Outreach and Advocacy Coordinator

annette@affcny.org | (845)-679-9900 ext 1023

Annette O’Connell has been a colleague and friend of the Coalition for several years. She worked closely with AFFCNY staff in her capacity as a leader in the fight to restore the, unrestricted, right of a person born and adopted in NY to obtain their Original Birth Certificate. Specifically, in 2014 Annette and AFFCNY’s Claudia Corrigan D’Arcy joined forces to lobby the NYS Legislature and educate the legislators about adoption and adoptee rights. Annette, officially, joined the Coalition team in the fall of 2020 and is part of the Communications Team. Among other responsibilities, Annette is responsible for maintaining AFFCNY’s social media platforms and marketing the many dozens of Coalition hosted events. 

Adoptee Rights is her passion. She serves as the spokesperson for the New York Adoptee Rights Coalition (NYARC) (of which the AFFCNY is a core partner) and is a board member of the two largest, national adoptee advocacy organizations: Bastard Nation and Adoptees United, Inc.. She is uncompromising in her belief that every adult who was adopted deserves the unrestricted right to obtain an unredacted copy of their Original Birth Certificate when they reach the age of majority in their state. She has been interviewed for many news stories related to the passage of New York State’s 2019 legislation, enacted on January 15, 2020. The legislation decimated over 8 decades of secrecy and restored equality in vital records law for adopted adults and their lineal descendants. Annette also volunteers her time as an Adoption Search Angel; using DNA results and non-identifying information to help adults who were adopted to find their biological parents/birth families. She has helped to reunite a myriad of families who were separated by adoption. 

Annette obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary and Special Education from St. Thomas Aquinas College in 1990. When she isn’t involved in adoption related activities, Annette enjoys the beach, camping, hockey, baseball, and spending time with her friends and family. She lives in the Hudson Valley with her husband, teenage son, and their dog Buster. 

Connect with Annette on the AFFCNY.Network!