Patricia Lorenz is a native of Colombia and a bilingual Human Resources professional with a B.S. in Social Work and extensive experience in performance management and workforce engagement and training. Before coming to the United States, she directed HR departments with as many as 450 employees and taught classes at the National University of Colombia. Patricia immigrated to the U.S. in 2012. Her association with Welcoming the Stranger began in 2016, when she was a student seeking greater English fluency. By 2017, she had become a volunteer. In February of 2018, she became Welcoming the Stranger's first Administrative Assistant. In 2020, she was made Acting Director. She became a U.S. citizen in 2021 and assumed the role of Executive Director  in 2022.

Susan Roop began teaching English as a Second Language classes while working as a public sector attorney.  In 2018, she added the class she was teaching in Lambertville, NJ to Welcoming the Stranger’s roster. Susan, who holds degrees from Skidmore College, the University of Pennsylvania, and Temple University School of Law,  taught English to high school students and Reading/Language Arts to 8th and 9th graders prior to taking up law. Now retired from the practice of law, she continues to teach English as a Second Language while directing Welcoming the Stranger’s educational programs and its "staff" of volunteer teachers.  

Welcoming the Stranger is currently accepting applications for the part-time position of Administrative Assistant. Should you be interested in hearing more, please contact Patricia Lorenz at the email address above.