She’s making her mark in a unique way.

Kimberly Palmer is accustomed to people commenting on her magenta-colored hair, vibrant clothing styles, and Converse All-Star high-top sneakers with rainbow flames. 

And when the Penn-Mar Residential Supervisor frequently visits the organization’s Day Program, she can’t help but notice that several of the ladies there are now sporting their own shade of pink hair. 

But her style influence can’t compare to the passion she has for supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). 

In college, Kimberly studied criminal justice, but a brief internship in the Howard County Crime Lab convinced her that she needed to pursue a new career and “a degree in life experience.” 

She has always loved children and felt especially devoted to her nephew with autism. When her mother suggested she might like working with kids, Kimberly took her advice. For the next 5 years, she taught children with autism in Howard County. After moving to Chicago, she held a similar position for 17 years. She eventually moved back to Maryland where she worked at a school for people with autism for three years before finally finding Penn-Mar. 

Kimberly described herself as “very introverted” in her 20s when she lived in Baltimore, but everyone who knows her now would say quite the opposite. “The move to Chicago helped me grow,” she said. “That’s when I started fine-tuning my ‘brand.’” 

As Kimberly got older, the physical demands of working with children with autism were taking a toll, so she started researching job opportunities for supporting adults. 

“I looked at all the local companies, went on Indeed, and Penn-Mar stood out to me as being the best provider by a long shot,” she said. “I applied for the job in October of 2023 and was invited to an interview at one of their community homes. I ended up staying at the house for four hours, hanging out with the amazing guys who lived there. I was offered the Senior Direct Support Professional (SDSP) job before I said goodbye and was later promoted to the home’s Residential Supervisor.” 

The three gentlemen with IDD who Kimberly supports are “like brothers,” having lived together since 1991. She loves watching them grow with the help of Penn-Mar’s person-centered supports. 

One of those men is retiree Elmer who is living his best life” going on regular dates with his fiancée Cindy, a “boot twin” to Kimberly with her matching pair of high-top sneakers. 

The other gentlemen, Alfred and Tommy, participate in the Day Program and like to visit coffee shops to try out new flavors, go to Taking the Lead for horseback riding, and help with grocery shopping. 

Because she fills in at other community homes on weekends when needed and is a regular presence at the Day Program, Kimberly has come to know many of the people that Penn-Mar supports and their DSPs.  

“There are so many good people at Penn-Mar,” she said. “Everyone I work with absolutely cares about the people we support. We’re not in it for the money; we want to do something that makes a difference, help people achieve their dreams.” 

Kimberly’s boyfriend Timmy saw that first-hand when he attended a Celebration of Life service for Steve, a person Penn-Mar supported who had recently passed away. He was so moved by the outpouring of love from team members that he told Kimberly, ‘I want to do what you do.’ Timmy decided to leave his construction career of 30 years for a position as a Senior Residential Assistant at Penn-Mar. 

Kimberly is graduating this month from a Professional Development training class that she credits with helping her grow more positive about her abilities. She and her fellow students were encouraged to envision their future growth with Penn-Mar, but she knew any promotion opportunities would take her away “from the guys that mean everything to me” and the house that has a special place in her heart. 

So, while Kimberly sees herself as “ever evolving,” she plans to stay put doing what she loves most: working directly with people with IDD. However, she is seriously considering switching her hair color to Smurf blue or forest green.