Citizen Budget Oversight Committee

Ms. Karen Thorpe, Public Member, Chairwoman – was raised in Pennsylvania, moved to Wilmington, Delaware in 1986, and then moved to Lewes in 2016. Karen is a retired Delaware school district Business Manager and, subsequent to retirement, worked as a financial consultant to several Delaware charter schools. She has over 30 years of experience in finance with Delaware public schools. Karen's experience in finance includes budget development and monitoring, accounting duties, payroll, benefits, referendum, and strategic planning, and has served on several Citizen Budget Oversight Committees during her career and consulting work.

She is a graduate of Villanova University with a B.S. in Accounting and has an MBA from the University of Delaware. In addition, Karen is an adjunct professor in the Master's program at Wilmington University, teaching school finance courses to those wishing to pursue an advanced degree in school leadership. In 2012, Karen received her certification as a holistic health coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. 

Mr. John Moore, Public Member - John E. Moore joins the Citizen’s Financial Oversight Committee as an interested citizen. John is a retired school district administrator from Southern New Jersey. He attended the National Labor College where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Labor Education. He went on to receive his Master of Science degree from the University of Scranton and spent his entire educational career at the Camden County Technical Schools District.

John retired as the District’s Director of Curriculum and Assessment in 2014 and enjoys fishing on Southern Delaware’s beautiful beaches and keeping up with the latest trends in education and workforce development. He continues to be a strong advocate for a Highly Trained and Highly Skilled Workforce as a long-term solution for the nation’s economic well-being. John and his wife Janice, a retired paralegal, reside in the Windstone Subdivision in Milton. 

Mr. David Moskowitz, Public Member - David Moskowitz has served on the Cape Henlopen budget committee since 2019, lives in Dewey Beach with his daughter Morgan, and is actively involved in the community. David previously spent seven years as Dewey Beach Town Commissioner and Investment Committee Chair in addition to a term as Communications Chair of the Lewes-Rehoboth Rotary Club. In addition to the budget committee, David currently also serves on the Seaside Youth Education Committee.

He spent many years working on a trading desk doing quantitative research for a $350 billion dollar portfolio and Financial Risk Management for a Bank. David has a Master’s Degree in Industrial Relations from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MBA from Colorado State University. Also, a Bachelor’s degree in Management from SUNY Binghamton with a concentration in Accounting (CPA), Finance, and MIS after graduating from HS at 16. Certifications include Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Certified Professional Accountant (DE & FL), Real Estate Broker & Agent (various states), Senior Professional in HR (SPHR), Society for HR Mgmt.-Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) and a Six Sigma Green Belt. Recently completed dual certificates through the University of Delaware Institute for Public Administration in Local Government Leadership and Planning. 

Mr. Andy Lewis, Public Member - Andy Lewis is an engineer with an international plastics testing and consulting firm, Lewis Research, Inc., and a vice-president of GMT Games. He and his wife, Carrie, have two Cape graduates; Wes (class of 2019) who is a boat mechanic for Bob’s Marine, and Danny (class of 2015), a 2019 graduate of Neumann University who works for Penn Mutual. Andy continues his involvement with Little League as the District Administrator for DE District 3 and is the Chairman of the Board for the Board Game Players Association. He enjoys sports, geocaching, and board gaming. Andy was on the Cape Henlopen School Board of Education from 2009 through 2019. 

Mr. William Schilling, Public Member – Bill was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended Holy Family University, where he obtained a BA in Criminal Justice and a MA in Education. Bill is also a graduate of Arcadia University where he completed his MA in Educational Leadership. He started his career as a Philadelphia Police Officer and later was promoted to Detective, working in the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office investigating welfare fraud. After 17 years in law enforcement, Bill entered into his 22-year career in Education, serving the majority of that time as the Principal of two very successful Charter High Schools. Bill was a founding administrator at both of these schools, playing a critical role in budget oversight, human resources, curriculum and instruction, professional development, family engagement, and culture and climate.

Upon relocating to Delaware six years ago, Bill also served as the Elementary School Principal of a small private school in Maryland. In addition, Bill spent many years as an adjunct instructor and advisor at Holy Family University (Philadelphia). Since retiring from education, Bill now works for iTN of Southern Delaware, providing transportation for seniors and those with visual impairments. Bill lives in Lewes with his wife, Dr. Faye Schilling. They are the proud parents of two Cape students - Gus (Class of 2024) and Mack (Class of 2031). 

Mr. Gerald McNesby, Public Member – Mr. McNesby recently retired from Delaware Technical Community College (DTCC) where he served as Vice President for Finance since 1999. In addition to being responsible for the college’s fiscal operations, facilities management, and legislative relations, Jerry also oversaw the administration of DTCC’s Educational Foundation and served as treasurer for the Delaware Manufacturing Extension Partnership (DEMEP). 

Prior to his employment at DTCC, Jerry served as the Administrator of the State’s Transportation Trust Fund and was controller for a non-profit in Washington, DC that focused on training and job placement for high school dropouts throughout the country. His education includes a BS and Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Delaware and an MBA from Wilmington University. Mr. McNesby was previously a member of the AICPA and Delaware Society of CPAs.

Jerry currently serves as treasurer for the Del-One Federal Credit Union and volunteers for Special Olympics Delaware and DFRC, a non-profit that focuses on enriching the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities. 

Mrs. Bobbie Redefer, Public Member - Mrs. Bobbie Redefer is a Registered Nurse with a master's degree in Nursing. She currently works for the Cape Henlopen School District and has worked in the District for the past 20 years. She was the school nurse at the Sussex Consortium for 18 of those years and just recently filled the role of Assistant COVID Coordinator for the School District. Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, she took on the role of Lead Nurse for the District. She previously worked at Beebe Medical Center in the roles of Nursing Instructor at Beebe School of Nursing, staff nurse in ICU as well as Nursing Supervisor for several years. She has served on all the Cape Henlopen School District Long Range Planning Committees and served on several State of Delaware Education Stakeholders Committees regarding Special Education Regulation Revisions. She has 2 adult children that attended Cape Henlopen Schools.

Mrs. Patricia Null, Public Member - Patty is from New Jersey where she was a district administrator and teacher. She has an MA in Educational Administration from Rider University and a BA degree in Secondary Education from Rowan University.

Patty is a former Title I Director and grant writer with 30 years of educational experience. As a district Title I Director and grant writer, Patty understands the budget process and accountability. Her responsibilities included budget oversight for both federal and state grant funds, writing the district’s (annual) Schoolwide Plans, as well as teacher classroom observations. 

Patty moved to Lewes in 2016. Since moving to Lewes, Patty’s volunteer hours have been spent writing grants for the Cape Henlopen Elks Lodge. This process includes locating groups in need, such as the homeless veterans, the food kitchen at Epworth Methodist Church, Westside New Beginnings, as well as writing three grants for the Cape Henlopen School District through the Elks Lodge for the Grab and Go Program during Covid.