Gary R. Stockbridge Named 2024 Marvel Cup Recipient

During the 187th Annual Dinner, the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce awarded its prestigious Josiah Marvel Cup to Gary R. Stockbridge.

Established in 1951, the Marvel Cup honors a Delawarean who has made an outstanding contribution to the state, community, or society. The State Chamber’s highest honor is named in memory of the Honorable Josiah Marvel, who reorganized and served as the first president of the Delaware State Chamber in 1913. As a tradition, the recipient of the Marvel Cup is kept secret until the night of the dinner.

Gary Stockbridge spent nearly 40 years in the energy industry—almost 25 of them were in Delaware where he dedicated himself to bettering both his company and community. “He is someone who leaves a place better than he found it,” said Delaware State Chamber President Michael J. Quaranta.

Stockbridge joined Delmarva Power in 1997 and was named region president of Delmarva Power in 2005 until his retirement in 2021. During his career, he served as vice president of customer care at Delmarva Power and held various positions related to operations, marketing, and customer service at Delmarva Power, PECO Energy, and Pepco Holdings—all part of the nation’s leading energy provider, Exelon Corporation.

“He is a servant leader,” says Enid Wallace Simms, retired senior public affairs manager at Delmarva Power. “He was always willing to do what needed to be done to make sure that the greater community was taken care of. When he had issues come up with employees or on the boards that he was serving on, his main goal was to make sure those individuals were taken care of.”

Stockbridge worked very closely and diligently in his community having served in leadership roles to improve workforce development, diversity and inclusion, education, services for veteran and military members, and more. “Gary is exactly the sort of business leader we all hope that Delaware has in the future,” says U.S. Senator Chris Coons. “He is tirelessly dedicated to civic leadership and engaged in making a difference, a fearless and capable business leader. This is someone whose heart is big, whose dedication has been tireless, and whose impact has been broad.”

He served as board president for the Delaware Workforce Development Board, appointed by then-Governor Jack Markell; state chair of the Delaware Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR); board president of the United Way of Delaware; chair of the Vision Coalition of Delaware; board chair of Junior Achievement of Delaware; and chair of the advisory boards for the Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay and Kingswood Community Center. He also served on the board of the Delaware Business Roundtable.

“It is rare to find someone who possesses strong intellectual prowess with a heart of gold—I knew he was always someone to count on,” said Ambassador Jack A. Markell.

Notably, Stockbridge was dedicated to Delaware’s business community through his involvement with the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce. He joined the Board of Governors in 2005 and moved to the Board of Directors in 2014. Stockbridge served as the organization’s board chair in 2018 and 2019. He is credited with launching the Joint Military Affairs Committee, which is a partnership between the Delaware State Chamber and New Castle County Chamber that brings the business community and the Delaware National Guard together to connect and support service members and their families.

“Anyone who knows Gary would describe him as genuine,” summarized Cerron Cade, director of Delaware’s Office of Management & Budget. “His enthusiasm is infectious.”