The Werner Family

Blooming Here in Newtown Square

Resident Feature by Sheila Turner-Hilliard

This month we are pleased to introduce you to the Werner family: Stephen, Lauren and their daughter Victoria, who are planting the seeds for a beautiful life here in Newtown Square.

Stephen was born and raised in Newtown Square with his older brother and sister. His parents still live in his childhood home near Marple Newtown High School, and his siblings are raising their families nearby in Broomall and Media. Stephen said that in addition to his immediate family, his mother is one of ten children who all live in the area, making for lots of extended family come holiday season!

Stephen attended St. Anastasia School and Cardinal O’Hara High School. While there, he played football and ran track. In high school, he was named an All-State Athlete for track as a sprinter, long jumper and hurdler, and received an athletic scholarship to run track for Rutgers University, where he graduated with a degree in Economics.

Lauren grew up in Freeland, a small town in Luzerne County, PA, about 20 miles south of Wilkes-Barre.

In Freeland, there’s one traffic light and a CVS,” she said. “Everyone knows everyone, but it’s funny because the longer I live here, the more I realize that everyone also knows everyone here in Delaware County.

Like Stephen, Lauren is also one of three children. She has a younger brother and a younger sister, and her parents still live in Freeland. Lauren graduated from Hazleton High School where she was a volunteer for Big Brothers and Big Sisters. She also taught kindergarten catechism (CCD) classes.

After high school, Lauren decided that she wanted to go to college in Philadelphia.

Lauren, Victoria and Stephen enjoying Disney World

Photo courtesy of Lauren Werner

She earned her degree in Marketing, and began her career in Philadelphia.

I wanted to branch out a bit, but still be able to go home on weekends,” she explained. “I decided to study at Philadelphia University because I liked the idea of a small school, but one where I could also explore the big city.

Today, Lauren works as an IT Recruiter for MatchPoint Consulting Group, which is based in Wayne. She explained that her company serves to streamline the hiring process for companies looking for highly technical and specific positions.

I truly love the company I work for and the people I work with,” she said. “I get to meet new people and build relationships on a daily basis, all while helping place the most qualified candidates with the companies I work with.

Lauren and Stephen met in Philadelphia in 2015, when mutual friends decided to get together for a night out. Stephen laughed when asked how they first met. “Lauren just showed up at my apartment,” he said. Well, technically Lauren did just show up at his apartment, but she was with her friends who knew Stephen’s friends.

We didn’t start dating until a few months after that,” Lauren explained. “Stephen and I really enjoyed each other’s company. We shared a lot in common including our distaste for condiments that everyone else seems to love, like mustard, ranch dressing and blue cheese.

Finding that level of compatibility is rare, and their relationship continued to grow over the next few years. Then in 2018, Lauren and Stephen decided that they wanted to build their future together in Newtown Square.

For Stephen, there was nowhere else he wanted to live and raise a family. Lauren, having spent time with Stephen’s family at his childhood home, had grown to love and appreciate our special community. They purchased a home in a wonderful neighborhood, and started to plan for the future.

Stephen and Lauren got engaged in May 2018, and set a wedding date for November 2020. In the meantime, they discovered that they were expecting their first child together and welcomed their daughter, Victoria, in 2019.

Lauren and Stephen’s daughter, Victoria

Photo by Amber Johnston Photography www.AmberJohnstonPhoto.com

Victoria has brought so much joy to our lives!” Stephen said. “She loves to talk, tell stories and has such a fun personality.

Lauren said that Victoria also loves building forts, playing in her pretend kitchen, and dancing and singing along with her favorite Disney princesses, Moana and Belle.

Lauren, Stephen and their newest little addition in tow, continued to make plans for their November 2020 nuptials, with the ceremony and reception scheduled to take place at The Lucy in Philadelphia, with over 200 guests. But as you have likely guessed, COVID-19 had other plans.

Victoria and her mommy, Lauren

Photo by Amber Johnston Photographywww.AmberJohnstonPhoto.com

Instead of postponing the wedding to a later date, the couple decided to host an intimate ceremony and reception with their family and closest friends. They were married at St. Anastasia Church and had an outdoor reception at Water Works by Cescaphe in Philadelphia. They also opted for a weekend honeymoon in Connecticut instead of their original plans to celebrate in Italy and Greece. Lauren said, “We are definitely looking forward to rescheduling that trip!”

In 2012, Stephen began his career working as a Bank Examiner with the Federal Reserve. He then went on to work in finance at JP Morgan before joining Bank of America in 2016 as a Senior Audit Manager. He continued his studies in finance and became a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Charterholder in 2019.

I enjoy working at a large bank with complex projects driven by a regulatory focus,” explained Stephen. “The financial markets and regulatory requirements are always changing, and I get the opportunity to work on the latest trends in finance.

Stephen said that one area he likes to work on is called capital stress testing which came about after the economic crash in 2008. “We now have safeguards in place to ensure that financial institutions are equipped to survive a catastrophic crisis like the one we experienced in 2008,” he said. “These stress test audits allow us to take a bank through a simulated crisis so we can be sure they are strong enough to survive.”

Victoria and her daddy, Stephen

Photo by Amber Johnston Photographywww.AmberJohnstonPhoto.com

Stephen also uses his skills and talents in finance to give back to our community. Since 2017, he has served as an elected Newtown Township Auditor.

I am one of three elected Auditors who serve to assist the township’s independent auditor," Stephen explained, "to ensure the proper use of township funds.

Lauren said that she and Stephen love to travel, spend time at the beach, and recently decided to take Victoria to Disney World. “We were so excited for Victoria to see her favorite princesses and for us to spend some quality family time together,” said Lauren. “Victoria’s favorite part of the trip was having dinner at Belle’s castle.” Victoria agreed and said she had so much fun meeting the princesses and going on all the rides!

Victoria loved the rides at the Magic Kingdom

Photo courtesy of Lauren Werner

No matter how far they travel or where they go, Lauren, Stephen and Victoria are always happy to come home.

We love our neighbors, our neighborhood and this wonderful community,” Lauren explained. “We live on a street with families that Stephen has known since grade school, and we immediately felt at home here.

The Werner family is really looking forward to warmer weather so they can spend more time outdoors playing in the yard, walking in the neighborhood and taking trips to the park around the corner.

Thank you, Stephen, Lauren and Victoria, for sharing your story with us. Your Newtown Square Friends & Neighbors are looking forward to watching your family and your future take full bloom.

Do you know a Newtown Square family, individual or nonprofit group who should become known by our community? Make your nominations for upcoming feature articles by emailing your ideas to Sheila Turner- Hilliard at STurnerHilliard@BestVersionMedia.com.