Sussex Strong Gala seeks restaurant partners

Jenn Barrows, president of Sussex Strong, the Sussex County Association of Realtors community service foundation, recently introduced the newest Sussex Strong board of directors members, each bringing a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the organization.

Current board members, including Barrows, Josette Castiglione and Brigit Taylor, who have served in various roles since 2019, are thrilled to welcome a group of accomplished professionals dedicated to making a positive impact in Sussex County.

Jamie Coleman has been a resident of the Lewes/Rehoboth Beach area since 2008. In addition to her role as a residential real estate agent with Patterson-Schwartz since 2014, Coleman looks for ways to give back to her community.

Tom Carney is a Delaware real estate attorney focusing on administrative and government law, land use, real estate, and business and banking transactions through his practice, T. Carney Sussex Law. His expertise spans a wide range of commercial and residential real estate transactions and land-use matters.

Joe Gensoli, originally from Easton, Pa., has been a resident of the Rehoboth Beach area since 2017. A proud Penn State alumnus, Gensoli previously served as a chairman for Penn State Thon and is currently a top lender with Capital Bank.

Jessica White Harrison, a Milton native, real estate investor and licensed Realtor, joined RE/MAX, The Debbie Reed Team in 2019. Before obtaining her real estate license, Harrison worked as a residential property manager, discovering her passion for all things real estate.

Michael Kennedy, a Penn State graduate with a degree in finance, began his real estate career with national builders and has been a licensed real estate agent since 2017. He now works with Compass RE.

Kacie Sharadin, a Sussex County resident since 1995, graduated as valedictorian from Woodbridge High School in 2006 and earned her bachelor’s degree from York College of Pennsylvania in 2010. She became a licensed mortgage loan officer in 2018 and co-founded the #LendingLadies of Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation.

Sterling Townsend, originally from North Carolina, moved to Delaware in 2001, where he served as senior manager of clinical engineering for Bayhealth until 2020. In 2019, he embarked on his second career as a Realtor, serving Sussex and Kent counties with Coldwell Banker Realty.

Cecilia Waple, daughter of Jamie and Angela Waple, who moved to Rehoboth in 1991 and opened Sir Guy’s Restaurant & Pub, has a diverse career background, including the event industry in Chicago and the mortgage industry. Waple and her fiancé Nick Roberson co-founded the Silver Lake Group of Univest Mortgage and work as loan officers.

Rita Gasparini, who raised her family in Pennsylvania, is currently serving as treasurer for the board. With an accounting degree from the University of Maryland and a career spanning IBM and multiple smaller firms, Gasparini currently works as an accountant for Bonnie Benson Esq. real estate law firm.

All the Sussex Strong board members have been enthusiastically planning the Sussex Strong Gala, scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 2, at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center. This year’s theme, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, A Wizard of Oz Experience, promises an enchanting evening. While attendees are always encouraged to dress in costume, any gala attire is appropriate for attendees to enjoy festivities and contribute to the cause of helping children in need in Sussex County.

As the event draws near, the board is collecting valuable silent auction items and actively seeking partnerships with additional restaurants to provide food for more than 300 gala attendees. Sussex Strong welcomes contributions of any size and hopes to see the community come together Nov. 2.

The Sussex Strong team extends heartfelt thanks to the new members for their dedication and hard work throughout the year in support of Sussex Strong’s mission.

For more information, go to sussexstrong.org.