Please check back often to view all of Penn-Mar’s latest news and event information.
Posted on November 13, 2025
“Fall Family Update” offered open forum for exchanging information and perspectives Penn-Mar has earned its reputation as a transformational leader for the supports we provide for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). To maintain that position, it’s important to continually collaborate with our families…
Posted on August 15, 2025
She finds great reward in helping people achieve things they didn’t think they could. Susan Wagner is a certified phlebotomist and was a medical assistant for a year, working for an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist at several outpatient facilities. She eventually traded people for animals,…
Posted on August 13, 2025
Art heist threatened to derail the show! The 12-year relationship between Penn-Mar Human Services and the Hereford Branch of the Baltimore County Public Library in Maryland has benefited both the people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) that Penn-Mar supports and the local community who…
Posted on August 1, 2025
“I was born to oversee a fleet but didn’t even realize it”  Kelly Lorenzen earned her college degree in art history and expressed her creative talent on personal projects while she stayed home for 20 years raising her family. In 2017 she was ready…
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,…