... 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 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.

... 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.

... 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.

... Prior to working at Friendship Community, Pat earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Project Management from Liberty University and has spent years working in Finance, Operations, and Sales. Pat and his wife, Julia, enjoy golfing, playing church league softball, and cheering on the Orioles, Ravens, and Terps! He and his wife are small group leaders at Calvary Church and enjoy teaching future generations about the love of Christ.

... strategic planning, gift processing and fundraising events. Sherri earned an AA in Anthropology degree and later a BA degree in History & Religious studies from Albright College. In 2016, she completed an MA degree in Leadership through Lancaster Bible College | Capital Seminary & Graduate School where she served for several years as the Director of Student Experience for the Accelerated Undergraduate Degrees program. Prior to that, she worked many years at Fulton Financial Corporation in Reading, PA as a part of the Commercial Lending and Mortgage Sales divisions. As Director of Advancement at Friendship Community, Sherri continues to increase her involvement in building relationships with giving partners and manages major gifts & planned giving portfolios in order to help fulfil our Mission as a Christian ministry that seeks to cultivate the capabilities of Individuals with Intellectual Disability & Autism. Sherri and her husband, Russ, were married and transplanted in Berks County from Virginia in 1995. They have five adult children, three sons-in-law, four granddaughters and a grandson. Her passions include enjoying local restaurants, spending time at the beach, as well as boating, floating and enjoying the calm at her family’s lake house on Lake Gaston, Virginia.