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Senate Executive Committee hears gubernatorial nominees for several state boards
Summary
The committee took up five gubernatorial nominees — to the Harness Racing Commission, Water Infrastructure Advisory Council, State Board of Elections, State Board of Education, and Environmental Appeals Board — each introduced and given an opportunity to speak; the committee moved on to legislative business without recorded confirmation votes.
The Senate Executive Committee heard short presentations from five gubernatorial nominees. Chair called forward nominees for the Delaware Harness Racing Commission, the Water Infrastructure Advisory Council, the State Board of Elections, the State Board of Education and the Environmental Appeals Board, and each nominee briefly described relevant experience.
Barbara Bridal introduced herself for the harness racing commission and described decades of involvement with horses, volunteer work with the Delaware Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, and farm operations in Camden, Delaware. William Melwitham Jr., introduced for the State Board of Elections, cited long judicial service including years on the Kent County bench and prior service on canvass boards.
Charice Winstead, nominated to the Water Infrastructure Advisory Council and identified as the Dean for the College of Agriculture Science and Technology at Delaware State University, highlighted water-quality work and said the university’s EPA-accredited water-quality laboratory had received about $5,000,000 in funding for advanced instrumentation to analyze PFAS, microplastics and other contaminants. Michelle Marinucci, nominated to the State Board of Education, summarized two decades in education and administrative leadership, discussed trauma-informed practices and said measuring success requires better data and listening to communities. Aliyah Smith, nominated to the Environmental Appeals Board, described scientific credentials (bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry from Delaware State University) and community advocacy on environmental justice issues.
Committee members offered largely supportive remarks and posed a small number of clarifying questions to nominees; there was no formal confirmation vote reported during the meeting. The committee then moved to its single legislative item, SB 219.
