Leadership
Memory Way’s Leadership Team
(All Unpaid Humanitarian Volunteers)
Col. (Ret.) Vitali Ostapchuk
Memory Way Director and Co-founder
Former Ukrainian Armed Forces officer; dedicated to helping families of the missing and fallen.
Our Director
Col. (Ret.) Vitalii Ostapchuk is the Co-Founder and Director of Memory Way, a Ukrainian non-profit initiative dedicated to preserving memory, dignity, and historical truth through meaningful action in Ukraine and internationally.
A 25-year veteran of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Col. Ostapchuk spent 15 years in Defense Intelligence, building deep expertise in complex operating environments where accurate information, disciplined coordination, and mission-focused leadership are essential. In the final three years of his service, he supported the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (KoordShtab), contributing to coordination, analysis, and humanitarian-related processes.
Col. Ostapchuk’s professional background bridges military service, intelligence work, and public leadership. He completed specialized training at the Defense Language Institute (United States) and the Public Leadership Program at the University of San Francisco.
Memory Way was founded on his conviction that memory is an active force—one that shapes identity, strengthens resilience, and supports justice. Through research, documentation, and public engagement, he helps ensure that remembrance is not passive, but purposeful—grounded in truth and directed toward dignity, accountability, and long-term impact.
SFC (Ret.) Mike Henshaw
Memory Way Deputy Director and Co - Founder
Former U.S. military and humanitarian operations leader; founder of AMAG.
Biography
Michael Henshaw is the Founder and President of the Asymmetric MIA Accounting Group – AMAG, Inc. He is a combat veteran and senior executive with more than 25 years of experience in military service, government leadership, and international operations. A U.S. Army Mortuary Affairs specialist, he has led recovery and identification missions for missing service members from World War II through today’s conflicts, including operations in Ukraine. His expertise in mass fatality management shaped global disaster responses to the 2004 South Asia Tsunami, the 2010 Haiti Earthquake, and Hurricane Dorian in 2019. After retiring from the Army, he directed National and State Veterans Cemeteries, earning Virginia’s first VA Operational Excellence Award, and contributed to FEMA’s Mass Fatality Response Guide. Mr. Henshaw is a recipient of two Bronze Star Medals, two Defense Meritorious Service Medals, five Meritorious Service Medals, and is an inductee of both the Honorary Order of Saint Martin and the Order of the Combat Spur.
Advisory Team / Partners
Patrick (PJ) Richardson III
COO, donor coordination
Patrick (PJ) Richardson is AMAG’s Chief of Operations and Director of Philanthropy, overseeing domestic operations and fundraising initiatives. He is the Founder and President of The EXTOL Group, a consultancy focused on international humanitarian operations. With leadership experience across nonprofit, manufacturing, and consulting sectors, PJ brings deep expertise in field logistics, mass fatality response, and global partnerships, shaped by work following 9/11 and major international disasters.
Adrian Usher
Ukraine Operations Director
Adrian Usher is Director of Ukraine Operations for AMAG, leading the International Family Assistance Center (IFAC) program in Kyiv and San Diego. He oversees case management teams supporting families of international volunteers who are killed, missing, wounded, or captured. A combat veteran of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Adrian served from 2022–2024 and continued volunteer service through 2025. He is fluent in English, Ukrainian, French, and Russian.
John Bear
Chief Investigative Researcher
John Bear is Chief of Investigative Research for AMAG and Founder of US POW/MIA Family Locating. A forensic genealogist with over 20 years of experience, he specializes in OSINT, archival research, and DNA-based identification. His work has contributed to major WWII investigations, resulting in 350+ potential identifications. John also hosts the Stories of Sacrifice: American POW/MIAs podcast.
Jane Alieva
Director of Strategic Partnerships & Outreach
(widely known as “Mama Jane”)
is a Ukrainian humanitarian organizer and community leader with extensive experience in public engagement, event coordination, media relations, and partnership development. She is the founder of the Mama Jane Foundation, recognized for its support of Ukrainian defenders, families, and civil society during wartime.
As a member of the leadership teams of Memory Way and the Asymmetric MIA Accounting Group (AMAG), Jane supports strategic communications, outreach, and network expansion, strengthening both organizations’ visibility, partnerships, and mission delivery for families of the missing.
Jennifer Owen
Chief of Operations at IFAC
Jennifer Owen is Chief of U.S. International Family Assistance Center (IFAC) Operations for the Asymmetric MIA Accounting Group (AMAG). A retired U.S. Army Mortuary Affairs Specialist, she brings decades of experience in search, recovery, and forensic operations. Her career includes multiple combat tours, 9/11 Pentagon recovery operations, and global deployments training allied forces. At AMAG, she leads the U.S. IFAC, supporting families of American citizens and veterans killed or missing in action, with a focus on Ukraine. She holds an M.S. in Criminal Justice (Forensic Science) and is certified by the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigation.