Stateside Teams

Founder and CEO

Phil started Living & Learning in 2006 while living in Quito, Ecuador. He oversees the academic semester program, summer internship program, and short-term academic trips known as Study Tours. Phil is based out of central Washington state but frequently travels to our program locations.

Founder and Director of Soul Care

Elizabeth Payne loves Jesus, reading, ocean, gardens, laughing, and good conversations with good coffee! She is committed to being a life long Christ following learner in every area of life and provides soul care to the Living & Learning staff.

CFO

COO and SVP of Strategic Partnerships

Greg oversees our partnerships with universities and other organizations for both semester and faculty led programs. Greg also manages organizational operations. Greg is based on the Central Coast of California with his wife and two children.

Associate Vice President of Academics Affairs

Born in Houston, Texas, and lived most of my life in Virginia. Attended Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) for an B.A. in African American Studies and Liberty University for a M.A. in Theological Studies. I studied abroad in Barbados. I have worked in Education for 10 years. Sequoi and I recently lived and worked in Italy for 3 years with L&LI. Poetry and Music are my favorite art forms. I also enjoy reading, writing, wine, traveling, sports, and time with family and friends.

Catalyst Assistant to the President

Ashleigh loves people, Jesus, and the world. For over 10 years, she has served with Living and Learning International, building meaningful relationships with students, families, and partners around the globe. Based in beautiful California, she enjoys life near the beach and is passionate about helping the next generation grow through international experiences. She works alongside the President of Living and Learning International to connect, support, and encourage students as they embark on life-changing journeys around the world.

Director of Operations & Outreach

Bethany works closely with our institutional partners and manages the operations across the L&LI departments.

When not in the office, she’s either outside on a run or telling everyone to look at her cute dog.

Marketing Manager

Have you seen our trendy Instagram and our snazzy marketing? That’s all Sequoi!

Sequoi is passionate about community development, maternal health, nonprofit work, and storytelling. You can often find her sharing lots of laughter and good food with family and friends.

Marketing Associate

Eli is a business marketing graduate from Jessup University. He grew up in Sacramento CA, graduated and moved down to San Luis Obispo. He worked as a head roaster at a local coffee roastery and started his own media/production company. He loves extreme sports and “regular sports.” He loves traveling and backpacking, drawing, design, and videography. He hopes to use these skills to effectively demonstrate what Living & Learning is providing for all of their students.

Enrollment Manger - Italy & Spain

Natasha is passionate about people, Christ, and good coffee –– not in that order! She's excited to walk beside students in this profoundly formative season of their lives as an L&LI Enrollment Manager. In her free time, you can find her at a bookstore or taking long drives in her pickup truck. She is based in San Diego, CA.

Program Integration Lead - Spain

Maria's work serves as a bridge between Spain faculty, L&LI teams, and partner institutions. She aims to ensure program continuity, enrollment

success, and operational efficiency. She is the enrollment manager for the Spain program, and loves to support students as they dream and plan toward a semester in Spain.

Enrollment Manager - Ecuador & London

Riley graduated from Biola University with a degree in Business and has been part of the LLI community since her time as a student. After studying abroad with LLI in Rome, she developed a deep passion for helping other students experience the same kind of growth that comes from living and learning in another culture with Christ at the center. As an Enrollment Manager, she loves encouraging students, building meaningful relationships, and making study abroad feel both accessible and exciting. On the weekends, you'll likely find her watercoloring, exploring a new coffee shop, or embarking on a new adventure!

Enrollment Manager

Sara is a part of our Enrollment Team and visits our partner institutions, connects with students, and does enrollment and onboarding for our London program.

She loves food and coffee, not just because they taste good, but because of the relationships that are often built around tables. She is passionate about experiences that introduce people to new ways of learning about who the Lord is and who His people are.