Patti grew up in an international family. Although both of her parents were from small towns, they raised their family in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., and twice relocated to Madrid, Spain. They wanted their children to see the world and were introduced to AFS through a family friend who had served as a WWII ambulance driver. Patti participated in an AFS summer program to Costa Rica in 1966, and soon after, her family hosted a student from Türkiye.
After graduating from Grinnell College in Iowa, Patti returned to Madrid for a year before pursuing a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning at Cornell University.
Her professional career has included work in community development for local government, managing two private schools, and eventually running her own business focused on helping people navigate the emotional and logistical challenges of dealing with the accumulation of things they couldn’t take with them. Along the way, she married and raised three children—now thriving adults.
Patti and her family began hosting AFS students in 1998 and have welcomed more than 50 students into their home, including seven for long-term placements. Many of the others were short-term or transitional stays, as Patti and her husband have long served as the default welcome family in the D.C. area. She describes most of the experiences as “terrific.” Their youngest child also participated in an AFS summer program to Paraguay.
As a volunteer, Patti has held a variety of roles within AFS and currently serves as the Support Coordinator for the Capital Area Team. She previously served several terms on the National Council before being elected Vice Chair and now Chair. Beyond her dedication to AFS students, families, and volunteers, Patti’s favorite pastime is knitting.
