Vendetti's love of central Delaware kept her here. Now she's set to lead its chamber

New president takes over Jan. 3

By Logan B. Anderson
Posted 12/6/21

DOVER — After more than three decades as an educator, Dr. Dina Carol Vendetti’s love of central Delaware took her life on a different path.

And on Jan. 3, the journey to share her passion for the Kent County region will continue down that path.

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Vendetti's love of central Delaware kept her here. Now she's set to lead its chamber

New president takes over Jan. 3

Posted

DOVER — After more than three decades as an educator, Dr. Dina Carol Vendetti’s love of central Delaware took her life on a different path.

And on Jan. 3, the journey to share her passion for the Kent County region will continue down that path.

The Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce board of directors announced Nov. 22 that Dr. Vendetti would be its next president.

“The people who know me well know that I am a person who absolutely loves central Delaware. I love it here,” Dr. Vendetti said.

When she moved to Dover in 2000 to be the principal of St. John’s Lutheran School, she said she fell in love with the area and its people. Nineteen years later, as the school closed, she had a decision to make: She could continue her career as an educator in the Lutheran school system — which meant leaving Delaware for another post elsewhere — or she could stay.

And stay she did.

In 2019, she joined the Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce as its director of marketing and communications.

Three years later, she is poised to be the chamber’s new president.

“I have always been attached to central Delaware ever since I came here. The idea of being in a position where I can do something that can support and help the community and maybe be an influence on some of the cool things that happen here in central Delaware, I think it is just an amazing opportunity.”

Before joining the chamber as an employee, she volunteered with the business-focused group, beginning in 2003. She is a 2004 graduate of the Leadership Central Delaware program and of Leadership Mastery. She also has served on the LCD Steering Committee since 2004.

Dr. Vendetti was named CDCC’s Small Businessperson of the Year in 2011 and its honorary mayor in 2017. She has also given time to the Excellence in Business Committee, the chamber’s board of directors and its Executive Committee.

Along with her history with the chamber and her fondness for the area, the incoming president has a doctorate in leadership. She earned her Ph.D. from Wilmington University in 2010.

“My doctorate is in leadership, in organizational leadership, learning and innovation,” she said, adding that in her downtime, she enjoys cooking, spending time in her yard and visiting the beach.

On Sept. 27, current CDCC President Judy Diogo announced that she would be stepping down from her position at year’s end. The resignation was not a surprise, as it came after a five-year leadership changeover.

Part of that process included the establishment of a committee charged with securing a new leader.

The group, comprised of selected Executive Committee members and certain past board chairs, recruited for the position, evaluated applicants, participated in interviews and, ultimately, recommended a candidate to the board of directors for its approval.

The committee cast a wide net, attracting applicants from all over the country, but in the end, it chose Dr. Vendetti from a group of three finalists.

As president, Dr. Vendetti said she wants to focus on attracting more young people to CDCC.

“We really need to make a big investment in the younger generation because they’re going to replace us. If we want the work of the chamber to continue to be an essential resource for all these businesses, then we really need to make sure that we’re replacing ourselves with people who understand what that means,” she said.

She wants to do that by expanding the chamber’s Leadership Central Delaware initiative into area schools and universities.

When asked how she would introduce herself, Dr. Vendetti said, “I love being able to do things to help other people achieve their potential.”

The chamber allows her to do just that.

“I think the chamber is a huge return on investment. The membership (fee) is extremely reasonable. And for that membership fee, there are so many benefits that come with it,” she said.

“If there’s some legislation happening down at the General Assembly, ... we need to make sure that this is going to be friendly for your business. You don’t have time to go. You don’t have time to do the research. But we do. That’s what we do or to provide educational pieces, helping with marketing, helping people building their network and becoming known.

“You know, this is one of the coolest things about this community. And one of the reasons I love it so much here ... because it really is community in a real sense of the word.”

For more information about the Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce, visit here.

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