A Final Sign-off and a Foundation Built to Last

Melanie Szvitich Reflects on Six Rewarding Years of Building Penn-Mar’s Technology Future.

Anyone who contacts Melanie Szvitich after September 11, 2026 will receive an automatic reply saying that she is out of the office… forever! As she retires from her role as Penn-Mar’s Director of Technology, she says that she has “officially traded technology roadmaps, project plans, and data issues for a much more relaxed schedule filled with reading, travel, family and friends, and, of course, time at the beach with my pup, Steele.” 

After six years of building a solid technical foundation at Penn-Mar, her retirement is well-earned. 

Prior to 2020, Melanie had spent her entire career in the corporate sector, helping organizations use technology to solve problems, work more effectively, and make money. 

“For my last job before retirement, I wanted to give back by sharing my corporate experience with a non-profit organization that might not necessarily be able to afford someone with my background,” she explained.  

A friend in the field led her to Penn-Mar, and everything seemed to come together.  

“When I was asked to create a five-year plan that would build a technical foundation for the future, it was fairly easy. Being people and data oriented, I saw a clear path forward,” she said. 

What stood out most to Melanie about moving from the corporate world to the non-profit sector was the people.  

“People don’t work at places like Penn-Mar if they don’t care,” she said. “They aren’t necessarily chasing bigger titles or salaries. What’s important to them is making a difference.” 

Looking back on her six-plus years at Penn-Mar, Melanie points to four areas that shaped her work and helped prepare the organization for the future: 

1. Modernizing the tech environment. Melanie helped bring Penn-Mar into HIPAA compliance, move systems to the cloud, simplify the technology Penn-Mar uses, and ensure every residential location has reliable broadband internet access. 

1. Empowering people through technology. This is Melanie’s passion and the work she is most proud of. She helped develop Penn-Mar’s enabling technology program, introducing assistive technology (AT), smart home solutions, and digital literacy training. The goal was bigger than simply introducing new technology to promote opportunities. It was about helping team members use these tools in ways that create more independence for the people we support. 

1. Turning data into actionable information. With information spread across multiple systems, Melanie helped build support for bringing that data together so team members could use it to make better decisions. She also secured four years of partial funding from the Penn-Mar Foundation to partner with experts to improve reporting and build data literacy across the organization. 

1. Creating a technology foundation for the future. Melanie’s plan was never just about solving today’s technology needs. It also meant creating roadmaps for the future and bringing together team members from across Penn-Mar who could help guide how the organization uses technology and data moving forward. 

“Our CEO Greg Miller understands that tech is key for growing a provider agency and meeting state requirements,” Melanie said. Her retirement also gave Penn-Mar the opportunity to name Audra Hurd as its new Chief Technology Officer, ensuring technology has a voice at the leadership level.  

For Melanie, the timing feels right. “I’ve completed what I set out to accomplish, so this is a good handoff point,” she said. 

With some sadness, Melanie is set to leave Penn-Mar, calling it “one of the most rewarding experiences of my career.” She’s also proud to leave knowing that technology has become a bigger part of how Penn-Mar plans for the future and advances their mission. 

Before signing off, Melanie had one final message for her team members and colleagues: “Take care, and remember: if all else fails, try rebooting.”