Posted on June 22, 2026
From behind-the-scenes leadership to hands-on teamwork, her dedication helps shape Penn-Mar’s culture of appreciation and excellence.
Janae (center) stands with Bobbi Snyder, Director of Team Member Relations & Risk Management (left) and Paul Schiavone, Chief HR Officer (right).
For 25 years, Janae Householder has worked in various full and part-time positions at Penn-Mar.
She started in 2001 as an instructor in the Day Program; substituted and worked as a Direct Support Professional (DSP) and Residential Supervisor (RS) in various residential homes; conducted training sessions for DSPs; and held several positions in the Penn-Mar Central Day Program in Freeland, MD before assuming her present duties as Administrative Assistant and trainer, where she helps to connect people who want Penn-Mar services with the supports they need.
Bobbi Snyder, Director of Team Member Relations & Risk Management in HR, describes her as a “superstar” who is highly regarded by all her team members. “Janae consistently goes above and beyond her core responsibilities to foster collaboration and provide support across Penn-Mar,” she said.
Janae, head of the Awards Committee, works alongside the Heart Committee to plan and execute Penn-Mar’s Heart Luncheon and HEART and Leaders in Our Midst (LIOM) Awards. Last year, Janae supported HR with administrative tasks for the Service Awards Luncheon and has volunteered to assist with logistics for the event again this year.
The HEART Award program recognizes team members whose passion and performance leave the mark of their own legacy and who are doing an outstanding job of embracing Penn-Mar’s mission, core values, and commitment to person-centered support. It is awarded semi-annually in April and October.
The monthly LIOM Awards recognize team members who go above-and-beyond the expectations of their jobs.
“Being chosen for a HEART or Leaders in Our Midst Award is a significant honor because it reflects the respect and admiration of colleagues who have witnessed that person’s contributions firsthand,” Bobbi said. “These awards allow us to publicly celebrate and acknowledge our team members in a meaningful way.”
The HEART Committee meets monthly to carefully review nominations submitted by Penn-Mar team members and family members of the people we support. Together, committee members evaluate each nomination against established criteria before selecting and notifying the award recipients.
This past April, 14 HEART Award recipients were announced at a luncheon event where Penn-Mar leadership, the nominator of the recipient, guests of the award winners, and many team members honored the winners.
When the committee met to discuss the final recipients for the recent event, they conveniently omitted one HEART award winner on purpose: Janae Householder.
The committee managed to keep the surprise under wraps until three weeks before the award celebration, when they finally told Janae she had been selected unanimously for a HEART Award. Janae was initially embarrassed before saying, “What did I do to win this?”
For a person who was raised surrounded by people who were always helping others, Janae felt like she was “just doing her job.”
According to Bobbi, who was proud to nominate Janae for the honor, “Her proactive approach of volunteering to assist other departments and taking the initiative to lead the way in making improvements exemplifies her commitment to high standards and continuous improvement.”
Over the years, Janae has seen how overjoyed team members are to win the HEART and LIOM Awards. “They are always so gracious and surprised,” she said. “People literally tear up with excitement and the same goes for the people who nominated the winners. It’s an incredible experience for everyone.”
“It’s really a human need to be appreciated,” she continued. “I am very grateful to Penn-Mar, Bobbi, and the award committee for choosing me to receive the HEART award.”
Janae’s story is a reminder that the people who make a difference every day are often the least likely to seek recognition for themselves.
HEART Award nominations are now open for the October Awards Luncheon. If you know a team member whose actions reflect Penn-Mar’s values of Integrity, Excellence, Collaboration, Innovation, and Appreciation, take a moment to recognize them by submitting a nomination.
Click here to nominate a team member.