Darlene St. Peter is a lovely person with a dignified presence that truly sets her apart in a crowd. That serves her well as she can often be found attending events or hosting fundraisers for local causes. I first met her at a meeting to discuss tactics to pass HB 99, which would add sexual orientation to all nondiscrimination language in the state code. Since then our paths have crossed often at one community event or another. Darlene is good people to know.

Mark: How long have you been in the Rehoboth Beach area?

Darlene: I have been back since 1987. I was in Rehoboth Beach teaching in the area from 1976 to 1979. I came back to reclaim an area that I missed and to live where I wanted to spend the rest of my life.

Mark: Can you tell us more about home?

Darlene: Home is in western Massachusetts, the Berkshires. It’s beautiful country. It has rolling hills and is home to Norman Rockwell. It offers a lot of the arts flavor in Tanglewood, which is the summer home of the Boston Pops.

Mark: What do you think about the work that CAMP does?

Darlene: I find that Steve, Murray, and Kathy, are leaders in the community, however not just the GLBT community. They are boosting the understanding and acceptance of us. What they are doing in Rehoboth is history in the making.

Mark: What influenced you to get so involved with our community?

Darlene: I believe strongly in equity issues and fairness. I know that CAMP Rehoboth has very much been leading the way. I want to support an organization and its efforts to continue to build inclusiveness for all in Rehoboth Beach. I’ve seen a lot of change since the mid 70s in the way that people who may have been treated differently because of their sexual orientation. Because of CAMP Rehoboth we have come so far. But, we still have so far to go and I want to be a part of that.

Mark: Can you tell us about your career?

Darlene: My career coincides with my community work in that it too advocates for equity by overseeing special services for students with disabilities. I very much feel passionate about my work as a special education administrator. Part of my job is to make sure that kids with disabilities have equal opportunity to get an education that is equal to their nondisabled peers.

Mark: What has brought you to get heavily involved with political fundraising?

Darlene: I realized I was talking a lot and wanted to put action to words that would further develop a more inclusive and safe environment for kids with disabilities and those with different lifestyles. I want to lobby for issues and causes that bring us to a non-segregated society.

Mark: What has that experience been like?

Darlene: Meeting people like Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, Senator George Bunting, and Rep. Shirley Price, has brought me to see how receptive they are to issues I bring before them. That has given me a new definition of our local government. It has inspired me to get more involved to see that the government can be by the people and for the people. It’s inspiring to see that one person can lead to change. I’ve been inspired by Governor Minner and some of her staff as well. They have been very welcoming and inviting of the opinions of the people of Delaware.

Mark: What do you consider to be most important about this political season locally?

Darlene: I want to put people in office that are vested in the issues that directly affect us like health care, especially for children. I want to see that all children in the state of Delaware have health care coverage. We need to know what we are doing to study the high cancer rate in our area. We need to look at the over-development of our area. We need to know what we are doing about affordable housing opportunities for those who live in our area permanently. What are we doing with West Rehoboth? These are the issues that are important to me.

Mark: What is most important nationally?

Darlene: The safety of our nation and our world. We need to know the truth about where this President has taken us. In my opinion we need to put someone in office that is more truthful and has a plan to not only combat terrorism, but to understand the root causes, such as the schools that are breeding terrorism in the vulnerable minds of young children.

Mark: Do you have a favorite hobby we should know about?

Darlene: No, I think I need to get one. I’ve been working too much.

Mark: Do you have a little known Rehoboth Beach pleasure?

Darlene: Going to the beach, listening to the water, closing my eyes, and pretending it’s washing over my brain.

Mark: Thank you for all you do for our community.