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Susan Guariano (she/her) is a senior manager on the Investment Implementation Team at M&T Bank, Wilmington Trust, where she manages project, implementations and system conversions in the Wealth Advisory division. Susan holds a B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh and a M.B.A. from the University of Delaware with majors in Business, Communication and Economics. In addition to her service on the Del Shakes Board of Directors, Susan is a mentor with the University of Delaware Executive Mentoring program, a Lifesaver and frequent donor with the Bloodbank of Delaware, a volunteer with the Delaware Chapter for the National MS Society, and a board member for the Delaware Assistive Technology Loan Program. Susan lives in Newark with her husband Joe, and their three children: Marissa, Toni and Matthew.
Scott Matthews (he/him) is a partner with the law firm of Tarabicos, Grosso & Hoffman, LLP. He specializes in providing advice on corporate law and handling commercial real estate transactions. Scott holds a B.A. from the University of Delaware, with majors in English Literature and Political Science, and a minor in French Language and Literature; a M.A. in English Literature from the University of Virginia; and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. In addition to his service on the Del Shakes Board of Directors, Scott serves as a Trustee of the New Castle Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), where he is also a Member of the Sexual Misconduct Response Team.
Rachel O’Hanlon-Rodriguez (she/they) is a Philly-based actor, poet, organizer, trauma informed teaching artist and facilitator. They are the Operations Associate of Spiral Q and is a member of the Artistic Squad of Delaware Shakespeare. Rachel has spent the last decade working with theater companies throughout the region such as Power Street Theatre, Die Cast, Theatre Exile, Simpatico Theatre Company, The Wilma Theater, the Arden Theatre, and EgoPo Classic Theater. Rachel received her Master’s in Theater in 2017 from Villanova University.
Mildred N. Ortega (she/her) is a Bilingual (English & Spanish) professional with over 15 years of experience in social services and human resources. She has worked with children, adolescents, adults, and families. She currently works as Early Intervention Bilingual Therapist for the Hispanic Personal Development, LLC. Mildred also serves as the co-chair for the Community Response Team, a new initiative with the Delaware Division Public Health. As a Master of Social Work Clinician at Dalissy J. Washington LLC, she is serving as a clinician providing mental health treatment and psychological assessments utilizing her training in biopsychosocial/systemic models. Mildred’s areas of expertise include healthcare, prevention, addictions and substance abuse, domestic violence, and crisis intervention.
Julie Sulzbacher Russ (she/her) is an arts and outdoors advocate and active community member. Julie is Chair of the Board of Directors of Delaware Shakespeare and a Branch Ambassador for Hike it Baby Delaware. She volunteered for the YMCA Youth in Government program for 15 years, participated in several in-school and community mentoring programs, and served on the Delaware Nature Society Advocacy Committee.
Achille Scache (he/him) is a partner at Giordano, DelCollo, Werb & Gagne where his statewide practice focuses on all aspects of Delaware domestic relations law with a focus on high net worth divorce matters and appeals to the Delaware Supreme Court. Ash is a 2007 graduate of DeSales University where he attended on a choir scholarship. Ash lives in North Wilmington with his wife, Dr. Laura Owens and 3-year-old son Will.
Vanesa Simon (she/her) is an Artist Entrepreneur and Owner of Mariposa Arts, whose mission is to make creativity accessible to all communities as a healing tool. Through her company, she is the Outreach & Program Coordinator of Healing Through the Arts for the Delaware Art Museum, a program she piloted in 2017. This program works with many partners in Delaware to bring varied arts modalities to communities facing health, environmental and historic traumas. She is a Certified Zentangle Instructor and is proud to be involved in her local artist community through working as the Director of Lumina Arts Incubator, and co facilitates Artist’s Way Creative Clusters. She holds a Creative Catalyst Certificate, a program from the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. As well as a Trauma-Informed Artist certification from the Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation. She is a member of Instantes Graficos International Collective and has participated in exhibitions in Buenos Aires, Argentina at 1/1 Caja de Arte Gallery & Una Obra un Artista Gallery as well as sold artwork at Printed Matter Art Book Fair – New York City.
David Stradley (he/him) has been associated with Delaware Shakespeare for 19 of its 20 years, first as an actor, then as a board member, and, since 2011, as Producing Artistic Director. For Del Shakes, David has directed The Winter’s Tale, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, The Comedy of Errors, Pericles, and The Merchant of Venice. As an actor, he has appeared in As You Like It, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Much Ado About Nothing, Richard III, and The Taming of the Shrew. With Del Shakes, David is most pleased to have launched the Community Tour in 2016, which has been the springboard for its current period of growth and service. David has also served two periods as Artistic Associate with Delaware Theatre Company, where he directed eight productions. As a freelance artist, David has worked with, among others, the Wilma Theater, Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia Young Playwrights, Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre, Act II Playhouse, Creede Repertory Theatre, and Lost Nation Theater. BFA University of Evansville; MFA Florida State University/Asolo Conservatory. David and his wife met acting at Del Shakes in Love’s Labour’s Lost. Their rehearsal dinner cake read, “Love’s Labour’s Won.”
Other affiliations: First Church of Christ, Scientist – Wilmington
Matt Sullivan (he/him) is the chief operating officer at Short Order Production House and the former managing director of Delaware Shakespeare (2013-2018). A first-career journalist, he arrived in Delaware in 2004 to launch Spark magazine as its founding editor and general manager. After Spark, he opened his own communications consultancy, working for nonprofits, tourism agencies, political campaigns, corporate executives and government agencies. He’s been a columnist, blogger, podcaster, and restaurant critic, and is not good at specializing. He still occasionally commits random acts of journalism, and lives in Newark with his wife, Janice, and two kids.
Other affiliations: Board member, Reading Assist; community member at large, The Arts Consortium of Delaware; founding Board member, Delaware Local Journalism Initiative
S. Todd Townsend (he/him) is a committed educator and subject matter specialist in the areas of counseling, couple and family therapy, advanced adult education, leadership development, religion/spirituality and clinical studies. Todd has several years of teaching experience as an Adjunct Professor and Instructor at graduate, undergraduate and community levels. He is also a seasoned presenter at the conference, social and institutional levels. Todd is a philosophical speaker and able lecturer in the presentation of forgiveness intervention, conflict resolution, ethics and modern communication. Known amongst peers as a dedicated servant-leader; insightful in developing others to attain their maximum potential.
George H. Watson (he/him) holds a Ph.D. in Physics and is Unidel Professor Emeritus of Physics at the University of Delaware; he served nine years as the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at UD [2009-2018]. As Dean of its largest college, he was responsible for the leadership and administration of the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. George’s physics research was in experimental condensed matter physics and laser spectroscopy.
George has been active in the Delaware Arts Alliance, serving as immediate past President of the Board. He currently serves on the boards of Delaware Shakespeare, the Delaware Contemporary, Friends of the UD Library, and Delaware Public Media.
Marilyn P. Whittington (she/her) is the emeritus Executive Director of Delaware Humanities. She is an experienced teacher, having taught at Delaware Technical and Community College as well as in Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. She also served at the state and federal level for the U.S. Small Business Administration. In these roles, she acquired broad experience and perspective for community planning, community vitality, and local community culture. She has served on several boards and commissions related to education and electoral processes, and is a member of the Rotary Club of Wilmington. Mrs. Whittington volunteers as a co-teacher at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. She holds degrees from the University of Delaware, Central Michigan University, and certificate credits from Virginia Tech.
Other affiliations: Friends of the African Union Church Cemetery; Delaware Center for Horticulture
