Executive Director/Owner

Lorianne Panzara Griswold is the proud Executive Director/Owner of Pathways for People, Inc. She came to NorthCarolina from Boston, Massachusetts where she lived for 10 years. During that time Lorianne attended Boston University where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Speech Lannguage Pathology as well as a Master's Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling.

Before settling in North Carolina, Lorianne worked with a diverse group of individuals in a variety of settings. Her work experiences include counseling at an inner city woman's health facility; vocational rehabilitation counseling, case management, and job development/job training at Goodwill Industries; and court mandated family counseling at Child and Family Services where she conducted intensive counseling interventions with at risk youths and their families.

Once in North Carolina, Lorianne began the task of developing an agency model for what is now Pathways for People, Inc. During this time she spent many hours working 1:1 with individulals with Developmental Disabilites, being always mindful of the ways that their services may not be meeting all of their needs or the needs of their care giver.

Lorianne is very proud of what Pathways for People has become and all that it stands for. She is often heard referring to the agency as her "first baby" feeling affection for all of the unique individuals who have come and gone over the years. She is equally as proud of the dedicated office team, many of whom have been with her since the beginning of their careers. It is because of the complete trust and the faith in their abilities to represent the agency that she (with much sadness) left North Carolina to move with her "other family" to Essex, Connecticut where she currently resides with her husband and two children. She visits NC many times throughout the year and spends LOTS of time on the phone.

Office Manager/Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Gloria Álvarez was born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, moving to Rome, NY at the age of 9.  She first became interested in working with children with disabilities in high school while being involved in a physical education mentoring program, where she was paired with peers with various special needs.

Gloria attended MVCC in Rome where she earned a degree in Human Services.  During this time she gained valuable experience interning at a special needs day care.

Gloria came to NC for job opportunities (and warm weather!) and joined the PFP family in 2002 as a Habilitation Technician.  Other interests attracted Gloria to the administrative side of the agency where she currently holds the position of Office Manager and CFO.  Gloria feels grateful that circumstances led her to PFP, Inc., where she has found a satisfying career, lasting friendships, and even her future husband!!  She resides in Cary with her son and husband.

Qualified Professional (QP)

Ruth Álvarez was born in Puerto Rico where she lived until the age of 10. At that time she moved with her family to Rome New York. After completing high school, Ruth relocated to Columbus Ohio where she attended Ohio State University. While earning her degree in Speech and Hearing Science, she had the opportunity to earn clinical hours at OSU Hospital in the ENT Clinic, Outpatient Rehab, and in TBI Trauma Rehab. She was able to work with both adults and children in a variety of settings during this time period. In addition to the experience she gained during her internship time, Ruth also coordinated and facilitated the children's programs at her church and volunteered at a family visitation center.

Ruth came to NC in 2003 to be closer to her sister and in pursuit of furthering her career. Ruth joined the PFP family as a Habilitation Technician in August of 2003. During her initial time with the company, she performed the duties of a "floater" which gave her the opportunity to meet and work with not just one client, but as many as 4 or 5 diffferent individuals within a single week! Ruth was promoted to the position of QP in May of 2004.

After becomeing a certified CPR and First Aide instructor in 2005, Ruth asumed the responsibility of training PFP employees and sometimes even clients. She is currently working on becoming a certified Spanish-English translator.

Ruth lives in Cary with her family.

Qualified Professional (QP)

Larry Sampson was born and raised in Clinton, NC. While attending high school, he was very active in all sports, participating in football, basketball, and track with some of the now professional league greats. Larry is proud of the many honors/rewards that he has received including holding a high school track and field record, and being All American in football for two years, in addition to being a NC American scholar and a Who’s Who of high school students. He also spent three years with the big brother program.

Larry attended North Carolina Central University, graduating with a degree in Recreation Therapy. His work experiences during this time include a recreational therapy practicum at Life Skills center working with adults with developmental disabilities, an internship at the Volunteer Center of Greater Durham working with at risk youths and providing respite to the elderly.

Larry joined the PFP team in 2004 in the position of Habilitation Technician, working with children with both physical and developmental disabilities. In 2006, he was promoted to the position of QP. Larry loves being part of Pathways for People and looks forward to many more years.

Qualified Professional (QP)

James was born in Rocky Mount, NC however, he moved to Alaska when he was five years old. He was raised there and appreciates most outdoor activities such as, hiking, canoeing, camping, skiing, and fishing. He moved to Oklahoma to attend college at Oklahoma Baptist University where he earned a degree in Family Psychology. He stayed in Oklahoma to attend graduate school at the University of Oklahoma. He graduated from OU with a Master of Human Relations degree. During the time he was working on his Masters, he worked for a year with a small company providing Day Treatment therapy for individuals living with severe and persistent mental illness. After the clinic closed down, he began working as a social worker for University Hospital in Oklahoma City. He loved the work of helping people however, he was not able to keep the position more than the interim period because he didn’t have enough experience to be hired on permanently.

James began working for the Department of Human Services as a social worker. He provided services to individuals receiving family support. He was promoted twice during his five years with DHS. He was the youngest person ever appointed to the area office where he was responsible for quality assurance for two county offices. He left DHS in 2001 to move back to North Carolina where he began working for individuals with disabilities. James thoroughly enjoyed working as a QP for a local agency, and he was recognized for his abilities and promoted after a few years to the position of Operations Manager. In this position he supervised services for a large area of the eastern part of North Carolina. He decided to move on from this position in 2008 to pursue interests in working more closely with the individuals being served once again. After a short period of providing contract work for a small company looking to expand their services, James found Pathways for People, inc. He is very excited to be part of the Pathways team, and is working to build the Day Program in addition to his small caseload as a QP.