Dr. David Amarel is a clinical psychologist who practices in New York City. He was born in New Jersey in 1961 to Holocaust survivors. David and his wife, Martha, live in Brooklyn with their two children, Elias Kim and Lucy Park. David and Martha flew to South Korea in 2003 to adopt four-month-old Eli; all three traveled again in 2004 to meet six-month-old Lucy. More recently, the entire family enjoyed a much more relaxed trip to Seoul and Gyeongju where Eli ate like a pro and Lucy re-imagined herself as a Shilla princess. Back in NYC, David specializes in couples counseling and psychotherapy for adults. David receives ongoing training in matters of adoption, parenting, and race from his friends, his patients, and his kids.

Susan Becker was adopted from Seoul, Korea at the age of 4 1/2 months. She was raised in northern New Jersey with strong ties to the Korean-American adoptee community, attending regional cultural events and camps since she was a baby. Susan visited Korea for the first time in 1995. She has returned seven times since then, most recently to study Korean language at Ewha University and to attend the 2007 and 2010 IKAA Gatherings. Susan is volunteering for her fourth year on the Also-Known-As Board of Directors and has been a mentor in the Youth Mentorship program for five years.  She currently works as a business analyst / project manager in Hoboken, NJ.

Kerry is a Korean adoptee whose participation in past KAAN conferences has included volunteering, facilitating sessions, and organizing bone marrow donor registration drives. She works as a physician assistant at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Karen became a grandmother for the first time when daughter Jen and son-in-law Jeff Cox adopted Seong Tae in April 2005.  Since then she and her husband Len have eaten Korean food, listened to Korean children's and pop music, attended Camp Mujigae to see their grandchildren, cheered for Korean athletes in the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup, and most importantly continue to support Jen and Jeff through the adoptions of all three children.  Their home phone number was the second phone number Seong Tae memorized as he calls them almost daily to talk.

Born in South Korea and adopted at 2 1/2 years, Michael grew up in Reading, Pennsylvania.  He visited Korea with his adoptive parents in 2005 on a tour comprised of adoptees and their families.  Michael graduated from Swarthmore College in 2009 and received a master's degree in counseling and mental health services from the University of Pennsylvania.  He has been a previous panelist at KAAN, speaking about his adoption experience.

April Callen is a writer and cultural critic living in Chicago, IL. Currently a master's candidate in the Media, Culture, and Society program at DePaul University's College of Communication, April specializes in media representations of people of color, women, and other marginalized groups and how those portrayals impact the larger society's understanding of those groups-affecting social/governmental policies, relationships, and the spotlighted individual. Her writings can be found on her blog at aprilscissors.com. April i s a regular guest and contributor at Vocalo.org, 89.5FM in Chicago.

Sara is an adult adoptee who is a licensed social worker in the mental health field. She has attended seven KAAN conferences, contributing her knowledge and personal experiences to other adoptees and to adoptive parents. Sara enjoys serving on KAAN's Advisory Council to help keep KAAN a vital part of Korean adoption.

Becky Cioppa is an adult adoptee born in Daegu, South Korea. She is a mom of two children, aged 8 and 6, and last year became a Certified Classical Homeopath. She lives and works in central Massachusetts.

Ellie Conant was born on a US Army base in Landstuhl, Germany to a Korean mother and an American father.  After relocating to Seattle for the duration of her adolescence, Ellie graduated high school and headed to New York City to pursue...life.  She has been producing queer parties for eight years and has received accolades from the Stonewall Democratic Club of NYC, GO Magazine, and AfterEllen.com.  Although Ellie is not adopted, she believes there is a profound parallel between the "hapa" and Korean adoptee experience.  She is interested in further exploring how these unique experiences can correspond and relate to each other.

Jen and husband Jeff adopted three children from Korea.  Their journey to becoming a family of five started with a referral of a little boy named Seong Tae who is now eight. Daughter Eun Seong  is nearly seven and their youngest, Tae Hee. is almost 5 1/2 years.  Jen is a stay at home mom and homeschools all three children.   She has volunteered for several years with Camp Mujigae in Albany, NY as a coordinator for the youngest group of campers, Rising Stars.  She is a member of KAAN's Advisory Council and this year is a part of the local planning committee.    Jen and Jeff have educated their families (and others) on adoption and Korea and still feel there is more to learn themselves about both subjects.

Martha M. Crawford, LCSW, is an adoptive parent and psychotherapist in private practice in New York City. In her seventeen years of practice, she has worked as a clinical consultant for adolescents in foster care and group home settings, with adults who have survived trauma and abuse and bereavement, and has been honored to work with adult adoptees and with adoptive parents. She is also the founder of "All Together Now," a multicultural peer/play group for adopted kids facilitated by adult and adolescent adoptees. Martha is the author of the blog "what a shrink thinks," a psychotherapist's journal.

Kathy Crissey, MS, LMHC, has been affiliated with Adoption STAR for many years. Kathy is a licensed mental health counselor and adoptive mom of four children born in China. Her professional and personal life experiences and kind heart make it no surprise that she is a much loved and enjoyed adoption professional. Kathy provides home study and post placement services as well as clinical counseling for all members of the adoption triad.

Suzanne d'Aversa is a social worker in private practice who has been working with members of the adoption triad for over thirty years.  She became involved with Korean adoption thirty years ago when she was a clinical supervisor for an International Adoption Program.  In addition to her private practice, she leads support groups and is active in an agency-run Post Adoption Resource Center and in Camp Mujigae.

Kathy was adopted at eight months of age from Korea and grew up in New Jersey in a large Italian family. She attended Rutgers University and earned a BA in psychology and also attended Columbia University where she earned a master's degree in social work. She is an LCSW and works as a school social worker with elementary and high school students. Kathy has presented at a New Jersey adoption conference and enjoys being involved in the adoption community. She has attended KAAN as a participant for the past two years. Educating others about the issues surrounding adoption has become a passion for her. She currently resides in New Jersey with her husband and two daughters.

Erica DeBlase was born in Seoul  and adopted at five months.  She grew up in upstate New York with her parents and three older sisters.  Erica graduated from Syracuse University with a BA in English Textual Studies in 1997 and from Smith College with a masters in social work in 2005. Erica completed a thesis focused on racial identity development in transracially adopted Korean Americans.  She then worked at a therapeutic boarding school for high school students, running an adoption group for adopted individuals and working with their families as well.  She joined Mount Holyoke College Counseling Service staff in 2010 and has recently assumed the role of Counseling Service Outreach Coordinator in addition to being a full-time, permanent staff clinician. A year ago, she also opened a part-time private psychotherapy practice as an adoption specialist in Easthampton, MA, working with adopted individuals, adoptive parents and families and providing consultations to adoption professionals.  Erica has spoken at The Independent Educational Consultant Association Conference in 2008 and the East Coast Asian-American Student Union Conference at UMASS in 2011.

Maggie Dinneen is mother to thee adopted adults. Liz was adopted domestically at age 11 and is now 47. Jennifer was adopted at age 3 from Korea and is now 30. Kathleen was adopted as a baby from Korea and is now 26. Maggie is also stepmother to three, grandmother to five, and great-grandmother to three little ones. While her children were young, Maggie was involved in the creation of Camp MujiGae and served on the board of the Albany area Korean Language School. She has been involved with KAAN almost since the beginning.

Marie Dolfi is a clinical social worker who started her career working with teenagers and their families. In 1990 after her first child joined her family by adoption (domestic infant) Marie became very active in local adoption support groups and participated in extensive training in adoption issues. In 2007 Marie began private practice, specializing in counseling for adoption constellation members, prospective adoptive parents, and prospective birth parents. Marie is President of the Adoptive Families of the Capital Region, Western Vice President of New York State Citizens' Coalition for Children, and an Advisory Board Member of the Post Adoption Resource Center at Parsons Child & Family Services.  www.adoptionconselingny.com

Kathleen Duda has been involved with Camp Mujigae for the last eleven years since the adoption of her daughter MaryTherese Seon in 2000.  She has coordinated several areas of camp including Rising Stars, Curiosity, Discovery, and Explorer, campers age birth to age 9.  These responsibilities included planning classes and activities for campers as well as volunteers needed for these levels of camp. Kathleen also served as Treasurer for Camp Mujigae for several years. This year she will be serving as the Co-Director of Camp as well as the Secretary for the Board of Directors. In addition to her daughter, Kathleen and her husband have two biological sons who have also been strongly involved with many areas the camp.

Jennifer Hyun Jung Dunham was born near Busan and adopted at the age of 2 or 3 - her parents changed her age when she was 5 so she is not sure of her exact age. Jen attended the first Camp MuJiGae when she was 5 and was a regular camper for many years. She also attended Korean Language School in Albany NY as a child. She is a hair stylist who enjoys contributing to her clients' self esteem by making them look wonderful. Jen has been a regular attendee at KAAN for many years and loves making new friends and reconnecting with old ones.

Kathleen Dunham was adopted as an infant from Seoul. She grew up in upstate NY with very little racial or ethnic diversity. She started attending Camp MuJiGae in Albany, NY as a toddler with her mother and was a regular camper for many years. She has two adopted sisters, one also from Korea, and three step siblings. In 2006, Kathleen returned back to Korea with her mother and sister for KAAN's 7th conference. During her trip she reunited with her birth mother. She has been a regular attendee/presenter at KAAN for many years and is very excited to be a local at KAAN this year! Kathleen also is very excited to be getting married this year and becoming Mrs. Gooley.

Biography pending; Music director at Northern Valley High School, Old Tappan, NJ

Erica is the mother to two sons adopted from South Korea. Erica is a licensed clinical professional counselor and the clinical director at Rockford Sexual Assault Counseling. Erica has many interests, among them learning Korean language and watching Korean dramas (her favorite being "Coffee Prince"). Her goal is to be able to speak Korean fluently and to continue teaching her sons the language as well.

Jennifer Fero was born in Korea and adopted at four and a half months.  She grew up in a working class suburb of Portland, Oregon.  She received her bachelor's degree from Western Oregon University and her master's degree from Portland State University.  She has taught in South Korea, Ghana, and in Oregon.  Currently, Jennifer resides in Atlanta, Georgia, and is an assistant principal in a high school.  You may recognize Jennifer from the documentary Adopted, produced by Point Made productions.  Since the death of both of Jennifer's adoptive parents, she is passionate about educating and working with adoptive parents to heal the wounds and bridge the divide seen and unseen.

Michele Fried worked as an educator before the adoption of her first child led her to found an adoption agency and later Adoption STAR in 2000. Adoption STAR's name comes from its goal to provide comprehensive services to all members of the adoption triad: Support, Training, Advocacy and Resources (STAR). Michele felt a need for a passionate, advocacy based, non-profit child-welfare agency in the Capital (New York) region and is proud of the work Adoption STAR has been able to do. She has received numerous community awards for her work.

Bart Goldstein was adopted from Korea at five months. He attended Camp Mujigae from ages five though sixteen as a camper, CIT, and junior counselor. When almost 17, Bart suffered a severe traumatic brain injury in an auto accident. He is the subject and hero of the forthcoming book No Stone Unturned, which recounts the family saga of his remarkable recovery from TBI.  Friendships forged at Mujigae played a crucial role in his life before the accident as well as in his recovery. More recently he has continued to help out at Camp Mujigae as a counselor and in helping set up the facilities for camp. He is a graduate of New Paltz High School and attended Maria College. Currently he resides in Delmar, NY.

Joel Goldstein is father to two beautiful adopted Korean children, Bart and Cassidy. He has served for many years on the international adoption board of Albany's Parsons Child & Family Center and of Camp Mujigae. Joel earned a BA at Brooklyn College and his master's at the Graduate Faculty of Political and Social Research of The New School.  An accomplished speaker and educator, he also co-authored an educational film series for young people. By tragic necessity he became a lay-expert in traumatic brain injury after teenage son Bart suffered severe TBI in an auto accident.  Joel resides in New Paltz, New York with his bride of 37 years, Reiki Master Dayle Groudine.  Together they have left no stone unturned searching for remedies, both conventional and alternative, to Bart's grave injuries.  His forthcoming book, No Stone Unturned, which tells the story of Bart's struggle to regain his life after the accident, will be released by Potomac Books in April 2012.

Holly Grant-Marsney was adopted from South Korea at four months old. She was raised by her parents near Boston, MA with a younger brother, also adopted from South Korea. Holly received her BA in Neuroscience and Behavior in 2006 from Mount Holyoke College. She received her M.S. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 2011. Her research focuses on adoptive families and the close relationships within and outside one's family, especially during emerging adulthood. Holly has worked in a variety of clinical settings and joined the Mount Holyoke College Counseling Service staff in 2010. She has shared her research at several conferences, including the 2010 International Conference on Adoption Research in Leiden, The Netherlands, and the 2011 Annual New Worlds of Adoption Conference: Linking Research With Practice in Amherst, MA. Currently, she attends the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in pursuit of her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology.

Mark Hagland was born in South Korea in 1960 and adopted in 1961 by American parents of Norwegian and German descent. He grew up in Milwaukee, WI, and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned his BA, and Northwestern University, where he received his master's degree in journalism. He has lived in Chicago since 1981, and has been a working journalist for thirty years. He has been actively involved in KAAN for several years, in the adult Korean adoptee mini-gatherings, and in writing for Korean Quarterly.

Glen Hilzinger is a 43-year-old writer who has lived in the Detroit metro area for most of his life. He and his wife Jen have been married for seventeen years and have three children; Emily born in China in 1995 and welcomed into the family at five months, Ethan born in Korea in 1997 and welcomed into the family at six months, and Elliot born in Michigan in 2006 and welcomed into the family at birth. Glen claims no more adoption expertise than simply enjoying the halo effect of his wife's constant involvement in the adoption and Asian communities around the Detroit area and beyond. However, his kids seem happy at least half the time and Glen likes to take partial credit for that.

Jennifer and her husband have three children; two whom they adopted as infants from China and Korea, and one child born to them.  Jen was part of the local planning team that hosted KAAN in Southfield Michigan (near Detroit) in 2005.  She has previously presented at KAAN conferences on making the language commitment with your child, making connections to the Korean American community, racism, and white privilege.

Dr. Nam Soon Huh is Senior Professor at the School of Social Welfare at Hallym University in Chun Cheon City Korea.  She is a board member of Korea Central Adoption Resources and also of Mission to Promote Adoption in Korea.  She is president of the Korean Society of Narrative Therapy.  Nam Soon received her Ph.D from SUNY at Albany having done her doctoral dissertation on the adjustment of children adopted from Korea in the United States.

Wook-Jin Hwang has served Mujigae Camp as the Director of the Cultural Education for the past twenty years. His responsibilities include all the classes during the camp as well as Family Day performances and some evening activities. He has also organized several other local Korean cultural events. Wook-Jin studied political science in the University at Albany, receiving a Ph.D.,  and currently is working in the New York State Division of the Budget. He also is elected as the president of the Korean Association of Albany for 2012-13 term. He lives in Guilderland, New York with his family including three daughters.

Stephen David Johnson was born in Korea, adopted at the age of four months, and grew up in Texas. He graduated from Baylor University with a degree in Social Work, and Eastern University with an MA in International Development. Stephen works for an international NGO, assisting refugees in their resettlement process. He and his wife, Whitney, currently reside in Seattle, Washington.

Whitney hails from a small town in Texas. She is a returning KAAN participant and remains committed to a life full of peace and purpose. Whitney has extensive experience in cross cultural communication, community development, and environmental sustainability. She currently lives in Seattle, Washington, and is an avid gardener.

Hyaekyung Jo has been involved with the Korean adoption community for many years. She is a founder and the current president of President of Sejong Cultural Education and is also a member of KAAN's Advisory Council. Hyaekyung is also a parent educator and  a retired public school teacher.

KSCPP is an independent non-profit organization founded in 2005 and based in Flushing, NY. Since its founding, KSCPP haspublished almost 700,000 copies of books on Korean history and culture and distributed them to various individuals and educational institutions without any cost to them.  KSCPP has also held free educational programson Korea approximately 200 times a year at various venues throughout the country.  www.kscpp.net

Grace Ko is a Korean Instructor for Atlanta International Language Institute, a Korean evaluator for ALTA Language Services, and a correspondent for OhmyNews, a Korean online newspaper. Grace received a bachelor's degree in social work with a minor in journalism from Ewha Woman's University in South Korea. She worked in Seoul for eleven years as a magazine writer and editor before coming to the U.S. in 1999. She graduated from Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield, MA with perfect 4.0 GPA and later moved to Atlanta in 2007. She was a KAAN 2011 speaker and local planning team member and wrote a column about the event for OhmyNews.

Staci Lang is an adult adoptee, mama to three beautiful children (the youngest of whom is also adopted from Korea), and a wife for twenty blessed years. She was adopted at 8 1/2 months of age into a Pennsylvania family. She was a typical "all-American girl" growing up and only recently began her journey to discovering/acknowledging her identity both as a Korean woman and a transracial adoptee. She is extremely grateful for the relationships she has with other adoptees and for the encouragement, support, and the unique connectedness that these relationships offer.

Marissa Martin, also known as Oh, Sun Hee, was adopted from Korea when she was six months old. She grew up in New Hope, PA and graduated from American University with a degree in sociology and communications.  Marissa has always been interested in social policy and post adoption services and is currently pursuing a masters degree in social work at Hunter College School of Social Work. Previously, she worked as an Operations Analyst at American International Group. Marissa has been actively involved in the international adoptee community for over ten years in many roles: as a counselor, assistant director, and co-director of the CIT Program at Holt Heritage Camp; as assistant director of KIDS Teen Camp in Seattle, WA; as an active member of the IKAA Committee (helping to plan the 2009 IKAA Mini Gathering in NYC and the 2010 IKAA Gathering in Korea); and now as the president of Also-Known-As, Inc.  Also-Known-As is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating innovative post-adoption services, educational programs, and community building activities, serving those on their adoption life journey.

Biography pending: Korean-American high school senior

Michele Miller is a stay-at-home mom to 4-yr-old son Dane, adopted from Korea in 2008 by Michele and her husband Steve.  Among her hobbies and interests, she hosts an international college student from Busan, Korea and enjoys learning the Korean language, listening to k-pop music, and feeding an addiction to k-dramas.  Her favorite is "Best Love."  She looks forward to taking her son on his first homeland tour in the near future and hopes by then to be conversational in Korean.

Amanda Nestleroth was born in Pusan, South Korea.  She was adopted with her sister Jennifer when they were 4 and 5 years old.  Amanda grew up in Lancaster County, PA and attended the University of Pittsburgh where she earned a bachelor's degree.  She now lives in Philadelphia and is a co-founder of KAAP (Korean Adoptee Association of Philadelphia), an adoptee-led organization.  Amanda hopes that having an organization will help others in the search of their Korean roots and provide guidance to  adoptees, especially her two nephews and niece who were also adopted from South Korea.

Lindsay Norman is a Korean adoptee from Albany, NY, who has worked on the committee of a Korean culture camp (Camp Mu Ji Gae) for Korean adoptee children for the past three years. She has also attended and worked for the camp since she was four.  She has a BFA in Illustration and finished her degree with a final series dedicated to the beauty of Korean adoptees of all ages.  Lindsey is part of KAAN's youth program team.

David Ogg was born in South Korea in 1960 and grew up in suburban Chicago. He graduated from the University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign, briefly attended DePaul University Law School, and has worked in various capacities in office administration since then. He lives in Chicago.

Eyoungsoo Park was born in Korea and emigrated to the United States in 1966. He received his PhD in clinical psychology from Washington State University. From 1971-1994, he was the director of the child and adolescent program for the Country Medical Health Clinics of Sutter, Yuba, Lake, and Glenn counties in California. He is retired from his position as forensic child psychologist for the state of California.

Amy Partain is mom to an energetic, K-pop loving 6-year-old boy from South Korea. She is a journalist (mostly self-published these days at thekoreanway.wordpress.com), and is addicted to Korean dramas, her favorite being "Be Strong, Geum-Soon."

Margie Perscheid is the adoptive parent of two young adults, both of whom were adopted from Korea.  Margie is a co-founder of Korean Focus, a Korean adoption support organization with chapters in Metro DC, Ohio, Washington, and Indiana.  In her spare time from her day job as a technical program manager, Margie writes and speaks about adoption and race for local and national publications and events and is a sporadic blogger at Third Mom and Komapseumnida.

Biography pending; Korean Adoptee Social Worker

Brad is an adult adoptee who was born in Korea in 1976, adopted in 1977, and then raised in a small town in North Dakota. He received his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and was then appointed to a position as a postdoctoral scholar at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He is currently a professor of physics at the University of Kentucky, and is married to a neurologist. This is his third KAAN Conference.

John C. Sanvidge was born in Seoul, South Korea and adopted at 4 1/2 months. He was raised in Troy, NY along with two siblings who were also adopted. He received his BFA in Film/Video from the School of Visual Arts and is currently a freelance editor who has worked for A&E, Animal Planet, National Geographic Wild, and Biography, among others. In 2003, he decided to begin his documentary called, "Finding Seoul." In 2011 he was able to finish the film. He currently resides in NYC.

Carolyn Scholl was adopted from Korea at the age of 22 months in 1971. She is currently serving as President on the Board of the Association of Korean Adoptees-Southern California as well as a member of KAAN's Advisory Council. She has two children and resides in San Diego, CA.

Stacy Schroeder is the current president and executive director of KAAN and lives with her family in Pennsylvania. She also coordinates Ta-ri, a local group that brings together people with ties to Korea for cultural and community-building activities. In 2007, she organized a weeklong camp for young adoptees and their families. Stacy's previous nonprofit experiences include serving as a camp director, working in a library, and co-authoring a book. It brings Stacy joy to see the friendships and community forged at KAAN continue to support people throughout the year, including her son and daughter, who are young adoptees themselves.

Missy Spatari works with adoptive parent clients by educating them and assisting them throughout their journey of adoption.  Missy also assists expectant parents and provides support to clients post adoption. Missy earned her masters from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She also holds a BA in Psychology from Syracuse University and AA in Criminal Justice from Cayuga Community College. Missy began her social work career as a service coordinator and family advisor to individuals with disabilities. She thoroughly enjoys working with families and is very excited to continue her career in the rewarding field of adoption. Missy passionately believes all children deserve a loving, happy, and stable home.

Michael Stanley is the treasurer for KAAN. He was adopted from Korea when he was six and grew up with his sister Susan, also a Korean adoptee, and parents Joyce and Wray. He is a certified financial planner with Morgan Stanley and chair of Ta-ri, a group celebrating Korean culture and community in south central Pennsylvania. He lives in Elverson, PA, with wife Lisa and three children: Hailey, Ella, and Andrew.

Suzanne (Bang Soo Youn) was born in Pyoungtaek, South Korea and adopted when she was six months old. She grew up in Denver, CO and currently lives and works in Seoul. In 1999, Suzanne was reunited with her identical twin sister, older brother, and birthparents whom she remains close with today. Since then, she has also reconnected with her large Korean extended family. Suzanne has been actively involved with KAAN since 2007, in addition to presenting and participating in other adoption conferences nationwide. Her passion within the adoption community continues to grow, not only as a personal journey, but also as a learning experience.

Terra Trevor is an author, essayist, and memoirist of Cherokee, Delaware, Seneca and white ancestry, whose work is shaped and infused by her identity as a mixed blood in both white and American Indian societies. With her husband she raised three children, two of whom were adopted from Korea; a one-year old, and an older child adopted at age ten. Terra is a contributing author of ten books, and her memoir Pushing up the Sky, published by KAAN in 2006, has been widely anthologized.

Alex is a 24-year-old Korean adoptee who was born in Daegu, S. Korea.  He currently works in NYC as a Technical Designer for Tiffany & Co. and Diane Von Furstenburg, as well as a freelance 2D animator for a number of different studio projects.  Alex has been actively involved with the planning stages of Camp Mujigae, an annual Korean culture summer camp for adoptees, for the past five years and has spoken on numerous panels involving the importance of cultural awareness for adoptees.  His first animated short film "Juxtaposed" focused on his own experiences with his adoption.  It went on to win a handful of awards at film festivals around the world, as well as a television broadcast for WNET's Reel13 program.  Alex is part of KAAN's youth program team.

Dr. Sook Wilkinson, Ph.D. has enjoyed a wonderful life in America. As a native of South Korea, she came to the US at age 22 with $100 in her pocket. Since then, she has become a renowned clinical psychologist, author, and respected community leader while raising a son and a daughter with her husband, Todd. A passionate advocate for active participation in her communities, she gladly accepted the opportunity to serve as the Chairperson of the Michigan Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission. Professionally, Sook holds the highest level of license to practice psychology in the State of Michigan and has been in clinical practice for over 30 years. A leading expert in the field of international adoption, she authored Birth is More than Once: The Inner World of Adopted Korean Children (1985) and co-edited After the Morning Calm: Reflections of Korean Adoptees (2002). Her leadership extends to higher education, serving on the Board of Trustees of Northern Michigan University in Marquette. She is also a member of the National Unification Advisory Council in South Korea, appointed by the country's President. Sook is a member of KAAN's Advisory Council.

Chris Winston is founder and former president of KAAN. She has published articles and presented papers and workshops for numerous adoption and Korea related organizations and conferences.   In 2006 KAAN published her book A Euro American on a Korean Tour at a Thai Restaurant in China.  She lives in Sacramento with her husband Mark.  They have three adult children, two of whom were adopted from Korea.

David Winston moved to the U.S. from Korea when he was adopted at age five. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in computer science, and has lived in Korea for over two years, working as an English teacher. He has recently moved back to the U.S., and will work for the visual effects industry.

Nayoung Lee Winston was born in Korea and has lived there for over 22 years. She recently moved to the U.S. with husband David and will become a U.S. citizen. She also recently graduated with a bachelor's degree in English literature and language from Hongik University, and has volunteered at InKAS for two years, teaching Korean and assisting Korean adoptees with translation.

As a Korean-born adoptee, author, wife, mother, and marriage and family therapist, Carissa blends her personal relinquishment and adoption story with her front row seat to the impact of the world's brokenness on people's heart and minds. She speaks with a diverse understanding of what it means to be human and hopeful and how to find healing, the wisdom of what it looks like to connect the head and the heart, and a deep empathy and compassion for how much each person needs to know how loveable he/she is no matter how their story unfolds.

Alyson Yost was born in Korea and adopted at 4 1/2 months.  Alyson grew up in Harrisburg, PA.  She attended College Misericordia where she received her bachelor of science and nursing degree.  She has been working as a registered nurse for the past five years at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, PA.   Alyson traveled back to Korea for the first time since her adoption for a birth family search with G.O.A.L.'s First Trip Home in October 2010.  Alyson is an active board member of Ta-ri, a local group that celebrates Korean-American Culture and also an active member of K.A.A.C.P. (Korean Adult Adoptees of Central Pennsylvania).  Alyson resides in Harrisburg, PA with her husband, new baby boy, and two stepchildren.