Steve is currently the HR Manager at Wilmington Country Club. He was born in Brooklyn and grew up on the Jersey Shore (not the MTV version). Steve is married to a long-time Fusion friend, Deb Buenaga, and is one of the founders of Preston's March for Energy.
FounderNic DeCaire is the founder of the Friends of Fusion Foundation. In 2006 he opened Fusion Fitness Center in Newark DE. This is where he found his passion for helping people and working with non profit organizations. In 2019 he decided to close Fusion Fitness Center to spend more time with his family and focus on his other company Fusion Racing. Nic has two children Josephine and Grace and a lovely wife Anne. When not working on Fusion Racing or the Foundation, he enjoys spending time on the family farm.
Born and raised in Delaware, Jodi resides in Newark with her 2 boys. She recently earned a Masters degree in School Counseling to continue her passion for helping children. She became involved with the Friends of Fusion Foundation through her love of running. In her free time she enjoys the beach and being outdoors.
Greg Gilbert is currently the vice president for the foundation. He has a B.S. in Marketing and Management from the University of Delaware and a M.S. in Education from Wilmington College. He is currently a teacher in Cecil County, Maryland. Greg became involved with the Foundation during his time as an ambassador for the Fusion Running Club in 2021. Before coming to the foundation Greg was fundraising for LLS through Team in Training and was a candidate for the LLS Man of the Year campaign in 2013. He resides in Newark with his wife, kids, and family pets. He spends his time running, reading, and spending time with his family.
Brian was born and raised in Delaware. He has been working in sales/hospitality since graduating high school, and ventured into the Real Estate industry in 2005. Brian is currently the President of The Hadley Group, a small collective of five agents. In 2014, he was nominated for Realtor of the Year by the New Castle County Board of Realtors, and in 2017, he won NCCBOR’s Good Neighbor Award, which is awarded to a Realtor member who, outside of Board or company activity, voluntarily contributes to a community service activity to the betterment of the community. Assisting buyers and sellers with arguably the largest financial decision of one's life, is a passion, remarkably rewarding, and a true honor for Brian.
As a lifelong restaurant brat Robbie began his career hanging out in the kitchen of his parent’s Newark, DE sports bar. From there he began washing dishes and cooking in his family seafood restaurant which solidified his passion for kitchens and interest in delicious food.A Culinary Institute of America graduate, Chef Robbie Jester is most well known for his appearances on Netflix Pressure Cooker, Guy’s Grocery Games, and Beat Bobby Flay. He has been at the helm of many local restaurants and legendary establishments such as DuPont Country Club, Hotel DuPont, Piccolina Toscana, Stone Balloon Ale House, Limestone BBQ and Bourbon, Eggspectation, and now as owner of Pizzeria Mariana and In Jest Private Chef and EventsWhen not working in the kitchen, Robbie is a huge believer in community contribution. He works tirelessly with the Delaware Restaurant Association ProStart Program, Project New Start, and other community organizations with a focus on feeding people and educating the chefs of tomorrow. He sits on the board of the Friends of Fusion Foundation serving children and first responders in the state of Delaware.
Jeffrey Leggett currently serves as the Foundation’s President, and has since its inception. Prior to starting his philanthropic sabbatical from the corporate sector in late 2018, Jeff spent almost thirty years in regulatory, compliance, risk assessment, and policy management positions at four major financial institutions in Delaware. Jeff relocated from upstate New York in the mid-1980s to obtain his Master’s Degree in Marine Policy from the University of Delaware’s College of Marine Studies (now called the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment). Jeff is a life-long volunteer, and currently coaches the Newark Dragons and Wilmington Wizards Special Olympics cycling teams. He spent fifteen years on the Board of Directors of the Delaware Chapter of the March of Dimes, and has volunteered at Meals on Wheels Delaware, the Newark Area Welfare Committee, the Food Bank of Delaware, and his neighborhood’s Homeowners Association, to name a few. Jeff enjoys competitions of all forms, including duathlons, biking, running, and triathlon relays, and he completed his first individual triathlon at the 2023 Escape the Cape. He also enjoys more tranquil activities such as reading, word games, and yoga. Jeff needs to stay active, though, because he eats too much dessert, especially chocolate and peanut butter ones…
Kelly is a Delaware native who earned her B.S. in Recreation and Leisure Management from York College of Pennsylvania. She is currently an HR Manager at JPMorgan and has worked in banking for many years. Kelly has had a passion for volunteering, fundraising, and supporting the community since high school. She became involved with the Friends of Fusion Foundation through her love for running and the Fusion Running Club. Kelly currently resides in Newark with her husband, two kids, and three cats. In her spare time, she can be found running, swimming, reading, watching her son play soccer, or spending time with her family.
A University of Delaware graduate, lifelong Delawarean, and four decade Newarkian, Joe Murray is the titular Captain (with his wife, Danielle) of Captain Blue Hen Comics, a Main Street, Newark fixture since 1980. Joe and his Captain Blue Hen crew have regularly raised funds or items for the American Cancer Society, Newark Area Welfare Committee, Hero Initiative, Book Industry Charitable Foundation, Nemours Children Hospital and a plethora of others including supporting his customers when they are in need. A proponent of children’s literacy and mental health, Captain Blue Hen works with schools and libraries from Maryland to New York. Joe is the vice-president of ComicsPro, an international trade organization of independent comic book shops. It is extremely difficult to get him to pose for a headshot.
Will Smith has always had a passion for helping people within his community. Will serves the Newark area as a Police Officer and has done so for over 15 years. Will has organized and participated in numerous fundraising and community events to benefit local charities and partners. In 2023, Will joined the board of Friends of Fusion Foundation and hopes to continue to build a relationship between the community and public service.
