Kent County Economic Summit Conference - Speakers and Panelists

Steven Pedigo Keynote Speaker

Steven Pedigo is an expert in economic and urban development, city strategy and management, and placemaking. Steven has advised and collaborated with more than 50 cities, universities, developers, nonprofits, and Fortune 500 companies across the globe to build more creative, innovative, and inclusive communities.

Steven’s city clients include New York, Jerusalem, Vancouver, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Brisbane, the Yukon, Tulsa, Austin, Portland, Newark, San Diego-Tijuana, Miami, Sao Paulo, Monterrey, Mexico City, and many others. His corporate clients include BMW, Converse, Starwood Hotels, Philips, Cirque du Soleil, Audi, Pinewood Studios, Zappos, EDENS, Kraft, among others.

Steven is a professor of practice at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin and the director of the LBJ Urban Lab. He is also the director of research and advising for the Creative Class Group, in addition to being the vice president for strategy at Resonance Consultancy and a senior advisor for Bridge Economic Development.

Previously, he was clinical professor at New York University and the director of the NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate Urban Lab. Earlier in his career, Steven served as vice president for the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC), a national research organization founded by Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter to encourage private-sector investment into U.S. distressed urban areas. Prior to ICIC, Steven was the vice president for business attraction and research for Greater Portland, Inc. He began his career as the director of research for the Greater Washington Initiative and Board of Trade.

Steven holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin and graduate degrees from the H. John Heinz III School for Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Steven lives in Austin, Texas with his husband Brian and their Boston Terrier, Oswald.

Dr. Mark Brainard - President of Delaware Tech

Dr. Mark T. Brainard, a proud graduate of Delaware Tech, was appointed the College’s fifth president on August 4, 2014. Previously, Dr. Brainard spent over three decades in a series of executive-level leadership roles in the higher education, business, government, and legislative arenas in Delaware. One of his priorities as president is to employ his knowledge, experience, and leadership skills to ensure that today’s students continue to receive the same foundation and opportunities he received as a student of the College over three decades ago.

Throughout his career he has served as chief of staff for the House Minority Caucus in the Delaware State Legislature, director of external affairs at DelDOT, assistant vice president for human resources and legal affairs at Delaware Tech, executive vice president of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, and chief of staff for Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner.

At the end of the governor’s term, he returned to Delaware Tech and served in a number of leadership positions until he was appointed president of the College in 2014. In a short time, he has implemented a number of initiatives, including creating a collegewide culture that embraces innovation; developing a statewide program for high school students to address the manufacturing skills gap in Delaware; and establishing a variety of support programs for veterans, earning the College its “Military Friendly School” designation for five years in a row.

Dr. Brainard holds an associate degree in criminal justice from Delaware Tech, a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science from Wilmington University, and a juris doctor degree from Widener University Delaware Law School.

Cornelia Johnson - Vice President and Campus Director of Delaware Tech

Cornelia Johnson’s diverse background in higher education spans over more than three decades and consists of serving diverse populations of students, in both the community college and four-year university settings.

She has done extensive committee work at Delaware Tech related to Middle States reaccreditation, diversity and inclusion, assessment, and student success. Presently, she serves as the co-chair of the Collegewide Diversity and Inclusion Committee and is a member of the Core Team of Achieving the Dream, an initiative that develops a framework of strategies that yield equitable outcomes for all students.

Cornelia Johnson was appointed Vice President and Campus Director for the Terry Campus in July 2018, after 16 years of service at the Stanton and Wilmington Campuses of Delaware Tech. There, she served as Dean of Student Affairs, Director of Communication and Planning, and Registrar. Prior to her career at Delaware Tech, Vice President Johnson held administrative positions at Delaware State University and University of Delaware.

She earned the bachelor’s degree in Economics from University of Delaware and MBA from Delaware State University. In 2016, she was awarded the Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio for her outstanding work in higher education.

Vice President Johnson is a member of the Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce; the Great Kent Committee, where she serves on their Education Committee; and the Delaware’s ACE Women’s Network. She is active in her community, serving on the Interdenominational Ministers Alliance.

Governor John Carney

Born in Wilmington and raised in Claymont, Governor John Carney has been working for the Delaware people for more than 30 years. John took office as Delaware's 74th Governor in January 2017, focused on making Delaware's economy more competitive, preparing Delaware's children to succeed, and building a long-term sustainable financial plan for the State of Delaware. Working with Delawareans across the state, and with members of the General Assembly, he has made progress on each of those priorities. John has directed new resources to high-needs schools, partnered with the private sector to drive new job creation, and taken steps to lower healthcare costs for Delaware families, businesses, and taxpayers.

From 2011 to 2017, John served as Delaware's lone member of the U.S. House of Representatives. During his three terms in Congress, John worked with members of both parties to find solutions to the most important challenges facing the nation. He supported the revitalization of American manufacturing through the "Make It In America" agenda. He was a lead sponsor of the centerpiece of the Jumpstart our Businesses (JOBS) Act that made it easier for small- and medium-sized businesses to grow and create jobs. John also introduced legislation that was signed into law to prevent critical prescription drug shortages, and he was the lead sponsor on a successful bill to help veterans more easily enter the job market.

Prior to his time in Congress, John served two terms as Delaware's Lieutenant Governor. Between 2001 and 2009, John developed the Lt. Governor's Challenge to encourage Delawareans to live active, healthier lifestyles. He also created and implemented the Models of Excellence in Education program that allowed schools throughout the state to share best practices. In addition, John was a strong supporter of the Delaware smoking ban and he led the fight for a Cancer Right to Know law, ultimately passed in 2008. John also served as Chairman of the Delaware Healthcare Commission, the Criminal Justice Council, and the Delaware Science & Technology Council.

Under then-Governor Tom Carper, John served as Delaware's Secretary of Finance and Deputy Chief of Staff. Before that, he was Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for New Castle County, and on the staff of then-Senator Joe Biden. In these roles, he helped Delaware earn its first ever AAA bond rating, played a key role in the state's purchase of the Port of Wilmington, and worked to cut taxes nine times.

The second of nine children, John was born in Wilmington and raised in Claymont by his parents, Jack and Ann Carney, who were both educators. He attended St. Mark's High School and led the school's football team to its first state championship in 1973. After graduating high school, John attended Dartmouth College where he continued his football career and earned All-Ivy League and Most Valuable Player honors. When John returned to Delaware, he coached Freshmen Football on the staff of UD Head Coach Tubby Raymond while earning a Master’s Degree in Public Administration at the University of Delaware.

John lives in Wilmington with his wife, Tracey. They have two sons, Sam and Jimmy.

Kim Adams

Kim Adams has been married to her childhood sweetheart, Troy L. Adams, P.E. for over 23 years. They have 4 daughters, 1 son, and 7 grandchildren. They reside in Magnolia, Delaware. Mrs. Adams enjoys attending a local church where she is a drummer. She enjoys hosting events for family and friends.

Mrs. Adams is President of Mountain Consulting, Inc. (MCI), the Small Business Administration (SBA) 2018 Small Business of the Year for the State of Delaware is located at 103 S. Bradford Street, Dover, DE. Mrs. & Mr. Adams founded MCI on September 3, 2003 with a desire to better their quality of life and establish a legacy. They used their savings to purchase used equipment to begin providing civil engineering design and land survey services for local residents and small developers. The only employees were Mrs. & Mr. Adams in 2003, but today the company has grown to over 23 employees, working in over 3 different states in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

With each business comes obstacles; one of MCI’s obstacles was securing working capital for the company. This was finally overcome in 2014, with a small loan with First State Community Funding (FSCF). A year later, Artisan’s Bank converted the loan and extended a line of credit to MCI. In 2016, WSFS facilitated an SBA CAP Line and Express Loan to MCI.

In 2014, MCI was certified thru the SBA as a WOSB, HUBZone, and 8(a) business concern. With these certifications, MCI’s revenue has grown from $250,000/year to now over $5,000,000/year. MCI loves to give back to the community by hiring locally, training, and donating to churches and school sports. MCI believes in investing in its staff. To accomplish this MCI has initiatives and recognition programs as well as 401K, profit sharing, 50% medical reimbursement, and MCI Resource Center.

Thomas Dougherty

Thomas Dougherty has been with the Delaware Department of Labor's Office of Occupational and Labor Market Information (OOLMI) since 2004. As a Senior Labor Market Analyst, he was responsible for the production of Delaware's unemployment rate for the State of Delaware. In 2006, as a Labor Market Information Supervisor with OOLMI, he was responsible for managing three Federal/State cooperative economic programs that produces Delaware labor market data. He became OOLMI's Labor Market Economist in 2012, contributing articles to Delaware's Annual Economic Report and assisting in the production of Delaware's short- and long-term industry and occupational projections. In 2019, he became the Chief of OOLMI.

He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science and master's degree in Economics from the University of Delaware. He was a research assistant at the University of Delaware's Center for Teaching Effectiveness.

Mike Fennemore

Fifer Orchards 4th generation family farm has been growing quality fruits and vegetables on the Delmarva Peninsula since 1919.

Their farm supplies regional grocery stores (Wegmans, Harris Teeter, Giant, etc.), local restaurants, local schools, and retail markets with fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables.  

They direct to consumers via:

1. Two retail farm markets (Camden-Wyoming, DE & Dewey Beach, DE)
2. The 'Delmarva Box' CSA program. Community Supported Agriculture (18-week membership)
3. Seasonal weekly farmers' markets (Lewes, DE & Rehoboth Beach, DE).  
4. U-pick crops including strawberries, blueberries, peaches, apples and pumpkins. (when in season)

Fifer Orchards is proud to be a part of the local community and enjoys hosting neighbors and friends at the farm each season to celebrate the harvest. They also enjoy seeing folks experience and learn about the importance of agriculture first hand at our festivals and on-farm events.

Lin Outten

Lin Outten, Human Resources & Compliance Director at USA Fulfillment since 2011 has been assisting USA's team members with their employment and benefit needs for nearly a decade. Originally starting at USA Fulfillment in sales in 2006, Lin learned the capabilities and challenges of a growing fulfillment company on the eastern shore or Maryland and has worked with the USA's team during their expansion and development of a distribution center in Dover, DE.

In addition to human resources, Lin works with USA's auditors and assessors to meet the compliance needs in a fast paced e-commerce environment. Information security, quality management and governmental regulations all play a role in USA Fulfillment's service to their clients.

Gary Siegelman, MD, MSc

Gary Siegelman, MD, MSc, has served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Bayhealth Medical Center since 2007. He received his AB at Harvard University, MD at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, and MSc in Healthcare Administration at the University of Wisconsin. He completed residency in Internal Medicine at Barnes-Jewish Hospital at Washington University. Dr. Siegelman was a practicing internist in Chicago for eight years and now a physician leader for over twenty. At Bayhealth he is responsible for supporting clinical quality and safety, population health, Bayhealth's employed physician group, the medical staff including physician wellness, legal and risk management departments, and is also the DIO for the organization's GME and UME programs. Dr. Siegelman initiated and remains very involved in leading several of the clinical and operational aspects of Bayhealth's response to the COVID pandemic.

Katie Wilkinson

Prior to joining Fulton Bank in 2011 to lead the commercial banking efforts in Delaware, Katie was Vice President and Division Manager for Wilmington Trust. She is responsible for the development and cultivation of commercial relationships across the State and Cecil County. Katie is a graduate of St. Andrew’s School, has an AB in Economics from Smith College, and an MBA from Drexel University. Locally, she is the Chair of the Delaware State Chamber Board and she serves on the Board of Christiana Care Health Services . She is also active with the Delaware Banker’s Association. Lastly, Katie chairs the Board of Delaware College Scholars. Katie and her husband, David, live in Wilmington and have 2 grown daughters.