Board of Directors

Terms expire July 31, 2025

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 (aka 马酉维) is a proud Chinese-American adoptee from Westchester, New York. She earned her B.F.A. in Dance from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and has pursued a career in both freelance dance and personal training. Through her work, she strives to foster creativity, inclusivity, and connection within her communities. Sara is honored to serve as the Vice President of an organization that has played a pivotal role in her adoption journey.

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 second year as Secretary.

Directors

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 serving on the Board of Directors for a second year.

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 18th 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 partner and dog Peanut and is thrilled about his second year on the board of Also-Known-As.

Emma Barr

Director

Emma Barr (aka Trần Ngọc Quyên Chi) was born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and adopted at 8 months old. She grew up in Lumberton, New Jersey and before getting her Doctorate of Pharmacy from Rutgers University. Upon moving to Manhattan to work in life science management consulting, the first friendships she made in the city were through the adoptee community. As a recent member of the Also-Known-As in 2022, Emma is excited to advance her adoptee journey and that of others during her first year on the board.

Adam Goodman

Director

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.

Leaders

Katie Mantele

(She/Her)

Adoptee Excellence Scholarship 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.

Nick Rasch

(He/Him)

Web Admin

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.
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