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. Gerald McNesby, Public Member – Mr. McNesby retired from Delaware Technical Community College (DTCC) in 2020 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.

Gerard 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. 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.