Wilmington, DE – Today, Delaware Governor-elect Matt Meyer announced Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez as his nominee for Delaware Secretary of State. Patibanda-Sanchez is a proud Delawarean, born and raised in New Castle County. As an attorney who has worked in both the private and public sectors, Patibanda-Sanchez will start on day one with the experience and focus to promote Delaware’s economy and continue to foster the state’s economic development. The Delaware Secretary of State is a senate-confirmed position.
“Delawareans deserve a government ready to listen and respond to their needs,” Governor-elect Meyer said. “In Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez, they will have a Secretary of State poised to do exactly that, and she will deliver for all Delawareans.”
The Department of State’s main objective is to promote Delaware’s economy and generate state revenue while promoting the state’s unique corporate structure. Patibanda-Sanchez began her career as a judiciary fellow with Delaware Senator Chris Coons, and went on to build on her experience as an attorney and a land use and economic development professional across the country. Patibanda-Sanchez knows how closely local policies are intertwined with a state’s ability to attract new companies seeking talent and an eager workforce. She believes the role of the government is to lift those in need.
“I am honored to be nominated to serve my home state as Delaware’s next Secretary of State,” Patibanda-Sanchez said. “I thank Governor-elect Meyer for the opportunity, and I am eager to begin working with the talented staff at the Department of State to further strengthen Delaware families and create more economic development opportunities for everyone as well as promote and preserve Delaware’s history and cultural vibrancy for generations to come.”
Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez, Nominee, Delaware Secretary of State:
Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez is a proud Delawarean born and raised in New Castle County. She is an attorney and economic development professional with experience in municipal and administrative law, practicing both in the private and public sectors. Charuni began her public service as a judiciary fellow with Senator Chris Coons in 2011.
Patibanda-Sanchez currently serves as the General Manager of the New Castle County Department of Land Use. In this role, she oversees a staff of over 100 customer service employees who make up the Development Service, Licensing, Inspection, and Code Enforcement divisions. Charuni has been committed to the professional development of the department personnel. During her time as general manager, she created an inclusive and supportive environment, which resulted in increases in both hiring and promotion for diverse candidates. She also prioritized constituents by streamlining and improving the customer service experience. She leads the Department’s legislative policy priorities and community engagement efforts. Recent legislative efforts include protection for residents living adjacent to large industrial structures, incentivizing redevelopment and mixed-use housing projects in commercial corridors, and the creation of affordable and starter housing stock for New Castle County.
Prior to serving as General Manager, Charuni served as Economic Development Director for New Castle County during the pandemic. She created small business initiatives using ARPA federal funding and was successful in winning New Castle County’s first Economic Development Administration grant. She was also instrumental in negotiating a complex Pay for Success contract to expand home-visiting to first-time mothers. She also implemented “NCC Grows,” a low-interest loan program for small business owners while the cost of doing business was hitting all-time highs.
Before returning home to Delaware in 2021, Charuni was an attorney in Los Angeles and co-founded The McOsker Group, where she developed political strategies for a variety of hospitality, media, outdoor advertising, healthcare, and development clients. She also served in associate attorney roles with Sheppard Mullin and Glaser Weil, both in Los Angeles, where she focused on land use, government contracts, and regulatory matters in the region, as well as pro bono casework. Charuni advocated for a broad range of economic development projects, including public-private partnerships at the Port of Los Angeles. Charuni attended Red Clay elementary and middle schools and is a graduate of the Tower Hill School. She received her law degree from Emory University and BA/MA degrees in Economics from the University of Southern California. She continues to live in Pike Creek and is married to Marcos Sanchez.
ABOUT DELAWARE GOVERNOR-ELECT MATT MEYER
Governor-elect Matt Meyer is a former public school math teacher and small business owner who has served as New Castle County Executive since 2017. As the leader of Delaware’s largest local government, Matt has proven that government can still work for the people– delivering real results for real people and making real progress for Delaware’s working families. Gov-elect Meyer will bring that same result-driven leadership across our state by creating an effective government that reflects our values and priorities.
From Wilmington to Kenya and Iraq: Growing up in Delaware, Matt attended schools in the Brandywine School District, followed by Wilmington Friends School, and then studied Computer Science & Political Science at Brown University. He then moved to Nairobi, Kenya, where he learned Swahili and created Ecosandals, a recycled footwear company that sold environmentally friendly footwear to customers in 17 countries on five continents. Matt subsequently spent 12 months in Mosul, Iraq, as a diplomat embedded with the United States Army during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn.
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