Staff
Lancaster Downtowners has two part-time staff and two part-time contractors to help facilitate the operations of our village. Our office is located at 118 N. Water Street, Suite 103, Lancaster, PA 17603. Walk-ins are welcome, but please call or email ahead when possible to ensure adequate availability as many meetings, programs, and events take place during working hours and may be happening outside of the office.
Melissa Ressler, Executive Director (25 hours per week)
Contact: [email protected]; 717-584-1224
Administrative Hours: 9am-3pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday; as needed.
Melissa joined Downtowners as Executive Director in 2018 and holds a bachelor’s degree in Therapeutic Recreation and Gerontology. She has previously worked for the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging & Occupational Development Center and is trained in Positive Approach to Care and as an End of Life Doula. Melissa serves as part of the leadership for Age-Friendly Lancaster City, and has presented locally and nationally about collaborative partnerships, the Village Model, and intergenerational volunteer engagement. Melissa has been a Lancaster City resident since 2010 and loves living in a walkable community with her family.
Rojelia (Ro) Alicea, Administrative Assistant (10 hours per week)
Contact: [email protected]; 717-723-8674
Office Hours: 9am-12pm Monday & Tuesday, 3p-6pm Thursday
Ro is a native of Lancaster County and currently lives in Lancaster City. She is also the Community Manager for Steeple View Lofts
Bobbie Zlotnik, Just One Call Coordinator (As needed every other month)
Contact: [email protected]; 717-584-1248
I am a recent arrival to Lancaster. I moved to the new Landis Place on King 55+ community just 8 months ago. Lancaster seemed to be a vibrant, friendly, walkable small city, and I remember the area fondly from being a Millersville student in the mid-1970s. I've lived in Center City Philadelphia as an editor with Farm Journal publishing, then spent 30 years living in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, working for both Rutgers University then Princeton University. I'm looking forward to being more active in Just One Call and meeting more Downtowners.
Henry Biedrzycki, Just One Call Coordinator (As needed every other month)
Contact: [email protected]; 717-584-1248
A native of Pittsburgh, Henry 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 in 2019 and lives in Lititz 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.
Board of Directors
William Stephan, MD, 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.
Richard “Dick” Murphy, President Elect, 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 three Children, four Grandchildren, and one Great grandchild. Dick’s interests include: Travel, Reading, Video production, Gardening, Cooking, Theater, Genealogy, and Lancaster.
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.
Molly McKitterick, Secretary, has worked in television, radio and print news. Most recently, she was the Immigration Editor at the Voice of America and continues to edit VOA documentaries. She is also the author of two published mysteries. The Medium is Murder was the first American winner of the Japanese Suntory Award for Mystery Fiction. Molly moved to Lancaster in 2018 with her husband, Allan Eustis, and Lucas, their dog. Since then, they have acquired two cats and ten fish. She serves on the board of The People’s Shakespeare Project (TPSP) and is finishing up a second term as president of her neighborhood association.
Henry F Biedrzycki, 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 in 2019 and lives on North Mulberry Street 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.
Ellen Berfond, liaison to the Lancaster County Office of Aging, moved to Lancaster in 2015 from the New Jersey shore with her husband, Andy. The move to a new State and lifestyle was a leap of faith and the Lancaster Downtowners provided just the community they were looking for. Ellen retired in 2014 from a social services career focusing on aging services. Continuing her passion after the move to Lancaster, Ellen became a certified long-term care ombudsman and volunteers with the Lancaster County Office ofAging. She currently serves on the Lancaster County Office of Aging Advisory Council. In 2021 Ellen was offered a contracted position as a grant specialist with the New Jersey Adult Protective Services Program (Remotely!). Since joining the Downtowners, Ellen has served as chair of the membership committee, often volunteers at community events, and had the honor of serving on the Downtowners Board 2018-2019. Ellen enjoys exploring Lancaster County and meeting new people!
Sylvia Cavanaugh was pleased to discover the Downtowners within weeks of moving back to her hometown. After earning a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Wisconsin, she became a high school history teacher in Minnesota and Wisconsin. A published poet, Sylvia is a contributing editor for Verse-Virtual: An Online Community of Poets. She has served on the board of the Council for Wisconsin Writers. Currently, she is on the board of the African American Historical Society of South Central Pennsylvania as Tour Coordinator. Her three grown children live in Wisconsin. After retiring in 2023, she returned to Lancaster to be with her mother.
Marsha DiBonaventuro 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 significantly improve 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!
Mary Haddon Doyle After a successful career in the management and development of some well-known consumer brands, she is now dedicated to advocacy for her community and its underserved residents. She volunteered as a certified SHIP counselor with the Florida SHINE program and on advisory councils and boards to several Florida non-profits. She serves as a volunteer counselor with PA MEDI, the PA SHIP program that assists seniors with Medicare education and information. Originally from PA, she has relocated to Lancaster after corporate moves to Florida, Ohio and NYC. She is thrilled to have joined four generations of family who live in the Lancaster area. Mary’s personal passions are volunteering, travel, music, and the arts.
Derek Hahn was born and raised outside of Philadelphia, PA. A graduate of Temple University, Derek relocated to Lancaster County in 2020 and immediately fell in love with Lancaster City. With over twenty years in business development and relationship building, Derek has found that wisdom is rarely acquired without experience. Through this belief, Derek has a passion to work with older adults to find common bonds and friendships. Derek currently lives with his wife Maya, their two pups Bruce and Rocky and are expecting their first child, Grace Ann in March 2025.
Margaret “Peggy” Harbison, 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.
Bill Parson is a retired insurance professional specializing in Medicare. He is a graduate of Shippensburg University and holds the designation of Certified Senior Advisor, CSA®. He is currently a member of the Just One Call Committee and has been a member of Lancaster Downtowners since 2019. He also serves on the board of Tandem Living (formerly Mennonite Home). Bill lives on Virginia Ave in Lancaster and attends James Street Mennonite Church where he teaches and leads the Community Meal team.
Laura Pauls-Thomas is a storyteller, activist, and joy-monger. Born and raised in Lancaster County, Pauls-Thomas studied Communications and Spanish at Eastern University (Saint Davids, PA). Laura has worked in nonprofit communications roles with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC)'s East Coast region since 2017, inviting people into their global mission of relief, development and peace. Pauls-Thomas advocates for safe, convenient and inviting transportation options for people in Lancaster through volunteer leadership positions with the Global Shapers Lancaster Hub and the board of directors of The Common Wheel. They are a trained Climate Reality Leader and Mentor and leads projects and collaborates with groups including the Lancaster Bikes! Coalition, Lancaster Strong Towns, RegenAll, and the congregation where she's a member, East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church. Laura's hobbies include bicycling, sewing and mending, and digital illustration. Laura lives in northeast Lancaster City with their spouse, Andrew, and chihuahua mix, Pinto.
Gerald Ressler and his wife, Mary Alice, have lived in the Lancaster area nearly all of their adult lives and currently live in the Hager building beside Central Market. Gerald is retired and spent his career in the mental health field as a counselor and administrator, and was most recently the Executive Director of Samaritan Center. He enjoys various cultural experiences, music appreciation, architecture, walking, traveling, exploring Lancaster city, frequenting Central Market, visiting coffee shops, drinking good coffee, and experiencing Mount Gretna where they have a cottage. Gerald and Mary Alice have three children, their spouses/partners, and two grandchildren, all of whom live in Lancaster or Philadelphia.
Jim Zink 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.