About Pan Atlantic
Our sister organization, Pan Atlantic Exchanges, specializes in international exchange programs for university students, and recent graduates who are non-US citizens. It shares our mission to create cultural experiences of the highest quality for our program participants.
Our senior staff are listed below, but we are also supported by volunteers, host families, and area representatives who share our vision and contribute to our mission.
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Spencer Jones, President - Chief Executive Officer
Spencer is a product of high school exchange. He was an exchange student in Bormio, Italy in 1978, in Santiago, Chile in 1981, has been a host father to a student from Madrid, Spain in 2010, and has a son who was an exchange student in Madrid, Spain in 2011. Before joining Pan Atlantic, Spencer worked at CIEE: Council on International Educational Exchange. During his nearly 8-year tenure at CIEE, Spencer was responsible for diverse operational divisions, creating significant growth in areas such as High School and GAP year, Teach Abroad, Undergraduate Study Abroad, Enterprise Foundations and Insurance. Prior to CIEE, Spencer held leadership roles at a variety of firms in the United States and Latin America. He is a graduate of Williams College. He and his wife are the parents of four adult sons. |
Vickie McCormack, Chief Operations Officer
Vickie started traveling at a young age, as part of a military family, spending most of her youth moving to new states or countries. She understands what it is to be the new kid in school and has a special appreciation for how to support our students. Before coming to Pan Atlantic Foundation, she spent 12 years at CIEE as the head of their High School division. In addition to CIEE, she has experience with both youth and senior educational travel programs with long-term positions at EF Educational Tours and Road Scholar. She holds a degree in Foreign Affairs and speaks fluent Spanish and lives in Maine with her twin daughters and husband. International exchange is not something she only believes in, it is in her blood. Her work at Pan Atlantic allows her to play a small part in making the world a more peaceful place and for this, she is honored. |
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Laura Whelan, VP Operations
Laura is from a small town in upstate NY, a place she never thought she would leave until she began her international adventures in college. She studied abroad in London, England in 1997 and Belize City, Belize in 1998, and has since traveled to over 30 different countries. She has hosted students from Thailand, Germany and Tunisia. Before joining Pan Atlantic, Laura was the Director of the High School Program at CIEE: Council on International Educational Exchange for over 10 years. Prior to joining CIEE she was the Assistant Director of Youth Leadership and Peace-building Programs at SIT, a leader on the Child Labor Education and Action project, and a volunteer in Lima, Peru with Accion por los Ninos as an advocate for the rights of working children to have access to education, health care and judicial recourse. Laura holds her M.A. in International Education Non-profit Management from the School for International Training. She currently lives in Portland, Maine with her husband and two children. |
Jacki Hartford, VP Field Operations
Jacki was born in New Jersey, but raised in the heart of the Midwest and currently works from a field office outside of Kansas City, Kansas. She has spent over a decade working in student exchange. However, she spent many years working in the areas of administration and banking, before finding her passion in the field of international cultural and educational exchange. Beginning as a host family, she has gone on to host 14 young people, whom she now calls family, from all over the world. After witnessing the impact these young people had on her family, schools, and community she joined the staff at CIEE: Council on International Educational Exchange. Following her start as a local coordinator. She moved on to the positions of Regional Director and Director of Training. She has worked Pre-Departure Orientations for students and their natural families in Europe, has participated in conducting orientations in the United States, and has overseen hundreds of student placements with families throughout the United States. She attended Johnson County Community College and is a proud grandmother of one and mother of two married sons. |
Angela Manetta, Senior Regional Director
Angela's upbringing in Louisiana ingrained in her a deep appreciation for food, music, and culture, which have always been central to her life. Joining the USAF and living abroad only intensified her passion for exploring different cultures. Over two decades ago, she embarked on a journey to immerse herself in the realm of student exchange. With stints at CIEE in Portland, Maine, and Greenheart International in Chicago, Illinois, Angela has facilitated the exchange experiences of countless students from across the globe. Hosting over 25 international students has enriched her life, allowing her to forge connections with people from diverse backgrounds. Her wanderlust has taken her to more than 22 countries, where she often reunites with former students. Despite raising six children, all of whom have ventured abroad, Angela remains rooted in Texas. Her love for cooking extends to experimenting with international recipes, reflecting her curiosity about global cuisines. Through hosting experiences, Angela strives to broaden people's worldviews, sharing the enriching experiences that have shaped her own life.
Katie Wheatley, Operations Manager
Katie lives in a beautiful small town in Kentucky with her husband and 2 dogs. She loves the outdoors and enjoys camping, hiking and being on the lake. She became involved with exchange by first becoming host parents, but it ended up being so much more. Their first experience as host parents changed them and they began to see the world differently, they found a passion for culture; learning about other’s and sharing their own. That passion led her to become an Area Representative and then part of the Pan Atlantic full time team. She believes strongly that Pan Atlantic Foundation are working together to make the world a smaller place. She and her husband Paul love sharing their country, home, life and culture as much as possible. It gives them a profound sense of purpose and pride. She couldn’t imagine her life without this program. 
Allison Nichols, Senior Regional Director
Allison has worked with Pan Atlantic from day one as an Area Representative. She brings with her a wealth of experience in direct sales as well as several years of experience in the exchange industry. Professionally trained as a nurse, she also brings the compassion needed for that role into her role as a Regional Director. She worked in a busy Emergency Department for over 20 years where she served a diverse population due to the robust international program at the University of Kansas. She assisted her husband, Stan, who was a youth pastor in supporting/coaching teenagers and their families. She has traveled within the U.S. and overseas as a volunteer doing ministry work and regularly interacted with people from varied cultural backgrounds. She lives in Missouri, is a happily married mother to three adult children and “Yaya” to two precious grandsons. Allison believes that people and holidays should be thoroughly celebrated, is a reluctant dog mom and makes a mean lasagna. She is enthusiastic and passionate in her support of exchange students, host families and Area Representatives. She truly believes her work allows her to make the world a better place, one student at a time! 
Jordan Caza, Regional Director
Jordan thrives on fostering cultural connections and building lasting relationships. As a Regional Director at Pan Atlantic Foundation, Jordan leads a team dedicated to placing exchange students with host families across the U.S., creating opportunities for meaningful cross-cultural experiences. With a knack for managing diverse teams, navigating Department of State guidelines, and building strong school and community partnerships, Jordan brings a mix of professionalism and heart to every interaction. She attended Michigan State University majoring in Communication Leadership & Strategy, Jordan is passionate about helping others grow—whether it’s mentoring team members or ensuring students have life-changing experiences. Outside of work, Jordan enjoys connecting with people from all walks of life, making every day a new opportunity to learn and share. 
Macia Kemper, Regional Director
Macia lives on a farm in NW Missouri with her husband Pete where they raise corn, soybeans and hay. Along with the row crop they raise cattle. She is the mother to six adult children who are spread out around the United States. She enjoys visiting them when she can, traveling, walking with friends, and reading. She is also Mimi to one grandson with another on the way. In 2014 after reading a Facebook post about Rose from China she discovered the passion of international exchange. Rose came to her small town and her mission of bringing the world to rural America began. After Rose returned to China there have been over 100 exchange students in the NW Missouri area from all over the world. She comes to us from CIEE where she was a host mom, local coordinator, and Regional Director. As a Regional Director, Macia has managed and developed several states in the Midwest. She is proud of having the top placing team for multiple years. Macia is excited for this new chapter with Pan Atlantic Foundation and is looking forward to continuing doing what she loves, changing people’s lives by exposing them to world cultures through international exchange. |
Laura Maxon, Assoc. Dir. Student Support
Laura is originally from rural Kansas, but currently lives in Parkville, MO, with her two young daughters and her rescued cattle dog. Her adventures in international exchange began in 2011 when she became an Area Representative at CIEE: Council on International Educational Exchange. She quickly fell in love with the program, its mission and its students. She subsequently became a host mom, Team Leader, and Regional Director. In 2017, she moved to International Student Exchange (ISE) where she served as Program Manager for the north western and north central United States. She joined Pan Atlantic Foundation in 2022 in student support, and is dedicated to facilitating positive exchange experiences for all participants. Laura graduated from Pittsburg State University with a BSE in English, and loves time with her kids, camping, hiking, baking and playing cards. 
Mary Primbs, Regional Director
Mary is a native Oregonian and lives in a small town just south of Portland. Mary has a degree in Communications and Business Administration from Portland State University. She became the first area representative in Oregon in 2018 and is now the regional director for the northwest and California. She enjoys baking, gardening, hiking, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. Mary’s passion is working with international students and helping to make sure their year in America is the best it can be. 
Donni Mize, Regional Director
Donni lives in middle Tennessee and loves being a Tennessean but also has roots in Iowa and Missouri. She was born in Iowa but left to attend college and play basketball in Missouri where she met her husband. They raised their kids in Missouri until they moved to Murfreesboro, TN in 2014. Donni is newer to the international exchange world, starting in 2018 as a regional director with CIEE and hosting their first exchange student from Italy, but she has always loved learning about different cultures and traveling. She came from a sales background where she is no stranger to networking and building rapport quickly with people from various backgrounds. Her values of excellent customer service and building employee relationships quickly transferred into the high school exchange field. When Donni has free time she enjoys gardening, crafts, volunteering at church and as the state coordinator for My Faith Votes. Her passion with high school exchange is seeing the lifelong connections between the families and students and knowing a better understanding between cultures is being fostered. 
Shala Buckner, Regional Director
With over a decade of experience in cultural exchange, Shala Buckner brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her role as Regional Director at Pan Atlantic Foundation. Shala’s background includes various leadership positions, where she has honed her expertise in program management, stakeholder engagement, and fostering intercultural understanding. Throughout her career, Shala has demonstrated a strong commitment to building meaningful connections between students, host families, and communities. Her dedication to providing high-quality exchange experiences is matched by her ability to inspire others to embrace cultural learning and diversity. Shala lives in Minnesota with her two daughters and two dogs, and they have hosted 11 international au pairs. 
Audra Dericotte, Regional Director
Audra was born in Kansas, raised in the heart of the Midwest, and currently works from a field office outside of Overland Park, Kansas. She moved to New Mexico, where she met her husband, David, and spent 10 years raising her family before deciding to return to Kansas City. Audra has spent over 20 years managing programs in the non-profit sector, with the last 14 years focused on international education. Before finding her passion in international education, she spent many years coaching youth sports and working in real estate and interior design. Her journey into international education began as a host family, and since then, she has hosted 9 young people from around the world, whom she now considers family. After witnessing the impact these students had on her family, schools, and community, she joined CIEE: Council on International Educational Exchange in 2014. Starting as a local coordinator, Audra later advanced to the roles of Regional Placement Manager and Program Support Manager. Throughout her career, Audra has worked orientations for students in New York, helped with Department of State Grant student events across the U.S. and spent time with international agents visiting their home offices to learn more about their efforts abroad. She has overseen hundreds of student placements with families across the U.S., and two of her own children have had the opportunity to be foreign exchange students in France, Germany, and Spain, where her oldest child currently resides. Audra attended Johnson County Community College and the University of New Mexico. She is a proud mother of three and is married to an incredible man with whom she enjoys playing tennis, fly fishing and exploring the world alongside. Audra is excited to continue helping families across the United States experience different cultures in a unique way, making the world a little smaller—one student at a time! |
Megan Nichols, Senior Operations Coordinator
Megan is a Kansas girl transplanted to the wonderful state of Missouri! Although reluctant to make the move initially, she can’t imagine life outside of the Show Me State! Megan was homeschooled most of her academic journey until attending college where she studied Floriculture and Horticulture Design. It didn’t take long to realize that though she enjoyed the creative outlet of floral arrangements, she didn’t see herself making it a career. After a few years of working various jobs gaining experience, she was hired as the Assistant to the CEO at a local ministry/nonprofit in Missouri. It was during her time with this organization that she found her true niche: administrative work. Megan spent the next four years honing her new-found love of spreadsheets, project management, event planning, and learning all the ins and outs of being an admin. Yep, she really does weirdly enjoy it all! As her time with the ministry came to an end, she started exploring other opportunities and came across an opening at Pan Atlantic Foundation that was in need of a Megan-sized filling! When she’s not giddily tracking data on spreadsheets or crafting social media graphics for our students, you can find her eating tacos, thrifting with her mom and sister, playing board games with her son, watching reruns of her favorite shows, or inhaling iced coffee. She’s left-handed, quick-witted, can wiggle her ears, and creating elaborate Halloween costumes for her son is her superpower! |
Cara Ricciardi, Senior Operations Coordinator
Growing up in the Portland area, Cara is a proud Mainer and loves to explore its natural wonders. In 2019, Cara spent a month in Tanzania volunteering as an English teacher at a local private school called The Nice School. Since then, she now sponsors one of her students to continue their education and has led multiple fundraisers for the Nice School. After graduating from the University of Vermont with a degree in community and international development, Cara worked for ECHO, the Leahy Center of Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont, as their community outreach and development intern. She developed a strong passion for making a difference in the community through fundraising and leading outreach efforts to support ECHO’s educational outreach programs. In her free time, you can find Cara in her favorite Portland thrift stores, caring for her 40 houseplants, or making her favorite pasta dishes! Cara is excited to further her career in international exchange and ensure that every student feels supported and has a life-changing experience. |
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Laura-Ann Russo, Operations Coordinator
Growing up in Yarmouth, Maine, Laura is passionate about the outdoors and everything nature. She attended the University of Maine in Orono, where she studied business and visual art. Before joining the team at Pan Atlantic, she worked as an Outreach, Advocacy, and Communications Intern for AARP Maine, where she discovered an interest in supporting members of her community through legislative and grassroots initiatives. Laura’s interest in international work was sparked after a trip to Ireland earlier this year shed light on how valuable international exchange programs are for students. When she’s not at work, Laura can be found at the beach, walking her dog Geo, or painting Maine’s beautiful landscapes. |
Accreditations
A member of the Alliance for International Education and Cultural Exchange
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Pan Atlantic Foundation is designated by the U.S. Department of State to operate a J-1 student exchange program in the effort of public diplomacy
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