Leadership & Staff
Staff
Astrid Dabbeni, Executive Director
Astrid has a degree in sociology with an emphasis in adoption. She travels the country to lead youth groups, present workshops on transracial parenting, talking with children about adoption and various other workshops focusing on adoption. Astrid has worked in adoptions for over 14 years. Her life-long interest in adoption is rooted in her own adoption at the age of four with her older sister from Colombia. Astrid is the Executive Director and co-founder of Adoption Mosaic. astrid@adoptionmosaic.org .
Shelise Gieseke, Office Administrator
Shelise is a Korean adoptee with an undergraduate degree in communication and is interested in the way society shapes the adoptee experience through language. She was raised on a farm in southern Minnesota with three siblings who were not adopted. Shelise is excited to work with all members of the adoption constellation to create a safe and open learning environment.
Board of Directors
Lani Faith, MMFT President Lani has a Bachelor degree in Psychology and Sociology, and a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy. Her professional experience includes a decade in graduate school administration, development, marketing and various leadership positions in the Not-for-Profit sector. She has also enjoyed several years of public speaking and teaching. Lani is a late discovery adoptee – learning for the first time of her own adoption story at age 27. Since learning of her adoption, Lani has been reunited with her birth family.
Doug Ricks JD Treasurer Doug is a practicing attorney specializing in debtor-creditor law. His interest in adoption issues was sparked by his wife’s involvement in the adoption community. Doug and his wife are the proud parents of a daughter and are expecting their second child this spring.
Kerwin Carambot, BBA Kerwin started volunteering for AM in the fall of 2008, as part of the Finance Committee. He is currently Finance Manager for XPLANE, a visual information design studio in Portland, and is pursuing his CPA credential with studies at Portland State University. Kerwin is a twin and, just recently, his 2nd oldest of 5 siblings adopted a baby girl from within the extended Carambot family.
Edie Thomajan Edie is a mother to two boys, one of whom was adopted in Vietnam. She taught for several years before motherhood both in a public middle school and as an outdoor educator with Outward Bound in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In recent years, she has been actively volunteering both at her children’s Montessori school, and for Hospice. She is a Facilitator of The Work of Byron Katie.
Anne Koch LLP Anne Koch is an attorney in private practice at Motschenbacher & Blattner, LLP. Anne is surrounded by adoption in her everyday life, as many of her family members and friends are or have adopted. She is excited to become a part of the Adoption Mosaic board as the organization continues to grow and evolve.