Georgetown: Delaware Electric Cooperative and Delaware Technical Community College are proud to announce the creation of the Layton A. Wheeler Scholarship Endowment, which was established upon Wheeler’s retirement after 35 years with the company.
Layton Wheeler’s connections to Delaware Electric Cooperative, Delaware Tech, and Sussex County run deep. Mr. Wheeler served as vice president of marketing and member services for Delaware Electric Cooperative from 1979 through 2014. He was responsible for internal and external communications, public relations, marketing, and value-added member services.
Believing that education is the path to success, Wheeler joined Delaware Tech as an adjunct instructor in 1980 at the Jack F. Owens Campus in Georgetown, where he taught business courses for 35 years until his retirement. He was also a member of the Owens Campus Development Council and the Business Technology Advisory Board.
Wheeler is a charter member and former board member of the Nanticoke-Seaford Rotary Club and a Paul Harris fellow, as well as a past board member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware and CHEER Delaware. He has also served a presenter for the Business Industry Education Alliance and Junior Achievement.
According to Delaware Electric Cooperative President and CEO Bill Andrew, “Layton Wheeler strongly believed in providing his students with the knowledge and skills to be successful in the workforce. He also believed strongly in communicating with and educating tens of thousands of Cooperative members about energy issues and their Co-op. I can’t think of a more appropriate way of honoring Layton than with this endowment.”
Dr. Ileana Smith, Delaware Tech Owens Campus vice president and campus director, agrees. “Through his decades of service in the classroom and on the Owens Campus Development Council, Layton has touched the lives of thousands of students. I know there are many who will read this who can say that Mr. Wheeler was one of their favorite teachers. We are forever grateful for the kindness and encouragement he showed his students and for his commitment to the College. Though he will be missed, this scholarship endowment will allow us to continue Layton’s work into the future.”
The Layton A. Wheeler Scholarship Endowment will be awarded annually to a student enrolled at Delaware Tech’s Jack F. Owens Campus in Georgetown. The scholarship will assist with tuition and other costs for a student enrolled in at least six credits per semester who maintains a GPA of 2.5 or greater. Preference will be given to students enrolled in a Business Technology program. Students can apply for the scholarship online at dtcc.academicworks.com.
