Speakers

Christopher L. Runkle is Executive Director of Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Services, Inc. (DARS), a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping adolescent males overcome substance use and behavioral health challenges and build healthy, productive futures.

Chris has been with DARS since 1999, serving as a counselor, Assistant Program Director, Clinical Supervisor, and Program Director before becoming Executive Director in 2014. In his current role, he oversees programs, finances, compliance, staff development, fundraising, community partnerships, and organizational growth.
Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology/Criminology from Millersville University and is a Certified Addiction Counselor through the Pennsylvania Certification Board. 

Manos House, operated by DARS in Columbia, is a long-established Lancaster County program serving adolescent males with substance use disorders. Founded in 1972, Manos House became part of the nonprofit Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Services, Inc. in 1975.

One particularly interesting aspect of DARS is that it operates three related programs on the same campus: Manos House, a residential treatment program; Supervised Independent Living (SIL), which helps young men transition after completing residential treatment; and Prospect Grove High School, a licensed private academic high school. By bringing these programs together, DARS can integrate treatment, education, and preparation for independent living rather than addressing each as a separate challenge.

Manos House Drug And Alcohol Rehab:
https://www.manoshouse.com/about/philosophy/

Introduced by Tom Baum

We always look forward to Gregg Scott's visits and the fascinating stories he has discovered about Lancaster's architecture.

Gregg was a senior partner at RLPS Architects in Lancaster and enjoyed a long career in architecture and design. He graduated with honors from Penn State in 1973 with a Bachelor of Architecture degree and, during his professional career, was an NCARB-registered architect in 22 states. He was elevated to the American Institute of Architects’ College of Fellows, one of the profession's highest honors, recognizing architects who have made significant contributions to architecture and society.

Gregg has shared his knowledge with audiences at state and national conferences and continues to lecture on architecture, history, and other subjects. Lancaster residents know his monthly architectural design column for LNP and from architectural features on WGAL News 8.

His professional and community affiliations have included the American Institute of Architects, LeadingAge, the Historic Preservation Trust, and the National Hospice Organization. He has served as a trustee of the Samaritan Counseling Center and Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. His current community involvement includes the Hamilton Club, Northeast Harbor Neighborhood House, Mount Desert Island Housing Trust, and Lancaster County Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. Gregg is also an Eagle Scout.

Gregg and his wife, Terri, divide their time between Lancaster and Northeast Harbor, Maine. They have two children and two grandchildren. His personal interests include architectural photography, writing, lecturing, biking, hiking, and just about anything connected with Acadia National Park.

 

Christopher Baxter, CEO, President, and founding editor of Spotlight PA, will discuss a new approach to preserving investigative journalism in Pennsylvania. Founded in 2019, Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit newsroom covering state government and important statewide issues. Its reporting is available to readers at no charge and is shared with news organizations throughout Pennsylvania. Baxter will discuss how the nonprofit model can help fill the void created as traditional newspapers reduce their reporting staffs, while continuing journalism's important role of informing the public and holding government accountable.
Christopher Baxter helped launch Spotlight PA and today serves as its CEO and President. Before Spotlight PA, he was editor for data and investigations at NJ Advance Media, publisher of NJ.com and The Star-Ledger. Earlier, he spent four years as an investigative reporter covering the New Jersey Statehouse for The Star-Ledger and began his career at The Morning Call in Allentown.

His investigative work has received numerous national honors, including the Livingston Award for Local Reporting, the Investigative Reporters & Editors Freedom of Information Award, and awards for public-service and investigative data journalism.

Spotlight PA represents an experiment in finding a new economic model for journalism after the traditional newspaper business model has weakened. Instead of relying primarily on subscriptions and advertising, it treats investigative reporting as a public service supported by the community.

Mike Orren, a digital media executive with three decades of experience building and managing local news organizations, is chief executive officer of LNP | LancasterOnline, the 231-year-old Lancaster news organization now owned by the nonprofit Always Lancaster.

Orren, 53, brings extensive experience in both journalism and the rapidly changing business of digital media. In 2006, he founded Pegasus News, a pioneering hyperlocal news site serving the Dallas area. The company was acquired the following year by Fisher Communications and was later purchased by The Dallas Morning News.

Orren subsequently served as chief product and marketing officer at DallasNews Corp., the former parent company of The Dallas Morning News. There, he doubled paid digital subscriptions, increased digital advertising revenue by 67%, and helped save $1.2 million annually through improvements to the company's technology platforms. Over his career, he has raised more than $40 million in capital and served on the board of the Local Media Consortium.

Orren and his wife, Crystal, moved to Lancaster in 2024. His appointment as CEO places a Lancaster resident at the helm of one of the nation's oldest continuously operating news organizations at a particularly important point in its history. LNP | LancasterOnline began operating under nonprofit ownership through Always Lancaster in January.

Orren works alongside Executive Editor Tom Murse, who leads the newsroom, and LNP Media Group President Chris Stahl, who oversees revenue and business operations. Always Lancaster founder and former NPR journalist David Greene remains chair of the nonprofit's board.

Orren now faces a challenge confronting local journalism across the country: how to preserve trusted community news while adapting to dramatic changes in the way people receive—and pay for—information. His experience at the intersection of journalism, technology, and business gives him a particularly interesting perspective on what the future of local news may look like here in Lancaster County.

Nancy Mannion is a registered nurse, healthcare leader, Rotarian, and candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania's 11th Congressional District. She has more than 40 years of experience in nursing, healthcare leadership, and international health. Her campaign identifies healthcare, jobs and working families, small businesses, and government accountability among its priorities.

Mannion began her nursing education with a Registered Nurse diploma and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a Master of Science in Nursing Administration, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice. Her career has included clinical nursing as well as management and leadership positions in hospitals, health systems, and professional associations.

She has held a number of leadership positions in the nursing profession, including president of the Emergency Nurses Association. She also chaired the Nurses on Boards Coalition, an organization that promotes nurses' participation on boards and other governing bodies as a way to improve community health. She currently serves as the coalition's Board Chair-Emeritus and remains a board member of the Emergency Nurses Association.

Mannion's healthcare work has also taken her overseas. She has led humanitarian medical teams to Bolivia, Kenya, and Nepal and has worked internationally as a healthcare consultant.

Community service has been a continuing part of her life. In addition to Rotary, she has volunteered through her church and served on nonprofit and healthcare boards.

As a congressional candidate, Mannion supports expanding access to affordable healthcare, workforce education and training, small-business development, and improved economic opportunities for Lancaster and York counties.

At home, Nancy and her husband enjoy gardening and spending time with their two dogs, Mr. Finn and Joey.

 

https://www.nancymannion.com/

The simplicity of the Off The Streets (OTS) mission has been critical to its growth: help people who are homeless, or about to become homeless, move into a place they can call their own by accomplishing two basic tasks—pay the security deposit and furnish the apartment.

That's it. OTS has no paid staff; the work is done by volunteers, with no office or related overhead expenses. The organization accepts no government funding. Donations come from individuals, places of worship, businesses, and other organizations.

Almost every dollar contributed goes directly toward paying a security deposit to a landlord for a qualified person or family who can afford the monthly rent but cannot afford the deposit required to move in. Beds, furniture, linens, and other household necessities are donated.

The Lancaster chapter holds an open volunteer meeting on the first Thursday of every month at St. John Neumann Parish for anyone interested in learning more or volunteering. At its August 2025 meeting, more than 50 volunteers gathered to mark a change in leadership. Don Cronauer stepped down after 12 years as co-president, and Jim Dornes became president of the Lancaster chapter. Their wives, Karen Cronauer and Glenda Dornes, have also been active chapter volunteers.

Dornes is a retired global sales leader in the software industry who now helps coordinate an organization with approximately 90 volunteers.

Three ingredients are particularly important to the success of an OTS chapter: community awareness, adequate storage space for donated furnishings, and strong relationships with local social-service organizations. The Lancaster chapter works with approximately 30 organizations, including social workers, schools, and hospitals. These partners identify people who need help and understand what OTS can provide.

The concept is remarkably simple. Someone may have the income to pay rent but still lack the money for a security deposit—or have an empty apartment but nothing to sleep on or sit on. By filling those relatively small gaps, Off The Streets can help turn an available apartment into a home and give an individual or family a new start.

 

‘Off The Streets’ Earns International Recognition: https://www.catholicwitness.org/off-the-streets-earns-international-recognition/

Introduced by Jamie Alton:

Berwood Yost is the Director of the Center for Opinion Research and the Director of the Floyd Institute for Public Policy at Franklin & Marshall College. He is also the Director of the Franklin & Marshall College Poll, which tracks public attitudes toward public policy issues and political campaigns. His scholarship is multidisciplinary and has appeared in journals that include the fields of criminology, human rights, political science, psychology, and public health.

Mr. Yost frequently writes about the results and implications of political campaigns in the state and has closely followed changes within the state’s electorate. His recent work has attempted to identify ideological and partisan patterns among the state’s voters and his recent book, a co-edited volume from Temple University Press, “Are All Politics Nationalized? Evidence from the 2020 Pennsylvania Campaigns,” explores how political campaigns communicate with voters about the issues that are most important to them. Mr. Yost also began publishing a newsletter about state politics in February of 2021 and regularly writes about state politics, polling, and public policy for a general audience. 

Introduced by President Tom:

Rebecca Zalit, Rotary Club of Palmyra, is District Governor for District 7390 for the 2026-2027 Rotary year. 
 
Rebecca is a Lehigh Valley native, born and raised in Allentown, PA prior to moving to the Central Pennsylvania area for college. After completing her undergraduate degree at Millersville University, Rebecca spent some time working in public schools in Augusta, GA before making her way back to the Hershey Area where she now resides with her husband, Doug, in Palmyra. 

Rebecca’s career has been dedicated to serving children and families. She has served in various teaching positions and as a childcare center director. Currently, Rebecca serves as Executive Director of the Palmyra Area Recreation & Parks Commission. 
Rebecca’s Rotary journey began with an alternate meeting hosted by the Rotary Club of Palmyra in 2018. After joining, she served as Club President for two consecutive years. At the district level, she has served as Assistant Governor for Group C and as a committee member on the District DEI Committee, Safety Committee, and Four-Way Speech & Essay Contest Committee. She is a member of the Paul Harris Society. 

Rebecca holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Millersville University, a Graduate Certificate in Early Childhood Pedagogy from the University of Colorado, and a Master of Arts in Innovative Early Childhood Education from the University of Colorado. She holds Pennsylvania Teaching Certificates for Kindergarten-6th grade and Nursery-Kindergarten, along with a Pennsylvania Director’s Credential. 

Her interests include cooking, gardening, hiking, volunteering, and discovering new places in the community.

Introduced by Christine Sable:

“How Do You Save a Bowling Alley?”
Long before Jordan Steffy became a starting quarterback at the University of Maryland, he was a youngster at 222 Dutch Lanes trying to roll the perfect game. Now his life has come full circle: Steffy and his family are the new owners of the bowling center where he first developed his love of sports.

For Lancaster County sports fans, Steffy is a familiar name. At Conestoga Valley High School, he was a four-year football letterman who threw for 5,587 yards and 51 touchdowns. He was also a four-year basketball letterman and became only the second player in school history to score 1,000 points. His athletic ability took him to the University of Maryland on a football scholarship, where he played quarterback for the Terrapins from 2004 through 2008.

His interests after college extended well beyond sports. Steffy founded the Children Deserve a Chance Foundation and Attollo Prep in 2008. Attollo has developed into a Lancaster-based college-access and leadership-development program for high school students, emphasizing such qualities as resiliency, accountability, sacrifice and competition.

Now another chapter has brought him back to his roots.

222 Dutch Lanes has been a Lancaster County institution for decades. The Montgomery family owned the center beginning in 1986, developing it into a community gathering place for recreational and league bowlers and the home lanes for several area high school bowling teams. The facility also includes an arcade and the 22-hole Dutch Gardens miniature golf course.

In 2026, Steffy and his family became its new owners. Speaking about returning to Dutch Lanes, Steffy described it as a privilege to become part of the future of a place whose history he had personally shared. Former longtime general manager Eric Montgomery put the transition another way: the building and its memories will remain, while new owners create new memories.

That presents Steffy with an interesting challenge. Bowling alleys are more than rows of lanes. They are businesses, sports facilities and gathering places where leagues compete, high school teams practice, families celebrate birthdays and generations of bowlers form friendships. Preserving that tradition while keeping such a facility relevant to today's families requires both respect for its past and ideas for its future.