Senate Executive Committee holds confirmation hearings for Enhanced 911 chair, pension trustee and two DIAA nominees

Senator David Sokola, chair of the Senate Executive Committee, presided over confirmation hearings on multiple gubernatorial nominees during a hybrid committee meeting.

The committee heard presentations from Joshua Bushweller, nominated to the Enhanced 911 Emergency Reporting System board; Jeffrey A. Reeves, nominated to the Board of Pension Trustees; and William R. Schultz and Lauren DeSabatino, both nominated to the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association (DIAA). Each nominee described their background and answered questions from committee members.

Joshua Bushweller, nominated for the Enhanced 911 board, described nearly three decades with the Delaware State Police and said he had worked “very closely with our 9 1 1 services, both from the police, fire, and EMS side.” He told the committee he is “honored to be considered for the position of chair of the…enhanced 9 1 1 board” and said his priorities would include modernizing infrastructure and coordinating with first responders and technology partners. Senator Brian Pettyjohn asked about technological advances; Bushweller said NextGen 911 (Viper 7) is in place across the state’s eight PSAP centers and will allow “immediate FaceTime capability, video capability, text translation, voice translation,” though he noted a firewall issue at the Department of Technology and Information is delaying full deployment.

Jeffrey A. Reeves, nominated to the Board of Pension Trustees, described his legal practice work on portfolio monitoring and securities litigation representing pension funds. Reeves said protecting pension security is a “fiduciary obligation” he would take “very, very seriously,” and reminded the committee that his family’s experience with pensions informed his interest in the role.

William R. Schultz and Lauren DeSabatino each presented their experience in K‑12 athletics administration. Schultz, an athletic director with more than 30 years in education, discussed growth in school enrollment and athletic programs and his service on DIAA committees. DeSabatino described a career focused on advancing girls’ and women’s sports and noted national credentials as a certified athletic administrator through the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association.

Committee members asked nominees about practical issues tied to their roles. Senators raised questions ranging from NextGen 911 capabilities, staffing pressures in dispatch centers, and the use of mobile units for large events, to how DIAA might address competitive equity across schools and support coaches on health and safety issues. Senator Marie Pinkney referenced efforts to screen student athletes for heart conditions and asked whether DIAA should consider further measures; DeSabatino said divisional play and other steps have been discussed to improve equity and that health and safety remain a priority.

No formal roll-call votes on the nominations were recorded in the committee transcript. Chair Sokola told attendees that the committee would bring the day’s nominations forward when the Senate convenes in session: “And we will be doing first when we go into session the nominations from today.”

The committee also conducted routine business earlier in the meeting, including approving the March 12 draft minutes by unanimous consent after a motion and second were recorded. The committee adjourned by unanimous consent following the nomination presentations.

Less critical details: nominees were accompanied in the room by family or colleagues at times (for example, Reeves was joined by his wife, Tamika Reeves). Several senators who participated by asking questions included Gerald Hocker, Brian Pettyjohn, Marie Pinkney and others present for roll call.