03/05/2026
Updated Bio and photography for our first Client.
We did all of this before Chat GPT existed.
Maxine L’Abbee is a seasoned executive, educator, entrepreneur, and community leader whose life’s work reflects a deep commitment to service, family, faith, and excellence. Born in Shelby, North Carolina and raised in North Jersey, she brings a warm Southern presence and an authentic spirit of hospitality to every room she enters. She and her husband raised their three children in Delaware, where she is now a proud grandmother of four.
Over more than thirty years in corporate America, Maxine built a distinguished career in management and labor relations. She retired from Verizon as a Mediator and Arbitrator, managing Northeast Regional CWA and IBEW bargaining unit contracts. Her steady rise in a major American corporation demonstrated her belief in preparation, professionalism, and accountability, and it positioned her as a role model for women in corporate leadership.
Maxine’s impact extends far beyond the boardroom. She is a founding member of the Coalition of 100 Black Women Delaware Chapter and has served as a trustee on numerous boards, including Delaware Technical and Community College, Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay Council, the American Red Cross, and the Committee of 100. In these roles she has focused on education, equity, and opportunity, particularly for underrepresented communities.
After completing three decades in corporate leadership, Maxine shifted her focus to entrepreneurship and family legacy building. With her inheritance, she launched Molly’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream and Deli, an old fashioned ice cream parlor that became a family enterprise and a beloved community space. In 2015, she transitioned ownership of the brand to her children and joined their new company, Drop Squad Kitchen, as a shareholder and Family Brand Experience Officer. She often describes herself as a holding company, recognizing that Molly’s was not the first family business and Drop Squad Kitchen will not be the last. She is now focused on developing businesses within the Drop Squad Kitchen ecosystem that can grow, scale, and provide generational opportunity for her children and grandchildren.
At the same time, Maxine felt called to return to direct service and education. She joined Career Team LLC as an instructor in workforce development, where she discovered what she calls her ministry. In this role, she helps individuals build careers through the practical application of soft skills, interviewing techniques, and professional etiquette. Her philosophy is clear and grounded. God first, family second, and work third. She teaches that when those priorities are in order, people are better equipped to lead, collaborate, and contribute in any workplace.
Maxine is known for her honest and inspiring accounts of how she rose through the ranks in one of America’s most visible corporations through hard work, perseverance, and innovation. At one point, she was even on loan to the City of Wilmington as a Special Assistant to Mayor Sills, applying her corporate experience to public service and municipal leadership. Across all of these roles she has remained focused on people and on helping them see what is possible for their lives.
Over the years, Maxine has helped hundreds of individuals launch and advance their careers by sharing not only her expertise, but also her story, her faith, and her belief in their potential. She believes she has a responsibility to “bring people in and empower from within,” especially those whose voices have been historically underrepresented. These values are the pillars that guide her work, her service, and her legacy.
