New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer will assume the governorship on Jan. 21, 2025, and begin his first four-year term in statewide office. Before then, he is compiling nominees for his Cabinet and Spotlight Delaware will be updating this list over the next month.
To date, Meyer has announced all 17 nominees for his Cabinet, including retaining four Secretaries from the Carney administration — Health & Social Services Secretary Josette Manning, Correction Commissioner Terra Taylor, Chief Information Officer Greg Lane and Services for Children, Youth and Their Families Secretary Steven Yeatman.
Secretary of Agriculture
Don Clifton
Don Clifton is the current executive director of the Delaware Farm Bureau. Raised on his family’s farm in Sussex County, Clifton has a deep understanding of farming operations, including grain, soybeans, and vegetable processing. His experience in vegetable processing and wastewater operations provides a hands-on commitment to agriculture’s environmental stewardship. He also led the Clifton Canning Company for nearly 50 years. Previously, Clifton served as the state executive director of the USDA Farm Service Agency under Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. He also co-chaired former Gov. Ruth Ann Minner’s Strategic Economic Council for Agriculture and Biotechnology.
Secretary of Education
Cynthia “Cindy” Marten
Cynthia “Cindy” Marten was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the Deputy Secretary on May 11, 2021. Before joining the U.S. Department of Education, Marten served as the superintendent of the San Diego Unified School District from 2013 to 2021. She has spent 34 years as an educator, holding various roles of increasing responsibility as a teacher, literacy specialist, vice principal, and principal. She is the author of “Word Crafting: Teaching Spelling, Grades K-6,” which places an emphasis on literacy as a key to students’ success.
As superintendent, she directed the implementation of the district’s Vision 2020 commitment to a meaningful graduation for all students, with the district achieving the highest graduation rate among big-city districts in California and the fastest reading growth of large urban districts nationwide in 2019.
Department of Correction Commissioner
Terra Taylor
Terra Taylor has served as Delaware’s Department of Correction Commissioner since July 2023. She leads the state’s largest law enforcement agency, which has nearly 2,000 correctional officers, probation and parole officers, and several hundred other professional staff members. In this position, and in her prior role as Deputy Commissioner, Taylor has focused on recruiting, retaining, and supporting a highly trained and diverse workforce and investing in new rehabilitation, training, and reentry programs and partnerships.
Commissioner Taylor has dedicated her entire 27-year professional career to the Department of Correction, joining the Department in 1997 as a home confinement support employee and college intern.
Secretary of Finance
Michael Smith
Michael R. Smith has spent 18 years in finance leadership roles within state and county governments, advising senior cabinet members and elected officials on matters of finance, tax, and law. He currently serves as Chief Financial Officer for New Castle County.
Previously, Smith served as deputy director of the Delaware Division of Revenue. He earned his Juris Doctorate with a concentration in tax from the Widener University School of Law and an undergraduate degree in economics and finance from the University of Waterloo.
Secretary of Health & Social Services
Josette Manning
Josette DelleDonne Manning is a Delaware native who has been a state employee for 24 years. She currently leads the Department of Health and Social Services, which promotes health and well-being and fosters self-sufficiency for all Delawareans.
Before joining DHSS, Manning served as Cabinet Secretary for the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families for six years. Prior to this, she served as a prosecutor for the Delaware Department of Justice for 17 years, where she held various leadership positions, including chief county prosecutor and director of the Special Victims Unit.
Director of State Housing Authority
Matthew Heckles
Matthew Heckles has two decades of experience driving affordable housing initiatives. Currently serving as the regional administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), he oversees the delivery of federal housing programs across six states, including Delaware. Previously, he led the Community Development Administration in Maryland, managing a broad portfolio of affordable housing and economic development programs.
Heckles previously served as a senior leader at the Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA), where he helped grow the state’s housing finance activities and launched innovative programs to support low- and moderate-income families.
Secretary of Human Resources
Yvonne Anders Gordon
Yvonne Anders Gordon is the immediate past Acting General Manager of the 380 employees in the New Castle County Department of Public Works.
While at Public Works as an Executive Assistant for Organizational Excellence and Assistant to the General Manager, she effectively implemented the countywide nepotism policy, facilitated effective labor relation strategies, established a Public Works New Employee Orientation, and expanded operational efficiencies. Additionally, Gordon partnered in organizing the first Public Works Job Fair, which yielded over 600 diverse applicants, resulting in a 40% reduction in key vacancies.
Gordon also served as New Castle County’s Chief of Administrative Services where she introduced the GovDeals online auction platform as New Castle County faced the dilemma of how to dispose of surplus and obsolete assets efficiently. As a Former Deputy Secretary of the Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Gordon enhanced the operating functions of the DMV, DEMA, State and Capitol Police, Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement and Highway Safety.
Secretary of Labor
LaKresha Moultrie
LaKresha Moultrie currently serves as vice president of legal affairs, general counsel, and Chief Enterprise Risk Officer at Delaware State University, where she provides legal counsel to the University and its Board of Trustees.
Recently, Moultrie helped guide the university through the acquisition of Wesley College, which gained DSU the distinction as the first HBCU to ever acquire a college or university.
Prior to joining Delaware State University, Moultrie led a successful career at the Delaware Department of Justice where she began as an entry-level prosecutor and progressed to Chief Deputy Attorney General, second-in-command of the office. Her DOJ career included trial and appellate work in all the state courts.
Director of Office of Management and Budget
Brian Maxwell
A lifelong Delawarean and a graduate of the University of Delaware, Brian Maxwell is currently the Chief Financial Officer for Children & Families First.
He previously served less than a year as director of the Office of Management and Budget in the last year of then-Gov. Jack Markell’s administration. Before that, he served as deputy director of the office for three years.
He also assisted the New Castle County Meyer administration with developing a long-term balanced financial plan and increasing transparency for county spending.
Adjutant General of Delaware National Guard
Brig. Gen. James Benson
Brig. Gen. James A. Benson assumed duties as the Assistant Adjutant General of the Army, Delaware National Guard, on June 3, 2023. As the assistant adjutant general, Benson ensured that all assigned units and personnel were fully trained, deployable, and equipped for mobilization to support overseas contingency operations and homeland defense missions in support of the nation and state of Delaware.
Benson previously served as the Director of the Joint Staff, Delaware National Guard from January 2021 to April 2023. He was commissioned in 1991, through the Delaware National Guard Officer Candidate School and commanded the 259th (Tropo) Signal Company, 198th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, and the 261st Theater Tactical Signal Brigade. Benson was deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
Secretary of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
Greg Patterson
Since February 2022, Greg Patterson has served as the Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator and Federal Affairs Coordinator for Gov. John Carney, overseeing the implementation of federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for key sectors such as broadband, water, energy, and transportation. In this role, Patterson also spearheaded successful legislative initiatives, including offshore wind procurement and traffic safety bills in 2023 and 2024.
Previously, Patterson served as chief of staff at the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, advising the Secretary and managing the department’s operations. He also played a key role during the COVID-19 pandemic and was redeployed to assist the Delaware Division of Public Health in communications and logistics for vaccine clinics.
Secretary of Safety and Homeland Security
Joshua “Josh” Bushweller
Joshua “Josh” Bushweller currently serves as the Intelligence Commander of the Delaware State Police.
He serves on the Governor’s Cyber and Homeland Security Advisory Council, and he directs the Criminal Intelligence Section and Real Time Crime Center. Josh is also the Director of the Delaware Information Analysis Center (DIAC), where he leads the Delaware Fusion Center working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Homeland Security to identify and disrupt domestic and international terrorism threats.
Josh joined the Delaware State Police in 1997 and quickly rose through the ranks. He earned commendations for neutralizing dangerous hostage situations and also increased police morale and cohesiveness due to his teamwork philosophy. When promoted to Captain, Josh served as Director for Strategic Development, Community Outreach, and Public Information.
Secretary of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families
Steven Yeatman
Steven Yeatman has served in various youth and family services positions for the State of Delaware for over 28 years. Before becoming Cabinet Secretary for the Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families in 2023, Steven held various front-line, supervisory, and managerial positions in each division within the department. In his current role, he has full operational oversight of all state-administered child welfare, juvenile justice, and behavioral health services.
Throughout his career, Steven simultaneously served in the United States Army Reserve and Pennsylvania National Guard. He is a combat veteran who served in both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He received several awards throughout his service, including the Bronze Star Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal.
Secretary of State
Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez
Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez currently serves as the general manager of the New Castle County Department of Land Use. Prior to that, she served as economic development Director for New Castle County during the pandemic.
Born and raised in New Castle County, Patibanda-Sanchez is an attorney and economic development professional with experience in municipal and administrative law, practicing both in the private and public sectors. She began her public service as a judiciary fellow with U.S. Sen. Chris Coons in 2011.
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.
Chief Information Officer (DTI)
Greg Lane
Gregory (Greg) Lane has served as the Chief Information Officer for the State of Delaware since June 2023. He is responsible for ensuring the state utilizes innovative technologies to deliver secure, reliable, interoperable, and cost-effective solutions that enable state agencies and organizations to successfully fulfill their missions.
Greg has over 35 years of IT experience in the private sector and 6+ years as Chief Technology Officer at the Delaware Department of Technology and Information. He is skilled in strategic planning, driving innovation, leading both technology and business process transformation, as well as global IT operations. Greg was the CIO of Chemours, a $6B+ chemicals spinoff from DuPont. Prior to that, he was the CIO of DuPont’s Crop Protection agricultural unit and held IT leadership positions at DuPont in areas including Technology Architecture, Applications, Infrastructure, Regulatory Affairs, and Supply Chain.
Secretary of Transportation
Shanté Hastings
Shanté A. Hastings, P.E., is the soon-to-be Acting Secretary for the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) and has worked for DelDOT since graduating from the University of Delaware in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. She has served as the chief engineer for the Department since July 1, 2019, and as Deputy Secretary from January 2021 – December 2024.
In 2024, she was named Government Engineer of the Year by the Delaware Engineering Society. She currently serves on the boards for Leadership Delaware, the Delaware State Fair, the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation, and Sussex Academy Charter School. In May 2024, she was nominated and confirmed to the University of Delaware Board of Trustees.
Top Staff Members:
Chief of Staff : Vanessa Phillips
Chief Legal Counsel: Wilson B. Davis
Transition Director: Evelyn Waters Brady
Transition Communications Director: Mila A. Myles
Transition Digital Director: Ronald Vann
Transition Deputy Communications Director: Abigail Tracy
