By Sandy Ziegler

I loved high school; it was so fun! I loved passing notes in the hallway, hanging out with friends, and staying up late on the phone to gossip. So, I didn’t have a plan after graduation. I was living for the moment until my parents reeled me in. If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to get it together, study hard, and create a few goals. Ultimately, I graduated from Temple with a bachelor’s in Sociology. I like people, and I like helping them. I thought that would be perfect for me.

After graduating from college, I married young, stayed local, and had two babies within two years, Jillian (now 32) and Jay (now 31). It was a busy time, and I became a stay-at-home mom. That was the craziest job I ever had and lasted about 8 years.

When I returned to work in social services, I thought, “I’m going to be great at this! I’m empathetic and care about people.” In short, I wasn’t great at it. However, I really liked working in the non-profit world. My boss became a great mentor, and she saw something in me that would start me on a new career path. I became a life skills trainer for Welfare to Work participants at JEVS Human Services, a non-profit organization in Philadelphia.

During my years at JEVS, I worked my way up from trainer to content development, program designer and a leader in organizational development. I was lucky enough to work with diversified populations including at risk youth, ex-offenders, the elderly and even Holocaust survivors.  I brought in my children to work as interns hoping to learn skills not taught in school and like to think of the lessons we learned and the people we met over the years as unique gifts.

Although impactful, it was eventually time to move on. I joined Penn Community Bank in 2012 as a Training Manager; it was a nice transition from non-profit. My children were in college, and my husband, Don, encouraged me to finally go back to school. I graduated from Cabrini University with my Master’s in Organizational Leadership.

I dedicate myself to improving organizational effectiveness and employee performance and creating dynamic and well-trained employees and managers. I’m passionate about my role and team at the Bank. Our department has received several awards from industry vendors, such as Cornerstone and the Association for Talent Development, for creativity and innovation, which keep me motivated.  I have enjoyed my career at the Bank and was recently promoted to SVP, Director, Learning & Development. Even better, I have a seat at the table; my voice is being heard.

One thing I have learned over the years and would share with others about creating your best life is don’t take shortcuts. Push through, take accountability, and take risks. If it doesn’t work out, you still experienced and learned something.

Don and I are empty nesters, and all the kids are off our payroll. Yay! This happened during COVID-19, and I thought, “Yikes, I hope we still like each other.” Great news—we do! We have been married for 20 years and like to catch a Phillies game and go to concerts with friends.

Of course, we spend as much time as possible with our kids. Together, we have Jillian, Jay, and my stepdaughter, Gabby. Both girls live in the city with their significant others. Jay lives locally with his new wife, Rachel. Dominic, our 8-year-old grandson, is the heart of the family. Absolutely nothing compares to the joy of being his MiMi!

Photos above: Sandy, Al Palatucci, Kathy Smith, Lauren Weisbrod, Kathy Drozd, Donna Vattimo, Stacy Brock, Ann Mary Lepera, and Jackie Lawlor; Sandy and Kim Drozd.