Cheryl Savageau (Ed.D.) is a professional clinical counselor with experience acquired in private practice, public agency, and church settings. Cheryl directed the Counseling Ministries at LifeSpring Christian Church in Cincinnati, Ohio.Her extensive research into the experience of parents of missionaries culminated in her doctoral dissertation entitled, An Ecological Analysis of the Stresses Experienced by Parents of Missionaries (2005).

Diane Stortz was parent of a missionary for almost six years. During that time she co-founded, along with Cheryl Savageau, the National Network of Parents of Missionaries and a support group for POMs in the greater Cincinnati area.She is an author and now owns Izzy's Office, where she writes and provides editorial services to publishers.