Mr. Chaney was appointed to the Commission on March 9, 2022, for a seven-year term, ending in 2029. He was elected Vice-Chair of Personnel in January 2023 and served in that role until August of 2024, when he was elected Chairperson.

A graduate of Woodbridge High School and the University of Delaware, Mr. Chaney also attended The Delaware Law School and graduate school at UD.

Mr. Chaney was commissioned as an Infantry Officer in the United States Army, serving twenty-one years, during which he deployed multiple times. Among other assignments, Mr. Chaney was Deputy Ground Component Commander for Operation Vigilant Warrior in Southeast Asia and the J3, Director of Operations for US Forces Haiti. In his final assignment, as Chief of the Combat Maneuver Division on the Army Staff, he managed Army procurement program funding for all Infantry, Armor, Engineer, Soldier Systems and Combat ID programs, totaling over four billion dollars annually. His military awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit and the Joint Meritorious Service Medal. Mr. Chaney is one of only a few Officers to ever be awarded the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Identification Badge, and also has the Expert Infantryman’s Badge, Airborne Badge and the Army Staff Badge. He was inducted into the Order of Saint Maurice, the US Army Infantry’s Honor Society.

After retirement, Mr. Chaney worked in the Defense Industry; first with SYColeman, Inc, where he became Vice President of Programs, and then with ESP, LLC, where he was Director of Operations for the National Capital Region.

In 2015, Mr. Chaney was asked to assume responsibilities as the Director of Ceremonies for the Military District of Washington, where he planned, coordinated and managed engagement events with national strategic importance. He advised the President, Vice President, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs; coordinated directly with Heads of State and Heads of Government throughout the world and provided direct oversight of ceremonial support to the 58th Presidential Inauguration. Civilian awards include the Meritorious Service Award (twice) and the Superior Service Award.

Mr. Chaney is a past member of the Randolph Macon Woman’s College Board of Advisors and the Azalea Charities Board of Directors (Co-chair of the Aid for Wounded Warriors Committee). He served on the ESP, LLC Board of Directors, the R&M Buses Inc. Board of Directors, and Co-chaired the URS Coleman Board of Directors. He also was a member of the Liberty County (GA) School Board. He continues to serve his community on his neighborhood Advisory Committee and Transition Committee (Chair) and Architectural Review Committee (Chair).

He currently is a member of the Rehoboth Beach Country Club’s Long Range Planning Committee.

Dr. Harrington was confirmed as a Commissioner on September 12, 2023, for a seven- year term to end on September 8, 2030. She was elected Vice-President of Personnel in August 2024.

Dr. Harrington earned her undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and her doctoral degree in Neuroscience from Stanford University in Stanford, California.

After completing her education, Dr. Harrington worked for the University of California, Santa Cruz and Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. For the past 23 years, Dr. Harrington has worked at Delaware State University. She began her employment with the University in 2001, as an Assistant Professor of Biotechnology and is currently the Associate Vice President for Research. Dr. Harrington has served as a grant administrator (or co-administrator) over numerous federal grant programs with funding totaling over $69 million. Sharing her grant-writing expertise with others, Dr. Harrington has been a grant writing coach for the Science & Technology Policy Institute, the National Research Mentoring Network and the Neuroscience Scholars Program of the Society for Neuroscience.

In addition to the foregoing, Dr. Harrington has received numerous professional honors including: Faculty Awards for Excellence in Research and Excellence in Mentoring from Delaware State University; the Distinguished Alumna award, School of Science, Purdue University; and the Faculty Award for Excellence in Service from Delaware State University. Over the course of her career, Dr. Harrington has authored 48 peer-reviewed articles.

Outside of her professional accomplishments, Dr. Harrington enjoys horseback riding. Dr. Harrington resides in Camden, Delaware (Kent County) with her husband, Colin Bonini.

Dr. Bunting was appointed to the Commission on June 20, 2024, for a seven-year term, ending in 2031. She was elected Vice-Chair of Administration in August 2024.

Dr. Bunting served as Delaware’s Secretary of Education from January 2017 through the end of 2021. Prior to leading the Department of Education’s work, she served as Indian River School District’s superintendent from July 2006 through January 2017. She earned her B.S. in psychology and elementary education from The American University (1971), a Master’s in Education from Salisbury University (1981), and a Doctorate in Education Leadership from the University of Delaware (1997). Prior to her selection as IRSD’s chief, she had been a middle school language arts teacher, an elementary gifted/talented teacher, IRSD’s Supervisor of Elementary Instruction, and the district’s K-12 Director of Instruction. Peers selected her as Indian River’s Teacher of the Year in 1984.

An experienced national conference presenter, Dr. Bunting co-created IRSD’s Leadership Institute and Administrative Development Program, both of which led to her renown in leadership development. Widely recognized for her instructional and curricular expertise, Dr. Bunting served as the 2009-2010 president of the Delaware Chief School Officers Association, was named Delaware Superintendent of the Year in 2011-2012, and was subsequently selected as one of four finalists for 2012’s National Superintendent of the Year. She is currently teaching for Wilmington University, coaching principals, and working with Delaware Technical Community College’s Center for Teaching Excellence. Additionally, Dr. Bunting sits on the Beebe Healthcare Center’s Board of Directors, is president of the Primeros Pasos Early Learning Center’s Board, and serves as Selbyville Historical Society’s vice-president.

Judge Del Pesco was appointed to the Commission on May 16, 2025, for a seven-year term, ending in 2032.

Judge Del Pesco’s legal career began in 1975 when she was one of the six women admitted to the bar out of a class of 62. She began her career in the general practice of Schnee & Castle, which later merged with the firm then known as Prickett, Jones, Eliott, Kristol & Schnee.

In 1987 she was the first woman to serve as President of the Delaware State Bar Association. The next year she was the first woman appointed to the Delaware Superior Court. She served on that court until 2008. From 2008-2012 she served as the Public Member on the National Board of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. In 2009 she took a position with the Department of Health and Social Services as the Director of the Division of Long Term Care Residents Protection. She retired from that position at the end of 2012. During and after her work with DHSS she was deeply involved in writing and enacting into law the Durable Personal Power of Attorney statute and the Delaware Medical Order for Scope of Treatment (DMOST).

In 2018 Susan was part of the team that secured the 21st Amendment to the Delaware Constitution which provides: Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged on account of race, color, national origin, or sex.

In 1996 Susan was the first recipient of the newly-created Women’s Leadership Award of the Delaware State Bar Association. And in 2009 She was awarded the Bar Association ‘s First State Distinguished Service Award. She was inducted into the Delaware Women’s Hall of Fame in 2011. In 2020 She received the Delaware ACLU’s Kandler Award, given annually to a Delawarean who “represents the highest commitment to ensuring the Civil Rights and liberties of all Delawareans.”

She and husband Tom celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in August 2025. They have two sons, Joseph, a curator of contemporary art and Nicholas, a psychotherapist. Both are married, and Nicholas has a son.

Mr. Manus was confirmed as a Commissioner on March 28, 2018, for a seven-year term expiring in March 2025. He was elected Chairperson in 2020, 2021 and again in 2022.

Mr. Manus received his undergraduate degree from the University of New Hampshire and his Master’s degree from Texas A&M University.

Mr. Manus’ very active retirement includes managing his wife’s family farm. As part of his management duties, he practices land stewardship of forested tracts and rehabilitates and repurposes old farm outbuildings. In his spare time Mr. Manus enjoys being a hobbyist woodworker.
Prior to his retirement, Mr. Manus was the Director of Conservation Programs at The Nature Conservancy in Milton, Delaware from 2004-2014. As Director he managed conservation stewardship operations and land protection staff and assisted staff in promoting ecological restoration/management projects and private lands protection strategies.

From 2002-2004, Mr. Manus was the Director of the Ducks Unlimited, Inc., Conservation Programs, Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay, Mid-Atlantic Field Office, Stevensville, Maryland. In that role he directed and delivered conservation programs in the five state Mid-Atlantic region while also supervising six staff habitat restoration specialists.

Mr. Manus worked for the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (“DNREC”) from 1990-2001. He was the Deputy Director of the Divisions of Soil and Water Conservation and Water Resources for three years before being appointed Director of the Division of Fish and Wildlife, a position he held for eight years. Mr. Manus was responsible for providing leadership and strategic direction for the Division of 126 full-time employees, 75 seasonal workers and a volunteer corps of 300 individuals. He provided direction to scientists and other professional staff in the development of research, regulatory, planning and enforcement programs designed to manage and conserve the fish, wildlife and habitat resources of Delaware. Mr. Manus administered an operating budget of $13.5 million, a land acquisition budget of $6.5 million and a capital budget of $2.5 million. In addition, he implemented two legal settlement agreements that totaled $11.5 million.

Between 1980 and 1989, Mr. Manus was Assistant Director and Executive Director of the University of Delaware Sea Grant College Program. He managed the Program through multidisciplinary activities in research, education and technical assistance. Mr. Manus oversaw a budget totaled $2.5 million for a staff of 35.

Mr. Manus has served on numerous boards, commissions and committees related to his love for the outdoors and conservation. A few of those are: Chairman, Atlantic Coast Joint Venture, 2003 -2007; Member Executive Committee, International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 1996-2000; President, Northeast Fish and Wildlife Directors Association, 1996-1998; Commissioner, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, 1993-2001; Member, Atlantic Flyway Council, 1993-2001.

Over the course of his career Mr. Manus received numerous awards and honors. Some of those include: Atlantic Coast Joint Venture Leadership Appreciation Award, 2007; Ducks Unlimited, Conservation Service Award, 2002; Atlantic Flyway Council Leadership Recognition Award, 2002; USFWS, Region 5 Division of Federal Aid, Certificate of Appreciation, 2002; USFWS, Northeast Region, Certificate of Special Appreciation, 2002; Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Outstanding Support Award, 2002; New Castle County Council, Resolution of Appreciation for Outstanding Public Service, 2002; Conservation Foundation Recognition of Appreciation for Commitment to Chesapeake Forest Project, 2001; North American Wetlands Conservation Council Resolution of Appreciation, 2001; Delaware Chapter of The Nature Conservancy’s Conservation Partnership Award, 1999; University of Delaware Public Service Fellowship, 1989.

Mr. Manus resides in Clayton, Delaware (Kent County).

Senator Simpson was appointed to the Commission on June 19, 2019, for a seven-year term, ending in 2026. He was elected Chairperson in January 2023 and served in that position until August 2024.

Senator Simpson is a graduate of Milford High School. He has a Bachelor of Science in Pre-Veterinarian Medicine and a Master’s of Science in Agricultural Economics, both from the University of Delaware.
Senator Simpson began his career as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps. After his military service he spent a few years working as a real estate agent and then spent two decades as a management executive working for the Delaware State Fair and the Harrington Raceway. Senator Simpson returned to the University of Delaware as the Assistant Director of University Relations from 1992 to 2012 and was a State Senator from 1998 to 2018.

Senator Simpson is a past board member of the Milford Housing Development Council; the Cape Henlopen Senior Center; March of Dimes; and a council member of the U of D Sea Grant Advisory Council. He has also served as a board and Executive Committee member for Bayhealth Medical Center, Milford Memorial Hospital and the Council of State Governments where he was Chair of the Agriculture Committee for the Eastern Region. Senator Simpson was previously President of the Milford High School Alumni Association, a charter member and President of the Delaware 4-H Foundation, member and Elder of the Milford First Presbyterian Church and a softball coach and umpire. He most recently stepped down from the Delaware Economic & Financial Advisory Council and the Southern Region Education Board.

Senator Simpson is a board and Executive Committee member for the Delaware State Fair, Inc. and is a member and board member of Eagle’s Nest Fellowship Church.

Senator Simpson has received numerous awards for his community involvement including: Order of the First State, as ordered by Governor John Carney; Legislator of the Year, Delaware State Chamber of Commerce; Conservator of the Year, Conservation Service; Legislative Friend of Education Award, Delaware State Education Assoc.; Eagle Award, Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc.; Legislator of the Year, Delaware Standardbred Breeders Association.

Senator Simpson resides in Middletown with his wife, Debbie. They have three daughters and seven grandchildren.

New information coming soon!