Committee
Ewing has owned and operated successful auto dealerships representing multiple domestic and international brands in Georgia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania during has career spanning more than 30 years. He purchased Wade Ford in 2002 and has since expanded its operations to offer exceptional customer service and new, pre-owned and fleet vehicles across three properties on South Cobb Drive in the metro-Atlanta Area.
With over a decade of experience as a professional and collegiate athlete, Darnerien McCants has consistently demonstrated his passion, vision, dedication, and diligence toward reaching his goals. As a result of his successful athletic career and his compassionate coaching career, Mr. McCants has earned the respect and love from his fellow community members. Through this relationship with his community, Mr. McCants felt a calling to do more for those who have less.
Utilizing both his collegiate and professional athletic experience, Darnerien serves as CEO of McCants Sports and Fitness, a program that offers services to athletes 6 and older aimed at developing young minds and bodies. Focusing on fundamentals and techniques that translate to multiple sports he has mentored and coached several athletes enabling them to reach their goals. He promotes a holistic approach to fitness, believing that it is a lifestyle of training the mind to train the body.
A star athlete at Delaware State University, Darnerien was named D1AA All American for breaking several DSU and MEAC records, earning him an opportunity to be the 5th round draft choice to the Washington Redskins. While in the National Football League, he was named NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year and Washingtonian of the year by Washingtonian Magazine. As a Philadelphia Eagle, he hosted a coat drive for the Salvation Army raising over 3000 coats for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Always looking to give back to society, Darnerien has been involved in numerous community and charity programs. Mr. McCants also started the Darnerien McCants, Finish Strong Endowment at Delaware State University and donated an additional $50,000 to the football team and art department.
Continuing his journey of service to his community he is teaming up with United Charitable to go nationwide with the Finding Me Foundation geared toward reducing delinquency through a young readers program.
Donald Driver overcame poverty and homelessness to become a Super Bowl champion, Green Bay Packers all-time leading receiver, Green Bay Packers Hall of Famer, New York Times bestselling author, “Dancing with the Stars” champion and award-winning humanitarian.
Donald is the Green Bay Packers all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards and is the only player in franchise history to record seven 1,000 yard receiving seasons. A top performer his entire career, he was a four-time Pro Bowl selection. In 2013, Donald asked the Packers organization to retire the only way he knew how, by celebrating with the fans. He held his official retirement celebration in the Lambeau Field Atrium in front of thousands of fans who lined up in below-zero temperatures to thank him for 14 amazing seasons of playing for the green and gold.
Donald’s on-field success and charismatic personality earned him an invitation onto “Dancing with the Stars” with 35 million viewers tuning in every week. With millions of fans behind Donald and his partner Peta Murgatroyd, the duo clinched the competition. Since then, Donald has served as a guest correspondent for ABC’s “Good Morning America” nearly a dozen times, guest-hosted “The View” and “Ellen,” and appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “On Air with Ryan Seacrest,” “Entertainment Tonight,” CNN, ESPN, NFL Network, People Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, and numerous leading media outlets.
Donald has continued to showcase his desire to give back through his television show “The Hero Effect” on Oprah Winfrey’s network OWN. Co-hosted by himself and actress Emily Wilson, the inspirational docuseries showcases stories of ordinary individuals who are making extraordinary differences in their communities.
Known for his incredible fitness during his playing career Donald has become a renowned health and wellness expert. Driver released the chart topping book, The 3D Body Revolution. The book is the ultimate workout and nutrition blueprint to get healthy and lean. He has also appeared on Good Morning America to offer healthy living tips. Additionally, Donald owns and operates six Driven ELITE Fitness and Health centers in Texas, Mississippi, and Ohio.
Tony Tucker is a lifelong educator who has spent more than 30 years positively impacting the lives of students of all ages through an innate desire to help educate young people in significant ways. Tony has successfully distinguished himself as a great Educator, Administrative Leader, Coach, Sports Professional, and Educational Entrepreneur.
Most of his professional career has been in executive leadership roles at some of the nation’s premier private K-12 schools (boarding and day). Tony has held executive and leadership positions in prominent institutions such as St. Andrews School (DE), IMG Academies (FL), Mercersburg Academy (PA), University School (OH), Grand River Academy (OH), and Flint Hill School (VA). Within these institutions, Tony excelled in roles such as President, Head of School, Assistant Head of School, Dean of Enrollment, Athletic Director, Fundraising & Advancement Director, Student Recruitment Specialist, Curriculum Development Specialist, College Counselor, and Dean of Summer Programs.
Having transitioned to higher education administration, Tony proudly serves as the Senior Associate Vice President for Athletics and Wellness & Recreation at Delaware State University. Tony is charged with the oversight and supervision of all intercollegiate athletics, enhancing student-athlete retention strategies, oversight of on-campus recreational activities, and serving as the primary liaison to the university’s onsite charter school for younger students in grades 7 through 12 (Early College School) which has a total enrollment of more than 600 students.
Before Delaware State University, Tony proudly served as President and Head of School for the Grand River Academy - a well-respected, college preparatory boarding school in northeast Ohio. This prominent role was a true reflection of his lifelong passion and dedication to positively affecting the lives of adolescents and teenagers through his knowledge, expertise, and administrative skills in both academics and athletics.
As a former athlete, Tony excelled in multiple sports in his earlier years but enjoyed a rewarding Basketball career as an All-American High School athlete and standout collegiate athlete. Beyond college, Tony was also fortunate to play professional basketball internationally in premier professional leagues in Europe and Asia. Currently, Tony is a proud member of the ‘Delaware Basketball Hall of Fame’ and has been recognized as one of the all-time, top student-athletes within his home state of Delaware
Alecia Shields-Gadson was appointed by President Dr. Tony Allen to lead the Delaware State University Intercollegiate Athletics program in August 2021 after previously serving as the interim director.
Shields-Gadson has over 25 years of experience in intercollegiate athletics as a senior-level administrator and head coach. Prior to joining the Delaware State family, she was an athletics administrator at Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference rival Coppin State University and Alcorn State University of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
While furnishing oversight for 20 varsity programs, Shields-Gadson has helped position Delaware State Athletics as a leader in providing opportunities for women to compete in Division I athletics. Shields Gadson has been at the forefront of securing affiliate conference membership for women's sports at DSU. She serves on various NCAA and MEAC committees. She is currently a NCAA Division I council member and has chaired the NCAA Minorities and Opportunities Committee and the Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Committee. Shields-Gadson currently chairs the Championship Administrative Committee and is a member of the Strategic Long Range Planning Committee for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. (MEAC).
President Allen stated, “Alecia is a knowledgeable, talented, and highly motivated individual. She's familiar with all our initiatives and is already the driving force behind many of them. I am pleased to have an Athletic Director of her caliber to step into the role without missing a beat."
Shields-Gadson has proven to be a driving force in the intercollegiate athletics space. Delaware Online News has twice recognized her as one of the "Most Influential Leaders in Delaware."
During the 2023 Celebration Bowl in Atlanta, Shields Gadson was invited to Essence Magazine's The Black Women in Sports Brunch, where she served as a panelist for Changing the Game: Black Women and HBCU Athletics, highlighting the MEAC as a leader in providing opportunities for women to lead Division I athletic departments.
One of the most recent transformative initiatives has been the groundbreaking partnership with NFL Hall of Fame football athlete Donald Driver and his Driven Elite Sports Performance group, which provides Delaware State University student-athletes with comprehensive strength & conditioning, holistic health, nutrition management, mental health programming, leadership training and internships to the over 460 DSU student-athletes. Shields Gadson has been applauded for her innovation in creating this unique partnership for an HBCU athletic department.
A graduate of Southern University and A&M College, Shields-Gadson was an outstanding track and field champion and team captain. As head coach of men and women at Alcorn State University, she led the program to the first-ever conference championship in school history and was named Coach of the Year several times. While at Coppin State, she was renowned for her expertise in the jumps and combined events, culminating in coaching stand-out athlete Christina Epps (Chiazor) to USA champion, world championship team, and 2016 Olympic team in the triple jump.
She is a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. and United Methodist Women and other organizations, including Women Leaders in College Sports, Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA), and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).
A native of New Orleans, La., Shields Gadson earned a bachelor's degree in English/Communications from Southern University and A&M College and a master’s degree in athletic administration and Secondary Education/Physical Education from Alcorn State. She is a Delaware State University Higher Educational Leadership doctoral candidate.
Dr. Vita Pickrum joined Delaware State University in 2008 and, since that time, has held various leadership positions. She serves as the Vice President of the Division of Institutional Advancement and the President of the Delaware State University Foundation. Under her leadership, both private fundraising and alumni participation have reached historic numbers.
Dr. Pickrum has established strategic public and private partnerships that have yielded significant financial support for the University. Dr. Pickrum serves on the President’s Administrative Council, and oversees the offices of Marketing and Communications, Alumni Affairs, University Events and Ceremonies, and Development. Dr. Pickrum is the liaison for the University’s Endowment Managers and serves as chair of the FRESH one-hundred-million-dollar campaign.
Dr. Pickrum founded the HBCU (Historically Black College and University) Philanthropy Symposium – celebrating its 14th year (hbcusymposium.com) in 2024. The Symposium is an annual convening of universities, community colleges, and minority-serving institutions focusing on student success and institutional sustainability.
In 2021, Dr. Pickrum received the prestigious National Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Commonfund College and University Foundation Award. In 2020, Dr. Pickrum was appointed to the Association of Governing Boards’ Council of Foundation Leaders. Also, that year, Dr. Pickrum was elected Vice-Chair of the newly established CASE National Committee on College and University Foundations – representing over seven hundred universities and community colleges - and was appointed Chair on July 2, 2022. In 2018, Dr. Pickrum was appointed to the CASE Board of Trustees; and received the 2018 Professional of the Year Award from CASE, District II, out of 1,200 Advancement professionals. Dr. Pickrum serves on other nonprofit Boards for the community at large.
Dr. Pickrum earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Delaware State University in May 2016 and has a Master of Science degree and a Bachelor of Science degree from Howard University and certificates of achievement. She serves as a Peer Reviewer for the Middles States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) and is a member of the MSCHE Appeals Board. Dr. Pickrum is an adjunct faculty member in educational leadership for the Doctoral program. She has been a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) since 2014, as designated by CFRE International.
I was born in Newark, NJ, and educated in the New Jersey school system. Raised by my grandparents as well as my parents, I cherished the days spent working and learning alongside my grandfather. I attended Penn Tech Institution, where I obtained a Master's in Electrical and Plumbing trades. Furthering my education and work experience, I trained with local 199 in Wilmington, Delaware.
Before relocating from New Jersey, I was an active member of First Baptist Church, where my passion for community service, particularly with youth, began to flourish. Upon moving, I joined Prudence Lodge #6 in Dover, Delaware, continuing my commitment to community service. My Masonic record includes serving as Worshipful Master of Prudence Lodge #6, being a member of CP Houston Jr. Consistory #119 in Dover, Delaware, and Mt. Moriah #5, #6 OES PHA.
In my professional life, I am the Associate Vice President of Capital Planning & Facilities, Daily Operations at Delaware State University. In this role, I oversee 60 to 80 employees, supervisors, and directors, ensuring the smooth operation of campus facilities. I am dedicated to improving employee morale and enhancing the working environment for all stakeholders on campus.
My wife, Latanya, and I are devoted members of the New Beginning Church in Felton, Delaware. I continue my community involvement through active participation in church events and collaborations with other local churches. As a community leader and mentor, I guide and inspire youth, including coaching a youth basketball and wrestling team.
Service is a cornerstone of my life. I remain steadfast in my commitment to my Masonic family, church family, and community, balancing these responsibilities with my professional and personal life.