senior Director Business Development, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children
Anne Jeffrey Wright serves as President of the Board of Directors of the House following her eight years of involvement as a Board and Advisory Council member, chair of the Public Relations/Marketing Committee and vice-chair of the Capital Campaign that allowed the House to expand to 50 rooms. Through her "day job" at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Anne sees examples of the critical importance of our Ronald McDonald House in providing family-centered care - on both sides of Rockland Road! Anne uses all of these experiences to help advance the mission of the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware.
A native of Columbus Ohio, Anne has lived in the Philadelphia/Wilmington area since the early 1980’s. A resident of Ardmore, Pennsylvania, she and her husband, Rick, have two adult children, a daughter and a son. They enjoy sailing and travel when not involved with the Ronald McDonald House, church or work.
Anne has served as Senior Director of Strategy & Business Development of Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children since 1994. In this post, she oversees the strategic planning, strategy management, sales and marketing, network development, and partner/provider relations functions for the hospital and its 18 locations throughout the Delaware Valley. She is responsible for identifying and developing new business opportunities, working closely with hospital and community-based physicians and partners, insurers, community organizations and other health professionals.
Wright has been involved in children’s healthcare for the past 35 years, initially as a clinician and subsequently as a management consultant, entrepreneur, and health care strategist and marketer. A pediatric nurse and health care administrator by training, Wright spent nearly a decade in health care marketing and strategy consulting prior to joining Nemours. Wright holds a B.S. in Nursing from Vanderbilt University and a Master's in Health Administration from the University of Washington.
Richard D. Rowland (President-Elect)
President, Rowland Johnson & Co., P.A.
Rick Rowland is President-Elect of the Board of Directors. He is a lifelong Wilmington resident. He and his wife, Cindy, have a daughter, Christine. Rick’s hobbies include playing bridge. Recently he won a North American championship in New Orleans.
Rick is a 1975 graduate of Bucknell University. He became a CPA in 1977. He has been the managing director of Rowland, Johnson & Company, P.A., an accounting and consulting firm located in New Castle since 1988.
Rick states, "Until becoming involved with Ronald McDonald House of Delaware, volunteering was motivated by the marketing impact on my firm, primarily through involvement with the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce. In looking for an opportunity to volunteer just to give something back to the community, I drew on my personal experience. Having lost a child in 1986, I know the anguish that these families suffer. Add to that the issues of being away from home, and the burden is even greater. Ronald McDonald House gives me that opportunity to give back."
Mary E. Bowler (Vice-President)
Corporate Secretary, DuPont Company
Mary Bowler serves as a Vice-President of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Development Committee. She became involved with the House prior to its construction through the Junior League of Wilmington, selling car raffle tickets at the LPGA. Once the House opened, she volunteered on special events and with the meal program and was captivated by the tremendous work of the House and the wonderful families it serves. She served two terms on the board several years ago, and was delighted to assume her current role on the board two years ago.
Mary moved to Delaware in 1981 to join the DuPont Company’s new law graduate program. She and her husband reside in Wilmington and have three children. Mary is involved in a wide variety of community and nonprofit organizations. She currently serves on the Administrative Board of the Cornell University Council, is Vice President of the Board of Friends of the Brandywine Hundred Library, and is a member of the Executive Committee of the P.S. du Pont Middle School. Mary and her family enjoy volunteering in various capacities at the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware.
She currently serves as Corporate Secretary and Corporate Counsel of DuPont, where she is responsible for the corporate governance of the company and related legal matters. She previously served as practice group leader for the Corporate and Securities legal group, and in a variety of other capacities within the company's legal department. Earlier in her career, Mary was a State Affairs Manager, with responsibility for government relations in several state capitals, including Dover, Delaware. She holds a B.S. from Cornell University, and a J.D. from Boston University, where she was managing editor of The American Journal of Law and Medicine.
Marke D. Dickinson (Vice-President)
Vice President Corporate Strategy & Alliances, AAA Mid-Atlantic
Marke Dickinson serves a Vice-President of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Marketing Committee. He grew up nearby in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. After twenty years of corporate moves around the country, he settled back east and resides in West Chester, Pennsylvania with his wife, Debbie, and their three children. An involved family man, Marke enjoys supporting the activities of his children and is committed to public service, having held positions on various non-profit boards over the past decade.
Marke is a Senior Vice President of Brand and Chief Marketing Officer for AAA Mid-Atlantic, one of the largest AAA clubs in the U.S., which is based in Wilmington. Having held various senior level positions with AAA, Marke is recognized as an insightful and energetic leader and a persuasive commuicator who earns respect and cooperation at all levels. Before joining the AAA family, Marke spent several years in management consulting and in the financial services and technology industries. He holds a M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School, a M.P.P. from the Harvard Kennedy School, and an undergraduate degree in finance with honors from Penn State.
Marke became involved with the Ronald McDonald House because as a father, he can personally identify with the mission of the House to "...improve the health and well being of children and to bring comfort to their families." His involvement with the House began with election to the board in May 2009.
James F. Lardear (Vice-President)
Director, Public and Government Affairs, AAA Mid-Atlantic
Jim Lardear is a Vice-President of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Building and Grounds Committee. Jim and his wife, Anne, joined the Ronald McDonald House in the mid-1990's as family room and front desk volunteers as a way to help make a difference in the community. Through job changes and a growing family, the mission of the House and its impact on the families it serves remains close to their hearts.
Jim is Director of Public and Government Affairs for
Elizabeth B. Lee (Vice-President)
Senior Vice President Human Resources and Distribution, AAA Mid-Atlantic
Betsy Lee is a Vice-President of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Human Resources Committee. She is a long time resident of Wilmington where she lives with her husband and two children.
Betsy spent 24 years in the Financial Services industry working for both MBNA America and Bank of America. She is currently a Senior Vice President at
Betsy first became involved with the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware in 2006 as a member of the Human Resources Committee.
Marilyn W. Carpenter (Secretary)
Volunteer, Ronald McDonald House of Delaware
Marilyn W. Carpenter is Secretary of the Board of Directors. She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and grew up in Florida. She is a graduate of the University of Florida with a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education and subsequently received her Masters Degree in Instruction from the University of Delaware. She is married and has two grown children, a son-in-law, and one grandchild.
After teaching one year in Florida, Marilyn moved to Delaware and began teaching in the Colonial School District in the New Castle area. She retired in 2002 after 31 years of service. During that time she taught elementary and middle school students and worked on various state and district curriculum committees. She was a grade level chair and was her school’s Teacher of the Year in 1997. Marilyn is a member of the National Education Association, Delaware Education Association and Delta Kappa Gamma, an association that recognizes excellence in education.
After retirement, Marilyn wanted to volunteer and give back to her community. She believed that her background and interest in children was a good fit with the Ronald McDonald House. Marilyn has been a Family Room and laundry volunteer for nearly four years. She also is active in the American Girl Fashion Show. Marilyn also was chairman of the Annual Board Volunteer Dinner, given in the spring to honor all the volunteers that serve the House.
Ron Robine (Treasurer)
Barclays Bank Delaware
Ron Robine moved to the Wilmington area in 1999 with his wife, Cathy, and four children. They came to Wilmington for a career opportunity for Ron in banking-Ron has been in banking since graduation from college. Since their move to this area, Cathy has also restarted her career and is a principal of a Pennsylvania elementary school. The Robine family has lived in Detroit, Charlotte, Greensboro and Allentown before arriving in Wilmington.
Ron is an executive officer of Barclays Bank of Delaware where he has worked for the past six years. Barclays Bank PLC, the parent of Barclays Delaware, is one of the world's largest banks and is headquarterd in London. Before moving to Delaware, Ron worked in marketing and risk management for both commercial and consumer lending.
Ron became involved with Ronald McDonald House in 2005 after being introduced to the House activities by another volunteer. The House was seeking volunteer support for their Finance Committee and Ron's experience and desire to be engaged in a community support activity aligned with the needs of the Committee and House.
Perry S. Beberman, Senior Vice President and BFO Small Business and Consumer Lending, Bank of America
Perry Beberman has been a resident of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania since 2000. He and his wife, Tracey, have three children; two daughters and a son. Their oldest daughter attends Tower Hill School in Delaware and is Co-President of the Ronald McDonald House Club. Prior to moving to Pennsylvania in 2000, Perry had been a resident of Delaware since 1984 when he enrolled in the University of Delaware and received his undergraduate MBA.
Perry has worked at Bank of America (formerly MBNA America) in the Finance department. He currently serves as the CFO for U.S. Credit Card, Unsecured Lending and Small Business Products. He also serves in leadership roles on Diversity and Inclusion Council, Associate Satisfaction Council, and Bank of America’s United Way of Delaware Cabinet.
Perry has served on the Ronald McDonald House Finance Committee since 2004. He has been involved with the House since 1995 through cooking meals with his teammates and raising funds through the Children's Charity Invitational golf tournament.
Joseph Claricurzio, Senior Vice President, Bank of America
Joe Claricurzio was born and raised in Delaware. Growing up, Joe's parents were both school teachers and administrators in the Delaware school system. Joe attended the University of Delaware and received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He and his family live in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.
While attending the University of Delaware, Joe worked as an Outward Telesales Representative. He was one of the first ten representatives who pioneered the division for MBNA America in 1987. He has since held multiple operational and analytical positions within the Credit and Customer Assistance lines of business of Card Services, the Consumer Loan Collections work groups, the Home Loans and Insurance line of business, the cross-product Collections and Risk Detection. Currently, Joe is the Business Control, Monitoring and Readiness Executive in Deposit and Card Products of Consumer and Small Business Banking with Bank of America in Wilmington, Delaware.
Joe became involved with the Ronald McDonald House in 2005. Joe states, "Having a family, I fully recognize the importance of the Ronald McDonald House in that it provides a safe, caring "home away from home" for families of children who are being treated at hospitals. The House has the gratitude attitude in that it personally rewards the community with a sense of pride as volunteers donate their time and personal effort. Whether it be taking care of the grounds or making meals for families who stay at the House, volunteering at Ronald McDonald House is a personal gift to everyone."
Bernard J. Clark, III, M.D., Chief Executive of the Practice NCC-DV, Vice President Physician Practices, Nemours Foundation
Dr. BJ Clark is a physician and has worked for the Nemours Foundation and Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children for the past five years. He resides in Hockessin and also has a home in Sussex County. He has three grown children. His wife, Mary Anne Murray, is a small business owner in Delaware. Together they have an interest in supporting organizations which specifically advance and support children, women and the family.
He attended the University of Pennsylvania Medical School and trained in pediatrics and pediatric cardiology at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He spent 25 years as a pediatric cardiologist in a variety of clinical and leadership positions.
Dr. Clark has worked with the Ronald McDonald House organization in Philadelphia and at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and long recognized the value of what the House provides the families of his patients.
Mary Jane M. Cocozzoli, McDonald's Owner/Operator
Mary Jane Cocozzoli was born in York, Pennsylvania. She has two children, Stephanie and John. The family moved to Delaware in 1988 and she started working at McDonalds as a crew person. Mary Jane became a manager and she has attended all the management classes required by McDonalds.
In 2006, she was remarried to Rob Cocozzoli. Together, they have five children and live in Smyrna, Delaware. Mary Jane and Rob own two McDonalds in Dover and recently rebuilt their store near Dover Downs Racetrack. In September 2009, Mary Jane became an approved McDonalds Owner/Operator.
Mary Jane was elected to the Board in 2007 and also serves on the Development Committee. Her husband, Rob, also served on the Board.
Robert A. Cocozzoli, McDonald's Owner/Operator
Rob grew up in Michigan and worked in the food service area in several restaurants, country clubs and college. He started with McDonald’s in Terre Haute, Indiana in 1975 and managed McDonald’s in Martinsville and Brazil, Indiana. He became a supervisor in 1979 and a McDonald’s owner in 1986. He sold his stores in Indiana and moved to Dover, Delaware where he currently owns two McDonald’s restaurants.
Rob and his wife, Mary Jane, have five children. Their oldest daughter is handicapped and he has spent many days at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital with her. He knows how difficult it is on family members with sick children. Rob has previously served four terms on the Ronald McDonald House Board of Directors and has served on the building and grounds committee as well as a volunteer at ABATE and is currently a member of the Kent/Sussex Advisory Council. He believes in the House and its mission.
Joel E. Dukart, McDonald's Owner/Operator
Joel Dukart is a resident of Wilmington. His first job with McDonald's came at the age of 14 in the Concordville restaurant where he worked throughout high school. Joel attended the Cornell School of Hotel Administration and helped to open the Middletown restaurant during one of his college summers. After graduation, he moved to New York City and took a position in production with CBS Sports. Throughout his career at CBS, he was involved in prestigious events in sports and won an Emmy for his work as an Associate Director at the 2004 Masters.
In 2007, Joel decided to join the family business and worked his way through the approval process with McDonald's. Joel is a third generation owner/operator and has taken a lead role in the development of the Next Generation Operator group in the Philadelphia Region.
Joel enjoys playing golf and tennis.
Wayne A. Fluke, McDonald's Owner/Operator
Wayne Fluke is a resident of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Suzan, have four children and one grandchild. Wayne is a former board member of Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Philadelphia Region and the Chamber of Commerce of the Greater West Chester area.
Wayne began his career with McDonald's Corporation in February 1974 as a manager trainee. During his 16 years with the corporation he served as the regional training manager in New York and as a franchising manager. In 1989 Wayne became a McDonald's owner operator in West Chester, Pennsylvania. He is currently involved in the McDonald's PR Committee and Purchasing Committee.
Wayne became a board member of the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware in 2006.
Myron T. Hicks, Operation Field Service Manager-Philadelphia, McDonald's USA
Myron Hicks is a Field Service Manager for McDonald's Corporation with direct responsibility for Franchisee Relationship and Restaurant Operations. He has been with McDonald's Corporation since 1985 and started as a crewperson. He has held various staff positions up to McOCo Operations Manager. He led several initiatives towards raising funds for non-profit organizations such as RMHC, UNCF, HACER and the Newark Boys Chorus. He is also lead for the Eastern Division McDonald's African-American Council.
Myron holds a B.S. degree from Elizabeth City State University and is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He resides in Bear, Delaware with his wife, Pamela, and three children.
Tony Jewell, Senior Director External Communications, AstraZeneca
Tony Jewell is senior director for external communications at AstraZeneca's U.S. business. His areas of focus include media relations, digital and social media, corporate reputation and advertising. Immediately prior to joining AstraZeneca, Tony was a Managing Director at Burson-Marstellar, where he worked with the American Beverage Association, the Coalition for a Stronger FDA and other clients.
Tony previously served in government, first as press secretary for Wisconsin Governor Tommy G. Thompson and then as Director of Media Relations and Deputy Assistant for Public Affairs at the US Department of Health and Human Services. While at HHS, Tony helped lead communications efforts around the September 11 attacks, the anthrax attacks, pandemic flu preparedness, and the implementation of the Medicare prescription drug benefit.
A native of Indianapolis, Tony also worked for the Associated Press for seven years in Louisville, Indianapolis, New York and Madison, Wisconsin.
Jim Kelly, Chief Operating & Chief Lending Officer, ING Direct
Jim Kelly is the Chief Operating Officer at ING Direct USA. Drawing on more than twenty-five years of "bricks" and "clicks" banking experience at large and small banks in the United States and Canada, Jim directs the customer facing business of the bank. Jim seeks to combine innovation, personal performance and financial accountability with customer value, convenience and simplicity in driving the ING Direct Team to deliver an unparalleled customer experience. Jim's diverse background includes senior management roles in Sales, Marketing Investments, Operations and Information Technology.
Jim is active in a number of community service groups serving the needs of children with a special interest in improving the quality of life for children and adolescents by focusing on financial education and life skills development.
Jim is an alumnus of the University of Western Ontario (B.A.) and the Harvard Business School (General Management Program).
Jim resides in Delaware with his wife and two sons.
Paul D. Kempinski, Chief Operating Officer, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children
Paul Kempinski is Chief Operating Officer of the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware where he has held the position since 2003. With nearly 28 years of healthcare experience, Paul is responsible for the operations of this 200 bed facility which was named as one of the nation's top 25 children's hospitals by Parent Magazine in 2009. Prior to joining Nemours, he was Chief Operating Officer of Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby, Pennsylvania. He also held prior leadership positions at ViaHealth's Rochester General and Genesee Hospitals in Rochester, New York, South Hills Health System in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago.
Paul received his undergraduate degree from Penn State University and his master's degree from Rush University in Chicago.
Paul resides in West Chester with his wife Maureen and three children, Kristen, Brian and Jennifer.
Paul became a Board member in 2007. He was attracted to the board because of its' incredibly powerful mission and close working relationship with Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children.
Richard D. Leigh, President and CEO of HSBC Overseas Corporation (Delaware)/HSBC Trust Company (Delaware) N.A.
Richard Leigh was born in Birmingham, England and graduated from Hertfordshire University in 1982 with a dual major in Music and Accounting. His responsibilities at HSBC include direct management of staff, investment holding companies, treasury activity for credit card holding subsidiaries and directorships of offshore subsidiary companies. Prior to joining HSBC, Richard worked with Republic National Bank and Barclays Bank PLC.
Richard previously served on the Advisory Council at the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware. He resides in Landenberg, Pennsylvania with his family and enjoys music, golf and most sports.
Rachel M. Macha, Executive Vice President - Sales and Marketing, Protocol Global Solutions
Rachel Macha has been a resident of Wilmington since 1999. She and her husband, Rich, have five children; 13-year old triplets and 11-year old twins. Rachel has been working in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry for 13 years. She is currently the Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Protocol Global Solutions.
During the past 20 years, Rachel has volunteered her time and talent at the Ronald McDonald House of Jacksonville in various fundraising initiatives, Ronald McDonald House of Delaware 10th anniversary gala, Friendship House in Wilmington, Christ Church Christiana Hundred Outreach Ministry and the National Adoption Center in Philadelphia. She has also served on the St. Ann School Marketing Committee.
The reason Rachel became involved in the House is because she has been incredibly blessed with 5 healthy children and she realizes that there are many families with seriously ill children that need the Ronald McDonald House for support. So, volunteering her time and talent to the House allows her to help provide families with seriously ill children going through medical procedures and treatments to have a "home away from home".
William G. Mackenzie, M.D., Chair Department of Orthopaedics, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children
William (Will) Mackenzie received his B.S. and M.D. degrees from the University of British Columbia. He completed his internship at McGill University and his residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of British Columbia. He also did a fellowship in Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery at Alfred I. duPont Institute and was a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Canada. Will is an Associate Professor at Thomas Jefferson Medical College.
Will has been named in the Consumer Guide's "Guide to America's Top Surgeons" and listed as one of the "Best Doctors in America" as well as Consumers' Research "Guide to America's Top Orthopedists." Will's patients and their families often stay at the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware.
Will resides in Wilmington, Delaware with his wife, Martha, and three sons.
Robert R. Nelson, PhD, Chair, Hotel, Restuarant and Institutional Management Department, University of Delaware
Dr. Nelson resides in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania with his wife, Genevieve and daughters, Madeline and Erica.
Dr. Nelson is the Chair of the University of Delaware’s Hotel, Restaurant & Institutional Management Department. He is widely published and serves as the editor of the Journal of Convention & Event Tourism. Dr. Nelson is listed in Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the Lodging Industry. His Ph.D. is from the University of Delaware's School Urban Affairs and Public Policy where he focused on tourism and convention centers as catalysts for local economic development. He is a graduate of Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration and has an MBA from DrexelUniversity’s LeBow School of Business.
Bob’s involvement with the Ronald McDonald House began through the efforts of him and his faculty to investigate community service opportunities for their Universityof Delaware students at the House. Through those activities, Michael Waite and Executive Director, Pam Cornforth, encouraged Bob to consider additional roles to support the House.
Michelle A. Pena, Community Volunteer
Michelle Pena has been a resident of Wilmington, Delaware since 1999. She and her husband, Miguel, have two young sons. She is originally from Binghamton, New York, then Philadelphia where she graduated from Villanova University with a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting. Michelle worked in Philadelphia and became a CPA. In 1997, she left public accounting to join Chase Card Services (then First USA Bank) in their finance department. During her tenure at the bank, she held several positions in Finance including Vice President of Securitizations & Structured Finance and Director of Budgeting and Forecasting for the Cobrand portfolio.
After the birth of her first son, Michelle left the corporate world and began a new career in volunteering. She has held several board positions with local charities. Michelle began volunteering at Ronald McDonald House of Delaware cooking meals with the Villanova Alumni group and completing special projects with the Junior League of Wilmington. Seeing the role that the House plays in families' lives, she wanted to become even more involved. Michelle joined the Board in 2010 and also serves on the Development Committee.
Monte` Ross, Head Men's Basketball Coach, University of Delaware
Monte` Ross and his wife, Michelle, reside in Media, Pennsylvania with their son Justin, 11 and daughter Lauren, 9. Monte` attended Bodine High School in Philadelphia where he earned All-American Philadelphia City selection and Academic Player of the Year. As a 1992 sport management graduate of NCAA Division II Winston-Salem State, he played for legendary head coach and Basketball Hall of Fame member Clarence "Big House" Gaines.
Monte` is the 23rd head coach in University of Delaware men's basketball history and will begin his fifth season in 2010-2011. This is his first head coaching position after an outstanding career as a Division I assistant coach for 13 seasons. During his 13 seasons as an NCAA Division I assistant, Ross helped lead teams to nine winning seasons, seven campaigns with 20 or more victories, and a winning percentage of .650. His teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament six times and to the NIT Tournament three times while capturing five conference championships.
Two years ago Monte` decided to join the Board of Directors at Ronald McDonald House. The work that is done to help the families in need was something he just had to be a part of.
Yvette Santiago, Director Community and Government Affairs, Nemours Health and Prevention Services
Yvette Santiago is responsible for leading Nemours Health and Prevention Services' statewide efforts on engaging and managing relationships with key leaders and elected officials in an effort to create systematic change to improve child health outcomes in Delaware. She has received gubernatorial appointments to the Governor's Advisory Council on Hispanic Affairs and the New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District's Board of Education. She is also President of the Board of Directors for the Latin American Community Center.
Yvette received her B.S. degree from Wilmington College and her Master's Degree in Administration and Planning from Northeastern University. She also holds her administrative education certification from the Department of Education.
Yvette is passionate about her work and firmly believes that engaging families and communities in every step of a child's life is instrumental in building strong, healthy and resilient children.
Craig R. Shor, Principal, Shor & Associates, Inc.
Craig Shor was born, raised, and still resides in Delaware County Pennsylvania with his wife and 7 year-old twin children. He attended Drexel University and began his career as a CPA. He enjoys spending time with his family, outdoor activities, and travel especially at their shore house.
Craig's entrepreneurial spirit lead him to co-found what is now a large furniture manufacturing company. He sold it in 1991 and co-founded a marketing firm. Craig appreciates the opportunity to work with many fine people and businesses around the tri-state area.
Craig first became involved with the House 5 years ago through another client. It quickly became apparent to him how patients and their families respond positively when in a loving and supportive environment. He joined the marketing committee which gave him the opportuntiy to greater experience the Houses' mission and vision. "It is called "The House That Love Built" and when you look at the staff, volunteers, business partners and contributors it is easy to see why."
Deborah J. Tuttle, M.D., Physician, Christiana Care
Deborah Tuttle was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her initial interests were in music and art, but she became interested in medicine as an undergraduate at Arcadia University. She graduated in 1978 magna cum laude with a B.S. in Biology and Chemistry and received her M.D. degree from The Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1982. She went on to complete her Pediatric Residency and Neonatology Fellowship in Air Force programs in California and Texas as part of a scholarship program. She served as a Neonatologist in the AIr Force until 1992. She has been working in Delaware as part of Christiana Neonatal group since then. In addition to her clinical work, she serves as Medical Director of the Mother's Milk bank at Christiana Hospital and the Physician Director for Neonatal PI initiatives. Her Neonatal group is actively involved in teaching Pediatric residents and Neonatal fellows from the duPont/Jefferson program. She is also actively involved in research; her area of interest is hospital associated infections.
Deb has been married for 30 years to John Piper, M.D. who is an adult Infectious Disease specialist. They are very involved in activities with Roxie and Rebel, their Portugese Water dogs who have given them balance in their lives and the opportunity to help others beyond the physician role. Deb became a member of the Ronald McDonald House family 10 years ago as a volunteer, along with her dogs, in the pet therapy program. Her personal and professional life have benefited greatly from this work. The importance of the House as a partner in patient care and as cornerstone of family support cannot be underestimated. She is grateful for the opportunity to return some of the gifts she has received from Ronald McDonald House through further service on the board.
Morton R. Kimmel, Esq., Kimmel, Carter, Roman & Peltz, P.A.
Morton Kimmel is married to Marcia Kimmel and they have four children and eight grandchildren. He is President of the Kimmel-Spiller Foundation, founded the Blue-Gold Basketball Games and is involved in numerous charities.
Morton is an attorney and President of Kimmel, Carter, Roman & Peltz, P.A. He has tried more than 100 jury trials. He has been honored as a Super Lawyer in Delaware, Best Lawyers in Delaware, and is a member of the Bar of the Supreme Court of the U.S.
Morton first became involved with the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware six years ago because of its mission to serve and help families of severely ill children. He has represented many families of severely injured children.
