EXECUTIVE TEAM
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MARY ELLEN FARBER
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Mary Ellen enthusiastically joined the Friendship Team in March of 2022. She has 12+ years of experience leading in the Christian, 501 (c)(3) arena serving individuals with special needs ...
... She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration /International Business Management as well as a Masters in Organizational Leadership from Mercy College, NY and went on to earn a MBA and completed Doctorate level coursework in Organizational Leadership at Eastern University, PA. Mary Ellen is an active member of LAEN-ABWA and serving on the BOD as V.P. of Programming.
Mary Ellen has found reward and purpose in her leadership career through serving individuals with special needs. She is excited to continue the journey by leading Friendship Community as we continue the work that the Lord has set ahead of us in our Mission to cultivate the capabilities of individuals with Intellectual Disability and Autism.
Mary Ellen enjoys continuous learning and has a passion for leadership and coaching. She is a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member and holds various licensures in Healthcare Administration. Outside of a passion for Leadership and Coaching, Mary Ellen enjoys various arts such as painting, making sea-glass and frit glass pendants, as well as various fiber arts. She loves to hike and physical fitness and nutrition is important to her. She loves time with her family and in particular her daughters, grandchildren and siblings.
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LIESL WOLF
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Liesl Wolf spent her career in a variety of finance and banking roles. Having spent over 30 years in banking, she began in junior accounting positions and then received numerous promotions leading to becoming...
... Controller. Later she moved into Commercial Lending as a Credit Officer and Chief Credit Officer for a portion of her career. Liesl considers herself a lifelong learner. She received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Grove City College. Later, she attended Lebanon Valley College to earn an M.B.A. Outside of work, Liesl enjoys cooking and baking. She is an avid reader and participates in a monthly book club. She enjoys singing in the church choir and serves currently on the Christian Education Committee. She maintains a busy schedule being a mom to a 16-year-old son who is involved in local community theater and school music and drama programs. She and her husband enjoy traveling and have a bucket list of places to see that they are working through.
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ABBY MORRIS
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Abby Morris earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Rehabilitative Services from East Stroudsburg University in PA. She completed an internship at Berks Women in Crisis-Shelters and then began working as ...
... a Program Specialist supporting Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities/Autism at EARS in Ephrata, PA. Through that experience, Abby observed the excellent quality of care provided by Friendship Community Team Members to the Friendship Community Individuals that attended her place of employment at that time. In June 2012, Abby was excited to be hired as a full time Direct Support Professional in one of Friendship Community’s residential homes. Since then, Abby was promoted to various roles within Friendship Community, including Program Manager, Lifesharing Program Specialist, Program Coordinator and then Associate Director of Operations in May 2016. These valuable career experiences prepared her for the Director of Operations position, which she assumed in May 2021. In her free time, Abby enjoys being with her loving husband and raising their three beautiful girls. As a family, they love vacationing at the Outer Banks, cooking together and just having “down days” at home. Abby is passionate about Friendship Community’s Mission and Vision, specifically being a faith-based organization Impacting the World through Individuals’ and Team Members’ Capabilities. Abby finds joy in attending church with her family and encouraging Jesus’ love throughout her home and work life.
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JULIE POHLMAN
DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES
Julie Holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from Lancaster Bible College and a master's degree in human resource Analytics and Management from American...
... University, Julie has over 5 years of experience in building high-performing teams and fostering a positive workplace culture. She is dedicated and passionate about all things HR. She is known for her strong interpersonal skills and ability to create inclusive and supportive work environments. In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her children, playing with her dogs and exploring new culinary experiences.
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DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT, TBD
DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT
TBD
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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CHUCK ALBERT
BOARD CHAIRPERSON
Chuck Albert joined Friendship Community’s Board in 2017. During his 40+ years in business, providing IT Services and Support, Chuck always had a heart to serve ...
... not-for-profit community service organizations. Chuck says it is a privilege to serve Friendship Community – the faith-based environment, the mission, the dedication of the Staff, Leadership Team and the Board of Directors provides Friendship Community the unique ability to foster the creation and facilitation of life changing opportunities for individuals with Intellectual Disability and Autism.
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MIKE HURST
BOARD VICE CHAIRPERSON
Mike Hurst joined Friendship Community’s Board in 2022. Residing in Neffsville Pa, Mike believes in the mission, vision and values of Friendship Community ...
... and appreciates learning from his fellow Board Members and the team at Friendship Community. Having graduated from Millersville University with a Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting, Mike enjoys being part of the local community in his work at Meridian Products in New Holland.
Mike and his wife Kathy, and children Ethan and Tess, attend Calvary Church and find great peace and joy in spending time in God's Word. Bible reading and morning quiet time are a very meaningful and important part of his day. Mike also enjoys exercising, gardening, reading and traveling with his family.
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RYAN CURRAN
BOARD TREASURER
Ryan Curran joined Friendship Community’s Board in 2021. Having grown up in Lancaster County, Ryan has always had a passion for serving the community. His ...
... experiences as a member of Calvary Church have led his desire to support Friendship Community’s mission of cultivating capabilities of Individuals with Intellectual Disability and Autism.
Ryan is a life-long learner who brings over 20 years of professional experience in the Financial Services industry to Friendship Community. His experiences center on strategy development and execution, M&A, Lean Six Sigma and fiscal and operations management. Ryan earned his B.S. in Business Administration (Finance) from the University of Delaware and an M.B.A. from the Pennsylvania State University.
Ryan and his wife, Esther, and their children, Abigail and James, continue to attend and serve at Calvary Church. He enjoys spending time with family, surfing and playing sports.
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STEPHANIE MICHEL-SEGNOR
BOARD SECRETARY
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SYLVIA KAUFFMAN
Sylvia Kauffman joined Friendship Community’s Board in January of 2018. She lives in Lancaster with her husband, Ben, and their children. Sylvia currently works ...
... at Dutchland in Gap, Pennsylvania, as the Wellness Manager. Sylvia enjoys serving on the Friendship Communities board, because of the impact Friendship Community has in cultivating, developing and inspiring individuals with disabilities.
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LYNDA WOLFE
Lynda Wolfe joined Friendship Community’s Board in 2019. Having retired as a Microbiology supervisor from Johnson & Johnson in 2015, Lynda has spent her ...
... retirement years volunteering at Friendship Community, at a local youth center for at-risk children, and becoming a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer.
Friendship Community (FC) holds a special place in Lynda’s heart because her sister resides in one of their residential homes since 2012. Lynda has seen her sister flourish since being part of FC’s family. Lynda strongly believes in the vision, mission, and values of FC and she feels the compassion and dedication of everyone who is a part of the organization is very evident and key to providing growth and the many opportunities for the individuals who are served by FC.
Although Lynda and her husband, Steve, moved to Virginia in November 2021 to be closer to children & grandchildren, she says it is an honor and privilege to be able to continue to serve on the Board.
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JILL STOLTZFOOS
Jill Stoltzfoos joined the Friendship Community Board in 2023. She is an active Realtor with Kingsway Realty and brings residential housing expertise...