How to (Not) Kill Your Community

Delaware Community Foundation
  • 4.8 (5)
  • NON-PROFIT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Delaware Community Foundation President & CEO Stuart Comstock-Gay gathers insights from remarkable experts across Delaware, each offering their perspective on what it takes to build and sustain thriving communities for the long haul.

  1. 7H AGO

    Lisa Goodman and Drew Fennell: (Don't) Exclude the LGBTQ+ Community

    In this episode, Stuart Comstock-Gay speaks with LGBTQ+ activists Lisa Goodman and Drew Fennell about anti-discrimination laws, marriage equality, and being, at different points, "the most out person in Delaware." Lisa B. Goodman is a lawyer and founder of the Delaware lobbying firm 302 Strategies, where she has represented scores of clients in Dover over many years. She holds a J.D., magna cum laude, from Widener University School of Law, and earlier earned degrees from the University of Delaware and West Chester University. She has been active in legal advocacy, serving as president of Equality Delaware, an organization that championed Delaware's civil-union and anti-discrimination laws. Drew Fennell is an attorney, strategic advisor, and longtime civil rights and public service leader. She holds a B.A. from the University of Delaware and a J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law. Her many positions include executive director of the ACLU of Delaware, executive director of the Delaware Criminal Justice Council, chief of staff to Governor Jack Markell, senior VP at Christiana Care, and most recently, executive vice president at Social Contract.

    25 min

  2. 1D AGO

    Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester: (Don't) Lose Sight of Joy

    In this episode, Stuart Comstock-Gay speaks with Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester about the pursuit of joy through service, the hard work of love, and the power of prayer. Lisa Blunt Rochester was sworn in as the junior U.S. Senator from Delaware in 2025, previously serving as Delaware's at-large U.S. Representative from 2017-2025. She is the first woman and first Black person to represent Delaware in Congress. Born in Philadelphia and raised in Wilmington, Delaware, she has a strong public service background, including roles in state government and as CEO of the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League, and is known for her advocacy in public health, environmental justice, and economic issues.

    29 min
  3. How to (Not) Kill Your Community Season 2 Trailer

    APR 7

    How to (Not) Kill Your Community Season 2 Trailer

    Season two of How to (Not) Kill Your Community drops this April. Join Stuart Comstock-Gay, President and CEO of the Delaware Community Foundation for eight new episodes. Hear from experts such as Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester, former Delaware Department of Transportation Secretary Anne Canby, and Sussex County Habitat for Humanity CEO Kevin Gilmore. We go deeper with discussions about the role of religion in democracy, the importance of entrepreneurship, and declining volunteerism. Help us tackle the essential question: How do we NOT kill our community?

    1 min

  4. 06/09/2025

    Eric Klinenberg: (Don't) Abandon Social Infrastructure

    In this episode, Stuart Comstock-Gay speaks with Eric Klinenberg, author of 2020: One City, Seven People, and the Year Everything Changed, about what the COVID-19 pandemic revealed about our reliance on social infrastructure.  Eric Klinenberg is Helen Gould Shepard Professor of Social Science and Director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University. He is the author of Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life (Crown, 2018), Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone (The Penguin Press, 2012), Fighting for Air: The Battle to Control America's Media (Metropolitan Books, 2007), and Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago (University of Chicago Press, 2002), as well as the editor of Cultural Production in a Digital Age, co-editor of Antidemocracy in America (Columbia University Press, 2019), and co-author, with Aziz Ansari, of the New York Times #1 bestseller Modern Romance (The Penguin Press, 2015).

    19 min

  5. 06/09/2025

    Jill DiPaolo and Jamar Rahming: (Don't) Bury the Libraries

    In this episode, Stuart Comstock-Gay speaks with Delaware librarians Jill DiPaolo and Jamar Rahming about the vital role libraries play in sustaining our democracy. Jamar Rahming serves as the Executive Director of the Wilmington Public Library in Delaware. Under his leadership, the library has become a vibrant community hub, hosting notable figures such as Angela Davis, LeVar Burton, and Dolly Parton. In recognition of its exceptional service, the library received the 2022 National Medal for Museum and Library Services. Rahming's dedication to community engagement and inclusivity earned him the 2025 "I Love My Librarian" award. With a career spanning two decades across eight states, including a fellowship at the Smithsonian Institution, Rahming continues to champion the transformative power of libraries. Jill DiPaolo is the Director of the Lewes Public Library. Before assuming her current role, she served as Director of both the Selbyville and Milton Public Libraries and held leadership positions in outreach and technology services at the Sussex County Department of Libraries. In 2022, DiPaolo spearheaded the inaugural Sussex County Scripps National Spelling Bee. She was also instrumental in securing technology grants from the Gates Foundation to enhance library services statewide. Residing in Lewes with her husband, Mike, and their two children, DiPaolo maintains strong ties to the community she serves.

    21 min

  6. 05/27/2025

    Senator Russ Huxtable: (Don't) Build Walls, Not Homes

    In this episode, Stuart Comstock-Gay speaks with State Senator Russ Huxtable on how affordable housing impacts the health of a community, from hospital wait times to the service industry. Senator Russ Huxtable has been serving Delaware's 6th District, which includes Milton, Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, and Dewey Beach, since his election in 2022. A native Delawarean, he has over two decades of experience in affordable housing and community development, including serving as vice president of the Milford Housing Development Corporation. His commitment to community service began in high school and continued through college, where he volunteered with the Appalachia Service Project and home repair ministry serving Central Appalachia. Beyond his legislative duties, he remains active in his community, coaching youth soccer and participating in local historical activities.

    18 min

  7. 05/27/2025

    Mariah Ghant and Patti Grimes: (Don't) Undervalue the Arts

    In this episode, Stuart Comstock-Gay sits down with Mariah Ghant of Delaware Shakespeare and Patti Grimes of the Freeman Arts Pavilion to explore how the arts create space for connection across difference. Mariah Ghant is the Producing Artistic Director of Delaware Shakespeare. Before she assumed the position in 2024, she served as the Artistic Associate and Literary Manager at the Wilma Theater in Philadelphia. An accomplished actress, Mariah portrayed Hippolyta/Titania in Delaware Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Marc Antony in Julius Caesar, and took on the title role in Macbeth. She has also been a member of Delaware Shakespeare's Artistic Squad, contributing to the organization's creative initiatives in a variety of ways including being a teaching artist, developing new events, and directing short programs. Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, Mariah is an alumna of Vassar College. Patti Grimes is the Executive Director of the Freeman Arts Pavilion and the Carl M. Freeman Foundation. Under her leadership, the Freeman Arts Pavilion has welcomed over a million visitors since 2008. She also oversees the Carl M. Freeman Foundation, which has granted over $60 million to nonprofit organizations. Grimes serves as Vice Chair for Delaware Technical Community College and serves as a Board Member for Leadership Delaware. With over four decades at the Carl M. Freeman Companies, she continues to foster community engagement and cultural growth in the region.

    31 min

  8. 05/27/2025

    Margie López Waite: (Don't) Resist Newcomers

    In this episode, Stuart Comstock-Gay speaks with Margie López Waite about the role newcomers and immigrants play in strengthening our economic and social ties. Margie López Waite is the CEO and co-founder of Las Américas ASPIRA Academy, Delaware's first dual-language charter school. She transitioned to education after a 16-year career at MBNA/Bank of America. She earned a master's degree in secondary education and school leadership certification from Wilmington University in 2008. Margie serves on several boards, including the Delaware Charter School Network, Community Education Building, Rodel, and the Delaware Community Foundation. Margie resides in Delaware with her husband, Wally Waite Jr., and their two sons, Quincy and Isaiah.

    24 min
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Delaware Community Foundation President & CEO Stuart Comstock-Gay gathers insights from remarkable experts across Delaware, each offering their perspective on what it takes to build and sustain thriving communities for the long haul.

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