From left, Governor John Carney, award recipient Tracey Quillen Carney, and Valerie Biden Owens, namesake of the Woman of Power and Purpose Award.

First Spouse of Delaware earns honor

Article by Kelly Cofrancisco Photos by Kathy F. Atkinson November 22, 2024

Tracey Quillen Carney receives the University of Delaware Biden Institute’s Valerie Biden Owens Woman of Power and Purpose Award

Tracey Quillen Carney is the 2024 recipient of the Valerie Biden Owens Woman of Power and Purpose Award presented by the Biden Institute in the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration at the University of Delaware. On Nov. 14, a crowd of students and community members gathered at the Perkins Student Center on UD’s Newark campus for a discussion over dinner led by Biden Institute chair Valerie Biden Owens.

“You have been known as the ‘wife of,’ but on your own, you are one hell of a woman,” said Biden Owens as she sat down to talk to Tracey Quillen Carney, referring to her life’s work as a writer, mother, teacher and spouse.

Quillen Carney recalled her upbringing in Old New Castle as an “economically diverse community where everybody knew everybody.” She lovingly referred to her father, former Delaware Supreme Court Justice William T. Quillen, as “captain ethics” for his commitment to justice and ethics and for instilling a strong value system from a young age.

She went on to share a defining moment in her childhood when she witnessed her father sustain a critical injury at home.

“It upended my life for a long time. That is a defining feature of my life that doesn’t show up on my résumé,” said Quillen Carney, who spoke about how this unaddressed trauma presented itself throughout her life and informed the empathy she has for young children.

UD senior Trinity Hunt listens to the discussion at the 2024 Valerie Biden Owens Woman of Power and Purpose award.

As First Spouse, her efforts have focused on giving Delaware children a chance to succeed. With funding and operational support from Casey Family Programs, she coordinates those efforts under the umbrella of the First Chance Delaware initiative. First Chance has three pillars: ending childhood hunger in Delaware, promoting early language skills, and advancing effective recognition of and response to childhood trauma.

As part of her participation in the National Governors Association First Spouses initiative, Quillen Carney received peer support as she launched First Chance Delaware.

“It gave me the confidence to be bold, bolder than I would have assumed,” she said. The portfolio of work she undertook as First Spouse of Delaware to help improve early childhood outcomes was personal. “It's not something you get in life — a blank slate like that — so it's an incredible opportunity.”

“She is a fierce, fierce gentlewoman; you have a backbone of steel,” Biden Owens said of Quillen Carney. “Growing up, you would never be the one that you expect to take the limelight, and here you have led. You are a real leader. The title works … Woman of Power and Purpose. You have a purpose, and you have not stopped. And each time you ratchet it up one more notch.”

A month after becoming First Spouse of Delaware, Quillen Carney left her job as a senior administrator at Wilmington Friends School, a role she held for 15 years. Prior to that, she worked for 15 years on the then-Senator Joe Biden’s staff in the District Office in Wilmington and the Judiciary Committee staff during Biden’s term as chairman.

Event attendees watch on as Tracey Quillen Carney discusses her upbringing, career and new children’s book.

Each table at the event featured a copy of Books for Blue, a children's book authored by Quillen Carney as part of her First Chance Delaware initiative. The book allows readers to follow along on Blue’s adventure and discover the importance of exploration. Books for Blue encourages children and all readers to step outside their comfort zones, explore different genres and discover their passions through reading.

Books for Blue is available in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. Delaware families can borrow the book from 33 libraries across the state. Copies are also available to Delaware school districts for distribution in their schools and early learning centers.

When asked by an audience member what advice she has for students finding their writing voice, Quillen Carney said that learning the structured way of writing is essential, but she encouraged students to connect their hearts to the words they write.

“Marry what you feel to the words in a way that has integrity and empathy for what you are writing about and who you are talking to,” she said.

Each fall, a ceremony is held to celebrate the Valerie Biden Owens Woman of Power and Purpose Award recipient, highlight her accomplishments, and inspire the next generation of women at UD.

Previous award recipients include Nancy Pelosi, Speaker Emerita (2023); Desa Burton, Executive Director of ZipCode Wilmington (2022); Opal Lee, Grandmother of Juneteenth (2021); Tamika Montgomery Reeves, former Delaware Supreme Court Justice (2020); Sally Yates, former Deputy Attorney General (2019); and Ashley Biden, former Director of the Delaware Center for Justice (2018).

About the UD Biden School

Established in 1961 and named in 2018 for the University of Delaware’s most distinguished alumnus, the 46th president of the United States, the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration prepares students with the knowledge and skills necessary to engage in research and public service activities to improve the quality of life in communities around the world. The Biden School’s faculty, staff, students, and alumni create and use interdisciplinary, nonpartisan research, and empirically based analysis to inform effective decision-making and policy and to improve leadership and administration. The Biden School partners with organizations from all sectors to discover innovative and equitable solutions to the critical challenges of our time.

Follow and engage with @UDBidenSchool on Facebook, Instagram and X, and connect on LinkedIn to stay updated on the latest with research initiatives, academic activities and more.

About the Biden Institute

The Biden Institute, established at the University of Delaware’s Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration in March of 2017, is a world-class intellectual center and destination for scholars, activists, policymakers and national leaders. The mission at the Biden Institute is to bring together the sharpest minds and the most powerful voices to address our nation’s toughest problems, while educating and engaging the next generation of leaders.