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BEN LESHER ‘05 is the President & Founder of Parcel B Development Company, husband of RACHEL (MOFFETT) LESHER ‘05, and parent of two current LM students. Through his work, he places an intentional emphasis on developing buildings that promote economic vibrancy, sustainability, and community enhancement. Ben and Rachel live in Lancaster City and attend East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church.
We asked Ben about the way curiosity and creativity have affected his professional and personal life journey.
Q: What role does curiosity and creativity play in your work and life?
I have always been a curious observer from a young age and asked questions about places I visited. Why do people live where they do, how are cities organized and built, what makes a place special and meaningful to its inhabitants? One of the most exhilarating parts of being a developer is creating a vision for a place. Envisioning what something could become is an exciting process and takes a lot of creativity. It often feels like not just producing the pieces but also then fitting them together in a complex and sometimes impossible puzzle.
Q: Were there particular experiences or teachers at LM that nurtured curiosity and creativity in you?
I think it may have been a Tech and Design class taught by Aiden Stoltzfus where my curiosity for engineering and technical design started. It was one of the first times I was PHOTOS PROVIDED BY BEN LESHER able to explore my creativity for architecture and buildings. We had the opportunity to design a house using a computer software design program to create our own floor plan and elevation drawings. I remember being so excited to go that it almost didn’t feel like a class.
Q: Does curiosity and creativity play a role in your faith?
I think a lot about how my faith shapes my worldview and how that may be different from other people’s worldview. It helps me consider my own blind spots, what is important to me, and maybe some commonalities that we can build on.
Q: Why have you chosen to work to address housing needs in our community?
Growing up in an Anabaptist family with parents and grandparents who worked in human services, I was exposed to the values of social justice, reconciliation, and service, and they resonated with me from a young age. In college, I was particularly interested in poverty alleviation, income inequality and urban issues. I eventually found the field of urban planning and decided I wanted to pursue that as a career. Working for another developer and experiences in graduate school eventually led me to the adjacent/ overlapping fields of housing development and advocacy.
I’m passionate about developing housing because everyone needs a home. It also allows me to use my business acumen and talents for good. I decided to move away from planning and into development because of the type of impact I could make. Instead of just making plans for good, as a developer I can implement and build housing to create meaningful places for people in my own community.
NOMINATE THE NEXT ALUMNI OF THE YEAR!
We welcome your nominations for the next LM Alumni of the year! Send your submissions to: Kate Grieser, grieserke@lancastermennonite.org
