About Us

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Pan Atlantic Exchanges is a mission-driven organization that specializes in creating high-quality cultural exchange and professional training experiences for non-US citizens in the US. Our goal is to facilitate a meaningful professional enrichment experience for young professionals.

We bring together reputable US companies who want to host foreign interns or trainees. For over 30 years, we have been designated by the US State Department as a Sponsor of the Intern and Trainee Categories of the Bridge USA Visa program.
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Our organization is staffed by talented and dedicated professionals with significant experience in international business, government, international education, and exchange.

Pan Atlantic is a proud member of the following organizations:

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Wondering what the meaning behind Pan Atlantic’s logo is? True to our name (Pan Atlantic) you can see that we were inspired by the old boating routes that enabled the world to connect and share cultures with one another. Our goal is to continue bringing diverse cultures together through our various exchange programs. 

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Spencer Jones
President
​Responsible Officer

Before joining Pan Atlantic Spencer worked at  CIEE: Council on International Educational  Exchange. During his nearly 8 year tenure at CIEE Mr. Jones 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, Mr. Jones held leadership roles at a variety of firms in the US and Latin America. He is a graduate of Williams College. He and his wife are the parents of four nearly adult sons.

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Dayna Ankermann
Senior International Student Coordinator
Alternate Responsible Officer 

Dayna previously worked in the Study abroad office at Clark University while earning her M.A. in Public Administration with an International Studies focus. Dayna has been with Pan Atlantic since 2018 but now lives in Australia where she works remotely.  Her experiences living and traveling abroad have fueled her passion for international education and have brought her to Pan Atlantic where she can help others gain similar experiences. In her free time, Dayna enjoys anything that keeps her active, such as weight-lifting, bouldering, triathlons, hiking, and swimming. 

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Sophie Harrison
​International Student Coordinator
Alternate Responsible Officer

​​Sophie joined Pan Atlantic Exchanges as International Student Coordinator in the summer of 2021. Sophie’s thorough approach has helped hundreds of participants arrive in the US and have positive cultural exchange experiences. Sophie works from the Pan Atlantic headquarters in Portland, ME.  Sophie holds a dual degree in English and Anthropology from The University of Maryland, College Park. As an undergraduate, Sophie worked as an English Tutor in the University’s Writing Center for three years, helping students master writing skills. In 2019 she worked as a Teaching Assistant in the University’s Anthropology Department. Working with fellow students during these professional experiences sparked Sophie’s passion for collaboration and shared knowledge. In her free time, she enjoys running, art, and spending time with her family and friends.

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Kate Verey
Director of Exchange Programs
​Alternate Responsible Officer 

Kate joined Pan Atlantic Exchanges in 2021 bringing extensive operations, sales, and team building experience. Before joining Pan Atlantic, she spent 4 years with IST PLUS as the Director of Bridge USA Programs developing and sustaining 3 international work-based exchange programs.  Prior to that she spent 14 years at the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), a nonprofit study abroad and intercultural exchange organization. While at CIEE, Kate saw a progressive increase in responsibility, culminating in the Senior Director of CIEE’s largest program, Work & Travel USA. Kate received her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Bates College in Lewiston, ME. Kate resides in Portland, ME with her family.

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Emily Whitcomb
​International Student Coordinator
Alternate Responsible Officer

​Emily joined the Pan Atlantic team as an International Student Coordinator in early 2022. Her positivity, love for travel, and upbeat attitude helps shape her program participants experience while in the United States! Emily holds a B.A in Communication & Public Relations from the University of Southern Maine. Prior to working for Pan Atlantic, Emily worked several customer-service based jobs where she learned her love for helping people and developed top level organizational skills!  She enjoys applying these skills to all her interactions with her clients and program participants. In her free time, she enjoys walking her dog Maple, hiking, reading, and traveling. 

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Tess Grossi
Senior International Student Coordinator
Alternate Responsible Officer

​Before joining Pan Atlantic in 2021, Tess worked for over 10 years in Participant Services at the 'Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) supporting thousands of participants throughout their international work exchange and study abroad programs.  She currently serves as Co-President of an all-volunteer Portland non-profit: Scholarships for Maine Immigrants, where she has volunteered for over 10 years.  Tess is very active in the community; volunteering at environmental cleanup events, and at a local animal shelter, as a cat adoption counselor. Tess has traveled extensively for work and pleasure to over 25 countries. She has a B.S. with a concentration in International Business, an M.B.A. from Endicott College and a TEFL Certification from TEFL Toulouse in France.

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