NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania (NeighborWorks) is pleased to announce the promotion of three of its staff members to director-level positions.
Pamela Anslinger has been promoted to Director of HomeOwnership Services, Mary Endrusick has been promoted to Director of Aging in Place Services, and Todd Pousley has been promoted to Director of Community Development.
NeighborWorks has experienced significant growth in recent years, and a driving force behind this growth has been the exceptional contributions of these three talented and committed team members. Over the past 5 years, each has led their respective program area through an expansion of geographic coverage, an increase in impact and outcomes, and in securing additional resources to benefit the people of northeastern Pennsylvania.
Pamela Anslinger – Director of HomeOwnership Services:
Since joining NeighborWorks in 2016, Pam launched the Pathways to Homeownership program, which assists over 250 clients yearly in stabilizing and improving their finances with the ultimate goal of purchasing a home. In 2020, Pam helped to redesign and launch the City of Scranton Homebuyer Assistance Program, which helps an average of 50 individuals annually gain access to funds for down payment and closing costs to help purchase homes. She has expanded services to the Pocono Mountain region and surrounding counties with a focus on bridging the gaps between language barriers and underserved rural communities.
Under Pam’s leadership, the HomeOwnership Center (HOC) team has grown from a single staff member to a team of five full-time employees and now offers services to six counties throughout northeastern Pennsylvania. Her team includes three HUD-certified housing counselors who assist hundreds of current and prospective homeowners each year with various services, including financial coaching, foreclosure prevention, pre-purchase counseling, and homebuyer education classes.
Pam was recently recognized by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency with their “Best Housing Counseling Specialist” Award, and her team also took home the Community Partnership Award for their excellence in creating collaborative community partnerships to benefit our neighbors.
"Growing up I moved around a lot and being a teen in foster care I learned that home is not always a guarantee; that home can mean different things to everyone,” said Pam. “Through the work I do at NeighborWorks and the HomeOwnership Center, we're able to create stability for people, not just for adults but children too. Whether we're helping someone purchase their forever home or working to prevent a foreclosure, we're helping people achieve their personal goals. When someone has stable housing, health, safety and employment, so many other pieces of life become stable too. I can't imagine doing work more impactful than that."
Mary Endrusick – Director of Aging in Place Services:
Mary joined NeighborWorks in early 2018 to spearhead the creation and implementation of the Aging in Place (AIP) program, focusing on providing essential accessibility modifications to homeowners aged 60 and above. Under her leadership, this program has grown into a comprehensive effort to assist older adults with removing barriers to staying in their own homes safely and with dignity. In a short time, Mary introduced various home services, including home safety kits, smart home technology, small home repair services, social isolation prevention initiatives, and volunteer-led snow removal, and grass-cutting services. Notably, she secured a partnership with Simplex Homes and the Johnson College of Technology to implement Elder Cottage Housing Opportunity units throughout northeastern Pennsylvania.
Her strategic and thoughtful approach to providing services for seniors has garnered attention both regionally and nationally. Recognized as a strong voice for Aging in Place services and aging housing models, her work has secured over $5 million of funding to support older adults throughout the northeastern PA region. Under her direction, the AIP team has grown from 1 full-time staff member and one contracted occupational therapist to a robust team of four full-time and two part-time staff, and an additional twelve contracted team members, including occupational therapists, a construction manager, small home repair technicians, and housing inspectors. The team also currently works with eleven contracted construction teams.
Mary and the Aging in Place team have earned various awards and recognition, including the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce’s SAGE Award for Community Impact.
“I have always had a passion for wanting to assist others in increasing their health and happiness and meeting their goals. My whole professional career has been in social service, and luckily, I have always been able to provide that service to many different populations,” said Mary. “My work with NeighborWorks and the AIP team is important to me because we get to provide options and solutions to those that want to, and have the right to, maintain their dignity and continue living in their homes and communities. Homes and communities where they experienced life, raised families, turned neighbors into friends and are a part of something bigger than themselves – a community. Taking that away, where their only option is to move to a facility type living environment, is heartbreaking. No one wants that option. Our team makes their dreams of continuing their lives where they are comfortable come true. To me, that is amazing and gratifying work and I get to make it happen every day.”
Todd Pousley, Director of Community Development
Shortly after joining NeighborWorks in 2017, Todd helped to launch the Community Development program, a comprehensive approach to improving communities and neighborhoods throughout our footprint. Tackling issues like housing, community planning, blight, public space improvements, economic development, and other key issues, Todd’s work touches many aspects of the places we serve. In 2019, he identified West Scranton as a neighborhood in need of focused investment and attention. Over two years, Todd led the development of a 10-year West Scranton Neighborhood Plan, securing over $3 million in funds to implement revitalization efforts that are currently underway.
Beyond the City of Scranton, he has extended NeighborWorks’ impact to Carbondale by leading the Heart & Soul planning effort, a resident-led process that focuses on storytelling and the humanities as a way to celebrate what people love about their towns. Todd also played a pivotal role in creating and expanding the Beautiful Blocks program, a home improvement program that allows groups of neighbors to make exterior improvements to their homes. Additionally, he spearheaded the growth of the community development team from a solo endeavor to a team of three, with plans for further expansion to four members. Todd also recently graduated from the prestigious Appalachian Leadership Institute, a comprehensive leadership and economic development training program for select local leaders throughout Appalachia.
"I joined the NeighborWorks team because I wanted to work with like-minded people to make our community better,” said Todd. “Since then, we've improved the lives of thousands of families in Scranton, Carbondale, and other parts of northeast Pennsylvania. I'm excited to get out of bed every morning to have a positive impact on my community."
