Brian Selander Leaving to Build Kids Sports Entertainment Network, “The Whistle”

Wilmington, DE – Governor Jack Markell announced that Brian Selander, his Chief Strategy Officer since 2009, will be leaving in December to help launch “The Whistle,” a sports media and entertainment network for kids.

“Brian Selander has been a valued partner, advisor and friend for more than a decade,” said Governor Markell. “ I am extremely grateful for his service to my administration and am confident he will be hugely successful in the next chapter of his career.”

Selander joined the administration its first day in January 2009. In addition to serving as the Governor’s advisor and spokesperson, Selander managed the Communications, Constituent Relations and Scheduling teams within the Governor’s office.

“I am so grateful to the Governor for having had the chance to serve him and this great state of neighbors. He’s really pulled people together to get our state moving forward again,” said Selander, who leaves December 12. “It’s sad to leave a team of inspiring and committed people, but I am looking forward to building something exciting for a new generation of sports fans that their parents can feel great about them watching.”

Before joining the administration, Selander was the National Director of the spend management solutions practice at CGI-AMS, helped build as Managing Director the business consulting firm Silver Oak Solutions, served as Communications Director for United States Senator Tom Carper and worked for former United States Senator Bill Bradley.

NEW CASTLE (Nov. 30, 2012) – Their stories will touch your heart. A grandmother taking in her two grandchildren after her daughter was diagnosed with colon cancer. A single mother with three children who are homeless after the mother lost her job because of health problems. A single mom who left a domestic violence situation and now lives place to place with her two children.

With even more people seeking help from the state’s Holiday Adopt-A-Family program in just the past few weeks, additional donors are needed to share their kindness – and holiday gifts — for hundreds of Delaware children and seniors living in poverty or in low-income households.

Each holiday season, donors are anonymously matched to a senior or family of one or more children through the Holiday Adopt-A-Family program. Adopt-A-Family provides the donor with the age and gender of each child in the family and a brief description of the circumstances that led to their need for assistance. The donor then provides gift cards or certificates for the head-of-household to use in buying holiday gifts. The recommended gift is $100 to $125 per child, with a gift certificate for the parent optional but thoughtful. The deadline to “adopt” a family is Dec. 10. The program is coordinated by the Human Services Council, Inc., in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Services.

“When the need is greatest, Delawareans always step forward to help,” Gov. Jack Markell said. “This is an opportunity to join with others at work, at school, at church, or at home to help those who are at risk of doing with very little this holiday season. Adopt-A-Family showcases the best of our community and the best of the holiday spirit.”

In Delaware, 363 families, including 243 in New Castle County and 120 in Kent and Sussex counties are awaiting adoption. Those families represent 679 children and 44 seniors.

The reasons why many families need the help of Adopt-A-Family are often heart-breaking. “My daughter has been diagnosed with colon cancer and cannot take care of her two children,” said one woman who is seeking help. “Even though I am almost 72 years old, I felt the need to step up and take them in. But, I need some help to give them a Christmas this year. I would like to provide them with some happy memories of this year since they may not have their mother much longer.”

For families who have benefited in the past from Holiday Adopt-A-Family, the words of thanks are just as poignant:

• “Because of your generosity, my children will have a Christmas.”
• “There are no words to express my gratitude for all of you’ve done for my grandchildren and me.”
• “Thank you so very, very much for sharing your love and kindness at this special hour of need. It has truly made Christmas for my family and me one of my smiles and happiness from ear to ear.”

“Across the state, we know the generous spirit of Delawareans,” said Rita Landgraf, secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services. “During these challenging economic times, please consider donating a gift card or gift certificate to help children, families or seniors experience a happier holiday season. For those who give, Adopt-A-Family is often a more rewarding experience than it is for the recipients.”

“The beauty of this program is that it is built on the ethic of reciprocity,” said Dr. Anne Farley, director of the Division of State Service Centers, which oversees the Adopt-A-Family program. “Adopt-A-Family pairs individuals who are facing difficult times with someone else in the community who is able to share and willing to give. The program cultivates the ethic of giving back and of sharing, which at its core is the strength of us as a people and as a community.”

In 2011, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 16 percent of Delawareans lived below the poverty line. In January 2012, more than 152,000 Delawareans qualified for food stamps and more than 210,000 people are on Medicaid. Delaware’s unemployment rate was 6.8 percent in September.

“As the economy continues to recover, we find the need is still great for our Holiday Adopt-A-Family program,” Farley said. “That’s why we rely on the generosity of individuals, businesses and organizations to volunteer or to donate by adopting a family or an elderly person.”

To “adopt” an individual or family in:

• New Castle County: Contact the New Castle County Adopt-A-Family at (302) 792-9538 or email: adoptafamilync2@delaware.gov. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
• Kent and Sussex counties: Contact the Kent and Sussex Adopt-A-Family at (302) 424-7260 or email: adopt-a-family-ks@delaware.gov. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The deadline to “adopt” a family is Dec. 10, and all gift cards and gifts must be delivered to the Adopt-A-Family Office by Dec. 17. Families who are adopted come to each location to receive their gifts.

In 2011, the Holiday Adopt-A-Family program, through the leadership of the Human Services Councils of New Castle County and Kent/Sussex counties, helped 1,974 Delawareans. Most of the beneficiaries are single-parent households, children and senior citizens. They are referred to Adopt-A-Family by a social worker or case manager through state agencies and human service nonprofit organizations.

Year-round, the Adopt-A-Family program aids families in crisis — those struggling with illness, homelessness, domestic violence, poverty or unemployment. The program, begun in 1973, is coordinated by the Division of State Service Centers in all three counties.

For more information about Adopt-A-Family, go to http://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dssc/adoptfam.html

WILMINGTON – In his weekly message, the Governor talks about the important role quality early childhood education plays preparing our children for success.

“Research is clear,” said Governor Markell. “Kids with access to quality early childhood education are less likely to be disruptive in school and more likely to graduate. They go on to earn more, contribute more and require far fewer government services. Early childhood education is an investment that pays economic and educational dividends.”

At noon every Friday, the Governor’s office releases a new Weekly Message in video, audio, and transcript form.  The message is available on:

YouTube: http://youtu.be/4Hj4swTIVNI
Delaware.Gov: http://governor.delaware.gov/information/podcast_video.shtml
By email: Please contact our press team to subscribe to our press list
Facebook: www.facebook.com/governormarkell
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Transcript of the Governor’s Weekly Message: Investing in Our Future Through Early Childhood Education

Learning doesn’t begin when a student walks into class the first day of kindergarten…nor does it end when a student walks across the stage to receive a diploma at graduation. Learning is lifelong and children who don’t have access to quality EARLY education can start kindergarten well behind their classmates. Where you start in life should never limit how far you can go if you work and study hard.

Research is clear: kids with access to quality early childhood education are less likely to be disruptive in school and more likely to graduate. They go on to earn more, contribute more and require far fewer government services. Early childhood education is an investment that pays economic and educational dividends.

Here in Delaware, we have an ambitious goal – to move from 20 to 80 the percentage of low-income kids with access to quality-rated early childhood education programs. We’re making the investments needed to get those results and we’re moving forward with higher quality programs. Together with the legislature, we invested 22-million-dollars of state resources in early education last year. That commitment helped us secure an additional grant from the federal government’s Early Learning Challenge, helping us to expand the number of programs enrolled in our voluntary “Delaware Stars-for-Early-Success” quality rating system. Simply put – Stars rewards high-quality programs with additional resources.

Though our work is far from over, we marked progress this week. So far, we have more than doubled the programs participating in Stars and the number of programs at the highest Star Levels. We are encouraged by the number of centers committed to becoming even better and earning additional Stars. But more importantly, we are moved by the number of people across the state who have offered their help to make sure that more children get a more equitable shot at success. We want kids showing up their first day of school not only more ready to learn and develop their own potential, but more ready to grab the promise and potential of our state’s public schools …. as together we work on early childhood education that will keep Delaware moving forward.

(click here for link to Forest Service web page and more information)

Over the past ten years (2003 to 2012), an average of 70,639 wildfires have burned an estimated 7,414,500 acres of valuable land per year in the United States. Despite being a small state with a somewhat low risk of wildfire, Delaware has managed to achieve a sizable reputation on the national firefighting scene because it regularly dispatches teams of trained and experienced personnel to battle wildfires in the West. The First State has also fielded crews to aid in other national or regional emergencies, such as serving on hurricane relief crews in Florida and New York.

In June of 2012, Delaware dispatched a 20-person crew to fight a wildfire in southwestern Colorado and was eventually transferred to a large blaze burning in Wyoming. Later in the summer, the Forest Service dispatched a second 20-person crew to fight a wildfire near Twin Falls, Idaho. In addition, several Delaware volunteers also joined with crews from other states to serve on other wildfire assignments or served in field offices or dispatch centers to help guide manpower and resources to the firefighting effort.