Posted on January 11, 2022
Each month, we’re highlighting 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 in for our #TeamMemberSpotlight, where our team members share in their own words a bit about themselves!
What is your job title? Operations Support Specialist
What’s an average day like for you? Like many jobs at Penn-Mar, there is no average day. Everyday brings its unique challenges and tasks but in general, I make sure that everyone is driving safely in a well taken care of vehicle. I look up which vehicles need routine maintenance and also make sure broken vehicles get the repairs they need.
What’s one thing you wish people realized about your job? It’s a lot more than just looking at who is not driving safely. I have an hour set aside everyday to look at the safe driving issues like speeding but there are seven other hours where I deal with many different things. For instance, it took me an entire month to track down the correct vehicle title number for one of our vehicles so it could get re-registered. It was a little like playing detective.
Why is Penn-Mar’s mission important to you? There are so many people we support that, if they didn’t have Penn-Mar, they would fall through the cracks and have a very poor quality of life. I care very much and want to make sure individuals are supported the best we can.
What’s one thing you wished the general public knew about people with IDD? They are kind, loving, caring people – even the ones with high behaviors. They are just looking to be seen as any other person is seen.
What’s your favorite food? I love roast beef and let me tell you, Jersey Mike’s has the BEST sub.
Any hidden talents or fun facts someone wouldn’t know about you? I am an artist and paint a lot of paintings. I even get commissioned to paint some. I have designed five challenge coins for the United States Air Force Academy.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, you’d visit . . . I would visit Mount Rushmore. People talk about traveling all over the world but there are things right here in the US that I haven’t seen yet so I would go there. Also, fun fact, the photo of me is by the WORLD’S LARGEST PITCHFORK!!! It can’t get much better than that! The US is filled with awesome things to find and explore.
In your spare time, you’ll be found . . . Painting or hiking – my goal is to climb a small mountain this spring.
Something fun, interesting, or meaningful about yourself if you feel like sharing/we didn’t already ask: I am the proud mother of four! Many in the day program have met Anna when she plays her French Horn for them. Jacob will graduate from the Air Force Academy in the spring, Cecelia works at a gymnastics gym in California and Michael is in school for engineering right here at York College.