Board of Directors

Terms expire July 31, 2024

Executive Officers

Lindsay Geier

(She/Her/Hers)

President

Lindsay Geier (aka 涂婷 & 萧颖妍) is a Chinese American adoptee based in Brooklyn. She was adopted from Hangzhou, China at 9-months old. She grew up in South Burlington, Vermont and graduated from St. Lawrence University with double majoring in Psychology and Communications. Lindsay is an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Manager at Tripadvisor Group. She is passionate and committed to advancing justice for underrepresented and historically marginalized groups. Lindsay is honored to serve as President for the incredible Also-Known-As adoptee community.

Sara Crayne-Dedrick

(She/Her)

Vice President

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 fourth year serving 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 25 years of service on the board.

Joseph Pinney

(He/Him)

Secretary

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. He relocated to NYC 10 years ago and is currently an Assistant General Manager at Equinox. 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 commit to another year on the board of directors. This will be his first year as Secretary.

Directors

Katie Mantele

(She/Her)

Director

Katie is a Chinese adoptee who grew up in Brooklyn, NY and NJ. Through her family, she was involved in the earliest days of Families with Children from China-NY (now Chinese Adoptee Alliance), and for four summers, volunteered as a counselor and leadership staff 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 joined Also-Known-As as a member in 2018, the Scholarship Committee in 2020, and the Board of Directors in 2021. She currently directs the Also-Known-As Adoptee Excellence Scholarship, a role she assumed in 2021. This is her third year on the Board.

Katie Kwon O'Donnell

(She/Her)

Director

Katie is a Brooklyn-based Korean American adoptee. Born outside of Seoul, she grew up in Yonkers, New York, before studying creative writing and journalism at Loyola University Maryland. Katie is currently the Head of Brand and Content at a workplace-experience startup following a decade-long career as a lifestyle and culture editor for major media publishers. She has been embraced by the adoptee community and Also-Known-As since 2018 and is thrilled to be joining the board for the first time.

Emily Flynn

(She/Her/They)

Director

Emily (aka 양선미) was born in Seoul, South Korea and grew up in NJ and VT.  She works as a freelance textile designer for various fashion companies. Emily also founded a thriving field hockey league in NYC, now in its 17th year. She has shared some of her adoption story  in a couple of podcasts and documentaries. Through parenting her 2 children, she is reclaiming her heritage and helping to create cultural traditions for her family.  She is honored to have this opportunity to serve on the Also-Known-As board and is committed to helping other adoptees find community and validation for their varied life experiences.

Andrew McFarland

(He/Him)

Director

Andrew McFarland (aka 이수민) was born in Gongju, South Korea and adopted from Seoul at 11 months old. He grew up in El Dorado, Arkansas, attended university in southwest Missouri, and received his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Kansas. Andrew is currently an Associate Professor at LaGuardia Community College, CUNY, and an Associate Researcher at the Institute for History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. He lives in Flushing, Queens with his dog Peanut and is thrilled about his first year on the board of Also-Known-As.  

Leaders

Adam Goodman

Mentorship Coordinator

Adam (aka 이성일) is a Korean-American adoptee who grew up in Westchester County, New York and now lives in Fort Lee, NJ. He graduated from Pace University in 2005, and has worked as a Business Analyst in the Luxury Goods & Services and Financial Services industries since graduation. Adam joined Also-Known-As in 2010 and has been a mentor in the Mentorship Program since 2018.

Nick Rasch

(He/Him)

Web Administrator

Nick Rasch (aka 이연무) is a Korean-American adoptee. He grew up in Westchester County, New York and now lives in Long Island City, NY. Nick graduated from Cornell University in 2015, and works in tech startups in NY. He joined Also-Known-As in 2018 and has been working with the website since 2019.