Delaware Business Leaders Hall of Fame History & Laureates

The 2020 Nominating Committee Chair Teri Quinn Gray and her team including Charles Madden and Tim Butler led the way to powerful changes to the Hall of Fame that embrace these historic times.  These leaders, along with JA Young Professional Board Members Denee Crumrine and Brianna Huff are catalysts for culture change in this illustrious institution.

In addition to creating the slate of potential nominees that included 2021 Laureates Van Hampton and Logan Herring, Teri, Charles and Tim vetted and nominated those honored in virtual Hall of Fame ceremonies in 2020.

2020 Hall of Fame Inductees:

Devona E.G. Williams

William (Bill) Allen, Jr.

Chef Dana Herbert.

Founded in 1990, The Delaware Business Leaders Hall of Fame honors business and community leaders whose work has had a positive impact on Workforce and Economic Development in the region.  Originally a partnership with Hagley Museum & Library with a focus on inducting historical laureates, today the Hall of Fame features current and recent leaders whose influence is known and felt by their contemporaries.

At our last pre-pandemic, in-person induction the 2019 Hall of Fame Chair Christopher Burkhard led the festivities as we inducted Calvert A. Morgan, Jr, Sam & Mariah Calagione, and Thomas H. Draper.

In 2018 Hall of Fame chair Rob Martinelli, CEO and President of Today Media presided over the induction of J. Michael Bowman, Robert W. Perkins, and Terry A.Strine. 

Each year, the Junior Achievement of Delaware Leadership Council approves the selection of a slate of new inductees.  2017 inductees were Rob Siegfried from The Siegfried Group, and Ernie Dianastasis from The Precisionists, formerly of CAI, Inc.

The Hall of Fame inductees serve as role models to the students JA serves.  Hall of Fame Chairs over the years have included multiple individuals who went on to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in subsequent years.  These include: Ellen Kullman, Paul McConnell, Carol Ammon, Edgar S. Woolard, Jr. and Ernie Dianastasis.

Other Hall of Fame laureates in reverse order of induction are: Allen Fasnacht, Fred Sears, Gary Stockbridge, Peter Morrow, Rob Buccini, Verino Pettinaro, Bob Laskowski, Dan Butler (CSC),  Peter Minuit, Arkadi Kuhlmann, Jim Kelly, Alan R. Burkard, James A. Wolfe, Mark A. Suwyn, Craig Rogerson, Dian C. Taylor, Alan B. Levin, Frank J. McIntosh, Foster Friess, Murray Berstein, Leonard W. Quill, Leon F. Slocomb, Jr., Marvin N. (Skip) Schoenhals, Leon N. Weiner, John B. Campbell, Sally Hawkins, Robert W. Gore, T. Coleman du Pont, Werner C. Brown, John W. Rollins, Sr., Charles M. Cawley, John A. Krol, Frederick G. Krapf, Jr., Bernard J. Taylor, II, Carolyn S. Burger, Harry Levin, Joshua Heald, Walter S. Carpenter, David D. Wakefield, Joshua & Thomas Gilpin, Edward Goett, Jack Burris, Arthur S. Carota, E.I. du Pont, Joseph Bancroft, Irving S. Shapiro, Alexander F. Giacco, George Lobdell, Oliver Evans, Wilbert & Genevieve Gore, P.S. du Pont, Crawford Greenewalt and Joseph Tatnall.