Board of Directors

Terms expire July 31, 2023

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Robert Lee
President

Robert, also known as, Han-il, was adopted from Daegu, Korea. He has a background in leading non-profit work and has a Master's degree from Westminster Theological Seminary. He enjoys composing composing electronic music, biking, the color coral, tropical birds, and learning about race, culture, identity and philosophy.

Misha Ulrich
Vice President, Director of Mentorship

Misha was adopted with her twin sister from South Korea when they were three months old where they grew up in New York City. Misha lives in Astoria, Queens in New York and works at a marketing agency as the Senior Director of Communications. She graduated from Hawaii Pacific University with a B.S. in Advertising/Public Relations and from the University of Melbourne in Australia with a Master of International Relations. Misha joined Also-Known-As as a mentor with Also-Known-As’s teen mentor program in 2015 and joined the board a year later. She is still a teen mentor and is serving her sixth year on the board.

Mark Fermi
Treasurer

Mark was adopted from Korea when he was 4 yrs old and grew up in Jackson, TN, and Lincoln, RI, and now resides in NJ with his wife Ji-yeon, daughter Jeana and two sons, Samuel and Daniel. He has been a member of Also-Known-As since it was founded in 1996 and serves as the Treasurer. He has served in many roles, such as web editor, Motherland Visit Director, and liaison to the Korean American community, and shared his adoption experiences through many speaking engagements in over 20 years of service on the board. 

Sara Crayne-Dedrick
Secretary

Sara is a Chinese-American adoptee from Westchester New York. She graduated Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University with a B.F.A in dance. She is currently based in Astoria working both as a free lance dancer and a personal trainer. She has been a member of Also-Known-As since 2019. This is her third year serving on the board.

BOARD MEMBERS

Hope Johnson

This is Hope’s third year on the Also Known As Board of Directors. She was adopted from Chenzhou, China at 7 months old and grew up in Park Slope, Brooklyn. She has been exposed to many adoptee communities as a kid and has been a part of Also Known As since 2005. A lover of food, Hope has been working in the food industry for 3 years and graduated from the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. On her down time you can find her either playing music with friends, taking photos for her blog @hopeeatsnyc, or aggressively hitting a ball against a wall repeatedly (aka playing squash).

Katie Mantele

Katie is a Chinese adoptee who grew up in Brooklyn, NY and NJ. Through her family, she was involved in the earliest days of FCCNY, and for four summers, volunteered as a counselor for an adoptee camp. She earned a MA from New York University where she explored the politics and creation of the female Chinese adoptee in America. Before joining the Board of Directors, she was a member of Also-Known-As' Scholarship Committee. This is her second year on the Board.

Joseph Pinney

Joseph (aka 김동후) was born in Busan, South Korea and was adopted at 5 months old. He grew up in Storrs, Connecticut, where he volunteered for an LGBTQ+ organization throughout his teen years. After graduating high school, Joseph moved to NYC to attend LIM College majoring in Fashion Merchandising and is currently a retail store manager in downtown NYC. He joined Also-Known-As in 2019 as a youth mentor in the Mentorship Program. He’s very excited to continue as a mentor in our Mentorship Program and spend another year on the board of directors.

Lindsay Geier

Lindsay Geier (aka 颖妍) is a Chinese American adoptee. She was adopted from Hangzhou, China at 9-months old. She grew up in South Burlington, Vermont and graduated from St. Lawrence University with degrees in Psychology and Communications. Based in Brooklyn, Lindsay is a Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Manager at Tripadvisor. She is passionate and committed to advancing justice for underrepresented and marginalized groups. As an Also-Known-As member since 2021, Lindsay is honored to serve her first year on the board.

Abby Rusnak

Abby is a Chinese-American adoptee who grew up in a township outside of Philadelphia, PA. She joined Also-Known-As in the fall of 2021 and this is her first year serving on the board. Abby graduated from New York University with a B.S. in Applied Psychology. Currently she works in healthcare administration but hopes to become a child and adolescent psychologist for adoptees.

Board photos courtesy of Benjamin A. Peterson, Joe Birch, and Marvin Mendlinger.