Fayetta M. Blake is the founder and Executive Director of Pathways to Success, Inc. She is also an entrepreneur with several businesses throughout Delaware and Maryland. Fay started her career about forty years ago in the Lending industry with Security Pacific National Bank where she worked as a loan officer for five years. She then enjoyed a 20-year banking career at All First Financial. Fay held various positions of increasing authority at All First Financial. In 1995, she was appointed as Sr. Vice President of Operations and was the first African American to be appointed to that level in the banks 200-year history. During that time, she had global oversight of all Operations units in the Mid-Atlantic region. In 1998, Fay was recognized by this banking institution for Quality Assurance as well as being recognized in the industry by Visa USA for Quality Service and Outstanding Customer Service.

Pathways to Success, Inc. was established in 2006 by Fay Blake. The work that Fay does as the Executive Director is indeed her calling and passion. It embodies her need to give back to the community.

In 2014 Fay was recognized as one of Delmarva Broadcasting’s “Delmarvelous Women.” In 2015 she was recognized for her efforts to aid and assist the underserved communities throughout Sussex County with the Jefferson Award, and in 2018 she was one of Delaware Today’s top Women in Business. In 2020, Fay was inducted into the Delaware Women’s Hall of Fame and the Indian River Hall of Fame. In 2021, she became an appointed member of the Public/Private Partnership Board of Directors to serve at the pleasure of the Governor. She is a board member for Habitat for Humanity, Lewes Historical Society, a member of the Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice and the DTCC Development Council. She is also a Chairperson of the DANA Public Policy Board as well as a Fund for Women Founder. Recently, she was asked to join the MD/DE/DC ACT council that helps to shape the education and workforce landscape at local and state levels.
She holds a BS degree in Behavioral Science proudly from Wilmington University where she is a member of Phi Gamma Mu, International Honor Society for Social Sciences.

“Preparing students and their families for successful lives.”

Colleen C. Davis was elected State Treasurer in November 6, 2018. She was sworn into office on January 1, 2019. Colleen has a rich history of working for the First State. She served as the Treasurer for the Delaware Physician Assistant Advocacy Group (DAPA) and as a board member on the Advisory Board of Forge Life Sciences and on the Board of Delaware Maritime Education. In conjunction with these achievements, Colleen has also served as a financial consultant to large medical institutions, as well as, small independent practices. She has created fiscal stability and improved positive patient outcomes, while saving millions of dollars in overall health care costs. Colleen believes in a strong community and wants to help the State of Delaware improve its quality of life.

Over the years, she has volunteered locally, nationally and internationally. After Nepal was struck by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in April 2015, she went as a physician’s assistant to help people affected near Kathmandu. Colleen is a proven leader in Disaster Relief, Medical-Surgical practices, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Emergency Medicine, Neurosurgery and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).

Michael R. Smith was confirmed as Delaware’s Secretary of Finance on Jan. 29, 2025. He has 18 years of experience in finance leadership roles within state and county governments, advising senior cabinet members and elected officials on matters of finance, tax, and law.

Michael previously served as Chief Financial Officer for New Castle County, where he oversaw Treasury (county property tax/sewer charges), Accounting (financial reporting, performance audits, accounts payable, payroll, grants management), Budget (operating and capital), Cash and Debt Management, Assessment, and Pension. Michael’s strong financial leadership and strategic planning ensured the County’s highest credit ratings possible were maintained and left the County with historic financial reserves.

Earlier, he served as Deputy Director of the Delaware Division of Revenue, where he was responsible for the administration and enforcement of the Delaware tax code, the processing of tax returns and forms, and the daily operations of all offices within the Division. Michael 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.

Chris Haas serves as Senior Policy Advisor to Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro within the Delaware Department of Insurance, where she leads the department’s policy and press efforts.

Ethel Belfon is the Wage and Hour Administrator for the Delaware Department of Labor (DOL) where she manages initiatives designed to foster and promote the welfare of the wage earners in Delaware by ensuring compliance with Delaware labor laws. Some of the enforcement areas Ms. Belfon oversees at DOL include, Child Labor, the Clean Indoor Air Act, the Wage Payment and Collection Act, Minimum Wage and most recently Wage Theft.

Ms. Belfon has a long-established history of public service with over 26 years in state government. Most of her career has been spent in various positions throughout the Department of Labor including positions with the Divisions of Unemployment Insurance, Employment and Training and Vocational Rehabilitation and Industrial Affairs. She also served as the Medicaid Surveillance Administrator for the Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance where she was instrumental in helping to recover over 1.1 million taxpayer dollars. She holds a B.S. in Organizational Dynamics as well as a MPA from Wilmington University.

In her career and as well as her personal life, Ethel is committed to the service of others. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Pearls of Hope Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to service and scholarships benefiting the New Castle County community.

Donna Vieira is executive vice president and chief commercial officer for Sallie Mae. She oversees product development, sales, marketing, government relations, and communications for the company’s consumer businesses, including private student loans, retail banking, personal loans, and credit cards.

Vieira has more than 20 years of product, marketing, and management experience. Prior to joining Sallie Mae, Vieira served as chief marketing officer for consumer banking and wealth management at JPMorgan Chase, leading the development of strategic marketing and brand initiatives to grow deposit and investment balances and customer relationships. Vieira also served as chief marketing officer and product officer for Chase business banking, focusing on product and innovation development. She has also held leadership roles at Dun & Bradstreet, Merrill Lynch, and American Express.

Vieira earned a bachelor’s degree from Mount Allison University and a Master of Business Administration from Pace University. A staunch supporter of athletics and causes that support individuals and families with disabilities, Vieira is an active volunteer with Special Olympics Delaware. She resides in Hockessin with her husband and two children.

Robert is the founder and managing partner of The Mill – a coworking company that launched in April of 2016 in downtown Wilmington, Delaware. He oversaw The Mill’s expansion and growth to over 90,000 square feet. Shortly after founding The Mill, he has embarked on several new ventures that include coworking software, architectural design, and real estate development in his local community. He recently opened Faire Café along with Girard Craft & Cork a local wine shop on the 9th Street block of Wilmington, Delaware. He is also a founding partner of 9th Street Development Company, a team of creative, driven developers focused on unifying and elevating communities throughout the State of Delaware.

Previously, Robert has over seven years of experience as an architect while working with Perkins Eastman and S9 Architects, two of the largest architecture firms in New York City. Mr. Herrera oversaw the design and completion of several million square feet of construction across the residential, healthcare, and office markets. During his time at Perkins Eastman, Robert worked on many high-profile projects throughout New York City and the United States. While working with S9 Architects (an affiliate of Perkins Eastman), Mr. Herrera worked closely with a large shared-office provider called WeWork. In addition to this Robert has collaborated with Ian Schrager Company on the completion of 160 Leroy Street. A record breaking condo project on the west side highway that was recently completed in 2018.

Robert received a Bachelor of Architecture and a Masters of Infrastructure Planning from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He is a graduate of Caesar Rodney High School in Camden, Delaware.

Ted brings to the role of Delaware EARNS program director extensive experience in financial planning as well as marketing and communications. A Certified Financial Planner (TM) professional, Ted worked for 16 years at the global investment company Vanguard. Most recently, he was a high net worth financial advisor and helped to oversee $100 million in client assets. He was also a marketing and communications manager with responsibility for fund reports and other content distributed to millions of investors. Before his career in financial services, Ted was an award-winning journalist for a variety of outlets, including CBS MarketWatch and The News Journal. He is an active volunteer in his community and currently serves as the treasurer for a statewide non-profit, the Down Syndrome Association of Delaware.