Officers
President: Peter Schott
Peter Schott is one of the founders of the Delaware Stonewall Democrats and served as its first Executive Vice President. A Democratic activist since the late 60's, he served in numerous elected and volunteer political positions throughout his career in Washington, DC. He was Chair of his Ward Democratic Committee, served on the Party's Executive Committee, and was twice elected a delegate to the National Democratic Convention. Peter worked for the US House of Representatives for 25 years, and served as a member of DC's Human Rights Commission. He was one of the founders of the National Stonewall Democrats. After retiring to Rehoboth he maintained his activism and has become a recognized face and force in local politics. He is a District 14 Democratic Chairman, and a member of the Sussex County Democrats Executive Committee, a member of the Coalition for Tolerance and Justice, Delaware Human Relations Commission Member and Governors Council on Equal Employment Opportunity. Peter most recently was appointed as the Sussex County Executive Committee's representative on the Delaware Democratic Party's State Executive Committee.
Executive Vice President: Erik Painter
Erik is a proud Delaware Native who has lived in New Castle County all of his life. He graduated in 1992 from Brandywine High School and then went on to earn a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Delaware. Erik currently works for Carlson Travel as an E-Commerce Supervisor. He has always been interested in politics ever since his unsuccessful candidacy for student council president at Hanby Junior High receiving a paltry 60 votes. He continued his political education assisting as a volunteer on the Democratic Party’s US Senate campaign of 1994 while in university. He served as a Kerry delegate to the Delaware Democratic Party's State Convention in 2004 when he became involved with Delaware Stonewall. Erik began with Stonewall helping to coordinate the activities of the organization in New Castle County and volunteering with the Diana McWilliams campaign. He then served two terms as the Vice President for Membership. Erik currently sits on the Democratic Party's Affirmative Action Committee for 2008 Delegate Selection to the National Convention. He is currently pursuing his Master of History degree part-time from Washington College in Chestertown, MD and hopes to graduate within the next decade! Erik lives in Newark, DE with his partner Erik Schramm
Vice President for Political Action: Mitch Crane
Mitch Crane served six years as a District Judge in Chester County, PA. The senior partner of the West Chester law firm Crane, Teti, Cox, Trott and Bishay, Judge Crane has been a practicing lawyer since graduating from Widener University School of Law in 1977. In addition to his juris doctorate, Mitch has an undergraduate degree in history and did his graduate work in psychology.
Mitch served ten years as a member of the West Chester, PA council including two as president.
Mitch is a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity and has served as a chapter counselor; alumni board president and is currently a District Governor and a member of the Board of Governors of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Educational Foundation. Judge Crane received the fraternity's highest alumni award - The Order of the Golden Heart in August, 2005. He is a member of the Association of Fraternal Advisors and recently chaired its Current Issues (Risk Management and Legal Issues) Committee.
Continue reading "Vice President for Political Action: Mitch Crane"
Vice President for Development: Betty Deacon
Betty retired in April 2006 to Lewes, DE. She served as the State Director to U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D, MD) for nine years. Prior to working with the Senator, Betty was the Chief of Staff to the President of the Baltimore City Council, Mary Pat Clarke for seven years. She has run various Democratic campaigns including Congressional, City Council, and was the Field Director for a State House seat in Maryland. Betty served just recently as the Sussex County Coordinator before accepting the VP of Development position.
Vice President of Membership: Scott Strickler
Scott was born and raised in Washington state. He bagan his 30-year-long career with the Federal government as a staff attorney for the U.S. Department of Labor in Dallas, TX, and ended it with the Office of the General Counsel, U.S. Occupational Safetey and Health Review Commisssion, in Washington D.C. Since retiring in January 2002, he has lived near Milton, DE with his partner of 28 years, David Dagenais, and their dog, Skippy. Scott was politically active througout his junion high school, high school an college but basically dormant throughout his years as a Hatch Act-restrained civil servant. Upon retiring, he joined the Delaware Stonewall Democrats. He has served as Secretary for the 36th Representative District since June 2004 and represented his Election District (7-36) on the District Committee and the Sussex County Democratic Executive Committee since June 2006. He is also active in the Rehoboth Beach Film Society and in two churches, singing with the Gospel Choir at MCC Washington and teaching Bible study at Epworth UMC in Rehoboth Beach.
Treasurer: Larry Hooker
Larry Hooker moved to Rehoboth Beach in 1996 after many years in the corporate world. He has experience in both public and corporate accounting including serving as vice president of a large privately held company in Rockville, MD before moving to Delaware. In 1996 he started his own tax and accounting practice in Rehoboth. He also has served on several non-profit boards. He is a graduate of Miami University and is a CPA.
Secretary: Larry Peterson
Larry Peterson lives in Newark with his partner Richard Young. He has been a university professor or administrator at UD since 1980. Before that he was a professor at Vanderbilt University, George Peabody College and Jersey City University. Originally from Kansas but because of the Air Force or academic positions Larry has lived in Montana, California, Texas, North Carolina, New Jersey, Tennessee and with extended Air Force assignments to Guam and Okinawa where he received an Air Force Accommodation Medal.
At the University of Delaware Larry teaches music courses, administers the University’s GLBT lecture series, co-chaired the task force that designed a new minor in GLBT studies and develops multimedia lessons for the teaching of opera.
Larry was founding member of the board of directors for the Rainbow Chorale of Delaware and functioned as their Vice-President for Development for several years. He was the chair of the Bingo-A-Go-Go committee for four years. Larry currently belongs to the following organizations” American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. He loves to travel, having been a student in Paris, France (1971), a visiting lecturer in England (1994), and has taken university courses in France (1987) and Italy (2006).
New Castle County Coordinator: John Quintus
John Allen Quintuswas born in Washington, DC in 1943. He grew up in Arlington, Virginia, where he attended Washington-Lee High School. Mr. Quintus is an Honors graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill. He holds masters degrees from Harvard University and the University of Virginia, and a Ph.D. from the University of Delaware.
Mr. Quintus entered the Foreign Service in 1980 after having taught at George Mason University, Louisiana State University, and the University of Delaware. He was posted to Canberra, Bonn, Mauritius, Toronto, Yerevan, Belgrade, Leipzig, and Vienna. He was instrumental in creating the German-American Dialogue Center in Magdeburg, and founded the Vienna Initiative for Central Asia, an Austro-American training program for city managers from Central Asia. During his career in the Foreign Service, Mr. Quintus earned a Superior Performance Award, three Meritorious Honor Awards and two Meritorious Pay Increases, and a Career Achievement Award..
Mr. Quintus has published several articles on British and American literature, U.S. Naval history, and education. He has taught at the University of Delaware after retiring from the State Department in 2005.
Kent County Coordinator: Steve Kotrch
Steve Kotrch and George Christensen (former Kent County Coordinator), his partner of 25+ years, moved to Dover in 2001 from Springfield, Virginia. Steve is a native Michgander and retired from the U.S. Air Force after 20 years of active duty. After his retirement, Steve held many different jobs with various government contractors in the Washington D.C. area. Upon relocating to Delaware, Steve "retired." He is a public member on the Board of Physical Therapists and Athletic Trainers. In his spare time Steve and Buddy, the beagle, spend every Tuesday evening visting a local senior residents home where Buddy gets overindulged in affection. Steve is affectionately known as "Step Fairy Father" to George's three children and Grandpa Steve to five grandchildren.
Sussex County Coordinator: Stephen Proctor
Stephenwas born and raised in Colorado. He has an extensive back ground in the railroad industry as a Supervisor of customer service, supervising fifty clerical personnel with a base of over two hundred active customers. After coming out and going against his family’s tradition of being Republican, Steve came to his senses and has been a devout Democrat since 1999. Looking for a slower, easier life style than that of Philadelphia, Steve and his partner Paul Fessler decided on Delaware. In 2003 they settled in Georgetown with their 3 beagles and have been very happy with their choice. He has just recently been chosen as a delegate to the 2008 Delaware Democratic Party's State Convention for the 37th District.
At-Large Board Member: George Meldrum
Check back soon for an updated bio.
