The Board

David Daesoo Kim, PhD, is a psychotherapist and an adjunct faculty member at the Mercer Medical School's Marriage Family Therapy (MFT) program. He is the founder of nonprofit People's Empowerment through Advocacy, Counseling & Education (PEACE) and owner/founder of Research Institute for Counseling & Education (RICE) LLC., located in Atlanta, Georgia.

His clinical, research, and teaching interests include Asian and Pacific Islander American mental health, racial and sexual identities, acculturation, intimate partner violence, men and masculinity, culturally sensitive training and supervision, and working with immigrant populations. He is an avid struggling golfer and enjoys hiking with his life partner Nami.

Kyung-Hwa Kim dedicated decades of her career as a Performance Analysis and Monitoring Manager at the Atlanta Regional Commission. Prior to her time in Atlanta, she spent 28 years in Portland. Originally studying Korean Ethnomusicology in Korea, she shifted her focus to Psychology upon moving to the U.S. Later, she completed her master’s in urban planning.After 40 years of professional work, Kyung-Hwa retired and embarked on a new chapter of life, pursuing her long-held passions for travel and food. She became a tour guide and launched her own company, Zummaya Tours, where she shares her knowledge and enthusiasm with others.

In addition to her career, Kyung-Hwa served as an elder at the Korean Central Presbyterian Church, where her strong faith in God provided clarity and guidance throughout her life. Kyung-Hwa believes that an empathetic and supportive society is essential for fostering hope for the future. She advocates for a community where everyone feels a sense of belonging. For Kyung-Hwa, PEACE represents the platform where her calling aligns with her desire to support and uplift others. She is committed to working together with others to create a society where everyone can thrive and is honored to be part of PEACE, where she can continue contributing to solutions that benefit the community.
 

Joanne’s family immigrated to the U.S. in 1981, and as the oldest of five, she faced the challenge of learning a new language at 18. Despite the difficulties, she graduated from the University of Georgia with a graphic arts degree. Family and close friends are central to her, and she finds peace in renovating homes, gardening, and spending time with God through prayer and Bible reading.

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After over 30 years at CBM, Atlanta, Joanne recently retired and is eager to give back. She believes in the power of community support and sees PEACE as a safe haven where people can share their burdens and be uplifted. Joanne is passionate about being part of PEACE to encourage and empower others through their challenges.

Dr. Y. Joon Choi, Ph.D., is the Director and a Professor in the School of Social Work at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University. Dr. Choi also serves as a Commissioner on the Georgia Commission on Family Violence and is core faculty at the Injury Prevention Research Center at Emory (IPRCE). Her scholarship focuses on intimate partner violence, substance abuse, and health disparities, such as cancer and mental health, among immigrant and minority populations, especially developing, implementing, and evaluating socio-culturally appropriate community intervention/prevention strategies.

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Dr. Choi is committed to addressing mental health issues, especially barriers to mental health services, such as lack of health insurance and stigma attached to mental health issues, among Asian American communities. She firmly believes in PEACE’s mission of education, counseling, and advocacy on mental health issues in Asian American communities and is proud of being part of PEACE.