Advisory Council
Master Players Concert Series Advisory Council
The Master Players Concert Series advisory council was established on February 14, 2014.
Invited by Sean Gao, founding artistic director of the Master Players Concert Series, the council is comprised of dedicated community and business leaders, UD parents and alumni, and local academic leaders who value the positive impact of live music performance and education. These individuals provide Master Players with a high level of volunteer service, enriching the cultural life of the Mid-Atlantic region.
The distinguished council members strive to help preserve and cherish music, the universal language of our planet. The Master Players staff and audiences deeply appreciate their leadership in advancing culture in our community, making it an even better place to live, work and raise families.
Advisory Council Members
Stuart Sharkey served more than four decades at the University of Delaware.
In his career as an administrator in residence and student life, a faculty member and a liaison between UD and the area schools, Sharkey has contributed his unique viewpoint since 1963. “When I first came to Delaware, there were only 3,600 students, and two-thirds of the buildings — including Smith, Purnell, Rodney, Gilbert and the Christiana Towers —did not exist,” he said. Under Sharkey’s watch, housemothers became a thing of the past and resident assistants or RAs were trained on how to work with and counsel students. In loco parentis became a thing of the past.
During his career, Sharkey was involved in a number of innovations that are now part of the fabric of UD campus life, including the establishment of the student life aspect of the Honors Program, initiating Winter Commencement, Parents and Family Weekend, college convocations after Commencement, the expansion of Health Services and the recruitment of out-of-state students. Sharkey also worked closely with the Black Student Union and has a plaque of appreciation from the Union.
Sharkey came to UD in 1963. He became director of the Office of Housing and Residence Life in 1976 and then vice president for student life, serving from 1980–94. He was student affairs administrator for the Freshman Honors Program from 1976–78 and taught courses in education and American history. In 1994, he moved to the then-College of Education and became director of school services. He also became active on the board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware and was chairman from 2006 to 2010,
At the time of his retirement, Sharkey was assistant professor and coordinator of the Family and Community Services internship program in the Department of Individual and Family Studies, provided administrative assistance to UD’s College School and taught in the Counseling and Student Personnel graduate program.
Sharkey served on president’s and trustees’ committees at UD and was active in several professional organizations, chairing the Student Affairs Council of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges and serving on its board of directors. He also was president of the Middle Atlantic College and University Housing Officers.
Stuart Sharkey served more than four decades at the University of Delaware.
In his career as an administrator in residence and student life, a faculty member and a liaison between UD and the area schools, Sharkey has contributed his unique viewpoint since 1963. “When I first came to Delaware, there were only 3,600 students, and two-thirds of the buildings — including Smith, Purnell, Rodney, Gilbert and the Christiana Towers —did not exist,” he said. Under Sharkey’s watch, housemothers became a thing of the past and resident assistants or RAs were trained on how to work with and counsel students. In loco parentis became a thing of the past.
During his career, Sharkey was involved in a number of innovations that are now part of the fabric of UD campus life, including the establishment of the student life aspect of the Honors Program, initiating Winter Commencement, Parents and Family Weekend, college convocations after Commencement, the expansion of Health Services and the recruitment of out-of-state students. Sharkey also worked closely with the Black Student Union and has a plaque of appreciation from the Union.
Sharkey came to UD in 1963. He became director of the Office of Housing and Residence Life in 1976 and then vice president for student life, serving from 1980–94. He was student affairs administrator for the Freshman Honors Program from 1976–78 and taught courses in education and American history. In 1994, he moved to the then-College of Education and became director of school services. He also became active on the board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware and was chairman from 2006 to 2010,
At the time of his retirement, Sharkey was assistant professor and coordinator of the Family and Community Services internship program in the Department of Individual and Family Studies, provided administrative assistance to UD’s College School and taught in the Counseling and Student Personnel graduate program.
Sharkey served on president’s and trustees’ committees at UD and was active in several professional organizations, chairing the Student Affairs Council of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges and serving on its board of directors. He also was president of the Middle Atlantic College and University Housing Officers.
Retired occupational therapist and photographer, Catriona Binder-Macleod, is a longtime resident of Newark Delaware. She loves living in a University community. She and her husband, Stuart Binder-Macleod, former chair of the physical therapy department and former deputy associate provost for clinical and translational research, raised their two children here. Both their children are proud Blue Hen graduates, and their son and his wife are “Double Dels,” having met at UD and subsequently married at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library.
As a community member, Catriona has served in various capacities such as PTA president, secretary and treasurer in her children’s schools, founding member of the Newark Arts Alliance (when it was called Kaleidoscope), founding member of the Newark Charter School, and longtime board member of the Friends of the Newark Free Library.
Catriona and her husband Stuart have traveled to China two times with Xiang Gao and as such have been recipients of his extraordinary kindness, knowledge and vision. She looks forward to serving as an ambassador for the arts in Newark as a member of the Master Players Concert Series advisory council. She is so proud of all the council has done in bringing music of this caliber to not just concert halls, but also to other community venues such as libraries, state parks and underserved school students.
Retired occupational therapist and photographer, Catriona Binder-Macleod, is a longtime resident of Newark Delaware. She loves living in a University community. She and her husband, Stuart Binder-Macleod, former chair of the physical therapy department and former deputy associate provost for clinical and translational research, raised their two children here. Both their children are proud Blue Hen graduates, and their son and his wife are “Double Dels,” having met at UD and subsequently married at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library.
As a community member, Catriona has served in various capacities such as PTA president, secretary and treasurer in her children’s schools, founding member of the Newark Arts Alliance (when it was called Kaleidoscope), founding member of the Newark Charter School, and longtime board member of the Friends of the Newark Free Library.
Catriona and her husband Stuart have traveled to China two times with Xiang Gao and as such have been recipients of his extraordinary kindness, knowledge and vision. She looks forward to serving as an ambassador for the arts in Newark as a member of the Master Players Concert Series advisory council. She is so proud of all the council has done in bringing music of this caliber to not just concert halls, but also to other community venues such as libraries, state parks and underserved school students.
Kristin Bennett has been a proud Delawarean for more than 40 years. During that time she has benefitted from, collaborated with and supported a wide array of University of Delaware programs including Cooperative Extension, Kids Count, International Student Center, Linguistics, MPCS and Nursing / Health Sciences.
She was raised in Minnesota where she sang in the church choir, studied piano and viola and played in the school orchestra, leading to both an immense appreciation of the artistry of others – and a desire to expand opportunities for music education and performance to a wider population.
Kris served as the nursing director of the Delaware Health and Social Services with the Delaware Division of Public Health. She previously enjoyed a variety of public health nursing roles in education and practice. She continues her work to promote healthy communities through the national Association of Public Health Nurses. Kris received her B.S.N. from the University of Minnesota, where she also did graduate course work in public health. She received her M.S.N. (Community Health Nursing) at the University of Pennsylvania. Kris and her husband Karl are 2024 alumni of UD's annual Special Trip to China. They are adoptive parents of two and have two young granddaughters who enjoy dancing at the Bob Carpenter Center.
Kristin Bennett has been a proud Delawarean for more than 40 years. During that time she has benefitted from, collaborated with and supported a wide array of University of Delaware programs including Cooperative Extension, Kids Count, International Student Center, Linguistics, MPCS and Nursing / Health Sciences.
She was raised in Minnesota where she sang in the church choir, studied piano and viola and played in the school orchestra, leading to both an immense appreciation of the artistry of others – and a desire to expand opportunities for music education and performance to a wider population.
Kris served as the nursing director of the Delaware Health and Social Services with the Delaware Division of Public Health. She previously enjoyed a variety of public health nursing roles in education and practice. She continues her work to promote healthy communities through the national Association of Public Health Nurses. Kris received her B.S.N. from the University of Minnesota, where she also did graduate course work in public health. She received her M.S.N. (Community Health Nursing) at the University of Pennsylvania. Kris and her husband Karl are 2024 alumni of UD's annual Special Trip to China. They are adoptive parents of two and have two young granddaughters who enjoy dancing at the Bob Carpenter Center.
Linda Myrick recently joined Arkema, Inc., in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, as general manager in North America for Hydrogen Peroxide. Prior to joining Arkema, she spent 10 years with Air Liquide in the United States and France with responsibility for global R&D programs for healthcare and medical technologies. She began working for Air Liquide with the acquisition of Scott Specialty Gases, Inc., in 2007 where she was general manager for Scott Medical Products in Philadelphia. Before joining Scott in 2004, she held general management positions with Rhodia, Inc., and FMC Corporation.
Since 2006, she has been an independent director for Innophos, Inc., a publicly traded specialty ingredient solutions provider for food, health, nutrition and industrial markets. She previously served as an independent director for Berwind Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.
Linda earned a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware, where she is vice president of the Alumni Association. She is also a member of UD's advisory boards for the College of Engineering, the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and the Master Players Concert Series. She has an M.B.A. from the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Linda’s family are all Blue Hens including husband, Steve (EG77), sons Steven (BE11), Greg (BE13), and daughter-in-law Lauren (BE13). Linda began playing piano at an early age and became involved with the Master Players following a UD alumni trip with her family in 2015, led Professor Xiang Gao.
Linda Myrick recently joined Arkema, Inc., in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, as general manager in North America for Hydrogen Peroxide. Prior to joining Arkema, she spent 10 years with Air Liquide in the United States and France with responsibility for global R&D programs for healthcare and medical technologies. She began working for Air Liquide with the acquisition of Scott Specialty Gases, Inc., in 2007 where she was general manager for Scott Medical Products in Philadelphia. Before joining Scott in 2004, she held general management positions with Rhodia, Inc., and FMC Corporation.
Since 2006, she has been an independent director for Innophos, Inc., a publicly traded specialty ingredient solutions provider for food, health, nutrition and industrial markets. She previously served as an independent director for Berwind Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.
Linda earned a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware, where she is vice president of the Alumni Association. She is also a member of UD's advisory boards for the College of Engineering, the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and the Master Players Concert Series. She has an M.B.A. from the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Linda’s family are all Blue Hens including husband, Steve (EG77), sons Steven (BE11), Greg (BE13), and daughter-in-law Lauren (BE13). Linda began playing piano at an early age and became involved with the Master Players following a UD alumni trip with her family in 2015, led Professor Xiang Gao.
Justin Chou is a classically trained violinist and champion for the arts in the state of Delaware and a proud member for many years of the advisory council for the Master Players Concert Series. Additionally, Justin serves as the concertmaster and a board member for the Southern Delaware Orchestra. Justin has held leadership roles in many music ensembles and has a passion for innovative concert-producing, especially combining western classical tradition with technology or other art disciplines.
Outside of music, Justin has cultivated a career as an operations and transformation leader in marketing and was recently named the head of North American Marketing Agility within TD Bank's American and Canadian marketing organization.
When not working or supporting the arts, Justin tag-teams caring for three young children with his entrepreneurial nursing wife in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania.
Justin Chou is a classically trained violinist and champion for the arts in the state of Delaware and a proud member for many years of the advisory council for the Master Players Concert Series. Additionally, Justin serves as the concertmaster and a board member for the Southern Delaware Orchestra. Justin has held leadership roles in many music ensembles and has a passion for innovative concert-producing, especially combining western classical tradition with technology or other art disciplines.
Outside of music, Justin has cultivated a career as an operations and transformation leader in marketing and was recently named the head of North American Marketing Agility within TD Bank's American and Canadian marketing organization.
When not working or supporting the arts, Justin tag-teams caring for three young children with his entrepreneurial nursing wife in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania.
Debi Crowley has a long association with the University of Delaware, having earned three degrees — a B.S. in education, an M.A. in language arts and a B.S. in animal science. She is an avid ice skater. As an adult, Debi performed for several years with the University of Delaware Synchronized Skating Team.
Debi lives with her husband, Fred (who is also a UD graduate), and their twin sons on a farm in Delaware. They have horses, goats, chickens and many barn cats. They rescue animals in need. They are currently working on preserving the farm land, which is a part of the Millcreek Conservancy.
Debi worked for 20 years as a flight attendant, which allowed her to travel extensively throughout the United States, Europe, the Middle East and India. Through her travels, she gained an appreciation of other cultures and world music. Classical music is Debi's first love. She always wanted to learn to play the violin and recently began taking lessons with Daniel Seymour, a graduate of the UD Masters Program. Debi believes in the power of music. She is honored to be a member of the Master Players advisory council.
Debi Crowley has a long association with the University of Delaware, having earned three degrees — a B.S. in education, an M.A. in language arts and a B.S. in animal science. She is an avid ice skater. As an adult, Debi performed for several years with the University of Delaware Synchronized Skating Team.
Debi lives with her husband, Fred (who is also a UD graduate), and their twin sons on a farm in Delaware. They have horses, goats, chickens and many barn cats. They rescue animals in need. They are currently working on preserving the farm land, which is a part of the Millcreek Conservancy.
Debi worked for 20 years as a flight attendant, which allowed her to travel extensively throughout the United States, Europe, the Middle East and India. Through her travels, she gained an appreciation of other cultures and world music. Classical music is Debi's first love. She always wanted to learn to play the violin and recently began taking lessons with Daniel Seymour, a graduate of the UD Masters Program. Debi believes in the power of music. She is honored to be a member of the Master Players advisory council.
Jean Kutcher and her husband, Bill, moved to Newark from Central New Jersey when they both retired. Jean’s professional career spanned more than 30 years, including 10 years of teaching high school, and then working as a development professional with The Fund for Theological Education in New York City, the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation in Princeton, and Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. At Rider University, Jean served as director of corporate and foundation relations and then as administrative director of the Teaching and Learning Center.
Jean loves retired life in Newark and contributes to the community through volunteering. She is a member of the civic engagement committee at The Newark Partnership and a co-leader of the Newark Chapter of Together Women Rise. She leads food and nutrition workshops as a master food educator for the New Castle County Cooperative Extension at UD. She volunteers at Brewer’s Hideaway Farm (a local CSA farm serving Newark); assists the Friends of the Newark Symphony Orchestra; serves meals at Hope Dining Room; and serves on the Social Justice Committee at her church. Music has been as essential as breathing in Jean’s life, and so she is honored to have been invited to join the Master Players Concert Series advisory council in 2024. Jean and Bill have a blended family of seven children and 15 grandchildren, who keep them young!
Jean Kutcher and her husband, Bill, moved to Newark from Central New Jersey when they both retired. Jean’s professional career spanned more than 30 years, including 10 years of teaching high school, and then working as a development professional with The Fund for Theological Education in New York City, the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation in Princeton, and Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. At Rider University, Jean served as director of corporate and foundation relations and then as administrative director of the Teaching and Learning Center.
Jean loves retired life in Newark and contributes to the community through volunteering. She is a member of the civic engagement committee at The Newark Partnership and a co-leader of the Newark Chapter of Together Women Rise. She leads food and nutrition workshops as a master food educator for the New Castle County Cooperative Extension at UD. She volunteers at Brewer’s Hideaway Farm (a local CSA farm serving Newark); assists the Friends of the Newark Symphony Orchestra; serves meals at Hope Dining Room; and serves on the Social Justice Committee at her church. Music has been as essential as breathing in Jean’s life, and so she is honored to have been invited to join the Master Players Concert Series advisory council in 2024. Jean and Bill have a blended family of seven children and 15 grandchildren, who keep them young!
Mike Luck is a certified financial planner, senior vice president, senior portfolio manager of Portfolio FOCUS™, and financial advisor with RBC Wealth Management. He has been guiding clients on their financial journeys for 27 years.
Mike’s love for music began in childhood while watching Looney Tunes, grew as he played the trumpet, and deepened through attending live concerts in high school and college. Music brings Mike solace, and the Master Players is the best place to experience high-quality performances at a reasonable cost in Delaware.
In addition to serving as chairman of the advisory council for the Master Players Concert Series, Mike is an active member of the Newark Star Rotary Club of Rotary International, a member of the exhibit committee of the Newark Arts Alliance, and a coach for the Mandela Washington Fellows program at the University of Delaware. Mike is also honored to be a 2024 recipient of the RBC Global Citizen Award.
Mike Luck is a certified financial planner, senior vice president, senior portfolio manager of Portfolio FOCUS™, and financial advisor with RBC Wealth Management. He has been guiding clients on their financial journeys for 27 years.
Mike’s love for music began in childhood while watching Looney Tunes, grew as he played the trumpet, and deepened through attending live concerts in high school and college. Music brings Mike solace, and the Master Players is the best place to experience high-quality performances at a reasonable cost in Delaware.
In addition to serving as chairman of the advisory council for the Master Players Concert Series, Mike is an active member of the Newark Star Rotary Club of Rotary International, a member of the exhibit committee of the Newark Arts Alliance, and a coach for the Mandela Washington Fellows program at the University of Delaware. Mike is also honored to be a 2024 recipient of the RBC Global Citizen Award.
Dawn Yang is a dedicated counsel member of the Master Players Concert Series. While her professional career is rooted in the sciences, Dawn has always had a deep love for art and music. Dawn graduated from the University of Delaware's M.B.A. program in 2008. As a proud alumna, Dawn brings her enthusiasm to this University program, helping its growth, supporting music talent and connecting the community through the power of music. Dawn’s personal connection to the arts runs deep, as her son has flourished as a successful professional ballet dancer, further inspiring her dedication to creative pursuits.
Dawn Yang is a dedicated counsel member of the Master Players Concert Series. While her professional career is rooted in the sciences, Dawn has always had a deep love for art and music. Dawn graduated from the University of Delaware's M.B.A. program in 2008. As a proud alumna, Dawn brings her enthusiasm to this University program, helping its growth, supporting music talent and connecting the community through the power of music. Dawn’s personal connection to the arts runs deep, as her son has flourished as a successful professional ballet dancer, further inspiring her dedication to creative pursuits.
Hamilton Chang
Ralph P. Ferretti
Wendy C. Gill
Jerome K. Grossman, Esq.
Susan B. Grossman
Margaret J. Hirsh
Louis L. Hirsh
Dr. Charles Edwin Hockersmith
The Honorable Jack B. Jacobs
Marion A. Jacobs ‘92
Adam Koper
Mark L. Manniso ‘84
Marie G. Marx ‘79
Phillip Mink, Esq.
Dr. TW Fraser Russell ‘64
Nancy M. Saunders
Randy L. Stone
Steven J. Waidley ‘99
