Speakers

Millie Womble, Director of Business Retention & Expansion at EDC Lancaster County, will introduce the new Lancaster County Outdoor Recreation Initiative, a collaborative effort to make better use of the county's trails, waterways, parks, and natural areas as economic assets. The initiative seeks to strengthen connections between outdoor recreation and local businesses, develop Trail Town communities, attract visitors, and make Lancaster County an even more desirable place to live and work. Womble brings an unusual perspective to local economic development, having previously worked internationally and served in the Peace Corps before bringing her experience in community-based development to Lancaster County.

Millie Womble works with existing Lancaster County businesses while also helping shape strategies for the county's longer-term economic growth.

She is relatively new to EDC, joining the organization after a career that had a decidedly international focus. Womble studied international relations and economics at Seton Hall University, served in the Peace Corps, and subsequently worked in international development, including work connected with AGRO Ukraine. She has said that her international-development experience taught her that sustainable development ultimately begins at the local level—with communities, relationships and a shared vision.

Manos House, D.A.R.S. Inc. in Columbia is a long-established Lancaster County program serving adolescent males with substance-use disorders. It was founded in 1972 and became part of the nonprofit Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Services, Inc. (DARS) in 1975. Its mission is not simply abstinence from drugs and alcohol, but helping young men redirect their lives toward becoming responsible and productive members of their communities.
One particularly interesting aspect is that DARS 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. Thus, treatment, education, and preparation for independent living can be integrated rather than treated as unrelated problems.

Stephanie Crisara, President of the Board of Directors of Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Services, Inc., will introduce us to Manos House, a Lancaster County organization that has been helping young men overcome substance-use disorders since 1972. Located in Columbia, Manos House combines residential treatment with counseling, education, mentoring, and preparation for independent living. DARS also operates Prospect Grove High School and a Supervised Independent Living program, providing young men with a continuum of support as they work toward sober, responsible, and productive lives.

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

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.