Page 40 - Delaware 222 - 2025
P. 40

EDUCATION
Since 2014, Mark Brainard has served
as Delaware Technical Community
College’s president and overseen policy
at its four campuses that teaches
thousands of students every year. But
before that, he worked in the Delaware
legislature and for the Delaware State
Chamber of Commerce. In 2002, he
was tapped by Gov. Ruth Ann Minner
to serve as her chief of staff , staying
for six years and helping to marshal
support for the SEED program, which
covers full tuition for select high school
graduates to get an associate degree.
Mark Brainard
Delaware Technical and
Community College
ALMA MATERS:
BOARDS:
Q&A:
Phillip Closius
Wilmington University
School of Law
Phillip Closius is the founding dean
of Wilmington University School of
Law, a major expansion of Wilmington
University designed to cater to working
adults interested in advancing careers.
Closius previously served as the dean
of the University of Baltimore School
of Law and Th e University of Toledo
College of Law, where he increased
bar passage rates at both by 30% and
job placement rates by 20%, while
spearheading the two largest jumps for
a law school in the history of the U.S. &
World News Report annual rankings.
Under his tenure, WilmU is facing its
test of accreditation in early 2025.
ALMA MATERS:
Q&A:
38 DELAWARE 222 | DelawareBusinessTimes.com
38 DELAWARE 222 | DelawareBusinessTimes.com
38 DELAWARE 222 | DelawareBusinessTimes.com
Todd Clark is the dean of Widener
University Delaware Law School,
the oldest and most infl uential law
school in the state. A native of Ohio, he
previously worked as associate dean of
academic aff airs at the law school at St.
Th omas University as well as teaching
at North Carolina Central University
School of Law. During his tenure at
NCCU, he created and guided the
Practice of Law certifi cate program.
Clark has written on the legal issues of
employment discrimination, sports,
the intersection of hip-hop culture and
the law, and corporate justice.
Todd Clark
Widener University
Delaware Law School
ALMA MATERS:
BOARD:
Q&A:
LaVerne Harmon
Wilmington University
In 2017, LaVerne Harmon became
president of Wilmington University
after decades of service to the school,
holding major roles in the university’s
internal operations like director of
human resources, director of student
aff airs and alumni relations and
vice president of student aff airs. She
was the fi rst woman of color to lead
a university in Delaware history.
During her tenure she established
the University’s Leadership Institute,
established its offi ces of Student Aff airs
and Disability Services, and advanced
the University’s athletics from NAIA
to NCAA Division II. In 2022, she
also launched the School of Law, the
university’s biggest program addition
in its history.
ALMA MATERS:
BOARDS:
Q&A:









   38   39   40   41   42