Natasha Mishina
Board of Directors, President of the Board

Is the Vice-President of Adoption Programs at Frank Foundation Child Assistance International. Born in Baku, Azerbaijan, Natasha’s journey brought her to Frank Foundation in 1994, where she has made vital contributions to the development of adoption programs. She attended Azerbaijan State University, receiving a civil attorney’s degree in 1979. After graduation, she worked as an attorney in a state owned oil and gas company for three years. During 1981 to 1992, she served as chief inspector of the Azerbaijan Consul of Labor Unions while instructing a family civil law course during the evenings. In October 1992, she moved to Washington, DC, where she soon began working at a law office. Natasha joined the Frank Foundation in March 1994 as the Director of Adoption Programs. After many years of exceptional dedication and a deep commitment to her work, she was promoted to her current position as Vice-President. Frank Foundation would be at a loss without Natasha’s essential devotion and expertise.

Betty Williams
Board of Directors, Member at Large

In 1976, along with Mairead Maguire, Betty Williams was Peace Prize and the People’s Peace Prize of Norway for her work against violence in her native Northern Ireland. Together they founded the Community of Peace People, an organization which is still involved in the betterment of life in Northern Ireland.

But, as Mrs. Williams herself has said many times, the Nobel Peace Prize is not awarded for what one has done but for what one will do. She has traveled the globe recording the testimonies of children who have been subjected to horrors beyond belief. It is evident to Mrs. Williams that governmental legislative changes must be implemented in the direction of the protection of children. For this reason she has enlisted the support of many of her fellow Nobel Peace Laureates and has traveled with them in many troubled spots throughout the world where the cause of peace and especially the safety and well-being of children is at risk. The Peace Laureates are also on her Advisory Board.

Mrs. Williams moved to the United States in 1981. Since then she has been honored with numerous Doctorals, including a Doctor of Laws from Yale University, the Schweitzer Medallion for Courage, The Martin Luther King, Jr. Award, the Eleanor Roosevelt Award and the Frank Foundation Child Assistance International Oliver Award. In 1992, Governor Ann Richards of Texas appointed Betty to the Texas Commission for Children and Youth. In 1995, she was awarded the Rotary Club International “Paul Harris Fellowship,”and the Together for Peace Foundation Peace Building Award. On April 4, 2003 she was awarded the Gandhi, King, Ikeda Community Builders Prize, on September 27, 2003 she was awarded the Ischia Peace Award, and on February 7, 2004 she was awarded the Soka Gakkai International Peace and Culture Award.

Mrs. Williams serves currently as President of World Centers of Compassion for Children International. She is Chair of the Institute for Asian Democracy in Washington, D.C., Honorary Member of the Club of Budapest, Honorary Committee Member of the Global Vision for Peace and on the Board of Trustees of Pax Natura She serves on the Council of Honor for the United Nations University for Peace in Costa Rica and is a Patron for the International Peace Foundation in Vienna. As well, she is Chair of The Institute for Asian Democracy in Washington, D.C. "and Honorary Member of the Club of Budapest".

Anita Baranowski
Board of Directors, Member at Large

Is a 20-year veteran of marketing and public relations, specializing in theme park technology and entertainment public relations. She currently is Director of Marketing for Park-Tours, Inc., a wireless technology company founded with her husband. In 1993, Ms. Baranowski founded Crystal Clear Communications, a public relations company. Clients have included: Six Flags, Gatorade, Sears, Lands’ End, Wilson Golf, Miller Brewing, The Augusta Club, Outboard Marine Corporation, and other entertainment and outdoor-related companies. Since 1998, she has held an officer position and sat on the Board of Directors of Adoption Options, a non-profit organization. In 1992, Ms. Baranowski joined Hyatt Hotels Corporation as National Public Relations Manager. In 1988, she headed up Six Flags Great Adventure's public relations department as part of a rebuilding team to renew confidence in the park following several accidents, improving the public's confidence rating from 75% positive to 99.7% positive. Prior to that, she was National Marketing Manager for Centel Financial Systems, a Wall-street telecommunications company, and a news anchor/reporter for an NBC affiliate. Ms. Baranowski has a Bachelor of Arts in Telecommunications from Texas Tech University. She is the mother of four children and is proud to have adopted from Russia in 1996.

Mike Mazo
Board of Directors, Member at Large

Currently serves as the Vice President and Manager for En Route Travel, an international travel agency specializing in global business travel and leisure packages with average annual revenues exceeding one million dollars. Utilizing his education and knowledge of the former Soviet Union along with his personal experiences with nonprofits, Michael has created innovative programs within the agency to increase business and opportunities for the greater global community. After completing his undergraduate studies at Brandeis University, Michael went directly to Yale University and earned a Masters Degree in Russian and East European Studies in May of 2004. His Masters Thesis: The Peak – Nuclear Arms Control and the End of the Cold War at the Reykjavik Summit, received commendations and referenced in publications, including article, Cold War to Star Wars by Jonathan Shell in The Nation magazine June 28, 2004.

A frequent world traveler, Michael is well-versed in many cultures and traditions. Since high school, Michael was actively involved in humanitarian activities of Frank Foundation Child Assistance International. Fluent in both Russian and English, Michael spent nearly every summer and school breaks working as a volunteer and intern for the organization. Through these experiences, Michael felt a deeper connection with his native land of Russia and from this, grew a great sense of compassion for the most disadvantaged children of the former Soviet Union.

Michael has currently finished his first publication, a children’s book with a charming foreword contributed by President Mikhail Gorbachev. Michael is currently in discussions with publishing companies to launch this effort.

Tiffany Markee
Board of Directors, Member at Large

San Diego immigration attorney, Tifany Markee received her Juris Doctor degree from California Western School of Law, graduating Magna Cum Laude in May of 2001.  She was also published in the California Western International Law Journal with an article on the Russian mail-order bride industry and the Violence Against Women Act, an article which won her an award for outstanding writing.  Tifany was sworn into the California State Bar in December of 2001, and is licensed to practice law within the State of California. 

Tifany is also an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and is a frequent participant in continuing education seminars in the subject of immigration law.  She has dedicated herself to this demanding field of law, and has successfully presented and assisted with cases before the CIS, Board of Immigration Appeals, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Federal District Courts.

In 2003, Tifany expanded her practice to include International Adoption law.  In this regard, she has become one of only a handful of attorneys across the nation with an active practice in the adoption and immigration of foreign-born children.  This specialization has become even more relevant in light of the implementation of the Hague Convention and the Intercountry Adoption Act in April 2008. Tifany is an active lecturer and mentor in this field, and is a frequent invited speaker at law schools and professional organizations, including the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the Academy of California Adoption Attorneys (ACAL), and the LA County Bar Association.