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
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.
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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.
KAITLYN BOLLER
Vice President of Legislative 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 masters of health administration. Kaitlyn lives in Northern Indiana and enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering for causes close to her heart.
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.
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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.
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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.
TYLER LEVY SNIFF
Vice President of Legal & Regulatory 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.
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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.
JAMIE SPIERS
Vice President of Stakeholder Engagement
she/her
Jamie is a sperm-donor conceived person raised by a lesbian single mother by choice. She has experience consulting on projects related to third-party reproduction.
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Prior to joining USDCC, Jamie served as a key consultant to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) in the development of educational materials mandated by the Donor-Conceived Persons & Families of Donor-Conceived Persons Protection Act.
Our Team
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.
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Kelly is currently pursuing a master of science degree in individualized genomics and health from Johns Hopkins University.
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.
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.
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Carissa enjoys reading, hiking, and cooking. She lives with her husband and daughter in the suburbs of Chicago.
HILLARY REDWINE
Communications
she/her
Hillary is a recipient parent through egg donation. Her daughter Corinne was born in 2015. Listening to the experiences of donor-conceived people led her to pursue relationships with Corinne’s genetic mother and donor-conceived siblings much earlier than anticipated, and it’s been a wonderful experience for their entire family.
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Hillary has a bachelor’s degree in communications and nearly 20 years of experience with expertise in publication relations, strategic communications and crisis management.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Top Image by Chris Lawton via Unsplash