NHPS Leadership
Learn about the leaders of Nemours Health and Prevention Services.
Mariane Stefano, FACHE, serves as Interim Executive Director for Nemours Health and Prevention Services. Ms. Stefano’s permanent position is as Managing Director of Service Excellence for the Nemours enterprise. In this role, she is responsible for driving all service excellence initiatives throughout the organization's multiple operating sites in the Delaware Valley and Florida, including the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children. Nemours' commitment to service excellence is held to the highest standards to ensure continued success in care and service delivery. Ms. Stefano provides strategic leadership in designing and implementing a service excellence model across a complex organization.
Debbie I. Chang, MPH is the Vice President, Policy and Prevention and leads the Nemours National Policy and Advocacy Office which seeks to provide focus and leadership in population-based health promotion and disease prevention policies and strategies for children. Debbie has over 20 years of federal and state government and private sector experience in the health field and is a national expert on child health policy and programs, health promotion and disease prevention, and Medicaid.
Gwendoline B. "Gwen" Angalet, PhD is Managing Director of NHPS. Gwen ensures that NHPS' work in school, child care, primary care, and community settings is well integrated and achieves maximum high-level sustainable impact for children. She also works to ensure that all departments are aligned with the strategic direction of NHPS and integrated in the execution of the strategic plan and budget. Gwen’s previous career in Delaware public service, including the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families, spans two decades.
Marihelen "Midge" Barrett, RN, MS, is Director of the Center for Children’s Health Innovation (CHI), the programmatic arm of NHPS. Under her leadership, CHI works with the community to develop and implement prevention and intervention strategies to improve the health of children. Midge has had more than 20 years experience in Delaware Public Health and served as a consultant to many health care organizations. She is also a registered nurse and certified pediatric nurse practitioner.
Vonna Lou Caleb Drayton, DrPH, MPH, MA, is Director, Center for Evaluation and Research (CER). Vonna and her staff are charged with developing and implementing a research and evaluation plan for NHPS that supports the development of community-based prevention strategies. A Maternal and Child Health Epidemiologist, Vonna has extensive experience in teaching, research, and management in the Caribbean and the U.S.
Thomas "Tom" P. Eichler, MPA is Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor for NHPS, leading its organizational development, which includes inventing a new kind of division within the Nemours family. Tom's distinguished career in public service includes his role as Secretary, Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, from 1985-1993, followed by eight years as Secretary, Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families. Tom's work has been nationally recognized and honored.
John Grabusky, MBA leads the Office of Marketing Communication (OMC) with the goal of accelerating the NHPS policy and practice change agenda through opportunistic and proactive communications. His areas of responsibility include media relations, experiential marketing, public relations, digital and social media, social marketing and advertising. Under his guidance, the OMC helped launch the Campaign to Make Delaware's Kids the Healthiest in the Nation, a state wide social marketing effort to raise awareness and educate individuals about childhood obesity. John has served in communications leadership roles in both the pubic and private sectors.
John Hollis, MEd, and candidate for EdD at the University of Delaware, is Director of Community Relations (CR). The CR team supports the organization by ensuring that NHPS proactively maintains a presence in the community. CR leads the organization's efforts in coalition-building and informs the community-at-large about health promotion initiatives and issues. CR also facilitates the organization’s many meetings, conferences, and community events. John has had a 35-year career in education in Delaware and serves on numerous advisory boards.
Richard E. Killingsworth, MPH, is NHPS’ Director of Strategic Planning and Operations. In this role, he is responsible for developing and implementing the organization’s overall strategic plan and managing the operations that support it. Mr. Killingsworth provides leadership in aligning strategic direction with daily operations; in using business management tools to measure and build on success; and in influencing the way organizations and communities work together to support healthier people. Mr. Killingsworth is a nationally recognized leader in the area of health promotion and the effects of the built and natural environment on everyday life, especially health.
