Posted on October 21, 2025
– 23-Year Penn-Mar Employee Will Lead Nonprofit’s Professional Development Strategy –
October 21, 2025
York, Pa. – Penn-Mar Human Services, the region’s leading provider of services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), today announced the appointment of Jen Skelly as its new director of talent development. Jen is a 23-year veteran of the organization and will lead the agency’s professional development strategy to foster a culture of growth and support for all team members.
Jen began her career at Penn-Mar in 2002 as a residential program manager, rising through the ranks to most recently serve as the director of Pennsylvania operations. Her new role signifies a strategic organizational change, aligning the Learning and Development department more closely with the broader mission of individual and supervisory leadership growth. She will work directly with the HR team to execute a comprehensive talent development strategy.
“For 23 years, Jen has been devoted to advancing her own professional development to better support our team’s growth,” said Penn-Mar CEO Greg Miller. “Jen has a truly person-centered approach to developing employees, always trying to understand their individual motivations and using that insight to help them achieve new career goals. I have no doubt that her leadership will be transformative for our staff and, ultimately, for the people we support.”
Jen has always shown a devotion to professional growth at Penn-Mar. Her past accomplishments include the creation of the 10-month-long, invitational Professional Development Program (PDP) in 2020. This program provides rising Direct Support Professionals (DSP) with essential skills to prepare them for career advancement within the organization. She has also overseen the expansion of the DSP-focused Career Ladders program and the launch of the Front-Line Supervisor program.
In 2025, Jen’s personal commitment to her own growth was recognized when she graduated from the ANCOR Foundation Leadership Academy, a two-year program created to nurture emerging leaders in the field of disability services. For her final project, she developed and presented a plan entitled, “Advancing and Sustaining Leadership Development Activities at Penn-Mar.”
“I am incredibly grateful to Penn-Mar for supporting my own professional journey, which has helped me grow as a leader,” says Jen Skelly. “I want to honor the organization by developing programs that empower our team members to grow in their own leadership capacity, which in turn ensures we are providing the highest quality of support and helping the people we serve live their most meaningful lives.”
For more information, please contact Roger Mecca at roger@vitaminisgood.com.
About Penn-Mar Human Services
Penn-Mar Human Services is a nonprofit that supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to Live Courageously, whether that’s securing a job, being an active member of their community, building independence, or developing new relationships. Penn-Mar accomplishes this by supporting people on their own unique personal journeys. Founded in 1981, Penn-Mar operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in northern Maryland and southern Pennsylvania. They support 400 adults with disabilities daily through an array of customizable services. www.penn-mar.org.
###