Business People: Aug. 20, 2025

 Cellergy Pharma Inc., a privately held, preclinical biotechnology company based in Wilmington, announced  Christopher Cano was named  Chief Executive Officer.

 Cano brings to Cellergy Pharma more than 20 years of leadership expertise in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

 Cellergy Pharma, which licenses its key technology from Nemours Children’s Health, is developing a “first in class” CAR T-cell technology to treat patients suffering from severe allergic asthma and severe food allergies.

Before joining Cellergy Pharma Inc., Cano was the Chief Operating Officer and  Vice President of Business Development at TFF Pharmaceuticals. Cano is also the managing director of C2 Strategic Solutions, which provides business development and licensing services to clients in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and drug delivery industries. 

M&T Delaware President named Business Banking Head 

Mark Hutton has been named  Head of Business Banking at M&T Bank.. 

Hutton  came to M&T in 2008 and brings more than 28 years of banking experience.

He now serves as  Delaware Regional President and Regional Head of Commercial Banking. He will continue to work as Delaware Regional President for the time being and will continue to reside in Delaware.

Xie named to new post  corporate governance center

The University of Delaware’s John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance appointed Fei  Xie , Chaplin Tyler professor of finance at the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, as the center’s inaugural faculty research director. His one-year term began Aug. 1.

This newly established position is designed to advance the Weinberg Center’s mission of promoting excellence in corporate governance by deepening connections to the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics faculty, expanding scholarly initiatives and increasing opportunities for student involvement.

A  researcher in corporate finance and governance, Xie’s work has been published in numerous top academic journals.

Passwaters joins Sussex planning commission

The Sussex County  appointed John Passwaters of Bridgeville to a seat on the Planning and Zoning Commission 

The  five-member panel, a council-appointed body  reviews and gives recommendations for subdivision applications and other land use requests. The appointment takes effect Sept. 1, and lasts through the end of June 2026, when the balance of his predecessor's  current three-year term ends.

Passwaters, the owner of a landscaping and outdoor lighting business, is familiar with local building codes and zoning rules, which he has to navigate on behalf of clients.

County Councilman Steve McCarron nominated  Passwaters to fill the seat formerly held by Brian Butler, who resigned earlier this month to spend more time with family.

Music School of Delaware names CEO

The Music School of Delaware   announced the appointment of David J. Pacific as its next President and CEO, effective October 20.

In 2019, he became the inaugural Executive Director of the Joseph Avenue Arts and Culture Alliance in Rochester, NY.

His prior roles include Associate Director of the Southeastern Piano Festival in Columbia, SC; Director of Education representing Steinway and Sons in New York; and Director of Community Outreach, Marketing, and Artist Services at Friends of Chamber Music in Kansas City, MO.

 A classically trained pianist, Pacific spent over a decade teaching and mentoring students at community music schools nationwide. He holds degrees in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Nazareth University and the University of South Carolina,

Brewington-Carr named of state women’s office

Sherese Brewington-Carr was named  Director of the Delaware Office of Women's Advancement & Advocacy

 She has held roles at the Departments of Labor, Corrections, and Services for Children, Youth and Their Families.

A three-term appointee to the Delaware Commission for Women, having served as Chair and as Vice Chair, Sherese also founded the She’s On Her Way Award to uplift young women leaders in the  state.

Lafferty Bruhl joins Saint Mark’s as visual, performing arts chair

Saint Mark’s High School named  Aine  Lafferty Bruhl as the new Director of Visual and Performing Arts.

 She most recently served as Program Director at the Philadelphia Arts in Education Partnership, where she oversaw arts programming across eight public schools, led professional development for teaching artists, and coordinated family and community engagement efforts.

Before  her work in Philadelphia, Bruhl spent seven years at the Charter School of New Castle where  she founded the middle school drama program and served as Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator.