Central Delaware Economic Summit - Speakers and Panelists

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.

After earning an associate degree in criminal justice from Delaware Tech in 1981 and a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science from Wilmington University in 1983, Dr. Brainard embarked upon a career in public service that began in the Delaware legislature, where he ultimately served as chief of staff for the House Minority Caucus for seven years. In 1991, he began attending law school part-time while continuing to work full-time in state government.

He left the legislature in 1993 when he was appointed director of external affairs at the Delaware Department of Transportation. After his graduation from Widener Law School in 1994, Dr. Brainard was named assistant vice president for personnel and legal affairs at Delaware Tech, where he managed all human resources programs and provided legal counsel regarding employment law and students’ rights issues. 

In 1999, he became executive vice president of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, where he managed the overall operations of the 3,000-member, 22-employee organization with a budget of $3 million. He left the Chamber in 2002 to serve as Governor Ruth Ann Minner’s chief of staff. In spite of a difficult economy, he helped to develop visionary policy agendas, which led to the passage of landmark legislation such as the Student Excellence Equals Degrees (SEED) scholarship; the Delaware Cancer Treatment program; workers’ compensation reform; and a series of education initiatives including the statewide implementation of full-day kindergarten and the placement of reading and math specialists in public schools.

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. During his tenure, he has implemented a number of initiatives, including creating a collegewide culture that embraces innovation; developing statewide programs for high school students to expand pathways and dual enrollment; and establishing a variety of support programs for veterans.

Dr. Brainard is a member of the Delaware Business Roundtable, the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce Board of Governors, and the Phi Theta Kappa Presidential Advisory Board. He was also an Honorary Commander with the Delaware National Guard and at the Dover Air Force Base.

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 is a member of the College's 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 Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce, where she serves on the executive board and chairs the community affairs committee; a member of the Greater Kent Committee, where she serves on the Education Committee; the Delaware's ACE Women's Network, and the Transportation Infrastructure Investment Fund Council. She is active in her community, serving on the Interdenominational Ministers Alliance.

Dr. Vilicia Cade

Chief Executive Officer and Superintendent of the Capital School District

Dr. Vilicia Cade is the chief executive officer and superintendent of the Capital School District, a diverse district of choice serving approximately 6,500 urban, suburban, and rural students as the centerfold district of the first state.

Over the course of her career, Dr. Cade has implemented a number of initiatives that disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline by focusing on reciprocal and intentional partnerships that build on new or existing efforts of businesses, community-based organizations, and institutions of higher education. She has served in key leadership roles spanning from classroom teacher to District Director.

In 2022, the Capital School District will galvanize stakeholders to collaboratively create a strategic plan aimed at envisioning the skills, competencies, and attributes needed in the workforce of 2033. Under Dr. Cade’s leadership, stakeholders will help create a Portrait of a Graduating Senator of 2033. In 2023, the district will undergo a historical reconfiguration of all elementary and middle schools when the new $113 million Dover Middle School Campus opens. Starting this year, the district will collaboratively create a ten-year roadmap aimed at advancing excellence through innovation.

Under Dr. Cade’s leadership, the Capital School District was recognized by Governor John Carney and First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney as the 2022 K-12 recipient of the Compassionate Champion Award. This award acknowledges that the Capital School District is committed to providing trauma-informed services in a manner consistent with the Delaware Developmental Framework for Trauma-Informed Care.

Dr. Cade has over three decades of service as a public educator. She brings to her role a plethora of knowledge from her service in New York, Illinois, and Ohio. An innovator, Dr. Cade is breaking barriers to lead as the first African-American female superintendent of the district and is currently one of four female superintendents in the first state.

Bryan B. Horsey

Director of the Delaware Office of Work-Based Learning (DOWBL)

Bryan Horsey joined Delaware Technical Community College in November 2019 as director of the Delaware Office of Work-Based Learning (DOWBL). A statewide office, DOWBL drives Delaware’s economic future by preparing students to join the workforce. The office coordinates the efforts of schools, employers, and non-profits to ensure students are getting high-quality workplace experiences that teach the hard and soft skills needed to succeed in the workforce. 

Prior to joining Delaware Tech, Horsey was manager of external affairs and operations for the Bloom Energy Manufacturing Center in Delaware, which included work with business development, regulatory and policy issues, marketing and public relations, manufacturing operations, and government and community relations.

Horsey was with the United States Senate for nine years under Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., Senator Edward E. Kaufman, and Senator Chris Coons, managing multiple federal project areas throughout Delaware.

Scott Malfitano

Vice President of Government Relations at CSC and Chair of the Delaware Workforce Development Board

Scott Malfitano is chair of the Delaware Workforce Development Board. He was appointed by Governor John Carney in August 2021. No stranger to government, Malfitano has worked with various state and national figures, including former Delaware governor and presidential candidate, Pete du Pont. Malfitano is vice president of government relations for CSC, the largest compliance, document retrieval, and corporate service company in the nation.

Veronica Palomino

Human Resources and New Hire Training Specialist for The Eagle Group

Veronica I. Palomino in a human resources and new hire training specialist for The Eagle Group, America’s largest commercial food and healthcare equipment manufacturer. Her responsibilities include new hire on-boarding and Learning Management Training (LMS) online, DOL OJT staff training, and continuing education, as well as processing the employee tuition reimbursement program.

A United States Disabled American Veteran (DAV) and Past First Female Commander of DAV Chapter #73 Florida, Palomino relocated back to Delaware in 2020. Her father was a Retired USAF Master Sergeant in Dover, and she was a Personnel Non-Commissioned Officer as well as a Department of Veterans Affairs Advocate.

Palomino earned a bachelor's degree after completing her military career and was employed in higher education as the veteran admission liaison utilizing the Yellow Ribbon program for veterans seeking graduate degrees. She currently has The Eagle Group participating in the 2022 Employer Support of Guard and Reserve (ESGR) United States Department of Defense National Survey of employees, demonstrating commitment to improving policies to support Guard and Reserve personnel in the workforce.

Palomino, a graduate of Project Inclusion sponsored by United Way of South Hampton Roads, has served on several appointed boards including the Congressional Appointment to the Military Academy Nomination Advisory Board, Department of Defense (DOD) ESGR Area 14, Military Outreach Coordinator, Broward County (Florida) Commissioner, Affordable Housing Advisory Board, and Advisory Board of Individuals with Disabilities.

Nick Polcino

Vice President and General Manager of Bally's Dover Casino Resort

Nick Polcino's association with Bally's began in 2015 when it was known as Twin River Worldwide Holdings and acquired Hard Rock in Biloxi, Mississippi. He was recruited to start up the new management team's gaming operations as vice president of casino operations and player development, a position he held until 2019 when he was promoted to vice president and general manager of Dover Downs Casino in Dover. He has most recently returned to Dover, which is now Bally's Dover Casino Resort. Prior to March of this year, he served as the vice president and general manager of Bally's Atlantic City Hotel and Casino.

Before joining the Bally's team, Nick held a variety of positions at every level of casino gaming operations. Starting as a table games dealer in Atlantic City in 1979, he worked his way up the management structure in Atlantic City. He worked at various Atlantic City properties, under different names and ownership until 2003. At that time, he became the executive director of operations of resorts in Tunica, Mississippi, under the management of Colony Capital. Shortly after, he was promoted to the assistant general manager role at Resorts. From 2007 to 2012, Nick was the general manager of Riviera in Blackhawk, Colorado. After the property was sold, Nick became the general manager of the Golden Nugget in Laughlin, Nevada, a position he served until he joined Bally's in 2015.

Born and raised in Atlantic City, Nick currently represents Bally's by participating on the Board of Kent County Tourism and the Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce. He previously represented and served as vice president of the Laughlin (Nevada) Tourism Board and was a member of the Laughlin Chamber of Commerce.

Scott L. Rathfon, P.E.

Vice President of Delaware Operations at Century Engineering

Scott Rathfon is a professional engineer licensed in multiple states throughout the mid-Atlantic region. He has over 40 years of comprehensive engineering experience in various areas of the civil engineering field as well as project and program management. Rathfon serves as executive vice president overseeing the Delaware operations of Century Engineering, a company he has been with for over 35 years.

Rathfon has been involved in some of the largest infrastructure projects in Delaware, including the SR1, US 13 Relief Route project and the recently completed US 301 project. One of his career highlights was having the opportunity to work on the management team for the design and construction of the cable-stayed bridge over the C&D Canal.

Rathfon graduated from Delaware Tech with an architectural engineering technology degree and then attended Pennsylvania State University (Harrisburg Campus) where he received a bachelor’s degree in structural design and construction engineering technology. He also has a Master of Engineering degree in Civil Engineering from Old Dominion University, and has completed the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Senior Executives Institute program.

In 2021, Rathfon was named Engineer of the Year for the State of Delaware, and in 2022 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame for the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE) First State Section.

Dr. Jonathan Wickert

State Director of Career and Technical Education and STEM Initiatives at the Delaware Department of Education

Dr. Jonathan Wickert is the state director of Career and Technical Education and STEM Initiatives at the Delaware Department of Education. He is responsible for leading and aligning federal and state education and workforce policy and programs to high-growth industry sectors, braiding financial resources, and developing supports for youth and adults with barriers to continuing education and employment. Wickert is committed to ensuring Delawareans have access to a high-quality education that centers identity, is affordable, and results in a wealth-generating career.