Mission

Our mission is to connect, collaborate, and preserve adoption legacies through community, culture, and post-adoption services. Adoptees deserve the opportunity to know their history, have a sense of belonging, experience their birth culture, and have access to services in a supportive safe space throughout their adoption journey.

Connect
Connect

We connect adoptees with each other and with resources and services.

Collaborate
Collaborate

We seek to fill in the gaps to provide essential post-adoption services that don’t exist.

Preserve
Preserve

We strive to preserve our adoption legacies, histories, and communities.

Download annual and financial reports

• 2022

Board of Directors

Ami Nafzger

Ami Nafzger

Founder, CEO & President

Mounds View, Minnesota

I was born in Korea and found in Challado Iksan. It is guesstimated that I was adopted at the age of 4, after which I grew up in Northern Wisconsin.

I received a B.A. in Social Work, Sociology, and a minor in Native American Indian Studies from Augsburg College in Minneapolis. Since 2011, I have worked with the Department of Human Services, Minnesota. I currently serve as a Policy Program Manager for the State of Minnesota at The Department of Human Services. I work with systems modernization and data systems programs and their policies, processes, and training for Children and Family Services.

Since 1993 I have been giving back to my community by volunteering on boards and as a leader. I have helped various organizations and have served on the Asian Governor’s board of Minnesota for 8 years.

I founded Global Overseas Adoptees Link (G.O.A’L) in Seoul, South Korea, in 1997 and served as its first Secretary-General. I also founded Adoptee Hub on April 9, 2018.

I believe there is a lack of birth search services and disconnect with the birth country culture, language and policies for adoptees in the United States. Additionally, I believe it is important to have a physical space for adoptees to meet others who have similar background experiences, find a sense of belonging in a community to call their own, access support and resources to find their identity, their culture, language, history, biological family, and relate through studies, data, books, film, art and music, group counseling, and group therapy sessions.

Lisa Hanson

Lisa Hanson

Legal Advisor & Treasure (TBV)

Minnesota

More to come.

Kara Dewhurst

Kara Dewhurst

Director of Services

California

More to come

Nicole Ritchie

Nicole Ritchie

Nicole Ritchie Secretary, HR or Volunteer Coordinator

Minnesota

More to come.

Jonathan Meyer

Jonathan Meyer

Director of Media Relations-social media outreach

Kentucky

More to come

John Ha

John Ha

Director of Korean Services

Seoul, South Korea

More to come

Julie Hedlund

Julie Hedlund

Director of Communications/Public Relations-strategy

Minnesota

More to come

Adoptee Hub Volunteer Staff

Amanda Parrish

Amanda Parrish

Copy Writer/Editor

Denver, CO

Amanda Parrish is technical writer who was born in Seongnam, a suburb of Seoul, South Korea. She was raised in the white-populated area of Little Korea, the Koreatown of the metropolitan DC area, and lived in the Korean-populated area of Little Korea for more than 10 years. In 2017, she moved to Denver, CO, where she met her husband. They’ve been married for a little under two years. She volunteers at Adoptee Hub as a copywriter to help stand up a birth search portal, among other adult adoptee services.

Amy Haggenmiller

Amy Haggenmiller

Copy Writer/Editor

New York

More to come

Aron Spiess

Aron Spiess

Developer, Lead Application

Minneapolis, MN

More to come

John Ha

John Ha

Director of Services, Korea

Korea

More to come

Amanda Jackson

Amanda Jackson

Executive Researcher

Woodbury, Minnesota

I was born in Cheongju, South Korea and was adopted when I was 9 months old. Raised in a family of 10 in Stillwater, Minnesota, I am the youngest of 8 kids, five of whom are adopted from Korea. I’m currently married to another Korean Adoptee and now live in Woodbury, Minnesota. I have been a Lead Infant Teacher at a non-profit school for 7 years.

I have been to Korea 11 times and have met my birth family at the age of 6. I am still in contact with them. Both of my parents, as well as two brothers, are alive and well. They all attended my wedding in 2017.

I joined Adoptee Hub because I see this as a great opportunity for adoptees to get information. Whether it’s about finding birth family, needing tips, or just the need to be with other adoptees as emotional support.

Ryan Jackson

Ryan Jackson

Technology Coordinator

Woodbury, Minnesota

I was adopted at six months of age in 1984 and grew up in Brainerd, Minnesota. Attending Korean culture camp as a child, I have always had exposure to Korean culture. I have worked in IT services for about 10 years. I am married to another Korean adoptee and now live in Woodbury, Minnesota.

I have been to Korea once in 2005, spending my 21st birthday there. I joined Adoptee Hub because I want to support the community and help Adoptee Hub bring new services to adoptees.

Sung Hee Min

Sung Hee Min

Translator

Minnesota

More to come

Ben Martin

Ben Martin

Videographer

Minnesota

More to come

Advisory Board

Dr. Park, Jin

Dr. Park, Jin

Honorary Board Member

Seoul, South Korea

Grand National Party, a former member of the Korean National Assembly.

Naomi Chu

Naomi Chu

Financial Advisor

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Naomi Chu is the Vice President of Asset Management, currently responsible for the direct supervision of the Asset Management team and the operational aspects of the Artspace portfolio. This includes supporting Asset Managers as they encounter challenges in the operational aspects of their properties, as well as supporting Asset Managers in identifying solutions when facing challenges in the community. Naomi partners with the Senior Vice President of Properties to plan and implement departmental initiatives. She also ensures smooth transitions from the property development phase of activity to operations.

Naomi is also a Program Manager of the Rafala Green Fellowship Program. This fellowship program seeks to promote equity and inclusion in nonprofit real estate by training the next generation of POCI emerging leaders working at the intersection of arts, real estate, and community development. Fellows are introduced to the core competencies of property development and exposed to Artspace best practices while working on current projects in the Artspace pipeline across the country. Previously, she served as the Director and visionary behind Artspace’s Art Bridge Program, a long-distance collaboration program that worked with social justice arts organizations across the country to advance the use of video conferencing technology for artistic collaboration, expanding the vision of new workspaces for artists and arts organizations.

Naomi began working with Artspace in 1997 through a local property management company, handling Artspace’s commercial properties in the Twin Cities. In 1998, she was hired to create Artspace’s first for-profit subsidiary, Performance Property Management Company, which allowed Artspace to run their local commercial property management team in-house. In 2005, Naomi took leave from Artspace to become Executive Director of the Asian Pacific Cultural Center, a nonprofit organization focused on developing a Pan-Asian center to celebrate, promote, and foster understanding of Asian Pacific cultural heritage in Minnesota, where she gained valuable experience employing the Artspace model. In 2008, Naomi returned to Artspace in the role of Finance Manager.

Naomi graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology and Saint Paul Technical College with an Associate Degree in Applied Science as an American Sign Language Interpreter/Translator.

Naomi brings a unique skill set to the Artspace team, from her managerial experience and financial expertise; to her comprehensive background in government relations, development, and community engagement. She takes great pride in her contributions to Artspace’s partnerships with First Peoples Fund in South Dakota; PA’I Foundation in Hawaii; and Turtle Mountain Tribal Arts Association in North Dakota.

Dan Park Pagel

Dan Park Pagel

Honorary Board Member

Seoul, South Korea

As Managing Director, Dan provides overall leadership and managing of Equis Korea. Focused on providing a paramount level of efficient and effective services in the commercial real estate needs for multinational clients in office, industrial, investments, and retail areas of acquisition and disposition, relocation and expansion, tenant representation, landlord representation and development consulting in Korea. Mr. Pak attended Northwestern College of Chiropractic where he received his Doctor of Chiropractic degree. He also attended Winona State University to study Pre-medicine. And finally, he attended Cannon Falls High School and graduated with honors with 5 major scholarships.