U.S. Donor Conceived Council relies exclusively upon the hard work and dedication of our all-volunteer executive board 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 & Vice President of Communications
Tiffany learned she was donor conceived at 35 and developed a close but brief relationship with her biological father. Connecting with him and her donor conceived siblings inspired her to become an advocate on behalf of other donor conceived people.
Tiffany is an attorney and lives with her husband and three young sons in the suburbs of Atlanta. She enjoys writing, going to concerts, and spending time with her family. She has published legal scholarship on the topic of regulating donor conception through reasonable regulation. She also blogs about her experiences as a donor conceived person.
JILLIAN PHILLIPS, MPH, MBA
Secretary & Vice President of Government Affairs
Raised the only child of a single mother, Jillian always knew she was conceived via an anonymous sperm donor. Jillian leads USDCC’s efforts to develop, introduce, and pass legislation that considers the best interests of donor conceived people.
Jillian lives in Indiana with three dogs and one cat. She has a degree in biology, masters of public health, a masters of business administration, and is currently pursuing a law degree. 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
Treasurer & Vice President of Legal Affairs
Tyler is a late-discovery donor conceived person. He acts as General Counsel for USDCC, ensuring compliance with relevant rules and regulations, and drafting and reviewing legal documents for the organization. He also helps develop legislation proposed by USDCC.
Tyler is an attorney for the EPA and earned a degree in physics from Furman University, where he also studied genetics. He lives in Atlanta and enjoys spending time with his family, listening to jazz, and playing golf and the saxophone.
MELISSA BORNICO
Vice President of Development, Director of Social Media
Melissa was conceived from an anonymous egg donor and learned this just before turning 22. She spearheads USDCC’s fundraising initiatives and manages the group’s social media sites.
Melissa lives in New York with her dog and two cats. She has a degree in neuroscience with experience working in medicine, research, bioethics, and human rights. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and art, and she is addicted to thrifting and used book stores.
LINDSAY HARRIS, LCSW
Vice President of Mental Health Initiatives
Lindsay is a licensed clinical social worker, late-discovery donor conceived person, and also a recipient parent of donor sperm that she and her wife used to conceive their two sons. She works with other mental health providers to develop educational and support materials for USDCC.
Lindsay works in private practice providing therapy in the Atlanta area. She has often worked with individuals and couples going through fertility treatments.
Team Members
AMY ANDRELCHIK
Data Collection Specialist
Amy is a sperm-donor conceived person raised by a single mother by choice and learned of their origins at age nine. Amy works on data collection and report writing for USDCC.
Amy has a degree in chemistry and philosophy from Georgia State University, experience as a lab researcher, and is currently pursuing a master of public health in epidemiology. Amy loves to cycle, travel, and listen to international folk music.
KELLY BEST
Social Media Content Coordinator
Kelly learned at the age of 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. Kelly helps coordinate and design posts for USDCC’s social media accounts.
Kelly is a molecular genetics technologist and currently pursuing a master of science degree in individualized genomics and health from Johns Hopkins University.
CARISSA DOSHI
Content Editor
Carissa learned she was conceived via an anonymous sperm donor at age 13. Twenty years passed before she was able to find out more information. She drafts and edits content for USDCC.
Carissa is a book editor. She enjoys reading, hiking, and cooking. She lives with her husband and daughter in the suburbs of Chicago.
Heather Hurst
Content Strategist & Editor
Heather learned she was donor conceived just before her 36th birthday. She has been fortunate to forge positive relationships with newfound relatives, and is passionate about normalizing recognition and discussion of families created through donor conception and the unique issues DCP face.
Based out of New York City, Heather works as an actor and writer. 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.
ELA JETTER
Head of Grassroots Advocacy
Ela learned at 25 that she was donor conceived. As the head of USDCC’s grassroots advocacy efforts, she brings years of experience working in the human rights policy and tech sustainability spaces.
Ela leads the policy & industry affairs team at a climate tech company, and previously worked as a program manager in tech and philanthropy. She has a masters in human rights from the London School of Economics, where she focused on the intersection of climate change and humanitarian emergencies.
ELY REISEN
Director of Mental Health Professional Community Building & Connections
Ely is a licensed mental health provider, graduate school educator, single mother, and recipient parent via donor sperm. She has vast experience working with individuals, families and couples, particularly with concerns stemming from attachment-based trauma.
Ely, alongside USDCC Mental Health Advisor, Jana Rupnow, has developed the Donor Conceived Person Centered Professional Development Group, which offers a space for peer consultation with the aim of enhancing their practice to prioritize DCP needs.
DYLAN S.
Director of Sperm Donor Resources & Content
Dylan is a former sperm donor, Forbes 30 Under 30 co-founder, and software engineer. Since the recipient parents of his genetic material found him online, he has traveled the world to connect with them and their children.
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.
LINDSAY WROBEL
Social Media Content Coordinator
Lindsay belatedly learned she was donor conceived and quickly found a large, connected network of paternal half-siblings, including the donor’s three social children and donor himself. Her experiences and interests have directed Lindsay’s longstanding passion for public policy and using communications to advocate.
Lindsay has a political science degree from the University of Rochester and is currently working as a paralegal in Boston. She, like many of her siblings, has a passion for rock climbing and music.