The LPMC Foundation will be managed by the current and former students of Miss Kim and LPMC with supervision from the LPMC Foundation Board of Directors. We will strive to maintain a sustainable, integrity-driven foundation that will tirelessly look forward. Our involvement with the LPMC Foundation will continue to foster our own character development and understanding of how to live a life based on Love, Peace, Mercy and Compassion.

Whe Do Kim, President; Artistic Director
Whe Do Kim (affectionately known as “Miss Kim” by her students and community) is the founder of the Lincoln Park Music Center and LPMC Foundation. She is a graduate of Seoul Music and Arts High School. After winning the Grand Prix in the Pan-Korean National Music Competition in 1979, she came to the United States to study at the American Conservatory of Music.

In 1985, Miss Kim established the Lincoln Park Music Center, where she has guided more than 300 students, many of whom have gone on to distinguished achievements in music and beyond. Inspired by her belief that music is a universal language, she launched the LPMC Foundation in 2015 to connect communities across the world through the power of music.

Miss Kim’s lifelong devotion to education and cultural exchange continues to shape generations of students. Her legacy lives not only in the accomplishments of her pupils, but also in the inclusive, creative spirit that defines the Foundation. Miss Kim enjoys studying French and history, traveling, appreciating art, and playing her favorite pieces on piano.

Jeane Emily DuBose, Vice President, Co-Website Chair
Jeane Em DuBose is a non-profit professional who lives and works in Chicago, IL. She currently works as a sponsorship manager at the American Bar Association and has in the past worked for the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and the University of Chicago. She studied history at the University of Michigan, where she graduated with honors. She studied with Miss Kim for 14 years and has the honor of being the LPMCF’s first alumni board member.

Katya Budzinski, Beneficiary Research Chair
Katya studied under Miss Kim from 1997 to 2010 and attended the Latin School of Chicago. After graduating from Georgetown University with a degree in Psychology, she worked at Misericordia for several years. She later pursued a Master’s Degree in Education with a focus on counseling from DePaul University. Currently, Katya is the owner of Authentic Insights Counseling, a private practice located in the River North neighborhood.  

Colin Flood, Co-Treasurer
Dr. Colin Flood is an alumnus of the Lincoln Park Music Center and is fortunate to have studied piano, French, and Korean under Miss Kim’s inspiring tutelage.  He is a practicing emergency physician and healthcare leader.  He holds degrees from Harvard College, Kellogg School of Management, and Rush Medical College, and he completed post-graduate medical training at Yale New Haven Hospital.

Jennifer Kang, Beneficiary Research Chair
Jennifer Kang is a piano teacher based in Chicago. She began her musical studies at the age of 3 on the violin and a year later, started piano lessons with Whe Do Kim and Denis Moffat. She became a prize winner of many state, regional, and national competitions from the age of 6 and began competing internationally at the age of 7. Recognized for her exceptional talent and studies, Jennifer received a scholarship to the University of Illinois studying under Ian Hobson (piano), Timothy Ehlen (piano), Julia Jameson (harp), Dr. Ann Yeung (harp), and performed under the direction of Jack Ranney (violin, Illini Symphony). After graduating, she moved to San Francisco for 20 years working at AMAX Engineering Corp., Apple, and Amazon. With her musical background and successful tech career, Miss Kang takes a unique approach to piano pedagogy, equipping her students with essential life skills and coping mechanisms in addition to enriching their lives with the beauty of music. 

Jane Shin Agler, Co-Secretary
Jane Shin Agler is a former Lincoln Park Music Center student and current journalist. She became a LPMC Foundation Board member in 2024, after previously serving as a Junior Board member in 2015. As a proud born-and-raised Chicagoan, Jane explores her love for her city by covering local news and volunteering in various community outreach initiatives. The LPMC Foundation is an extension of her desire to give back to the community she grew up in and beyond; no better way to do so than by working to reduce barriers to arts education and sharing the enchanting world of music with future generations.

Olivia Stoeckel, Co-Treasurer
Olivia attended Northwestern University to pursue studies in Political Science with minors in Business Institutions and Legal Studies. She moved back downtown following her 2020 graduation to begin a career in banking at CIBC. After completing a 24-month commercial credit training program, she joined the Mid Corporate Banking team, where she specialized in underwriting and managing a portfolio of 20+ mid-sized public companies. She continued teaching financial literacy to children through CIBC’s partnership with Junior Achievement of America and became the coordinator for company-wide volunteer efforts. This summer, Olivia got married and, together with her husband, will be starting her full-time MBA program at the University of Chicago. There, she plans to focus on finance and strategy. In her free time, Olivia continues to enjoy playing piano with Ms. Kim, spending time with her dog Corn, and reading. 

Samantha Taylor, Co-Secretary
Samantha was born and raised in Chicago. She attended The Latin School of Chicago and was a student of Miss Kim’s at the Lincoln Park Music Center from the age of 6 until her family moved to Hood River, OR her sophomore year of high school. She graduated from University of Puget Sound for her undergraduate degree, and taught English as a second language in Prague, Czech Republic after college. Samantha returned to Chicago to pursue her paralegal certificate at Loyola University Chicago and began her paralegal career at Sidley Austin LLP. As a paralegal for over 12 years, she has experience in corporate and non-profit matters, board of directors work, contracts, copyrights and trademarks, and immigration matters. Samantha is currently a Senior Corporate Paralegal at Committee for Children, a nonprofit corporation and the creator of the Second Step® educational programs. It is Samantha’s desire to support LPMC’s vision of fostering positive emotional growth through artistic expression. Samantha now resides in Vero Beach, FL, but still spends a couple months every year in Chicago to get her “city-fix.” 

Lisa Rah, Co-Website Chair
Born in Chicago and raised in the suburban community of Northbrook, Lisa studied piano with Ms. Whe Do Kim from the age of five. At the age of fourteen, she was accepted into Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Massachusetts. From there, Lisa received her Bachelor of Arts from Universität Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, and continued on to receive her Master’s degree from Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich, Germany. Living in Europe for almost twenty years has been a great adventure, and has gifted her a unique and empathetic perspective.

Since moving back to the Chicagoland area four years ago, Lisa has been able to further develop her love for music through singing in a choir, joining a handbell choir, and playing chamber music with local musicians. Lisa has also been fortunate to pursue her other passion of greeting and caring for cats and dogs at an animal hospital.