About Our Staff
Lisa Clark, LCSW, MSW
Executive Director
Lisa convinced Adopt International to hire her in 2001 and have been in love ever since. She have a Bachelors degree in Social Welfare and African American Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master’s degree in Social Work. She became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in 2015.
Lisa is a part of an adoptive family and brings with her years of academic research in the field of domestic adoption.
Lisa runs the Domestic Program, Hawaii office, and since 2015 have served as the Executive Director of Adopt International. She served concurrently as the Executive Director of Bay Area Adoption Services from 2017 until its merger with Adopt International in 2019.
"I love empowering birth mothers to create the type of domestic adoption that is right for them. I love connecting with and supporting our adoptive families throughout their children’s lives. I love letting my hair down (literally) for our Annual Date Night fundraiser with community members and Love Party is hands down one of my favorite day of the year! When I’m not working, I’m parenting the two loves of my life – Saleh and Nia."
Andrea Zoradi,
MSW, Social Worker
Andrea grew up in the Bay Area as the child of immigrants, learning to navigate different cultures to find a sense of belonging brought me to social work. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Masters degree in Social Work from California State University, Los Angeles. She has spent her career working in foster care and adoption.
Andrea's favorite parts of the being a social worker at Adopt are empowering women to make the adoption plan that feels right for them and connecting children with families and supporting them through the adoption journey.
"It is such a privilege to walk along side women, families and children during some of their toughest and most life changing decisions. When I am not working, I can be found with my family, in the kitchen, gardening, out for a walk or crafting/sewing."
Sharmeela Shah,
India Program Director
Sharmeela Shah has a Bachelors in psychology and Masters in social work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India and Columbia University, New York.
"My real education has come from learning with and from the families I have supported during my fifteen years of India adoptions. Over a hundred children have come home and found their way to where they were always meant to be and many more wait their turn. It is such a privilege to play a part in a family’s adoption journey and so rewarding to be able to find a home and family for an orphaned child."
"To all my current families that have placed their trust in my expertise, remember that the best things in life are worth waiting for. Something beautiful is on the horizon."
Angela Thorne, LCSW
Clinical Supervisor
Angela Thorne, Adopt International's Clinical Supervisor brings with her a wealth of experience working with children and family including working with foster children and helping them find solace in safe, nurturing, and lifelong families.
Angela has a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California, with a focus on Children, Youth, and Families and Bachelor of Arts in Human Development from California State University, East Bay, with a specialized concentration in childhood development.
"Helping children and becoming a social worker is my lifelong dream and I want to use my training and knowledge to provide families with the best experience possible.""
Colleen Kanaley,
Re-adoption / Finalization Coordinator
Colleen Kanaley studied economics and English at Boston College. She began her professional path as a legislative aide in Congress. A job opportunity for her husband, Tom, brought them to San Francisco where they raised our six children. Twenty-four years of full-time parenting taught her many things — not the least of which is there are many dimensions to the term family.
As the Readoption/Finalization Coordinator for Adopt International, she helps our families clear the last administrative hurdle of the adoption process, including fulfilling California's Readoption requirements, and for our international adoptees, obtaining a U.S. birth certificate.
"When we hear from a family that the Court approved their adoption, there is a collective “hooray” in the office. Everyone on the Adopt staff is invested in our families, whether it be empowering our birth mothers, supporting our adoptive parents, or advocating for our adoptees. It is a privilege to support the Adopt community in all of its dimensions."
Aki Speed,
Data Specialist
Aki Speed has been involved with adoption, specifically international adoption, since his family returned home with their daughter from Japan in 1999. He volunteered as an Initial Orientation Presenter and a Pre-Adopt Class Instructor for Bay Area Adoption Services (BAAS) and eventually joined their staff in 2009.
"I am very excited about being part of Adopt International’s staff. Adopt has been able to create a team of fantastic and dedicated professionals who all work towards finding and supporting loving, able parents for orphaned, abandoned or relinquished children; while keeping the child’s welfare as their primary concern. I look forward to continuing my work in international adoption and expanding my experience in domestic adoption as well.
Knowing how much of an impact having my daughter in my life has had on me, it is truly is an honor and a privilege to somehow be able to help bring a family together and help a child find a loving family."
Diana (Di) Tsoi, CPA*
Administrator
Di Tsoi is a San Francisco native with over 15+ years of experience in the non-profit sector, managing human resources, finance, database administration, strategic planning and operations. She has also managed a corporate tax department for a Fortune 500 company. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a Multiple Subject CLEAR/CLAD credential from San Francisco State University and is an *inactive licensed CPA.
As an Administrator at Adopt International, she supports the infrastructure of the organization to allow staff to focus on our core stakeholders, children and families. She also provides support to families with their international home studies.
"Adoption is personal for me. I am an adoptive parent of two rambunctious healthy boys. Never have I felt such joy and vulnerability than when I became a parent. Adopt International help build my family of which I am eternally grateful. Working with a rad group of compassionate and driven professionals to help build families and normalize adoption is an awesome place to be."
Jeanetta Mandadjieva,
Director of International Program
Jeanetta Mandadjieva earned her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from the University of Sofia, Bulgaria. She discovered her passion for helping orphaned children find loving families in her junior year in college where she volunteered at an orphanage in her home city of Burgas.
She joined Adopt’s team in March of 2007 as the assistant to the Director of International Adoptions and later worked in the Refugee Foster Care program. She stepped into the role as Adopt's Director of International Programs in 2015.
"I love the opportunity to be able to help families throughout their entire adoption process – from the first call to us, through the home study, immigration approval to the post placement visits."
Irma Breakfield has been a social worker at Adopt for 13+ years working with both international and domestic adoptions. Irma has a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and has been practicing for over 20 years. She earned her a doctorate in higher education in 2019.
"Adoption is the heart of my professional work. Working with Lisa and the team brings me great joy. When I'm not in the field you will find me attending one of my kids school events or in a yoga studio."