Thank you everyone, this has been VERY helpful!
So to sum up, a good DE is:
1. There to listen and help as he or she can without overpromising or underdelivering. He or she also knows what they can and cannot do and relays this to the volunteers.
2. Someone who will communicate with District level volunteers and unit volunteers about the status of relevant items (membership, FOS, charters).
3. Able to find balance between what is right at the district level and what is expected at the council level. This seems like a tough item.
4. Understanding that volunteers run the program and they are there to support them. Humble in their role yet honest enough to convey needs and expectations from council.
5. Committed and will do what they can to stay for at least 2 years to provide consistancy.
6. Often confused because the goals of the local units and the main goals of the council may not have the same sense of importance attached to them. One of these groups, the volunteers, influences how well the DE can do their job, and the other group, council, influences whether the DE has a job. This is another tough item to figure out as a DE if these two groups do not agree.
These posts are very enlightening, thank you all for posting and continuing to post.