Event Information and Materials

Valerie Lemieux. Valerie is a Michigan born adopted person. She founded the Adoptee Advocacy of Michigan in hopes of educating others about the adoptee rights movement. She is focused on elevating adoptee voices and organizing Michigan’s adoptee community to improve conditions and laws pertaining to their rights. Valerie experienced reunion at the age of consent and believes all adopted people should have the right to know where they come from and the ability to obtain their own vital records.

Katie Bozek, PhD, LMFT. Katie is an international, transracial adoptee from South Korea and a licensed marriage and family therapist serving the greater Grand Rapids area. With a strong commitment to adoptee-centered care and community engagement, she has served as the Executive Director of KAAN since 2018. In this national nonprofit leadership role, Katie advances KAAN’s mission to support adoptees through education, connection, and meaningful dialogue. 

Gregory Luce. Gregory Luce was born and adopted in the District of Columbia. He is considered a national expert on issues involving the rights of adult adopted people. Currently the executive director of Adoptees United Inc., he is also an attorney and founder of the Adoptee Rights Law Center. As a lawyer, he provides resources and legal advocacy for adult adopted people on issues of identity and U.S. citizenship. He currently oversees the Adoptees United pro bono Citizenship Clinic, where he represents intercountry adoptees with immigration and citizenship issues. He lives with his family in Minneapolis.

Anna Sarkitova. Anna Sarkitova is an international adoptee from Saratov, Russia. She has been traveling the country as a travel nurse since January 2021, an adventure that has taken her and her husband to Baltimore, Detroit, Dearborn, Palo Alto, and Boston. This past fall she settled in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Now, she can be found nursing at Corewell Health in outpatient Neurology. Free time for Anna means working with AAOM, Russian language classes, and spending time with her beloved pets.

Rachel Koelzer. Rachel is an organizer, writer, activist, and advocate passionate about healing and connection. Currently, she focuses on advancing systemic and structural equity for current and future generations as the Communications Director for Adoptees For Justice (A4J) and the Alliance for Adoptees and Family (AAF). Rachel’s work is rooted in a vision of a future that embraces every living being and is informed by her diverse background as a caregiver, youth organizer, reactive dog parent, yoga therapist, and their experiences as a transracial Korean American adoptee. Contact: rachel@adopteesforjustice.org 

Tiana Hawver. Tiana is a Michigan born transracial adoptee who spent close to 50 years with no knowledge of her birth history and family. In 2018, she received the call that her birth mother had petitioned the court to locate her daughter in hopes of just knowing that she was okay. The connection with birth family led Tiana to produce a documentary called “Reconnecting the Dots.” Tiana holds a master’s in communication from GVSU, is an accomplished speaker and writer, and has shared her journey with adult adoptees, adoptive and foster parents, and child advocates.

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