Korean Adoptees of Hawai'i, Inc. (KAHI), is a nonprofit member organization that serves as a resource and network for adult Korean adoptees living in Hawai'i. KAHI members meet twice monthly for meetings and activities such as discussion forums, informational workshops, film screenings, cultural education, community events, social gatherings and other relevant happenings.

Current members of the KAHI 'ohana represent a broad spectrum of backgrounds including kama'aina as well as newcomers. We have among our membership college students, artists, musicians, parents, teachers and business professionals, among many others.

Learn more about KAHI's membership structure here.

Officers and members of the board of directors volunteer their time apart from their jobs, families and academic responsibilities to help shape KAHI's goals and direction, in order to best serve the needs of the group.

Members of the Board are selected at the organizations Annual Meeting of Members usually held in September of each year. All are welcome to attend, although only paid members are entitled to vote.

Co-President

Charlie Teixeira has been a member of KAHI since 2006. She was born in Seoul in 1969, raised in Michigan and Illinois, and has lived in New York, Paris and Seattle, before moving to Hawai'i in 2002 to work as a history teacher.  She earned her master's degree in Korean studies from the University of Washington. In 2007, she traveled to both North and South Korea. Currently, she is working on a book about transnational adult adoptees and their American parents. She excited to be co-present since 2012.

The President will preside at all meetings of the members and of the Board of Directors. Subject to the control of the Board of Directors, the President will have general charge and care of thebusiness and property of the Corporation, will appoint and discharge employees and agents of the Corporation and determine their compensation, will vote the stock of other companies which is owned by the Corporation and will do and perform such additional duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors. When authorized by the Board of Directors to do so, the President may delegate to one of the Vice Presidents the whole or any part of the general management and care of the business and property of the Corporation, including the employment and discharge of agents and employees.

Kristina Alger

Kristina Malia Duk Hee Alger was adopted from Incheon when she was 8 months old.  She lived in Kaneohe, HI for her first few years of life then moved to the Bay Area, Tucson, AZ, and finally Portland, Oregon.  Kristina graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in Human Development and Family Science.  She is currently a kindergarten teacher pursing a Masters degree in educational leadership at Chaminade University.

She has been actively involved in the adoptee community for over 10 years as a counselor at Holt Heritage Camp in Oregon Nebraska, and New Jersey.  She also attended the annual Holt campout in Florence, OR for many years with her family.  She has a younger sister, Andrea, who is also adopted from Korea.  Kristina moved to Hawai'i in 2005.  She has visited Korea twice, once with Andrea to meet her birth family.

She has been a board member since 2008 and is excited to be co-president! 

Vice-President

It will be the duty of the Vice President(s) to assume and perform the duties of the President in the absence or disability of the President or whenever the office of President is vacant. Each Vice President will do and perform such additional duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors.

Tresurer

Peter Savasta
Peter is a founding member of KAHI and a professional Web developer. Peter moved to O'ahu in 2001 from his home state of New York, where he was a founding member and former president of Also-Known-As, an organization for intercountry adoptees and members of the international adoption community in New York City.

Peter has served on adult adoptee advisory boards for Dillon International in Tulsa Oklahoma. He has volunteered at Korean Adoptee culture camps in Tulsa, OK (Dillon); Albany, NY (Camp Mujigae); Eugene, OR (Holt); and Annapolis, MD (Adoption Service and Information Agency).

In addition he has presented at conferences such as Adoptive Parents Conference (NY), Korean American Students Conference (Yale, Rutgers), Lambda Adoptive Families (NJ).

The Treasurer shall oversee the financial and accounting matters of the Corporation, including custody of all money, valuable papers and documents of the Corporation, which shall be kept for safekeeping in such depositories as may be designated by the Board of Directors, and the Treasurer shall see that the funds of the Corporation are expended as directed by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer will cause to be kept a book or books setting forth a true record of the receipts and expenditures, assets and liabilities, losses and gains of the Corporation and will, when and as required by the Board of Directors, render a statement of the financial condition of the Corporation. If required to do so by the Board of Directors, the Treasurer will give a bond in such amount and with such surety as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors for the faithful discharge of the duties of the office. The Treasurer will also do and perform such additional duties as may be requested by the Board of Directors. In the absence or disability of the Treasurer, the duties of the office will be performed by the Secretary or by an Assistant Treasurer.

Secretary

Keiralyn Paese was born in Kangwon-do, Samchuk-gun, South Korea, and adopted by a Caucasian family in MA in 1979.  In 2009, she decided to move to Hawai'i where the weather is much more beautiful year round.  In 2002, she went to Korea to learn about the country and met her birth mother.  She has a Master's of Science/Administration of Justice and Security from the University of Phoenix online program.  Someday she would like to be an Animal Cop.   She currently volunteers with animals at the Hawaiian Humane Society and works at a dog grooming salon. This is Keira's first year on the KAHI Board.

The Secretary will be ex-officio secretary of the Board of Directors, will give or cause to be given all required notices of meetings of the members and the Board of Directors, will record the proceedings of meetings of the members and the Board of Directors in a book or books to be kept for that purpose, and will perform such other duties as may be assigned from time to time bythe Board of Directors and by the President. The Secretary will have custody of the seal, if any, of the Corporation. In the absence or disability of the Secretary, the duties of the office will be preformed by the Treasurer or by an Assistant Secretary.

Advisors