October 2024 HEART Award Winners - Penn-Mar

October 2024 HEART Award Winners

Posted on October 7, 2024

The Penn-Mar HEART Award program recognizes team members whose passion and performance leave the mark of their own legacy through exceptional demonstrations of Honesty, Excellence, Advocacy, Respect, and Teamwork.

BillieJo Brown, nominated by Maria Engler

A headshot of Billie Jo.“BillieJo is being recognized for her exceptional ability to engage the individuals she supports and build on the 3 Es of Education, Experience, and Exposure. She is willing to try new experiences with those she supports and has helped one individual who previously struggled to get out to do so much more often, allowing them to learn about new things and build on their life experience.

One of the individuals she supports has significant communication needs, and she works with him daily to build these skills. Her unwavering dedication, whether in the day program or out in the community, is truly inspiring. You can find her encouraging him to say “Hi” or “See Ya,” and other words and phrases to help build his communication skills. Due to her diligence, he has succeeded with these phrases and has become more communicative overall. He even had an instance at a local store where he said “See Ya” to the employees as they left the store. His family has even expressed that he is much more vocal at home due to her care and concentration on this with him. She has built strong relationships with the family of all individuals she supports. This has built trust and respect, allowing for a strong continuity of care for those she supports.

She is also big on giving positive feedback to her coworkers and truly creates a positive connection with those she supports as well as those she works with. She is willing to lend a hand to coworkers and builds people up. BillieJo fully embraces the mission of supporting them in living courageously in pursuit of their best life. She exemplifies our core values of Integrity, Excellence, Collaboration, Innovation, and Appreciation.” 

Jimmy Castle, nominated by Maricel Border

Headshot of Jimmy smiling.“Jimmy goes above and beyond to understand and inspire the people he supports. He uses innovative methods, such as arranging equine therapy sessions at a horse farm. His efforts have deeply impressed the family of an individual, whom he supports throughout the day program.

Additionally, Jimmy volunteered to speak in front of the York County Commissioners, the York County President Commissioner, and the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS). His passionate speech advocated for the expansion of home and community-based services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in Pennsylvania. Specifically, he emphasized the need for increased reimbursement rates for the providers and direct support professionals caring for these individuals, highlighting the importance of these increases for the well-being of those in need and the sustainability of the services provided.

Jimmy consistently exceeds expectations in his role through dedication, hard work, and commitment to delivering exceptional results. He embodies our organization’s core values of integrity, open-mindedness, and dedication to excellence and collaboration daily.”

Allis Kensing, nominated by Jenn Hobbs

Headshot of Allis.“Allis regularly goes out of her way to help team members and the people we support with various assistive technology (AT) needs. She has done an outstanding job strengthening Penn-Mar’s knowledge of AT, and our position within our sector as emerging leaders in the AT for IDD field. Allis is hyper-focused on identifying, obtaining, and implementing person-centered solutions for people supported. She is constantly thinking of new, innovative ways to incorporate technology into the lives of people so that they have more independence.

She is highly collaborative with my team, often doing press appearances, or helping us to create AT-focused content that demonstrates the impact of AT on the life of someone with a disability. She has repeatedly been willing to go on podcasts, TV appearances, write guest blogs for peer publications, etc. as a representative of Penn-Mar. Often, this is a last-minute and urgent request, and can sometimes occur at odd hours. Allis is always more than happy to support however she can. I know she is similarly collaborative with DSPs, people we support who are using or want to use AT, and other organizations who come to her with questions. She has been a great ambassador for Penn-Mar among peer organizations too.

Allis will go out of her way to support anyone who is interested in testing out devices from the AT Library, trying out a device in their home or workplace, or just learning more. Allis is welcoming, encouraging, and does a great job empowering people, even those who are anxious about technology, to use AT in their lives. Allis is someone I love working with due to her vast expertise, her desire to continually be learning and improving, her friendly and responsive approach, and her passion for person-centered solutions.”

Beth Kuczynski, nominated by Natalie Finnegan

Headshot of Beth smiling.“Beth is a behavioral specialist for Penn-Mar’s Pennsylvania programs. She always seeks positive intent and supports others in doing so as well. Beth works diligently to find alternative ways to help people reach their goals in a safe and effective manner.  

Beth puts her heart into every aspect of her job and beyond. A little over a year ago, Beth started a Connections Committee with me and another team member hosting various evening events throughout the years for people supported to attend and build meaningful connections. Beth plays a huge part in planning and hosting these events. If it is a dance event, you will certainly find Beth on the dance floor getting boogie with it, making those around her feel safe and confident in showing off their dance moves. During these events, Beth makes sure to have meaningful conversations with each person that walks through the door, ensuring that they have the absolute best experience. There have been many times things have not gone the way we had planned, and Beth has always been quick to pivot and make it work! 

By collaborating and working alongside team members from different departments she has helped them to build their skillset. Beth is a tremendous asset to Penn Mar and each team she works alongside. She is a true team player and truly values other opinions and thoughts, letting them take the driver seat while she supports them from the passenger seat. Beth has such an amazing ability at making people feel heard, valued, and appreciated.”

Rebecca Lee, nominated by Natasha Miller

Headshot of Rebecca smiling.“In the past several months, Becca’s role has transformed into more than she would have ever expected. With our move into CIMS, our team quickly realized that we would need extra resources to better streamline our approval process for billing for our services on time, while also ensuring that the notes that our DSP’s complete are accurate, detailed, and more person-centered. Becca was tasked with joining our team as part of our process and has done a phenomenal job with this. She regularly offers feedback to direct support professionals on where they could improve, identifying who may need more support in the process, so that they feel more confident in what they are doing. This was not part of Becca’s “wheelhouse” of skills that had been regularly used at Penn-Mar, and this pushed Becca out of her comfort zone. What makes her more brilliant is how she has handled this change in her role and the confidence that has poured out of her.

Becca was recently part of an article written about her and the team of volunteers that she takes to Fresh Fruits Farm and TALMAR. Reading this article and Becca’s words about the experience she has had highlights how she has shined in times of change, and her positivity to change is infectious to others. Becca is absolutely amazing and has rocked her new skills far beyond what I believe she expected in herself!”

Jonna Segura Lopez, nominated by Aaron Hawkins

Headshot of Jonna. “Jonna consistently embodies Penn-Mar’s mission to support people in living courageously to achieve their best lives. She frequently advocates for the individuals at the program and goes beyond her regular job duties. For example, she created a wall calendar at the office to ensure that all staff have access to important information such as people’s upcoming appointments and needs. She is also currently enrolled in the ACRE course to support an individual at their workplace. Jonna is also part of the Career Ladders program and has obtained her DSP-1 certification, and is working towards more certifications. Jonna has taken training courses in Open Future Learning and applied that knowledge to her DSP position. During a dementia course, she learned that one of the people she supported had trouble seeing certain items. She suggested a red toilet seat to her supervisor, which made toileting easier for him.

Jonna is always finding ways to make a significant impact at home. Jonna is helping a recently retired individual from the day program at home. Together with the other staff, she has created an activity calendar to help the person maintain his community connections and meaningful relationships. Jonna has volunteered to organize many of these activities and is committed to ensuring that he continues to live a meaningful life. Jonna consistently demonstrates passion and dedication in her role, working tirelessly with a positive attitude and a willingness to learn.”

Kelly Lorenzen, nominated by Kristie Myers

Headshot of Kelly smiling.“Kelly Lorenzen has been our fleet management coordinator for several years now. She collaborates with team members every day to ensure that our fleet of vehicles are safe and operating properly. Kelly upholds the integrity of Penn-Mar and strives to deliver excellence daily. Kelly continuously demonstrates patience and understanding even when tasked with difficult jobs. She is an absolute pleasure to work with and takes great pride in the quality of her work.

Kelly graciously took on the large task of getting our vehicle process streamlined, which has greatly reduced the amount of extra work the Finance Team must do with mileage logs, gas receipts and vehicle purchases. She also took over handling the adjustments needed to our insurance policy for vehicles. The collaboration between the Finance Team and Kelly has been a complete blessing. As our fleet continues to grow, Kelly is diligently following through with almost all aspects of vehicle purchases. She manages the Geotab account effortlessly and is utilizing this account to monitor our fleet in new ways we never even thought possible. Kelly has taken a great amount of time to make sure these process changes are working and the flow of information out to those who need it is maximized to its fullest potential.

I am grateful to have the opportunity to work alongside Kelly and watch her excel in her career here at Penn-Mar. I can see she has a true passion for what she does, and it shows through her making sure the lives of those we support are safely transported every day. She took the Finance department from zero to sixty in what seemed like 3 seconds, and we didn’t even get an email notification that we triggered an alarm. Thank you, Kelly for all you do for us. We appreciate you.”

Betty Martin, nominated by Kris Froehlich

Headshot of Betty.“Betty was nominated for the HEART Award because she embraces the core values and Penn-Mar’s mission to live courageously. This past year, she supported someone to move from her childhood home to a new apartment to live independently. This was a lengthy process to help her qualify for full benefits with DDA and community resources. Betty helped the person to believe that she was capable and would be safe and supported while living alone. 

Using the 3 Es, they spent time making decisions about where she would like to live, live alone or with a roommate, what she would need to furnish an apartment, what resources she would need to make it affordable. As it got closer, they chose styles of furniture and home decorations. They made lists of needs and wants. Part of the process was purging and organizing her childhood home to prioritize what she would move to her new place. 

This last year was full of excitement and learning new things.  Unfortunately, during this hopeful time, the person’s father was diagnosed with cancer. Betty took the lead role in helping secure resources and guiding this family through the steps. Betty demonstrated the greatest compassion to the person’s father and provided him with a sense of security that his daughter would be safe and supported to live her best life.”

Brooks Morris, nominated by Nicole Zeigler

Headshot of Brooks.“Brooks consistently embodies the core values of Penn-Mar by demonstrating a positive and person-centered approach when working with individuals. He has taken the initiative to curate engaging activities for an individual who is unable to participate in many residential community activities due to attending a day program all week. For example, he initiated a chair yoga group at a local business, ensuring the individual’s attendance every week. He also arranges transportation for other individuals from other residential areas to join the group to ensure that everyone is able to attend every session of the yoga. He maintains regular communication with the business to stay informed about any schedule changes for the chair yoga sessions.

Recently, Brooks brought to our attention that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a lady we support used to partake in various trips and cruises. Brooks is keen on assisting her to resume traveling and is actively collaborating with a travel agency and the person he supports to plan a cruise to Bermuda. He is in the process of planning a cruise and keeping the program manager updated, and the individuals involved. Brooks has also taken the initiative to recall other activities that this individual he supports enjoys. He took her to a pet store to interact with cats, resulting in her delight throughout the experience. Additionally, Brooks mentioned that he and the individual used to engage in kite flying, and he located a picture from approximately 10 years ago of them flying kites together. Brooks accompanied her to the store to select a kite and attempted to fly it with her. Despite unfavorable wind conditions, Brooks’ dedication and effort greatly pleased the individual.”

Theresa Myers, nominated by Teresa O’Brien

Headshot of Theresa smiling.“Theresa Myers is receiving a HEART Award because she consistently demonstrates a person-centered mindset and creates opportunities in the community for the person she supports. She is a role model for other DSPs as well as community members. She does this by planning activities for the week WITH and not for the person. Theresa considers how to incorporate education, experience, and exposure into activities. She supports someone who lives with her elderly father. Without Theresa’s support, the person would not have much opportunity to leave the family home. This encourages Theresa to come to work each day to build trust and to face some challenges that come with supporting someone with limited mobility. 

There are numerous examples of how they explore the community.  Theresa introduced her to coffee shops and bakeries to try seasonal flavors. Theresa learned that this person loves children, so she came up with ways to interact with kids in the community.  Recognizing that personal care is a challenge for this individual, Theresa advocated for her to get her hair washed at a local beauty salon on a regular basis. She now has new people in her circle and feels good about her appearance. Just recently, Theresa introduced using a computer mouse with hand over hand support. Because of this, she sits taller in her chair with a big smile when using the computer at her community library. Theresa repeatedly demonstrates creativity and effort to ensure that she has many opportunities to be in the community learning new things and meeting new people.”

Amy Taylor, nominated by Olivia Spahr

Headshot of Amy smiling.“Over the past 23 years, Amy has consistently demonstrated remarkable dedication and unwavering commitment to person-centered care. For nearly 11 years, Amy has developed a strong relationship with an individual she supports, going beyond the ordinary to establish a bond rooted in empathy, respect, and genuine love for her work. Amy’s approach to person-centered care is exceptional, as she not only meets the needs of the individual, she supports but also anticipates and enriches every aspect of their lives with purpose and meaning.

Amy has tirelessly advocated for the needs of the person supported, helping her to form meaningful community relationships. Her thoughtful and intentional organization of activities and outings creates a contagious joy that lights up the entire room. Amy also plays a vital role in supporting this person’s overall well-being, taking her to doctor appointments and promoting healthier lifestyle choices. She ensures that the lives of those she supports are filled with positivity and care, whether organizing a relaxing massage, a nail appointment, or simply spending quality time with her peers.

Amy also takes the lead in training substitute staff to ensure consistent great care even when she’s not present. Her dedication sets a strong example for others and improves the quality of care throughout our organization. She’s not just a staff member, but a valued part of our community, and her work has touched many lives. Amy actively listens to others’ concerns and suggestions, making them feel respected and included in decision-making processes, which helps build trust and mutual respect among team members.”

Alexa Wheeler, nominated by Maricel Border 

Headshot of Alexa smiling.“Alexa Wheeler embodies the true essence of Penn-Mar’s core values through her daily actions. Her interactions with individuals, colleagues, and their families reflect a deep-seated dedication to fostering positive and empathetic connections. Alexa consistently exudes warmth and sincerity, offering a reassuring smile even during challenging times.

During my maternity leave, Alexa provided invaluable support to my team, ensuring that all of their needs were taken care of and any questions they had were answered. One individual in my caseload was going through a difficult time as she had lost her mother. Alexa was there every step of the way, providing support to the individual and reaching out to their family and Support Coordinator. The relatives of the individual’s family live far away, and the one who lives close is not able to watch the person full time because of her work. Alexa arranged the person’s day-to-day and contacted respite services. She also supported the search for a permanent home and was always there for her emotionally during the passing of her mom. Alexa worked closely with the family and the Support Coordinator to secure a suitable home for the person supported. Despite the loss of her mom, with whom she shared a close bond, she appears to have found contentment in her current living situation and takes joy in participating in the day program on a regular basis.

Alexa’s genuine support has been instrumental in ensuring that this person has a stable home environment and is emotionally well-supported. Alexa plays an essential role as a valued member of the Penn-Mar team. Her strong work ethic and reliability make her an indispensable asset as a day program manager.”

Eric Williams, nominated by Jenn Hobbs

Headshot of Eric smiling.“We could probably nominate Eric for an award every single time there are awards being announced. He routinely goes above and beyond and does it with such graciousness and humility that ‘above and beyond’ is more like ‘routine’ for Eric.

Eric went far outside the scope of his role to ensure that DSP Week was a great event for all our DSP team members, and to support the committee in charge of the event. His efforts during this week exemplified all of our core values. He grilled all day for three full days, supplying his own grill and pop-up tents for the events, hauling the equipment from each location, being there from set up to close down each day. None of this is in Eric’s job description – in fact, he wasn’t even on the DSP Week committee – and yet he did it all with his usual humble, dedicated, hardworking, and kind approach.

Everybody knows Eric and everybody loves Eric! He has clearly built relationships with people from every location, department, and team, as well as with the people we support. Watching him interact with all of the various DSP Week attendees, it was obvious that people both respect and like him and appreciate the level of customer service he provides whether he’s grilling or taking care of something facilities related. Truly, we could probably nominate Eric for an award every single time!”

John Yurkiewicz, nominated by Jenn Hobbs

Headshot of John.John is such an asset to all of us at Penn-Mar. He is one of those quietly competent people whose plate is always full, and yet he still finds a way to provide patient, helpful, innovative customer service to everyone at Penn-Mar. He is always thinking of new ways to incorporate technology to enhance people’s workflows, and just within the MarComm team has identified a number of solutions that have helped us be more organized and efficient. John collaborates with people throughout every single part of the organization on a daily basis. We all have different levels of comfort with technology, yet he is able to work with each of us, meeting us where we are through a person-centered approach to technology.

Just in the past few months, he has helped me to identify a project management tool within Microsoft that can help me and my team better map out our various projects, content pieces, and timelines. He demonstrates excellence through the caliber of his work and his persistence in addressing tech problems when they arise. John has sat on a number of workgroups and committees focused on improving processes, technology, and communications. His willingness to go above and beyond in researching, identifying, and providing solutions to tech issues is clear to all. Recently, an issue with YouTube videos showing constant ads, even in PowerPoint, started impacting the L&D team as well as the MarComm team. John met to review solutions and come up with a plan. This is just one example of how John doesn’t just provide a temporary fix to something, but gets to the root of the issue to provide a long terms solution.

I know that his approach to problem solving is something that makes people’s work experience better. John is great at ensuring that information doesn’t get trapped in silos – if he comes across a tool that he thinks will help a team, he shares it with them. If he knows that one team is working on a project that may impact another team, he connects people. If he sees a challenge for one team, he’ll think about what other teams may be experiencing the same challenge and try to find a universal solution. He has a unique perspective on what impacts people’s day-today experiences as well as what’s affecting the entire organization, and he uses that knowledge to improve things throughout all of Penn-Mar.

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