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.

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.

Chief Judge (ret.) Smalls was appointed to the Commission on March 9, 2022, for a term to end on April 25, 2025.

Judge Smalls retired from the Delaware Court of Common Pleas in May 2021, after 29 years on the bench. Judge Smalls was appointed or reappointed by four different governors and served under five different Delaware Supreme Court Chief Justices. Judge Smalls was the longest-serving Chief Judge of any Delaware State Court in history.

Judge Smalls graduated from Morgan State University in Baltimore with a BA in Political Science and went on to earn his law degree from Rutgers University School of Law. He began his public sector career in March 1980 as a Deputy Attorney General for the State of Delaware in the criminal division, and later joined the City of Wilmington as Commissioner of Licenses and Inspections in 1985. He then became the city’s Director of Public Safety from 1985 until joining the bench in 1991.

Judge Smalls’ career on the bench began in the former Municipal Court for the City of Wilmington in 1991, where he served with Judge Leonard L. Williams. In 1993, he was appointed to the Court of Common Pleas and was elevated to the position of Chief Judge in 1997, making him the first African American to serve as a Chief or President Judge of any Delaware State Court. As Chief Judge, he oversaw Wilmington Municipal Court being merged into the Court of Common Pleas in 1998, a change that made the Court of Common Pleas a truly statewide misdemeanor court. In addition, Chief Judge Smalls oversaw an increase in both the size and jurisdiction of the court during his tenure. This included an increase in the number of Court of Common Pleas judges from five to nine, expansion of the court’s criminal and civil jurisdiction, and broadening of the court’s role as an appellate court for the Justice of the Peace Court and Alderman’s Courts. He also oversaw and implemented numerous innovations including the creation of drug diversion programs and specialty courts such as the DUI Court. He was also instrumental in the creation and launch of the Wilmington Community Court program.

Judge Smalls also previously served on: the Governor’s Justice Reinvestment Task Force; the Delaware Racial Justice Improvement Project Task Force; the Delaware Criminal Justice Council; the Board of Directors of the Layton Home; the Board of Trustees for both St. Edmond’s Academy for Boys and Ezion-Mount Carmel United Methodist Church; and was the Chairman of the Community Legal Society.
Judge Smalls is enjoying his retirement in Delaware

New information coming soon!