HeeJae An was a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Cheongju, South Korea from 2018-2020. During his time with Fulbright, HeeJae volunteered at KKOOM’s holiday parties. HeeJae earned his B.A. and M.A in Clinical Developmental Health and Psychology from Tufts University and is currently residing in New York City. Since coming to New York, HeeJae has been deeply engaged with the nonprofit community as an organizational development consultant.

Amanda Cho (Assalone) is a Korean American Adoptee who is actively involved in civil rights and advocacy organizations that support Communities of Color, particularly Asian Americans and Asian American Adoptees. She is the Policy Manager for Adoptees for Justice and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, stepdaughter, and dog; and is also in reunion with her Korean birth family.

Margaret Cleveland developed a passion and heart for the people of Korea in 2013 after her first teaching experience in the country. She graduated from the University of Missouri in 2015 and was selected as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in South Korea. During her 3 years teaching, she volunteered with mentoring and education programs for children’s homes and North Korean defectors. She currently works on her fourth-generation, family owned fish and cattle farm in Missouri. She is honored to work with KKOOM to help at-risk Korean youth.

Jin Chun is an IT Executive and SVP Head of Cognitive Computing and IT Fellow at Fidelity Investments. Prior to joining Fidelity, Jin was Chief Architect of State Street Global Markets. Based in the Boston area, Jin was born in Seoul and immigrated to the United States at the age of 3. Jin is a graduate of Yale University and part of the first generation of his family to graduate from college. He is very passionate about helping the children and young adults of KKOOM.

Bill Downey is an information technology specialist and professional photographer based out of Boston, Massachusetts. After completing his career in the U.S. Army, Bill has performed in various roles from senior IT manager with Harvard University, commercial pilot with a private aviation firm and adjunct professor with Lasell College. Bill’s keen interest and passion for Korean culture formulated during a four-year tour of duty in Korea during his army career, and previous experience with various non-profit organizations led to his desire to support the KKOOM mission.

Grace Lee was a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Sejong, South Korea from 2015–2016. She first became connected to KKOOM after volunteering at a holiday party in 2015 and has remained involved ever since. Before serving as KKOOM’s previous Executive Director, Grace served on the Board of Directors and as Chief Administrator. She recently earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Georgia State University and is pursuing a career in counseling. As a Korean American, Grace’s love and commitment to supporting children is deeply rooted in honoring the legacy of her grandparents, who helped raise her.

Patricia Liu is a Korean American author, entrepreneur, and E-commerce executive living in Minneapolis and New York City. She is the founder of BestofKorea.com and the author of The Wrapping Scarf Revolution, a book that introduces the beautiful Korean tradition of wrapping and carrying with fabric. Born in Seoul, Patricia immigrated to the US at the age of 5 and graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design. Both her grown sons have worked with KKOOM in various capacities, including a summer stay at a children’s home and online tutoring programs.

Helen Shin is a corporate attorney in New York and has served on KKOOM’s Board since 2012. In addition to legal experience, she brings to the Board a passion for social justice and international human rights matters. Her experience includes co-supervising an international human rights clinic and researching and doing fieldwork on various human rights issues in Sierra Leone and Malawi. She has devoted significant amounts of time to legal pro bono work and looks forward to utilizing her talents and resources to benefit KKOOM and the children in Korea.

Jean So was born in Buffalo, NY to South Korean immigrants. She received her B.S. and M.Ed. from Georgia State University and then her Ph.D in Counseling and Student Personnel Services from the University of Georgia. Her passion has always been promoting holistic development of college students. Jean resides in North Carolina with her husband and two children and continues to use her extensive experiences to serve community organizations and school boards.

Born and raised in Los Angeles County, California, Leanne graduated from Pitzer College of the Claremont College Consortium in 2005 with a double major in Psychology and English & World Literature. Leanne was a 2005-2006 Fulbright ETA, at Gyeonggu High School in Gumi. Leanne spent her free time volunteering with a children’s home in Gumi. Currently, Leanne lives in Los Angeles and works as a speech-language pathologist. Leanne has served on KKOOM’s Board since the beginning and is strongly committed to KKOOM’s mission.

Taehun Lee is an educator and youth advocate who began working with KKOOM in 2021 and has since supported both virtual and in-person programs for children in Korea’s social welfare system. Guided by experiences from his own upbringing as a first-generation immigrant, he is committed to creating spaces where youth feel seen, supported, and empowered. Outside of KKOOM, Taehun leads SEL- and STEAM-based programs for underserved students and works to expand resources for teens transitioning out of children’s homes.