Leadership

Christopher lee, board chair

Christopher J. Lee is a Managing Director at J.P. Morgan Wealth Management and has nearly 25 years of experience in financial services.  Chris is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and Certified Private Wealth Advisor® professional who helps his clients plan and invest to achieve their goals. He specializes in Financial Planning - including Retirement, Estate, Education Funding, as well as Investments. Chris is a graduate of NYU and also obtained his MBA from NYU Stern School of Business. Chris has been a dedicated Board Member of KAYF since 2014 and is also the Board Chair at the Buckley Country Day School, and the President of the HOA Board for The Chatham at North Hills. Chris is an avid golfer and lives in Manhasset with his wife and three children.

Phillip Hong, President

Phillip Hong has dedicated his life to hard work for the benefit of his family and the Korean American community of New York City since his immigration to the US when he was 17 years old. His expertise in finance led him to an earlier career at companies including Sony, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo, and is now currently a manager for the mortgage lending division at Bank of Hope. When he is not working, Phillip loves to play baseball on Saturdays and he is committed to services at many nonprofit organizations like KAYF, AREAA, and KAAQ. He has been served as a member of the KAYF board since 2012 as both a member of the steering committee and the scholarship committee chair.

Irwin Park, board Vice-chair

Irwin Park is Vice President/Member of S&I Property Management, LLC, a family-owned real estate holding company consisting of industrial property and hotels. A graduate of Harvard University, he resides in Long Island and has 19 years of experience in hotel management, commercial leasing, and investments. As a hobby, he is also a professional jazz saxophonist who has performed with world-renowned artists and was chosen to perform at former President Bill Clinton’s 50th birthday party at Radio City Music Hall. Teaching private music lessons to youth and young adults gave him a passion for supporting and helping people grow their talent.

AJ Jin, Treasurer

AJ Jin is the Executive Vice President and Director of Residential, Mixed-Use, and Small Multi-Family Real Estate Lending at Flushing Bank. Mr. Jin joined the Bank in 1998 as a Commercial Loan Officer and has held several senior management positions in the Real Estate lending area. Prior to joining the Bank, Mr. Jin was a Consumer Lending Loan Officer at Korea Exchange Bank and Korea First Bank. Mr. Jin is involved with many community and professional organizations. He serves as a Board Trustee at Flushing Hospital and is a board member of the following organizations: AREPA - Asian Real Estate Professional Association, MBA of NY- Mortgage Bankers Association of New York, and Esther Ha Foundation. He has recently served as the Board President of the Metropolitan Mortgage Officers Society. He is a graduate of SUNY Binghamton.

Alexander Mun, Secretary

Alexander Mun is a healthcare and litigation attorney with The Russell Friedman Law Group, LLP. He is admitted to practice law in New York and California. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree from New York University.

Alex is proud to give back to the community. He was recently appointed to the Board of Trustees at SUNY Old Westbury. He also serves on the Asian American Advisory Council to the Nassau County District Attorney's Office. As a member of the Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York, he has mentored both law students and newly admitted attorneys. Previously, he served as Executive Vice President of the Korean American Association of Queens and assisted Korean non-profit organizations as a member of the Korean Help Initiative's Legal Committee.

Robert lee, Board member

Robert Lee is the co-founder and President of Unicorn Graphics, a commercial printing company based in Garden City, NY. He currently oversees all development and expansion opportunities for the business. Robert earned his undergraduate degree from Sogang University in South Korea before immigrating to the United States. Aside from his business endeavors, Robert has also served as the Chairman and Vice President of the Korean Language Foundation since 2007 as well as the Board Vice Chair of KAYF since 2011. As an immigrant himself, Robert feels a deep commitment to sharing his own knowledge and experiences with Korean American students in the hopes that he can help them better understand their background and position in today's society.

Dan Kim, Board Member

Dan Kim is a Vice President and Senior Relationship Manager with the Business Banking division at CapitalOne Bank. Based in New York, Dan provides customized tailored solutions to Small Businesses and Middle Market Companies in the region. He has more than 18 years of financial services experience. Prior to joining CapitalOne, Dan served as a Vice President and Senior Relationship Manager with HSBC. He’s also worked in Business Banking with Citibank and Chase. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Stony Brook University. 

Active in the community, Dan has previously served as the Treasurer of the Korean American Youth Foundation and has been on the board since 2014. 

Helen Jung-Hae Kim, Board Member

Helen Kim is a leader in the Korean and Asian community, leveraging her private sector management and finance experience in pursuing public sector visions in community services and political participation. Ms. Kim has been the Executive Director at the YWCA of Queens. She led the organization’s mission of eliminating racism and empowering women in the most diverse borough of New York City. Prior to the YWCA, she was a Financial Advisor at Wells Fargo and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. She was previously branch and territory manager and loan officer for banks including KeyBank, Chemical Bank/Manufacturers Hanover, and Korea Exchange Bank. She continues to serve as President of ABP Management Corp., giving her a strong background in the medical practice and Global Real Estate Investment and Management field.

Andrew K. Han, Board Member

Andrew K. Han is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Wealth Management and has nearly decade of experience in financial services. He helps individuals and businesses to achieve their financial goals and assists with financial planning – trust and estates, retirement, and business succession. Andrew was raised in Bergen County and still resides in the area. Fortunately, he was blessed with many great relationships, especially strong mentors who have positively impacted his life. He hopes to pass on the same blessing to the younger generation and the community. In his spare time, he enjoys long walks on the beach.

Eri Kim, Executive Director

Eri Kim is the Executive Director of the Korean American Youth Foundation. A New York City native, she has worked in the non-profit sector since 2019 with a keen eye for program development and leading community/youth outreach initiatives. Eri currently oversees KAYF's We Are Future Leaders high school empowerment program and works directly with its students to foster leadership skills in the next generation of Asian American leaders and facilitate a compassionate, student-driven community. She is also a proud alumnus of the WAFL Program (2014).

Eri has previously served as the Senior Vice President and Vice President of Public Relations of the Korean American Association of Greater New York. She has a bachelor of arts degree in Journalism and East Asian Studies from New York University.