Jean Betley – Employee of the Third Quarter 2008

Jean Betley is being recognized for her exceptional work in implementing legislation and regulations to regulate Combative Sports in Delaware, including Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and Combative Sports Entertainment.

Upon enactment of HB 501 signed by Governor Minner on July 21, 2008, Ms. Betley was tasked with researching the newly regulated sport of MMA in preparation for drafting new rules and regulations, coordinating out of state observation of events, identifying Delaware practitioners and proponents and sanctioning bodies. The new legislation also required the creation of a seven member Advisory Council to provide guidance to the Director in regulating combative sports in Delaware for which she helped to identify and solicit candidates.

For four months, Ms. Betley worked arduously and diligently researching through personal contact with other state regulators, email and internet to determine and develop basic rules under which Delaware should operate in order to best protect the public. As part of the information gathering for the rule making process, she identified stakeholders and brought them together for a draft review of the rules and regulations. Over twenty stakeholders attended the meeting offering a wide variety of recommendations. Following the meeting, she prepared a revised set of rules which for the most part were adopted as the final set of proposed rules and regulations for publication.

With her extensive effort in researching the field of combative sports and compiling comprehensive and reliable information to the Director, today the Advisory Council is in place and a public hearing for the proposed rules and regulations has been held.

Equally as important, she established herself as a creditable resource to the combative sports community and represented the division, department and the State in a positive and professional manner.