Board of Directors
Terms expire July 31, 2022
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Michael Mullen
President
Michael Mullen was adopted from Korea when he was 2.5 years old and didn’t meet another Asian person for 14 years. He grew up in Washington State, attended college at the University of Washington in Seattle, and moved to New York in 1997, after living in Seoul and Chicago. He attended one of Also-Known-As’s earliest events, but then got distracted and didn’t attend his second event until 20 years later. This is Mike's sixth year on the Also-Known-As Board of Directors and fifth year as president. He appeared on adoptee podcasts The Rambler and Adapted to discuss his personal story and thoughts about adoption.
Jacquelyn Wells
Vice President
Jacquelyn Wells is a Korean-American adoptee from Boston, MA, graduating Northeastern University in 2010 with a B.S. in Music and Business. Now based in Brooklyn, NY, Jacquelyn is a musician, jeweler, and works closely with several Korean-American non-profit organizations. An Also-Known-As Member since 2016, Jacquelyn is honored to now be in her third year on the Board, and first as its Vice-President. Jacquelyn is also a registered yoga teacher, and strives to promote mindfulness and healing within her community.
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 second year serving on the board.
BOARD MEMBERS
Misha Ulrich
IKAA Representative
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.
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).
Lucia Zerner
Director of Mentorship
Lucia Zerner was born in Hefei, China and adopted at 7 months old. She grew up in New York City, participating in Also-Known-As's Youth and Teen Mentorship Programs. As a child she was immersed in the Chinese-American adoptee community through Families with Children from China. This will be her second year serving on the Board of Directors. She looks forward to being part of an organization created by and for adoptees that builds community.
Robert Calabretta
Robert, also known as Hanil, was born in Daegu, S. Korea and currently lives in Flushing, Queens. He studied business management in undergrad and also has a Masters of Divinity. He enjoys composing composing electronic music, biking, the color coral, tropical birds, and learning about race, culture, identity and philosophy. This will be Robert’s second year on the Board.
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. She currently works in book publishing. This is her first 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 as a teen. 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 his third year as a mentor and start his first year on the board.
Board photos courtesy of Benjamin A. Peterson, Joe Birch, and Marvin Mendlinger.