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BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS
Carol Everhart
Rehoboth Beach- Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce
As president and CEO of the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce, Carol Everhart manages the largest chamber in Delaware with more than 1,300 members and serves
as a major marketing arm for the state’s busiest beach resort area. She first came to the chamber more than 30 years ago after time in the recreation, paralegal and creative consulting fields, and rose to become the chamber’s leader in 2001. Everhart frequently consults with state legislative leaders about the impact of proposed legislation on her businesses. The chamber has also become an invaluable resource in tracking trends in the region’s tourism industry, reporting data on its hotel bookings and managing a visitors center and information kiosk.
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Ayanna Khan
Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce
Sensing a need amid the COVID pandemic in 2020, Ayanna Khan founded the Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce (DEBCC) with an
aim to provide a platform for Black entrepreneurs and professionals to connect, collaborate, and thrive. Under her leadership, the chamber has grown exponentially in a short amount of time, becoming a powerful advocate for more than 600 business members in the state. She understood the need because she too is an entrepreneur, launching small business consulting firm Khan Consulting LLC in 2015. The DEBCC was named the 2023 National Black Chamber of Commerce of the Year in recognition of its tremendous efforts.
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Sergio Morales
Delaware Alliance of Latino Entrepreneurs
Sergio Morales helped to organize the state’s Latino business community into ¡DALE!, or the Delaware Alliance of Latino Entrepreneurs. He knows the needs of small business owners, founding and leading E&S Morales Brothers LLC, a general contractor specializing in custom homes, renovations, additions, decks, and more in central and southern Delaware. After participating in programs with La Plaza Delaware in Sussex County, Morales took a leadership role in organizing ¡DALE! In 2022. The new organization is already forming partnerships with the Association of Builders and Contractors Delaware and Builders and Remodelers Association of Delaware, and lobbied the state legislature over a Contract Workforce Agreement bill they argued would hurt Latino businesses.
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Michael Quaranta
Delaware State Chamber of Commerce
As leader of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, the oldest and most influential business association in the state, Michael Quaranta has
the ability to help set public policy
for thousands of state businesses, big or small. Taking the helm of the state chamber in 2018, Quaranta was a
good fit, having served on the staff of what would become the Department of Homeland Security, managed operations for 30 states for a Fortune 500 company, lobbied with the Podesta Group, and served as chief of staff to then-U.S. Rep. Mike Castle for seven years. Today, Quaranta has the ear
of major CEOs around the state, the governor and legislative leaders, and he’s pushed membership to new highs to extend the lobbying power of the chamber.
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