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”)
Jane Alieva is a Ukrainian strategic communications leader and humanitarian advocate focused on justice, recovery, and long-term systems for children affected by war. As the founder of the Mama Jane Foundation, she leads international efforts addressing the abduction and reintegration of Ukrainian children, combining legal action, global advocacy, and trauma-informed recovery programs. Her work sits at the intersection of public leadership, policy influence, and crisis response – from co-developing international legal cases to launching global awareness campaigns such as “100 Words of Support,” which mobilizes voices worldwide in direct communication with affected children. She is being recommended for her ability to operate in high-pressure environments, shape narratives at a global level, and contribute to the development of long-term solutions addressing systemic human rights violations.
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.
Alex Cornell
Strategic advisor
Alex was elected to the Maine State Representative and is president and co-founder of Elected Officials to Protect America, Elected Officials to Protect the Earth, and Code Blue Water Security Solutions. He is an adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco (USF) and directs the Public Leadership Certificate Program at USF. With over 18 years of experience leading programs on energy and security, Alex has coordinated policy fellowships, state lawmaker training, and veteran-led climate diplomacy internationally and in 45 U.S. states. Alex has participated in and led Department of State government-to-government delegations to Indonesia, Malaysia, and Australia. He is a U.S. Marine infantry combat veteran, and a Navy Reserve Public Affairs Officer. Alex holds a Master’s in Public Leadership from USF and BA in Government and Legal Studies from Bowdoin College. He is a board member at the Veterans Campaign Center for Second Service and the Solon Center for Research and Publishing.
Vig Solomon B
Chief Information officer
Vig (SB) serves as Chief Information Officer for Memory Way, overseeing the organization’s digital infrastructure, website systems and secure information platforms. He is responsible for the development and management of Memory Way’s online presence, including the public website and the secure Family Reporting Portal designed to support families submitting case information. With a background in web development and digital systems management, Vig focuses on building secure, reliable platforms that improve communication, accessibility and operational coordination. His work ensures that Memory Way’s technology infrastructure effectively supports the organization’s humanitarian mission and growing international network.
Vacant Volunteer Position Open!
Chief of Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology
If you are interested in joining AMAG and our partner organization in Ukraine, Memory Way (Path of Memory), please send us your CV and we will be in touch. This is a non-paid, volunteer position as AMAG and Memory Way’s Chief of Forensic Anthropology / Archaeology and is a key position within our all-volunteer, self-funded leadership team.