Janine Quigley
Warden | Berks County Prison
In a green blazer with a gold shield draped around her neck, Janine Quigley is like a modern-day super hero.
In the same way Peter Parker put on his Spider-Man suit she transforms each day at Berks County Prison.
At 5’1”, she is warm and welcoming, helpful and friendly. She’s easy to get along with, her smile and practical jokes making people feel at ease in her presence. But when duty calls, she slips on a tough, tenacious attitude, ready to swoop in and tackle whatever the moment might bring.
Quigley is the first female warden at Berks County Prison, where she has worked since 1986. She’s nothing like the gruff, lockjaw wardens you often see on TV or in the movies, she says, but her firm solutions and calm-in-the-midst-of-a-crisis temperament help maintain order and safety at the 763-cell prison, where an average of 1,200 prisoners are housed daily.
“There are days I get dumbfounded looks when people learn I’m the warden,” she says. “I guess it’s the shock value. But I love working here. There is never a day where there isn’t an opportunity to make an impact. I want to be respected for the work I do.”
Quigley, the youngest of three children and the only girl, was raised in a traditional family in Hamburg. Her parents, she says, “expected me to follow a female role. Even at my childhood church, men and women sat on opposite sides.”
Still, at a young age she knew she was destined to be a leader. She was named president of Student Council in high school and was the first on her maternal side to attend college. “If someone thinks I can’t do something, it makes me more determined to do that,” she says.
After she earned an associate’s degree from Central Penn College, she briefly worked in the travel industry before applying at the prison. “Sitting behind a desk and sending everyone else to Hawaii isn’t so fun,” she says, laughing. At the prison, she landed a clerical position making $5.25 per hour and quickly developed a passion for the corrections system. “Every day was different. It was exciting and challenging,” she says.
Moving up in the ranks required an advanced degree, so while working full-time and caring for her young sons, who are now teenagers, she earned a bachelor’s degree from Lebanon Valley College. She has held various positions, including Inmate Disciplinary Hearing Board chairperson, and was promoted in 1997 to deputy warden – the first female in that position. In 2006, she was named chief deputy warden, serving as second highest in command. She became a certified jail manager through the American Jail Association in 2012, and she served as the first female president of the Pennsylvania County Corrections Association. She was appointed warden in May 2014.
“My daily goal is keep the place running and safe. I set a tone for mutual respect,” she says. “There are some good things that happen here. For example, 22 inmates recently earned their GEDs.”
Quigley continually seeks new ways to effect positive change in the lives of inmates. She also enjoys advocating for the corrections system and presenting statewide seminars. “I don’t want to hear I’m special because I’m a woman,” she says. “This is where God wants me to be. I know my work has a purpose.”
Zachary Helinek
Registered Nurse | Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center
Zachary Helinek had long dreamed of becoming a teacher, but he decided the profession was not a good fit for him after earning a bachelor’s degree in English from Kutztown University. He wanted to inspire kids, he says, not train them to excel at taking tests.
For the next few years, his career path zig-zagged as he struggled to find his life’s passion. He first worked with a wilderness therapy program in the Utah desert, and he later returned to Berks County, where he worked as a therapeutic one-on-one aide for children with autism.
While he enjoyed those jobs, it was a chance conversation with a family friend who is a registered nurse that piqued his interest and pointed him in a new direction. “Nursing was never on my radar,” he says. “But after talking with her, it appealed to me, and I started to look into the nursing field. I love working with people, and nursing was in line with my interests, especially because it’s really active and hands-on. A lot of people felt like it was a good fit for me. All human beings have the ability to nurture.”
Helinek took pre-requisite science courses before enrolling in a year-long accelerated BSN program at Thomas Jefferson University, where males comprised 10 percent of the students in his starting class. “It was certainly interesting going to school,” he says. “That’s pretty close to the professional average, too.”
Helinek worked at a Denver, Colo., hospital for several years before he was offered a job in the critical care unit at Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center in January. Even though he’s the lone guy on his floor and older patients occasionally mistake him for a doctor, this is his dream job.
“This was the position I aspired to get since I started in nursing,” he says. “My job is to go to work every day and help people get out of one of the worst situations they’ve been in in their life. It’s tough, but I like having that human contact on a daily basis. I let them know I understand and I’m there to help them with the healing process.”
He’s even utilizing his teaching skills, he says. “A huge part of nursing is teaching health – giving people instructions and the educational tools they need to help them live a healthier, better life when they leave the hospital.”
On his days off, he likes to relax with his fiancé, Meghan, and their 2-year-old son, Lucas, at their new home in Wyomissing. He also enjoys “getting his hands dirty in nature,” gardening, camping, playing the guitar and doing yoga.
“Nursing is a stressful job, but it helps that every day is a unique day for me,” he says. “Overall, I want people to know that, as a male figure in this field, I like to help and interact. I have lots of compassion for the patients. Their health is what matters to me.”
Andi Funk
CEO | Cambridge-Lee Industries
With her business attire, high-heeled shoes and cascading blonde hair, Andi Funk naturally stands out at Cambridge-Lee Industries, where hard hats and rough hands are the norm.
As the CEO of one of the area’s leading manufacturing companies, she understands the occasional blank stares and surprised looks she receives when others learn she oversees a multi-million dollar workplace filled with industrial tubing and copper coils.
Funk is the top boss in an industry in which women account for less than 1 percent of CEOs. In total, only 3.8 percent of CEOs nationwide are women, despite women representing 47 percent of the country’s workforce, she explains.
“Man or woman, we are all driven to make a difference,” she says. “You want to go to work every day and feel like you are making an impact. If you work hard, your work should stand on its own.”
Funk earned a degree in accounting from Villanova University, where she also minored in sociology. A CPA, she worked as an auditor for Ernst & Young and Bell Atlantic before moving into manufacturing finance, which included financial planning, strategy and analysis. She steadily sought opportunities for growth and built a multi-dimensional skill set that set her apart from her peers.
“There’s the image of an accountant with nerdy glasses sitting by herself, but I’m a people person, and I’m very analytical,” she says. “That helped me build connections.”
Funk is also a pro at balancing responsibilities – a trait that makes her an adept leader. For example, while working full-time and raising her family, she earned an MBA at University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. “I believe the more you have on your plate, the more you get done,” she says.
She returned to Berks County and worked her way up the ranks at local manufacturing companies, including Teleflex and Carpenter Technology. She was hired as CFO of Cambridge-Lee Industries and held that position for two years before being named CEO as part of the company’s succession plan.
“Sometimes I’m the only woman in meetings, but I’ve found it’s easier to have a voice because people are curious. I have credibility with the title,” she says. “I make myself feel comfortable no matter where I am. I’ve learned almost everyone in every business has the right intention. I try to find the common ground.”
Her goal, she says, is to be an approachable, down-to-earth CEO – the kind who focuses on creative solutions, communicates effectively and hosts pizza parties for plant workers who reach a company milestone.
“It’s something different every day,” she says. “I have a vision for our business, and I care about the people who work here. People just want to feel valued and know their opinions make a difference.”
Outside of the office, Funk, a single mother, enjoys visiting her beach home in Brigantine, N.J., with her children – ages 16, 13 and 8 – and running. She completed her first Tough Mudder competition last year and describes the experience as one of her most memorable accomplishments.
She’s also passionate about the community. She serves as treasurer of the United Way of Berks County and encourages employees to participate with Meals on Wheels. “This area has so many hardworking and real generous people,” she says. “I’m blessed to be living, working and raising a family here.”
David Lomnychuk
Owner | David’s Cleaning Service
Back in high school, while many of his classmates were playing sports and sleeping in on the weekend, budding entrepreneur David Lomnychuk was busy building his brand.
His keen business sense and knack for making any space sparkle helped him land more than 30 clients, including several of his teachers, who would hire him to clean and tidy up their homes.
“I started out doing cleaning for a family member, and it kind of spread from there,” he says. “It snowballed. The next thing I knew, I was 16 years old, and I had this great business.”
Though the number of women in housekeeping far outnumbers men, Lomnychuk says he’s never paid much attention to those stats. “Hospitality is part of who I am, and I’m very passionate about what I do,” he says. “I always marched to the beat of my own drum. This can be a very lucrative business if you do it the right way. So I followed my own path.”
After graduating from Exeter High School in 2006, Lomnychuk began working in the hotel industry. His career included positions at the Westin Key West Resort and Marina in Key West, Fla., where he was in housekeeping management, and at the former Sheraton (now Crowne Plaza) in Wyomissing, where he was Director of Housekeeping.
At 23, full of grit and determination, he decided to start his own cleaning company. Five years later, David’s Cleaning Service, based in Reading, is one of Berks County’s most successful small businesses, with 40 employees. “There was a moment in my early 20s when I looked back at being a teenager and being self-employed and realized how much I loved that experience. That was a pivotal moment for me,” David explains.
Lomnychuk, the youngest of four sons, grew up in a close-knit family. His parents host Sunday brunches in his childhood home each week. He says watching their generosity and willingness to make everyone feel comfortable in their home – even door-to-door salesmen – influenced his love of hospitality.
“I still remember them telling the Kirby vacuum guy, ‘Listen, we’re not buying a vacuum cleaner, but why don’t you come in and have dinner?’ He did. I learned the importance of always taking care of other people. They instilled that,” he says.
To that end, Lomnychuk says he and his employees, who he calls “hospitality professionals,” often incorporate five-star- hotel-style services, such as placing a chocolate on a bedroom pillow before leaving, as a way to make clients feel special.
“There is a feeling of accomplishment when everything is cleaned and meticulous. You know the client will come home and enjoy your hard work,” he says.
In his downtime, he loves spending time with his family and walking through the cleaning product aisle at Walmart to keep abreast of industry trends. He also prides himself on giving back to the community, including supporting Genesius Theater, Reading Public Museum and the Animal Rescue League of Berks County.
“I am such an advocate for Berks County and the small business community,” he says. “It’s been quite a journey. I understand the saying, ‘blood, sweat and tears.’ But every day I wake up, I’m even more grateful than the day before.”
Janine Quigley
Warden | Berks County Prison
In a green blazer with a gold shield draped around her neck, Janine Quigley is like a modern-day super hero.
In the same way Peter Parker put on his Spider-Man suit she transforms each day at Berks County Prison.
At 5’1”, she is warm and welcoming, helpful and friendly. She’s easy to get along with, her smile and practical jokes making people feel at ease in her presence. But when duty calls, she slips on a tough, tenacious attitude, ready to swoop in and tackle whatever the moment might bring.
Quigley is the first female warden at Berks County Prison, where she has worked since 1986. She’s nothing like the gruff, lockjaw wardens you often see on TV or in the movies, she says, but her firm solutions and calm-in-the-midst-of-a-crisis temperament help maintain order and safety at the 763-cell prison, where an average of 1,200 prisoners are housed daily.
“There are days I get dumbfounded looks when people learn I’m the warden,” she says. “I guess it’s the shock value. But I love working here. There is never a day where there isn’t an opportunity to make an impact. I want to be respected for the work I do.”
Quigley, the youngest of three children and the only girl, was raised in a traditional family in Hamburg. Her parents, she says, “expected me to follow a female role. Even at my childhood church, men and women sat on opposite sides.”
Still, at a young age she knew she was destined to be a leader. She was named president of Student Council in high school and was the first on her maternal side to attend college. “If someone thinks I can’t do something, it makes me more determined to do that,” she says.
After she earned an associate’s degree from Central Penn College, she briefly worked in the travel industry before applying at the prison. “Sitting behind a desk and sending everyone else to Hawaii isn’t so fun,” she says, laughing. At the prison, she landed a clerical position making $5.25 per hour and quickly developed a passion for the corrections system. “Every day was different. It was exciting and challenging,” she says.
Moving up in the ranks required an advanced degree, so while working full-time and caring for her young sons, who are now teenagers, she earned a bachelor’s degree from Lebanon Valley College. She has held various positions, including Inmate Disciplinary Hearing Board chairperson, and was promoted in 1997 to deputy warden – the first female in that position. In 2006, she was named chief deputy warden, serving as second highest in command. She became a certified jail manager through the American Jail Association in 2012, and she served as the first female president of the Pennsylvania County Corrections Association. She was appointed warden in May 2014.
“My daily goal is keep the place running and safe. I set a tone for mutual respect,” she says. “There are some good things that happen here. For example, 22 inmates recently earned their GEDs.”
Quigley continually seeks new ways to effect positive change in the lives of inmates. She also enjoys advocating for the corrections system and presenting statewide seminars. “I don’t want to hear I’m special because I’m a woman,” she says. “This is where God wants me to be. I know my work has a purpose.”
Zachary Helinek
Registered Nurse | Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center
Zachary Helinek had long dreamed of becoming a teacher, but he decided the profession was not a good fit for him after earning a bachelor’s degree in English from Kutztown University. He wanted to inspire kids, he says, not train them to excel at taking tests.
For the next few years, his career path zig-zagged as he struggled to find his life’s passion. He first worked with a wilderness therapy program in the Utah desert, and he later returned to Berks County, where he worked as a therapeutic one-on-one aide for children with autism.
While he enjoyed those jobs, it was a chance conversation with a family friend who is a registered nurse that piqued his interest and pointed him in a new direction. “Nursing was never on my radar,” he says. “But after talking with her, it appealed to me, and I started to look into the nursing field. I love working with people, and nursing was in line with my interests, especially because it’s really active and hands-on. A lot of people felt like it was a good fit for me. All human beings have the ability to nurture.”
Helinek took pre-requisite science courses before enrolling in a year-long accelerated BSN program at Thomas Jefferson University, where males comprised 10 percent of the students in his starting class. “It was certainly interesting going to school,” he says. “That’s pretty close to the professional average, too.”
Helinek worked at a Denver, Colo., hospital for several years before he was offered a job in the critical care unit at Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center in January. Even though he’s the lone guy on his floor and older patients occasionally mistake him for a doctor, this is his dream job.
“This was the position I aspired to get since I started in nursing,” he says. “My job is to go to work every day and help people get out of one of the worst situations they’ve been in in their life. It’s tough, but I like having that human contact on a daily basis. I let them know I understand and I’m there to help them with the healing process.”
He’s even utilizing his teaching skills, he says. “A huge part of nursing is teaching health – giving people instructions and the educational tools they need to help them live a healthier, better life when they leave the hospital.”
On his days off, he likes to relax with his fiancé, Meghan, and their 2-year-old son, Lucas, at their new home in Wyomissing. He also enjoys “getting his hands dirty in nature,” gardening, camping, playing the guitar and doing yoga.
“Nursing is a stressful job, but it helps that every day is a unique day for me,” he says. “Overall, I want people to know that, as a male figure in this field, I like to help and interact. I have lots of compassion for the patients. Their health is what matters to me.”
Andi Funk
CEO | Cambridge-Lee Industries
With her business attire, high-heeled shoes and cascading blonde hair, Andi Funk naturally stands out at Cambridge-Lee Industries, where hard hats and rough hands are the norm.
As the CEO of one of the area’s leading manufacturing companies, she understands the occasional blank stares and surprised looks she receives when others learn she oversees a multi-million dollar workplace filled with industrial tubing and copper coils.
Funk is the top boss in an industry in which women account for less than 1 percent of CEOs. In total, only 3.8 percent of CEOs nationwide are women, despite women representing 47 percent of the country’s workforce, she explains.
“Man or woman, we are all driven to make a difference,” she says. “You want to go to work every day and feel like you are making an impact. If you work hard, your work should stand on its own.”
Funk earned a degree in accounting from Villanova University, where she also minored in sociology. A CPA, she worked as an auditor for Ernst & Young and Bell Atlantic before moving into manufacturing finance, which included financial planning, strategy and analysis. She steadily sought opportunities for growth and built a multi-dimensional skill set that set her apart from her peers.
“There’s the image of an accountant with nerdy glasses sitting by herself, but I’m a people person, and I’m very analytical,” she says. “That helped me build connections.”
Funk is also a pro at balancing responsibilities – a trait that makes her an adept leader. For example, while working full-time and raising her family, she earned an MBA at University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. “I believe the more you have on your plate, the more you get done,” she says.
She returned to Berks County and worked her way up the ranks at local manufacturing companies, including Teleflex and Carpenter Technology. She was hired as CFO of Cambridge-Lee Industries and held that position for two years before being named CEO as part of the company’s succession plan.
“Sometimes I’m the only woman in meetings, but I’ve found it’s easier to have a voice because people are curious. I have credibility with the title,” she says. “I make myself feel comfortable no matter where I am. I’ve learned almost everyone in every business has the right intention. I try to find the common ground.”
Her goal, she says, is to be an approachable, down-to-earth CEO – the kind who focuses on creative solutions, communicates effectively and hosts pizza parties for plant workers who reach a company milestone.
“It’s something different every day,” she says. “I have a vision for our business, and I care about the people who work here. People just want to feel valued and know their opinions make a difference.”
Outside of the office, Funk, a single mother, enjoys visiting her beach home in Brigantine, N.J., with her children – ages 16, 13 and 8 – and running. She completed her first Tough Mudder competition last year and describes the experience as one of her most memorable accomplishments.
She’s also passionate about the community. She serves as treasurer of the United Way of Berks County and encourages employees to participate with Meals on Wheels. “This area has so many hardworking and real generous people,” she says. “I’m blessed to be living, working and raising a family here.”
David Lomnychuk
Owner | David’s Cleaning Service
Back in high school, while many of his classmates were playing sports and sleeping in on the weekend, budding entrepreneur David Lomnychuk was busy building his brand.
His keen business sense and knack for making any space sparkle helped him land more than 30 clients, including several of his teachers, who would hire him to clean and tidy up their homes.
“I started out doing cleaning for a family member, and it kind of spread from there,” he says. “It snowballed. The next thing I knew, I was 16 years old, and I had this great business.”
Though the number of women in housekeeping far outnumbers men, Lomnychuk says he’s never paid much attention to those stats. “Hospitality is part of who I am, and I’m very passionate about what I do,” he says. “I always marched to the beat of my own drum. This can be a very lucrative business if you do it the right way. So I followed my own path.”
After graduating from Exeter High School in 2006, Lomnychuk began working in the hotel industry. His career included positions at the Westin Key West Resort and Marina in Key West, Fla., where he was in housekeeping management, and at the former Sheraton (now Crowne Plaza) in Wyomissing, where he was Director of Housekeeping.
At 23, full of grit and determination, he decided to start his own cleaning company. Five years later, David’s Cleaning Service, based in Reading, is one of Berks County’s most successful small businesses, with 40 employees. “There was a moment in my early 20s when I looked back at being a teenager and being self-employed and realized how much I loved that experience. That was a pivotal moment for me,” David explains.
Lomnychuk, the youngest of four sons, grew up in a close-knit family. His parents host Sunday brunches in his childhood home each week. He says watching their generosity and willingness to make everyone feel comfortable in their home – even door-to-door salesmen – influenced his love of hospitality.
“I still remember them telling the Kirby vacuum guy, ‘Listen, we’re not buying a vacuum cleaner, but why don’t you come in and have dinner?’ He did. I learned the importance of always taking care of other people. They instilled that,” he says.
To that end, Lomnychuk says he and his employees, who he calls “hospitality professionals,” often incorporate five-star- hotel-style services, such as placing a chocolate on a bedroom pillow before leaving, as a way to make clients feel special.
“There is a feeling of accomplishment when everything is cleaned and meticulous. You know the client will come home and enjoy your hard work,” he says.
In his downtime, he loves spending time with his family and walking through the cleaning product aisle at Walmart to keep abreast of industry trends. He also prides himself on giving back to the community, including supporting Genesius Theater, Reading Public Museum and the Animal Rescue League of Berks County.
“I am such an advocate for Berks County and the small business community,” he says. “It’s been quite a journey. I understand the saying, ‘blood, sweat and tears.’ But every day I wake up, I’m even more grateful than the day before.”
By Kristin Boyd | Photos by John A. Secoges, Secoges Photographics
