2023 Awardees
She’s On Her Way Award
Lindsay Albanese, MD
I received my undergraduate degree from Duke University, Magna Cum Laude, and my medical training at the University of Maryland Medical Center. I received my residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), Penn Presbyterian Trauma Center, and Pennsylvania Hospital. I then moved down to Lewes, DE, with my husband, William, a native of Sussex County. I became a partner with Sussex Emergency Associates working in the Emergency Room at Beebe Hospital for several years. Recognizing the need for increased outpatient healthcare services in Sussex County, I co-founded Atracare in October 2020, which started with an urgent care and pediatrician. I worked through the COVID pandemic treating COVID patients, some traveling from other states to our office to be treated. I also helped form and staff our COVID vaccine clinics at local schools, churches, and local events. I help build and continually train young urgent care providers that treat patients in our Lewes and Ocean View offices. Atracare has now become a healthcare company with two urgent care locations, a pediatrics department, primary care department, lactation department, and mental health department.
I also write articles for the local newspapers and do interviews on healthcare topics for the local news stations. I have spoken at local girl scout meetings and will be speaking at local schools on medicine.
I have a wonderful husband, William Albanese, two boys, William (5) and Christopher (4), and two golden retrievers, Mallory and MJ, I delivered in our basement.
Melissa Bryson
Melissa Bryson is a social justice advocate with a deep commitment to reproductive freedom. After earning her Master of Social Work and Master of Human Sexuality Education from Widener University, she went on to work with Planned Parenthood of Delaware as the Development and Volunteer Manager. During her tenure, she was an active participant in the effort to codify Roe v Wade in Delaware and continues to be a staunch advocate of protecting and expanding access to reproductive healthcare. Currently, Melissa is the Development Director at the American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware (ACLU-DE) as well as a founding Board member and Development Chair of First State Abortion Fund (FSAF). The First State Abortion Fund, established in 2022, is the only organization in Delaware whose sole focus is improving access to abortion.
Melissa is also invested in her Unitarian Universalist Society of Mill Creek (UUSMC) community where she is currently an Our Whole Lives (OWL) educator, teaching comprehensive, age appropriate sex education to middle school age students. In her free time, Melissa is an avid gardener, and enjoys learning new arts like ceramics and dried floral arranging. Melissa lives with husband Steven, dog Maggie, and cats Miso and Earl Grey.
LaShyra Escobosa
LaShyra Kaprece Escobosa, a mother of four and wife, is a true practitioner and partner at her core with the foundation of service, sisterhood, and equity. LaShyra is the Senior Property Manager at the Edge at Greentree under the leadership of YS management, a multi-family apartment complex located in Claymont, Delaware. LaShyra has been in the multifamily industry for over 13 years. She has devoted 90 percent of her practice to understanding residential needs, abiding by the Delaware Landlord tenant code, and creating an ecosystem of love, inclusion, and support for all children and families within the Claymont Community and beyond.
LaShyra began serving with the Delaware Apartment Association (DAA) in the Winter of 2017. LaShyra was nominated against other Property Managers and LaShyra became the 2020 Property Manager of the Year with the Best of Delaware Awards. This award catapulted a desire for Leadership within the DAA not solely at the Edge at Greentree. Additionally, LaShyra observed the need to lend a helping hand and became a board member of the Board of Directors with DAA in January 2021. Within this role, LaShyra saw the need for new members and became the 2021 Membership Committee Chair. Her sole purpose was to build diversity in the organization. Currently, LaShyra holds the office of Executive Secretary of the Delaware Apartment Association.
Furthermore, LaShyra’s love and dedication to helping the community are exhilarating. She is the President of Lambda Kappa Omega Sorority Incorporated the Pi Chapter of Wilmington, DE. LaShyra was initiated on December 3, 2021. As a Lambda girl, Lashyra distributes hot meals to the less fortunate individuals in the City of Wilmington. She created an atmosphere for others to sing and shine through Karaoke, while adopting and cleaning the Edna Dickey Park in Newark, DE. She spearheads a multigenerational women’s empowerment brunch. Oversee and mentor the Lambda Crystallites and Kappa Gamma Omega youth sorority. Her dedication to sisterhood is boundless as she is a member of the National Youth Conference Committee. Although, the initiative that is the most sacred is the national diaper drive campaign with the Delaware Adolescent Program Incorporated. As a teen mother, mentorship is paramount to ensuring each child and teen parent receives the care and tools to thrive as a young mother. However, LaShyra used her experiences and adversities faced in life to create a foundation where young women can find a village of support entitled “Fix her Crown” Foundation. As a natural leader, Lashyra is quick to step in, help, serve, and delegate tasks accordingly to ensure all goals are accomplished.
Brenda Wise
Brenda is Associate General Counsel and Director of Global Government Affairs at CSC where she provides legal advice on contractual issues and strategic guidance on the development of effective collaboration and partnership with multiple jurisdictions on an international scale. Prior to joining CSC, Brenda served as the Director of Policy at the State of Delaware Office of Management & Budget. In this role, she advocated to support programs and initiatives affecting our most vulnerable populations. Notably, she was responsible for the implementation of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) pilot, which was designed to give historically disadvantaged businesses the opportunity to participate meaningfully in the state procurement process. Prior to OMB, Brenda worked in the judicial branch where she developed Delaware’s first Community Court, DUI Court, Best Practice Standards for Problem-Solving Courts and the Problem-Solving Courts Benchbook. The goal of each of these initiatives was to create alternatives to incarceration in instances where treatment and other resources were the most appropriate and effective solution. She happily resides in her home state of Delaware with her son, Joshua. She is an active member of her community serving as a board member of the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League and the Rodel Foundation.
