U.S. Donor Conceived Council relies exclusively upon the hard work and dedication of our all-volunteer executive board, directors, and team. We also work alongside members of our Advisory Committee.
Learn more about USDCC’s history and mission here.
Executive Board
TIFFANY D. GARDNER
President/CEO
she/her
Tiffany is an attorney who learned she was donor conceived at 35 and developed a close but brief relationship with her biological father. She has published legal scholarship on the topic of enacting reasonable regulations for commercialized third-party gamete donation.
Read More
Connecting with her biological father and her donor conceived siblings inspired Tiffany to become an advocate on behalf of other donor conceived people. She lives with her husband and three young sons in the suburbs of Atlanta and enjoys reading and writing, going to concerts, and spending time with her family.
MELISSA (“MEL”) BORNICO
Vice President of Development
she/her
Mel was conceived from an anonymous egg donor and learned this just before turning 22. She has a degree in neuroscience with experience working in medicine, research, bioethics, and human rights.
Read More
After Mel’s discovery, she connected with countless other DCP and started noticing common threads in their stories. It then became clear that these “common threads” were manifestations of systemic problems in the fertility industry at large, which compelled her to take on an advocacy role via co-founding USDCC. Mel spearheads the organization’s fundraising initiatives as VP of Development, and she is always trying her hand at new projects.
BETHANY KENNEDY
Secretary
she/her
Bethany is an attorney who was raised by a single mother by choice and always knew she was donor conceived. She is a founding member of USDCC and returned as secretary in 2024 after taking a brief hiatus to move across the country with her family. In her spare time, she likes to explore new cities, relax with a good book, or start her next DIY project.
JONI MANTELL
Vice President of Mental Health Initiatives
she/her
Joni had 30 years’ experience as a licensed psychotherapist specializing in donor conception and adoption when she learned from a DNA test that she was donor conceived. She has been a longstanding advocate for parental openness, offering counseling and workshops for parents on the topic.
Read More
Joni is passionate about helping gamete recipient parents gain the confidence they need to be open with their children/families, and she is also passionate about advocating for change within the reproductive medicine industry. She is a frequent writer for ‘Ask A Therapist’ in Adoptive Families Magazine and a member of ASRM’s Mental Health Professional Group and donor conception taskforce. Prior to joining USDCC as the head of mental health initiatives, Joni served on the USDCC advisory committee as a mental health expert.
JILLIAN PHILLIPS, MPH, MBA
Vice President of Educational Initiatives
she/her
Raised the only child of a single mother, Jillian always knew she was conceived via an anonymous sperm donor. She has a degree in biology, masters of public health, a masters of business administration, and is currently pursuing a law degree.
Read More
Jillian leads USDCC’s efforts to educate donors, recipient parents, the fertility industry, and others about best practices in donor conception and about the lived experiences of those impacted by gamete donation. Jillian lives in Indiana with three dogs and one cat. She began figure skating at the age of three and competed in ice dancing and synchro for 12 years. She continues to coach at a local rink.
TYLER LEVY SNIFF
Vice President of Government & Legal Affairs
he/him
Tyler is a late-discovery donor conceived person. He leads USDCC’s efforts to develop and introduce legislation. Tyler is an attorney for the EPA who earned a degree in physics from Furman University, where he also studied genetics.
Read More
Tyler also acts as treasurer and general counsel for USDCC. He lives in Atlanta and enjoys spending time with his family, listening to jazz, and playing golf and the saxophone.
Directors
AMY ANDRELCHIK
Data Collection
she/they
Amy is a sperm-donor conceived person raised by a single mother by choice and learned of their origins at 9. Amy is currently pursuing a master of public health in epidemiology.
Read More
Amy holds a degree in chemistry and philosophy from Georgia State University and has experience as a lab researcher. They love to cycle, travel, and listen to international folk music.
MARY KATE BAGLEY
LGBTQ+ Family Resources
she/her
Mary Kate is a mental health counselor who has worked in the field since 2014. She is also a recipient parent to three sperm donor conceived children with her wife.
Read More
While the majority of Mary Kate’s professional career has been in the field of education, she has spent the last ten years working with at-risk high school youth.
KELLY BEST
Social Media
Kelly is a molecular genetics technologist who learned at 19 that she was conceived via anonymous sperm donation. Kelly met the sperm donor before he passed away, and they were featured on NPR in 2017.
Read More
Kelly is currently pursuing a master of science degree in individualized genomics and health from Johns Hopkins University.
DORIYA BOLTON
LGBTQ+ Family Resources
ze/zir or they/them
Doriya was born to two moms through an open sperm donor. For as long as they can remember, Doriya has known about being donor conceived. In fact, as a young kid they would tell almost anyone how they had a “donut” and that’s how they were born.
Read More
Thanks to their sperm banks family contact list, Doriya and their brother were able to meet some of their donor siblings, many of whom they remain in contact with.
Doriya currently lives in Brooklyn with their partner Amy and cat Archer and is currently studying for their BA in Psychology. In their down time, they love to knit, hike, and bake. Amy and Doriya plan to, one day, use a donor to have children themselves.
CARISSA DOSHI
Editorial
she/her
Carissa is a book editor who learned she was conceived via an anonymous sperm donor at 13. Twenty years passed before she was able to find out more information.
Read More
Carissa enjoys reading, hiking, and cooking. She lives with her husband and daughter in the suburbs of Chicago.
KEVIN MARTIN
Public Relations
he/him
Kevin is a Virginia-based writer and journalist and found out at age seven he was conceived from an anonymous sperm donor. After a decade of actively searching, he identified his biological father at age 31. Kevin enjoys live music, traveling and finding his next good cup of coffee.
ELY REISEN
Mental Health Professional Community Building & Connections
she/her
Ely is a licensed mental health provider, graduate school educator, and single mother via donor sperm. She has vast experience working with concerns stemming from attachment-based trauma.
Read More
Ely has developed the Donor Conceived Person Centered Professional Development Group, which offers a space for peer consultation with the aim of enhancing mental health professional practices to prioritize DCP needs.
JANA M. RUPNOW, LPC
Industry & Medical Provider Resources
Jana is a licensed psychotherapist who has counseled intended parents via donor conception using a child-focused approach since 2010.
Read More
As an adoptee who was told the truth from birth, she understands the value of open and honest communication between parents and children. Her books, Three Makes Baby: How to Parent Your Donor-Conceived Child and the Three Makes Baby Companion Workbook, help parents navigate conversations with donor conceived children.
RACHEL SCHIFF
Marketing
they/them
Rachel is double donor-conceived via anonymous egg and anonymous sperm, and knew this from 7 years old. They received their MSc in International Business Management with a Marketing Pathway from Kingston University London.
Read More
Currently living in New York, their professional experience focuses on mission-driven organizations within the hospitality and non-profit sectors. Outside of work, they enjoy live music, Broadway shows, and trying all the restaurants in the city.
DYLAN STONE-MILLER
Sperm Donor Resources
he/him
Dylan is a former sperm donor, Forbes 30 Under 30 co-founder, and software engineer. He has traveled the world to connect with his recipients and their children after they found him online.
Read More
Dylan leverages his experiences and those of other former sperm donors to develop educational resources and content for past and prospective donors with the goal of helping them make more fully informed choices with integrity.
STEPHANIE WICKER
Recipient Parent Resources
she/her
Stephanie is a nurse practitioner and solo mother by choice. Listening to the voices of donor conceived individuals led her to use a known donor rather than an anonymous donor as planned.
Read More
Stephanie welcomed her son in June 2021. They live in the Midwest and regularly visit with his paternal family. Outside of work and advocacy, Stephanie is an avid hiker and travel lover.
Team Members
KAITLYN BOLLER
Government Affairs
she/her
Kaitlyn is a late-discovery donor conceived person and stepchild adoptee. She is a health policy and patient safety professional with a master of health administration. Kaitlyn lives in Northern Indiana and enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering for causes close to her heart.
RACHEL BRITAIN
Communications
she/her
Rachel is a communications and graphic design specialist with over a decade of experience. She found out at 31 that she was donor-conceived via a DNA test.
HEATHER HURST
Communications
Heather is a late-discovery donor conceived person who learned the truth about her origin just before her 36th birthday. Based out of New York City, she works as an actor and writer.
Read More
Heather has been fortunate to forge positive relationships with newfound relatives, and is passionate about helping to normalize recognition and discussion of families created through donor conception and the unique issues faced by donor-conceived people. Prior to the pandemic, she spent 5 years traveling the country as a singer, performing for veterans in VA hospitals and at various events. She believes in the power of storytelling and the arts to foster empathy, influence, and human connection.