03/04/2026
We are honored to share the story of Irene, Founder of St. Nickās Kids, Inc., whose remarkable career has shaped countless families across generations.
Irene began her legal career in 1984, practicing maritime law in Texas. Though the work was demanding, her heart led her back to Florida, where she began assisting with adoption cases at a small civil firmāwork that would define her life.
Under the mentorship of Linda Hochberg, she learned the quiet courage of birth mothers and the deep responsibility of building families. When Linda passed away, she entrusted her adoption practice to Ireneāa gift that forever changed her path.
Then came the call that changed everything.
A priest from St. Nicholas Cathedral urged her to accompany two little girls to the Immigration & Naturalization Service. Though she knew nothing of immigration law, his simple wordsāāYou are an attorneyāyou mustāālaunched her forty-year journey in immigration and intercountry adoption.
Self-taught in a developing field, Irene became a trusted national voice. In 2000, INS invited her to its intercountry adoption training as the only non-government attorney. She later spoke more than one hundred times on the subject, guiding others in the careful work of uniting families across borders.
Her expertise carried her worldwide. She represented the United States at a World Congress in Spain, was honored as an Angel in Adoption, and traveled with USAID to Armenia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan to promote child-centered adoption systems.
In 2019, she founded St. Nickās Kids, Inc., an accredited nonprofit devoted to intercountry adoption. Today, she is gently stepping back from leadership but never from advocacy.
Irene remains, as always, a fierce and compassionate champion for children and families. š¤
https://snkinc.org/
