Washington, D.C. — The Council of Korean Americans (CKA) announces that Dr. Abraham Kim, President and Executive Director since 2018, will depart at the end of December 2025 to become the next President and CEO of The Korea Society in New York City.
Over seven years, Dr. Kim elevated CKA into one of the most visible and respected national organizations representing Korean Americans. Under his leadership, CKA expanded its membership, strengthened its financial foundation, and elevated its national profile through thought leadership, leadership development, and community engagement. He also guided the 2022 merger of the Network of Korean American Leaders (NetKAL) and CKA, uniting two premier leadership communities.
“We are grateful for Abraham’s years of service and wish him every success in this next chapter,” said Angela Killoren, Chair of the CKA Board of Directors. “As CKA enters its next phase of growth, we remain deeply focused on advancing our mission – to amplify the collective voice of the Korean American community and empower Korean American leaders. The strong foundation built over recent years will enable us to keep growing boldly.”
“It has been one of the great honors of my life to serve at CKA,” said Dr. Abraham Kim. “I believe it is more important than ever to have a strong national Korean American voice and have an organization like CKA to continue to advance this community’s influence across sectors and the country. I am happy that I was able to play a meaningful role in moving this mission forward during my tenure and am excited to partner in new ways from my next chapter.”
CKA extends its deepest appreciation to Dr. Kim for his dedicated service, and looks forward to future collaboration with him in his new role at The Korea Society.
The CKA Board has formed a search committee to find a new leader to take CKA into its next chapter. Meanwhile, Managing Director Linda Butcher will serve as interim president to ensure a smooth transition.
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The Council of Korean Americans (CKA) is a national nonprofit organization. Our mission is to advance the national voice, interest, and influence of the Korean American community through education, collaboration, and leadership development.
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