Katie Bozek Named KAAN Executive Director

The Korean American Adoptee Adoptive Family Network (KAAN) Advisory Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Katie Bozek as the organization’s new executive director. KAAN is a national, all-volunteer organization dedicated to connecting Korean adoptees, adoptive parents, and others connected to transracial adoption. Bozek is the third executive director, following Chris Winston, who founded the organization in 1998, and Stacy Schroeder, who has led the organization since 2010. The KAAN Advisory Council looks forward to having a Korean adopted person at its helm.

Reflecting on this leadership transition, Stacy Schroeder says, “It has been a honor to serve as KAAN’s executive director. I leave confidently knowing that the organization is in great hands, with Katie Bozek and also with the volunteer staff and Advisory Council who are there to support her. I am excited to see how KAAN will continue to grow and provide space for community to gather for dialogue, education, and support.”

In concert with the Advisory Council, Bozek will set the strategic vision to carry KAAN into its third decade. She will work closely with existing key volunteer staff, along with Kimberly McKee, assistant director/secretary and Michael Stanley, treasurer. Bozek will continue KAAN’s engagement with essential stakeholders (e.g. adoptees, adoptive parents, spouses/partners of adoptees, children of adoptees, Korean Americans, birth parents) as they support KAAN’s growth and evolution as an organization.

Born in Seoul, Bozek was adopted at six months old by a Michigan couple. She currently resides in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with her husband and three children. Bozek received her bachelor’s degree from Hope College and her master’s and doctoral degrees from Michigan State University. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist and has her own private practice where she provides mental health services to individuals, couples, and families. Bozek participated as a speaker at the KAAN conferences in 2013 and 2016. She also served as the co-coordinator of media relations for the 2013 KAAN conference in Grand Rapids.

Bozek brings extensive experience in event planning, non-profit board membership, volunteer coordination, and community building to the executive director position, most recently through her participation with the Michigan Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, the Grand Rapids Asian Festival, and the West Michigan Asian American Association. Bringing a personal passion about adoption and working with adoptees, Bozek understands the nuances and layers that come with being adopted.

Bozek will start in her role on Sept. 17, 2018. She will work closely with Schroeder, as well as other key staff, as she transitions into the role. Bozek says, “I am excited and honored to be KAAN’s executive director. As an adoptee, licensed marriage and family therapist, parent, and Asian American, I look forward to building on the strengths of KAAN and expanding upon it to serve the adoption community.”

Check back in mid-September for updates on Bozek’s transition. For questions concerning the search process and the executive director transition, please contact the search committee chair, Kimberly McKee, assistant director/secretary, at mckee.kimberly [at] gmail [dot] com.

KAAN is a project of The Foundation for Enhancing Communities (www.tfec.org), fiscal sponsor. TFEC is a 501(c)3 charitable organization and offers maximum benefits for charitable giving as allowed by law. The official registration and financial information of The Foundation for Enhancing Communities may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, 1.800.732.0999. Registration does not imply endorsement. The Foundation for Enhancing Communities is registered in each state requiring such registration for charitable solicitation.

For more information about KAAN, visit: https://www.wearekaan.org/.