Ms. Emma Chanlett-Avery    |     Chairwoman

Emma Chanlett-Avery, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Japan-America Societies (NAJAS), Counselor of the Board of Trustees of the Japan-America Society of Washington, DC, and a Trustee of International Student Conferences, Inc., is Deputy Director of the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Washington, DC office and Director of Political-Security Affairs. She leads congressional outreach and policy engagement on Indo-Pacific alliances.

Previously, she served for 20 years as a Specialist in Asian Affairs at the Congressional Research Service, focusing on U.S. relations with Japan, the Korean Peninsula, Thailand, and Singapore, with an emphasis on security issues. In 2023, she served as a Congressional Fellow on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, assisting with Asia policy legislation and hearing preparations.

She received an MA in International Security Policy from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and a BA in Russian Studies from Amherst College.

Mr. Richard Raiford  |  Vice Chairman

Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors and Head of the Finance Committee for the National Association of Japan-America Societies (NAJAS).

Established track record of leading global and regional banking units, as well as industry and risk teams for banks of various sizes, including J.P. Morgan Chase and East West Bank, across a wide range of domestic and international markets. Extensive banking experience in executive roles spanning risk, business, and P&L management. Thorough understanding of risk management and regulatory matters, along with demonstrated success as the lead executive presenter to Board of Directors Risk Committees on risk management. Proven leadership and people management skills. Significant experience in private equity client coverage and deal execution. Strong credit, documentation, and financial analysis skills, as well as extensive M&A and financial advisory experience.

Extensive educational and professional background related to Japan and U.S.-Japan relations. Holds an M.A. in International Economics and Japanese Studies from Johns Hopkins SAIS and speaks Japanese. Also has significant nonprofit board-level experience in operations, analytics, budgeting, and financial planning.

Amb. James P. Zumwalt      |    Secretary

James Peter Zumwalt was sworn in as United States Ambassador to the Republic of Senegal and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau on January 9, 2015. Previously he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Japan and Korean affairs from 2012-2014, and as the Embassy Tokyo’s Deputy Chief of Mission from 2008-2012.

Jim entered the Foreign Service in 1981 and has served in a variety of assignments with a focus on international economics in Washington, Tokyo, Beijing, and Kinshasa. In Washington, DC, Jim worked in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs and at the U.S. Trade Representative's Office. He also worked in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, serving on the Japan, Korea, and Philippine desks. He is fluent in Japanese; he also speaks Chinese and French.

In 1998, Jim received a master's degree in International Security Studies from the National War College. In 1979, he earned a bachelor of arts in American History and in Japanese Language from University of California, Berkeley. He grew up in El Cajon, California.

Mr. Celso T. Mataac, JR.       |      Treasurer

Celso has been NAJAS’ steadfast Treasurer for a number of years, solidifying the association’s finances and positioning it to grow. He is a consultant, advisor, and auditor for many businesses, both profit and not for profit organizations, including many Japanese businesses and not for profit organizations, for many years.

As a CPA and retired partner of Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP., one of the world’s largest professional services firms, he specialized in audit, taxation, and management services.

Celso was awarded the 1998 BANAAG AWARD presented by President Joseph Ejercito of the Philippines for contributions which have significantly benefited a sector or community in the Philippines. He was also commissioned as a KENTUCKY COLONEL by Governor Steven Beshear of the Commonwealth of Kentucky for exemplary services as state ambassador of Goodwill.

The late-Honorable Norman Mineta also recognized Celso for his service, dedication, and vigilance for the good of the Japanese people on behalf of the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation He holds a Master’s Degree in international business from George Washington University.

Mr. Andrew Wylegala   |     President (Ex-Officio)

Andrew Wylegala is a proud product of U.S.-Japan grassroots exchange and has led NAJAS since 2023. He joined after leading the American Chamber of Commerce of Taiwan and teaching economics as Professor of Practice at the National Defense University, Ft. McNair, Washington, D.C.

Previously, Andrew was a career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, concluding a 30-year career with the rank of Minister-Counselor in Tokyo. He led Commercial Sections in U.S. Missions in Hong Kong, Baghdad and Lima, and served in Seoul, Berlin, and Mexico City.

He began is fascination with Japan as Rotary Exchange Student, and grew that interest with the Japan-America Student Conference, as a Reischauer Intern (Mitsui &Co.), and during his Presidential Management Fellowship at USITC, Treasury and USTR. Andrew graduated with Honors from Cornell University and Johns Hopkins/S.A.I.S., Washingotn and Bologna.

Dr. William R. Farrell 

Dr. Farrell served as Chairman of the National Association of Japan-America Societies (NAJAS) from 2003 to 2012.

The Consulate General of Japan in Boston appointed Dr. William Farrell as Honorary Consul of Japan in Newport, Rhode Island.

Dr. Farrell served in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years, including 6 years in Japan. Dr. Farrell also served as Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan from 1990 through 1995. During that time, he developed personal connections with Japanese colleagues across an array of fields, and today he plays a crucial role in strengthening relations between Japan and Rhode Island through those connections.

To recognize Dr. Farrell’s efforts in bridging Japan and the United States, the Government of Japan in 2012 awarded him the Imperial Order of the Rising Sun with Gold Rays and Neck Ribbon and currently serves as an Ambassador on the board of CIE-US.

Dr. Joshua W Walker

Joshua W. Walker, PhD became President & CEO of Japan Society in December 2019. Previously, he worked at Eurasia Group, the world’s leading political risk analysis firm, where he served as global head of strategic initiatives and Japan in the Office of the President.

Prior to that, he was CEO and president of the USA Pavilion of the 2017 World Expo in Astana, Kazakhstan; founding dean of the APCO Institute; and senior vice president of global programs at APCO Worldwide, a leading global strategic communications firm based in Washington, D.C.

Before joining the private sector, he worked in numerous roles at various U.S. government agencies, including the State Department and the Defense Department. He is Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, and professor of Leadership and the American presidency at George Mason University and the Reagan Foundation. He was also Transatlantic Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, and co-founded the Yale Journal of International Affairs.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond, a master’s degree from Yale University, and a doctorate from Princeton University. Dr. Walker grew up in Japan where his parents still serve as missionaries, came to the United States when he was 18, and is bicultural and bilingual.

Ms. Reyna Kaneko

Reyna Kaneko serves as the president of the Japan-America Society of Hawaii (JASH), a vital part of a nationwide network of 39 societies dedicated to fostering strong U.S.-Japan relations through grassroots initiatives. Under her leadership, JASH engages in a variety of impactful activities, including business networking, educational programming, and cultural exchange opportunities with Japan, as well as facilitating connections between military and government entities.

With over 20 years of experience in non-profit management, Ms. Kaneko brings a wealth of expertise to her role. Prior to her work in the non-profit sector, she excelled as a sales executive, honing her skills in relationship-building and strategic communication. Her diverse background and passion for promoting international collaboration make her a key figure in enhancing mutual understanding and cooperation between the U.S. and Japan.

Ms. Anne Golden

Anne is originally from the state of Maine and has lived in Cincinnati since 1997. She joined the JASGC as Executive Director in 2016. Before that, she spent 18 years working at Xavier University. For 12 of those years she was in charge of creating training and development programs for corporate clients from Japan and Latin America.

She later spent 6 years as a faculty member in the Department of Classics and Modern Languages. She has an M. Ed in Student Development in Higher Education from the University of Maine (Orono, Maine) and a BA in Sociology from Bates College (Lewiston, Maine). She is also a graduate of the Coaches Training Institute (San Rafael, California).

She got her first taste of Japanese culture by spending 3 years in Kumamoto Prefecture as part of the JET (Japan Exchange & Teaching) Programme. She considers herself a lifelong learner of Japanese culture and society. While she currently manages a wide variety of tasks for the JASGC, Anne particularly enjoys her role as “Chief Event Planner.”

Mr. David Carpenter  

After graduating from the University of Kentucky, David lived and worked in Japan for five years. He served as a faculty member at the Nagasaki In-touch Community Center, worked in public relations for Nagasaki Prefecture government and tourism, and later became Assistant Director of the Kobe Friendship House Community Center while also working as a translator for Tokyu Sports Oasis.

David Carpenter was named Honorary Consul General of Japan to Kentucky in December 2014. In this role, he supports the interests of Japan and Japanese nationals in Kentucky while helping promote commercial and cultural ties.

He serves in a state with deep economic, cultural, and social ties to Japan, including more than 200 Japanese-owned facilities employing over 47,000 people.

Before joining the Japan/America Society of Kentucky, David spent 11 years at Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Georgetown, Kentucky, in Community and Public Relations. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Environmental Sciences from the University of Kentucky in 1995. Originally from Prestonsburg, Kentucky.

Ms. Bahia Simons-Lane 

Bahia Simons-Lane has more than a decade of experience in international education, nonprofit leadership, and alumni engagement. As Executive Director of the  International Student Conferences (ISC), Bahia leads ISC’s mission to empower students from the U.S., Japan, Korea, and China to build lasting ties through student-led exchange.

Previously, Bahia served  U.S. Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme Alumni Association (USJETAA), where she supported a network of over 36,000 alumni and built partnerships with governments, universities, and grassroots organizations to deepen U.S.–Japan relations.

Bahia taught in Gunma Prefecture from 2005 to 2007 with the JET Program and then served as ALT advisor at the prefectural board of education, and president of the Florida JET Alumni Association.

Bahia holds a B.A. in Theater Arts from the University of California, Santa Cruz; and an M.S. in International and Intercultural Education and Ed.S. in Curriculum and Instruction: Language, Literacy, and Culture, both from Florida International University. She serves on the boards of USJETAA, NAJAS, and JETAA USA.

Mr. Michael Schiffer

Michael Schiffer is a partner at Scalare Advisors, an associate fellow in the Trade, Technology and Geopolitics program at the International Institute for Strategic Studies and a distinguished senior fellow at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA. He is currently also a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.

He most recently served as the assistant administrator for Asia at the US Agency for International Development, overseeing some $3 billion in annual programming and a staff of 1,500 across Asia and the Pacific.

Prior to USAID, Schiffer was senior advisor and counselor on the Democratic staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, responsible for the Indo-Pacific, technology, and the economic statecraft portfolios, among other matters, and earlier served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia, where he was the senior US defense official responsible for managing the US-China military-military relationship as well as key US alliances and partnerships, including with Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, among others.

He has also served as legislative director to Senator Dianne Feinstein and has held roles at the Stanley Foundation, as a Council on Foreign Relations Hitachi International Affairs Fellow in Japan, at the Center for War Peace and the News Media at New York University, and as co-manager of the Poipu Bed and Breakfast Inn in Kauai.

Mr. Steve Pollock

Steve Pollock is President of the Japan Society of Northern California (JSNC), which celebrated its 120th anniversary in 2025. Since its start, JSNC has been dedicated to strengthening ties between the US and Japan. It presents numerous programs in the Bay Area and Japan spanning business, technology and innovation, healthcare, public policy, arts and culture and Japanese language education. Through its work, JSNC serves a large community of US and Japanese companies and individuals committed to fostering mutual understanding and connection between the Bay Area and Japan.

Steve's passion for Japan began early, when he spent a formative year living with a host family and attending high school in Kitami, Hokkaido through the AFS exchange program. This experience sparked a lifelong commitment to U.S.-Japan relations that has shaped both his professional career and personal interests.

He brings more than 30 years of cross-border experience to his work. Early in his career, he worked at Mitsubishi Corporation, gaining firsthand insight into Japanese business practices. He later co-founded and led a Silicon Valley internet startup, and has since advised companies and organizations on strategy, innovation, and market entry between the United States and Japan.

A passionate supporter of JSNC, Steve previously served on its Board of Directors, where he helped grow corporate engagement and led the organization's programming in Japan. He has served as the organization's president since 2022. He considers his current role at JSNC to be his dream job. He is delighted to have the opportunity to further serve the broader U.S.-Japan community as a member of the board of NAJAS.

Ms. Noriko Mills

Noriko Mills is a seasoned HR professional with deep expertise in leadership and organizational development, as well as cross-cultural communication. At American Honda Motor Company, she served as Senior HR Strategist, leading leadership development initiatives across North American operations. She also held the role of Organizational Development Manager, where she assumed increasing responsibility for talent strategy aligned with corporate goals. Her work has included associate engagement, succession planning, performance management, mentoring programs, and diversity and inclusion.

Drawing on this experience, Noriko now serves as Executive Director of the Japan-America Society of Central Ohio (JASCO), where she leads strategic planning, program development, and stakeholder engagement in support of the organization’s mission. Her professional background enables her to lead with both structure and empathy. In recognition of her leadership and community impact, she received an Ohio Asian Award in the Inclusive Leadership category in 2025.

Her commitment to U.S.–Japan collaboration is also reflected in her service on the board of the National Association of Japan-America Societies (NAJAS).

A native of Japan, Noriko is passionate about building bridges between the U.S. and Japan, particularly through education and cultural exchange. She regularly leads leadership training and communication seminars, and provides executive coaching to support leaders and professionals working across cultures.