President: Dave Wheelan was born and raised in Winnetka, IL. Over the last thirty years, he has worked in communications, institutional development, and strategic planning with the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Foundation, Washington College, The Nature Conservancy, the Trust for Public Land, and the University of California, Berkeley. He founded the Spy Community Media project in 2009, which currently supports four e-newspapers on the Eastern Shore.
Vice President: James Dissette serves as publisher and executive editor of The Chestertown Spy. He has founded several community newspapers across Oregon, Michigan, and Maryland’s Eastern Shore, each grounded in local storytelling and civic engagement. A 1971 Sophie Kerr Award recipient for creative writing from Washington College, Dissette has continued to weave art and journalism throughout his career. His most recent book, Fierce Blessings (2008), is a collection of poems reflecting his enduring attention to place, voice, and the human spirit.
Vice President Francoise Sullivan serves as associate editor of the Chestertown Spy and is the technical support director for all Spy publications. She is the owner of Moo Productions, a web design and digital strategy firm based in Kent County. She recently served on the Kent County Board of Education for three terms.
Board of Advisors
Advisory Chair Craig Fuller served four years in the White House as assistant to President Reagan for Cabinet Affairs, followed by four years as chief of staff to Vice President George H.W. Bush. Having been engaged in five presidential campaigns and run public affairs firms and associations in Washington, D.C., he now resides on the Eastern Shore with his wife, Diane.
Richard Bodorff is the Chair of the Maryland Public Broadcasting Commission, the governing board of Maryland Public Television. He was appointed to the commission in 2020 and previously served as chair of the MPT Foundation, its fundraising arm. A longtime communications law attorney in Washington, D.C., he has spent more than 35 years advising broadcasters on FCC matters at Wiley Rein LLP. A resident of Easton, Maryland, Bodorff is active in national and local nonprofit boards and is a graduate of Denison University and Vanderbilt University School of Law.
Al From is an American political strategist best known as the founder and longtime leader of the Democratic Leadership Council. He played a major role in shaping the “New Democrat” movement and influencing the ideas behind Bill Clinton’s presidency. He later founded the Progressive Policy Institute and helped promote the centrist “Third Way” approach to politics. He is also the author of The New Democrats and the Return to Power and teaches as an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University.
Ross Benincasa is a community development and consulting professional focused on building inclusive, people-first communities. He is Senior Vice President of Community Development at Fello, where he works on mixed-income and affordable housing projects across Maryland. Ross is also a partner at Rivers & Roads Consulting and a co-founder of Scrawl Design, blending nonprofit, real estate, and design experience. Based in Easton, Maryland, he is active in local civic work, including service on the Talbot Interfaith Shelter board.
Jessica Bellis is the Chief Operating and Finance Officer of the Avalon Foundation, the largest arts nonprofit on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Over nearly 20 years, she has helped grow the organization’s revenues and expand its community and school-based arts programs. She lives in Easton, Maryland, and is active in local civic leadership.
Derick Daly is a business and nonprofit leader based in Easton, Maryland. He serves as President of Polaris Village Ministries and is Chairman and President of Aspire Daly, a real estate development company. He is also CEO of JACK Construction and a member of JACK Innovations, supporting product development and contracting services. Previously, he founded and led Building African American Minds (BAAM), a nonprofit focused on academic support for African American students. Daly holds an MBA from Wilmington University and a BSBA in Accounting from Suffolk University.
Len Foxwell is the principal of Tred Avon Strategies, a communications and political consulting firm based in Annapolis, Maryland. He brings more than 25 years of experience in Maryland government and politics, including 13 years as the Maryland Comptroller’s chief of staff. Foxwell also teaches crisis communication at Johns Hopkins University and directs HopStart, the university’s new venture challenge.
Joan Levy is the Executive Director of Talbot Arts (Talbot County Arts Council), a role she has held since 2019. She leads programs and advocacy that support artists, arts organizations, and cultural life across Talbot County. Joan also serves as Director of Marketing and Communications at Johns Hopkins Medicine. She is based in Baltimore, Maryland, and brings deep experience in arts leadership and communications.
Clayton A. Mitchell, Sr. is a life-long Eastern Shoreman, an attorney, and former Chairman of the Maryland Department of Labor’s Board of Appeals. He is the co-host of the Gonzales/Mitchell Show podcast that discusses politics, business, and cultural issues.
Dorian Mitchell is a marketing and content strategist with deep roots in local journalism and digital media. As Marketing Director at Momma Maria’s LLC, he leads social media, SEO, advertising, content creation, event promotion, and digital platform integration for multiple hospitality brands in the Mid-Shore region. Before his current position, he was a reporter and business columnist for the Kent County News. Dorian also serves of the Talbot County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He holds a B.A. in English from Washington College.
Hugh Panero is a tech & media entrepreneur who founded and served as the former CEO of XM Satellite Radio. He has worked with leading tech venture capital firms and was an adjunct media professor at George Washington University. He writes about Tech and Media for the Spy.
Al Sikes is the former Chair of the Federal Communications Commission under George H.W. Bush. Al recently published Culture Leads Leaders Follow, published by Koehler Books.