Donna Vieira is executive vice president and chief commercial officer for Sallie Mae. She oversees product development, sales, marketing, government relations, and communications for the company’s consumer businesses, including private student loans, retail banking, personal loans, and credit cards.

Vieira has more than 20 years of product, marketing, and management experience. Prior to joining Sallie Mae, Vieira served as chief marketing officer for consumer banking and wealth management at JPMorgan Chase, leading the development of strategic marketing and brand initiatives to grow deposit and investment balances and customer relationships. Vieira also served as chief marketing officer and product officer for Chase business banking, focusing on product and innovation development. She has also held leadership roles at Dun & Bradstreet, Merrill Lynch, and American Express.

Vieira earned a bachelor’s degree from Mount Allison University and a Master of Business Administration from Pace University. A staunch supporter of athletics and causes that support individuals and families with disabilities, Vieira is an active volunteer with Special Olympics Delaware. She resides in Hockessin with her husband and two children.

Alan Colberg is a Senior Retirement Plan Specialist for DuPont Capital Management Corporation. He works under DuPont Capital’s Investment Oversight Committee, a named fiduciary of the DuPont and Related Companies Defined Contribution Plan Master Trust. In this role, he is responsible for management of all aspects of Trust operation and implementation. This includes the custom investment design, investment manager selection and negotiation, compliance monitoring, client relations, and oversight of investment consultants. He also serves as DuPont Capital’s Records and Information Management Champion and on the DuPont Capital Personnel and Business Risk Management Committees. Prior to joining DuPont Capital in June of 1992, he was a Senior Network Engineer with Computer Aid, Incorporated.

Alan holds a B.S. in Business, concentration in Computer Management and a B.A. in Applied Mathematics from Eastern Illinois University, and is a Certified Six Sigma Champion and Master Black Belt.

Pete is a Director at Cover & Rossiter and the head of the Audit practice. He has developed an expertise in nonprofit accounting, auditing and tax issues and is privileged to work with many of the region’s leading nonprofit institutions. Pete is responsible for the firm’s quality control policies and procedures and ensures that Cover & Rossiter meets or exceeds all professional standards.

With over 25 years of experience in the accounting field, in addition to his experience with nonprofits, Pete has worked in many diverse fields including manufacturing, construction, and professional and financial services. Prior to joining Cover & Rossiter, Pete worked for three years with a regional accounting firm in Philadelphia and for three years with a medical equipment manufacturer as a cost accountant (he has since recovered).

A 1985 graduate of Clarkson University, Pete holds a Bachelor’s degree in accounting and currently holds active licenses in both Pennsylvania and Delaware. He is affiliated with both the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Pete was named to the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB’s”) Not-For-Profit Financial Statement Project Resource Group. This is a national group of 20 individuals recognized for their not-for-profit accounting expertise that the FASB had consultations with to improve not-for-profit financial statements. This process involved trips to the FASB’s Headquarters in Norwalk, CT, numerous conference calls and requests for comment, review and vetting of pre-release drafts, and culminated in the August 2016 release of the FASB’s Accounting Standards Update #2016-14 – the most significant re-write of not-for-profit financial statement rules in the past 20 years.

Under Pete’s direction, Cover & Rossiter regularly follows and responds to FASB exposure drafts which have the potential to impact our nonprofit clients – we are most often the only Delaware firm to do so. Pete is a Trustee of Christiana Care Health System and just completed a six-year term as a member of the Finance Committee. He is a member of the Audit and Compliance Committees of the Delaware Community Foundation, the Board of Directors of the Delaware College Scholars, the Audit and Governance Committee of the Delaware State Employee Benefit Plans Management Board, and the EastSide Charter School Citizens’ Budget Oversight Committee.

Pete retired from the Navy Reserve after twenty-two years of service (six years of active duty and the last sixteen as a Reservist).

Colleen C. Davis was elected State Treasurer in November 6, 2018. She was sworn into office on January 1, 2019. Colleen has a rich history of working for the First State. She served as the Treasurer for the Delaware Physician Assistant Advocacy Group (DAPA) and as a board member on the Advisory Board of Forge Life Sciences and on the Board of Delaware Maritime Education. In conjunction with these achievements, Colleen has also served as a financial consultant to large medical institutions, as well as, small independent practices. She has created fiscal stability and improved positive patient outcomes, while saving millions of dollars in overall health care costs. Colleen believes in a strong community and wants to help the State of Delaware improve its quality of life.

Over the years, she has volunteered locally, nationally and internationally. After Nepal was struck by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in April 2015, she went as a physician’s assistant to help people affected near Kathmandu. Colleen is a proven leader in Disaster Relief, Medical-Surgical practices, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Emergency Medicine, Neurosurgery and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).

Trinidad Navarro was elected in 2016 as the State of Delaware’s 26th Insurance Commissioner. In this role, he oversees the regulation of the Delaware insurance market and the Department’s consumer protection efforts. In 2014, the Delaware Department of Insurance ranked 10th in the U.S. in total written insurance premium, and regulated companies with more than $620 billion in assets. The DOI is the largest consumer protection agency in the state. A lifelong Delawarean, he has an extensive record of public service and is committed to protecting Delaware consumers. He served over 20 years with the New Castle County Police, retiring as the Public Information Officer after being elected as New Castle County Sheriff in 2010. While a police officer, he received the department’s distinguished Medal of Valor. Prior to that he worked as a licensed insurance agent.

Commissioner Navarro is a member of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). He also serves on the Delaware Health Care Commission, the State Employees Benefits Committee, and the Council on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. Commissioner Navarro holds an Associate Degree in criminal justice from the Delaware Technical and Community College and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Wilmington University. He has two daughters, Kylie and Hannah, and one son, Jordan. Commissioner Navarro currently resides in Bear, DE with his wife Melissa and youngest daughter Hannah.

Cindy Marten was confirmed as Delaware’s Secretary of Education on Jan. 30, 2025. She has had a distinguished career as both a teacher and an administrator, including most recently serving as the Deputy Secretary of Education, a role in which she was responsible for K-12 initiatives while serving as Chief Operating Officer, overseeing a $230 billion budget and more than 4,000 federal employees. Marten has over 15 years of experience as a classroom teacher. She served as Superintendent of the San Diego Unified School District, the second-largest school district in California, for eight years, where she successfully implemented policies to close opportunity gaps, support educators, and increase graduation rates. Throughout her career, she has championed community engagement, student-centered learning, and the empowerment of educators as key drivers of success. She is also a strong proponent of multilingual education.

Michael R. Smith was confirmed as Delaware’s Secretary of Finance on Jan. 29, 2025. He has 18 years of experience in finance leadership roles within state and county governments, advising senior cabinet members and elected officials on matters of finance, tax, and law.

Michael previously served as Chief Financial Officer for New Castle County, where he oversaw Treasury (county property tax/sewer charges), Accounting (financial reporting, performance audits, accounts payable, payroll, grants management), Budget (operating and capital), Cash and Debt Management, Assessment, and Pension. Michael’s strong financial leadership and strategic planning ensured the County’s highest credit ratings possible were maintained and left the County with historic financial reserves.

Earlier, he served as Deputy Director of the Delaware Division of Revenue, where he was responsible for the administration and enforcement of the Delaware tax code, the processing of tax returns and forms, and the daily operations of all offices within the Division. Michael earned his Juris Doctorate with a concentration in tax from the Widener University School of Law and an undergraduate degree in economics and finance from the University of Waterloo.

Leighann Hinkle is currently the Deputy Director of the Statewide Benefits Office, which is responsible for the strategic planning, daily administration and financial management of all health and related benefit programs. In this role, Leighann provides benefit program compliance, fiscal oversight, and administration of the State Group Health Insurance Program.  This includes a strategic commitment to ongoing employee and human resource staff education and guidance to ensure a clear and consistent understanding of the progressive and comprehensive benefit programs available program participants.

Leighann has more than 15 years of experience in benefits administration. Prior to her current position, she served as Policy Advisor in the Office of Management and Budget where she focused on Affordable Care Act compliance. Leighann started her career in the Office of State Treasurer overseeing the administration of the 457(b), 401(a), 403(b) and 529 plans.

Leighann earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware and a Master of Business Administration from Wilmington University.

Brian Maxwell is a lifelong Delawarean and a graduate of the University of Delaware. Brian recently served as the Chief Financial Officer for Children & Families First. Before joining Children & Families First, he served in various county and state government positions for over 13 years. He assisted the New Castle County Meyer administration with developing a long-term balanced financial plan and increasing transparency for county spending. He was appointed by Governor Markell and confirmed by the Delaware State Senate to serve as the Director of the Office of Management of Budget in 2016. Earlier in his career, he spent several years in the private financial services sector.

Jason Hale is the Director of Operations for the Cape Henlopen School District, where he is responsible for the oversight of school facilities management, student transportation, child nutrition and information technology. In his role, he is responsible for advising the superintendent, assistant superintendent and school board on all matters related to non-curricular district operations. Prior to working in the Cape Henlopen School District, Dr. Hale served as the Chief Financial Officer for the Brandywine School District for five years, the Director of Business for the New Castle County Vocational Technical School District for 17 years and spent over 2 years in public accounting as a senior auditor. Dr. Hale is a past president of the Delaware Association of School Administrators and served for three years as the President of the Delaware Association of School Business Officials.

In addition to his work in the public sector, he is an adjunct instructor at Wilmington University in the Master of Education Leadership, Doctor of Education and Doctor of Business Administration programs. He also serves as the Adjunct Program Chair for the University’s Career and Technical Program in the College of Education. Dr. Hale has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting with a Minor in Macroeconomics and a Master of Education from the University of Delaware and a Doctor of Education from Wilmington University. He is also a licensed Delaware Certified Public Accountant and a member of the Delaware Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Joel Coppadge has spent 39 years in the healthcare profession, including serving as Executive Vice President at Aetna for 18 years. Prior to that, he spent 15 years in various leadership positions for Cigna. Mr. Coppadge also served as the head of the Leadership Development Program for six years at Allstate Insurance Company. He is a current member of Canaan Baptist Church where he is also a member of the Music Ministry and Co-Chair on the Board of Trustees for the last two years. Mr. Coppadge was a Board member of the Police Athletic League of Wilmington for ten years and served as the Board President and Vice-President. He is a current member of both the Metropolitan Urban League Guild and the Board of Directors for Nexters PAC. Mr. Coppadge was the co-founder and head coach for twelve years for the Delaware Diamonds Track Club. He is a current member of The Pointe Council, where he is the Vice President, and is the owner of LuckyQ Solutions, LLC as well as a member of The First Tee Board. He previously served as the Chief Operating Officer of Advanced Healthcare Solutions.

Mr. Coppadge is a graduate of Delaware State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He was a scholarship athlete and captain of the basketball team during his senior year. Mr. Coppadge currently lives in Wilmington.