Please check back often to view all of Penn-Mar’s latest news and event information.
Posted on July 22, 2025
Motivated to advance her career and successfully lead her team. After Kristen Brookshire graduated from high school, she had no idea what the future would hold. All she knew was that she needed a job, so she found work at a tavern, a pharmacy, and…
Posted on July 22, 2025
Motivated to advance her career and successfully lead her team. After Kristen Brookshire graduated from high school, she had no idea what the future would hold. All she knew was that she needed a job, so she found work at a tavern, a pharmacy, and…
Posted on July 22, 2025
Credits Godmother for her influence and “voice of reason.” Detra Craig, a Residential Supervisor at one of Penn-Mar’s community homes in Baltimore County, spent her early years in foster care. When she was 7, she and her brother and sister went to live with their grandfather,…
Posted on July 17, 2025
Focus on tech, growth and support opportunities Our mission at Penn-Mar is to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live courageously in pursuit of their best life. Our success in fulfilling this promise relies on thoughtful strategic planning that evaluates best practices and…
Posted on July 15, 2025
Each month, we highlight a “behind-the-scenes” team member whose work supports our mission, but whose face you might not often see on our social media pages. We’re excited to help you get to know our innovative team and the complex work we do. So, tune…
Posted on June 19, 2025
This article was originally published in World of Possibilities Magazine’s Fall 2024 edition. It was written by Allis Kensing, Enabling Technology Manager at Penn-Mar. My first experience with Assistive Technology (AT) solutions was in 2016 while working for a provider to find employment opportunities for…
Posted on June 13, 2025
“The organization’s values were as important to me as their mission.” Doris Lowe admits there’s a lot to miss since retiring this past April after 27 years as an administrative assistant at Penn-Mar. She loved her time at Penn-Mar, not only because of the organization’s…
Posted on June 12, 2025
A self-described “surreal” journey since applying to Penn-Mar “on a whim.” To say 2024 was a “trifecta year” for Jessica Patchel is an understatement. The Penn-Mar North Day Program Manager graduated from college, turned 30, and got married. “It was a very chaotic, hectic year,…
Posted on June 5, 2025
She wishes everyone could “know what we know” about people with disabilities. With her helpful nature and love of animals, people were always telling Megan McLaren that she should pursue a career in education or veterinary medicine. Three years ago, while working in retail management,…
Posted on May 22, 2025
When Jen Skelly was debating whether to enhance her credentials with a general studies master’s degree or focus on a curriculum that would benefit her work at Penn-Mar as Director of PA Operations, she chose the latter. That decision led to a two-year journey with…
Posted on May 22, 2025
DSPs show creativity and commitment to providing person-centered experiences. Penn-Mar is known for its innovative, person-centered approach that helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities live courageous, independent lives. To that end, Michal Edmondson, a Residential Supervisor at a Penn-Mar home in White Hall, Maryland,…