HomeBoard & Staff Bios

Board and Staff Bios

Melissa Ressler,executive director, a Lancaster City resident, most recently served as a Career Counselor Manager with the Occupational Development Center where she provided job training services and designed and implemented programming to expand employment opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities. She holds a degree in Gerontology from Messiah College, and has previous experience as a Care Manager for the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging.

Tana Woodcock, President, taught American and World history at Lancaster Catholic High and Warwick High School. Currently she serves on the Quest Board and as a conductor for the African American tour sponsored by the African American Historical Society of South Central PA. Occasionally she substitute teaches at Sacred Heart School. Tana has three sons, eight grandchildren and one great grandchild, as well as 2 rescue cats, 2 grand cats, 5 grand dogs and 1 great grand puppy.

Judy Zimmerman Herr, co-president, spent her career in various administrative roles with the Mennonite Central Committee, a faith-based relief and development agency, both in the Akron headquarters office and in several African countries. Most recently, she spent 5 years based in Nairobi as Director of MCC’s programs in East Africa, returning to Lancaster in 2014. She has also worked for Tabor Community Services as a supportive services staff person. Judy’s hobbies include reading and gardening, and she enjoys walking and cycling around Lancaster. She resides in Lancaster city on Water Street.

William Stephan, MD, vice president, moved to Lancaster from New Hampshire in 2019 with his wife, Sharon, after retiring from the practice of pulmonary medicine for 40 years. They lived in Birmingham, AL, Seattle, WA and Albuquerque, NM during Medical School and Post Graduate Training. Having served as Chairman of the Air Resources Commission for the State of New Hampshire and Chairman of the Public Health Department for the City of Nashua, Bill accepted the position of Chief Medical Officer and board member at St Joseph Hospital, Nashua, NH. Sharon served as an Associate at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston for 8 years. She co-owned and operated Design Experience, a creative design business, featuring floral and needle arts with international travel. The move to Lancaster provided proximity to family, including five grandchildren, as well as a diverse city with a deep and broad artistic community.

Clare Fey, treasurer, born and raised in Johnstown, PA, Clare attended the University of Pittsburgh where she graduated in 1969 with a major in math and a minor in physics; in 1983 she attained an MBA in finance, also from Pitt. Her career includes 10 years at US Steel as a programmer, system analyst, system designer and operations analyst. She held several management positions at Equibank (a Pittsburgh bank), then worked for IBM in their consulting department in Pittsburgh and Connecticut. Clare moved to Montclair, NJ for some me-time and to work in lighting & stage management for 12 Miles West Theater Company, before returning to consult for IBM and eventually retiring from a Vice President’s position at Chase Manhattan Bank in 2014. Upon retirement she moved to Lancaster, PA. She chose this location because it is within 20 miles of 2 siblings, and it has a community chorus. She bought a house and the previous owners recommended that she join Lancaster Downtowners. Currently, she does booking for the MFE Community Chorus (and of course, is a Soprano). She belongs to a Lancaster Downtowners supper group and regularly attends the monthly Happy Hour.

Henry F Biedrzycki, secretary, a native of Pittsburgh, spent over 30 years of his work life in Boston with several non-profit agencies that provided services to homeless populations in the city. His work encompassed many senior management and administrative activities. Having lived in Lancaster in the 1970s, he moved back to Lancaster County in 2019 and currently lives at the Apartments @ Lititz Springs in Lititz, PA with his wife, Valerie Evans. He is involved with Community Mennonite Church of Lancaster. His other interests revolve around walking & hiking, music, films, sports and politics.

Barbara O. Breneman, sponsor liaison, is a lifelong resident of Lancaster County, and a city resident for 7 years. Barb retired, after 42 years, from Susquehanna Bancshares Inc. in 2015. While with Susquehanna, she held various Management roles in Loan Operations and Retail Banking. Since her retirement, Barb has worked part-time for her church, Zion Lutheran in East Petersburg, most recently as Treasurer.

Barb has served the Lancaster community in many ways including: Board of Directors of LutherCare in Lititz (2003-2012); Hospice and Community CareBoard of Directors (2013 to 2018) and continues to volunteer for HCC; and Tabor Community Services as an Instructor for their Financial Workshops ( 2011 to 2019). Barb is a 2001 graduate of Leadership Lancaster.

Kathy O’Kane, JOC Chair , BSN, RN, is originally from Glen Rock, NJ, and is a current resident of Hamilton Park, Lancaster Township since 2012. She resides with her husband, Jeff, and her springer spaniel Taco. After earning her BS in Biology from Lincoln University, she earned her BSN from West Chester University. She worked at Lancaster General Hospital as a Medical/Surgical RN and then as a Case Manager. She currently volunteers with Lancaster Downtowners Just One Call (JOC), Hospice and Community, and Water Street Rescue Mission clinic. She enjoys painting with acrylics and oils, gardening, and RV travel.

Marsha DiBonaventuro, board member, hails from the Philadelphia area and became a Lancastrian in the mid-80's. Although human resources, community planning, and economic development are her professional areas of expertise, much of her personal life has always encompassed volunteer opportunities. Marsha believes that participating in the social, economic, and personal improvement of others can provide significant improvements in oneself, and in so many other aspects of one's life. From working a crisis line to running planetarium shows to advocating for children to mentoring small businesses, Marsha has seen as much growth in herself as she has with the successes of her beneficiaries. With that, and,as a "lifelong learner", life's excitement never ends!

Carmen Garcia-Hommel, board member, was born in NY, NY in 1954, when the subway still cost a dime. The oldest of three, she grew up in Morningside Heights, a neighborhood in South Harlem. “I can’t imagine a better place to have grown up. I remain close with many of my childhood friends to this day.” Carmen attended parochial school, Catholic high school and college. After freshman year of college she took a gap decade to travel, roustabout, get married, have two children, and get unmarried. Over the years she has worked as a waitress, welder, grocery check-out, babysitter, exterminator, massage therapist, barmaid, occupational therapist, judge of elections, and likely a few jobs she has forgotten. After meeting David and deciding (fingers crossed) to try again, they moved their combined family of four children to Lancaster in 1985 where they lived in an old farm house in Manor Township. I completed a BS in Occupational therapy from College Misericordia in Dallas, PA. In 1998, after the last child left the nest, they moved into their current home on North Mulberry Street where they have been enjoying city life for the past 22 years.

Margaret “Peggy” Harbison, board member, Having moved to Lancaster City in 2017 from New Jersey, I found myself back in my old Lancaster County “roots” again because I am a native of Lititz and attended Warwick High School. I joined the Downtowners in 2018. I earned a BA and VMD from the University of Pennsylvania. After Vet school I was awarded a post-doctoral fellowship in comparative pathology at Harvard Medical School, that led to my certification in the veterinary pathology specialty. As a veterinary pathologist, I held positions in academia and then the pharma industry. My career at

Roche Pharmaceuticals spanned twenty years. As an executive at Roche, I was responsible for leading cross-functional teams of scientific experts developing drugs for humans, primarily for urology and autoimmune diseases. This career afforded me abundant travel throughout Europe, the US, and Japan and included the enriching experience of living and working in Switzerland for several years. I am a loyal volunteer with Lancaster Meals on Wheels and a supporting friend of the Lancaster Public Library. I have a son Ryan who is a financial advisor and lives in Portsmouth, NH.

Ann Martin, advisory board member, graduated from Widener University School of Law, Yale University, and Messiah College. Ann practices in the areas of elder law, estate planning and estate administration, and disability and special needs planning as a partner at Gibbel Kraybill & Hess. She also provides legal counsel to churches, schools and other nonprofits regarding policies and procedures to prevent and report suspected child abuse. Ann speaks to churches and other organizations about compliance with Pennsylvania’s Child Protective Services Law. Ann is also a member of the firm’s Elder Law Practice Group, where she counsels clients about issues affecting older and/or disabled persons and their families, including advising them on long-term care and special needs planning, asset preservation, Medicaid eligibility and long-term care placements in nursing homes and life care communities.

Ann and her family live in Lancaster City.

Richard “Dick” Murphy, board member, Born in Washington, DC and raised in Maryland suburbs, Dick graduated from Georgetown University (BA) and the University of Maryland (MLS) [Master of Library Science] He lived and worked in Northern Virginia for 30 years until retirement at the Montgomery County (MD) Public Library (1969 - 1985)

and Prince William (VA) Public Library System (Director 1985 - 2013) [Director] In 2017 he and his wife purchased 1870's townhouse in Lancaster City and moved into this home in Lancaster full time in 2019, He has 3 Children, 4 Grandchildren, and 1 Great grandchild. Dick’s interests include: Travel, Reading, Video production, Gardening, Cooking, Theater, Genealogy, and Lancaster.

Lois Z Quillen, board member since November 2021: Except for her college years in Durham, NC., Lois has lived in eastern PA all her life. She has had a varied career, first as a high school teacher of foreign languages in the early1970s; then she moved into a 20 year long career in corporate banking in Philadelphia; and finally landed in NFP management in Lancaster, Harrisburg and DC. Lois joined the Downtowners a few years ago, after retiring, and feels blessed by the many wonderful friends she has made through this dynamic organization. Interests include volunteering, gardening and grandparenting.

Mary Cae Williams has been a member of Downtowners since 2010. She retired as Head of School at The New School of Lancaster in 2017. Mary Cae taught at The New School for 13 years and served as Head of School for 14 years. As a retiree, she serves on the board of The People’s Shakespeare Project and the Lancaster Italian Cultural Society as well as the Just One Call committee and the Board of Downtowners. Her favorite activity is traveling to Italy with her husband, Leonard. When they can’t be in Italy, they try to bring as much of that experience home as possible.

Jim Zink, board member, ran the Herb Shop at Central Market, which he and his wife owned, for his last twenty years of working. Retiring at the end of 2013, he has been an antiques dealer ever since. Jim has served on several boards in his life and has always been active in any organization to which he has belonged or where he has worked.