About Us

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

as of April 2010

Lori Matsukawa is JCCCW’s board president and a news anchor at KING TV. She is a founding member of the Asian American Journalists Association and a recipient of its Lifetime Achievement Award. Lori has volunteered and served as a board member for the Japanese American Leadership Delegation, YMCA of Greater Seattle, and Asian Counseling and Referral Service. She graduated with a B.A. in Communication and American Studies from Stanford University, and earned her M.A. in Communication from the University of Washington.

Kirsten Henning, Vice President of JCCCW, is a senior project manager at Pyramid Communications and serves as an active volunteer for the Girl Scouts and Densho. Prior to joining Pyramid, Kirsten worked at the Seattle Mariners as media liaison and interpreter for Ichiro Suzuki and the Japanese press corps and then went on to manage media relations for Team Japan, champions of the inaugural World Baseball Classic. She spent the previous six years in Japan as a JET Program participant and later as special VIP liaison at Park Hyatt Tokyo. She holds a B.A. in East Asian Studies from Barnard College of Columbia University and also studied at the Stanford University Japan Center in Kyoto, Japan.

Dee Goto is JCCCW’s secretary and a retired nurse. Dee established the Suzuki School of Music in 1967 in Seattle. She also established the Japanese Heritage Historical Society and helped to start Densho in 1995. Then she moved on to create the Omoide Project, now a program of JCCCW, which is a literary effort that collects childhood memories before, during, and after World War II. Dee earned her B.A. in Nursing, Public Health Certification and M.A. in Psychosocial Nursing with Stress Management from the University of Washington School of Nursing.

Mike Forrester is JCCCW’s treasurer and a retired FAA Executive. After retiring from the FAA he started his own business; Artificial Intelligence Inc. a company that designed and marketed medical billing and accounting software. Mike sold Artificial Intelligence Inc. and retired to devote himself to volunteer work. Before starting his professional career, Mike served in the United States Air Force from 1956-1960 as an electronic technician. After leaving the Air Force he joined the FAA as an electronic technician stationed in Alaska. He was selected by the FAA to attend Columbia University and earned his B.S. in electrical engineering with a specialty in computer engineering. He was later selected for an FAA executive development program and attended the University of California, Berkeley where he earned his M.S. in civil engineering with a specialty in transportation engineering. He attended the FAA Management Training School in Lawton, Oklahoma and also studied Communications and Radar engineering at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City. Mike is a commercial airplane and helicopter pilot and flight instructor. Mike also holds an FAA Aviation Mechanic Power Plant and Airframe license.

Ann Kawasaki Romero is the executive director of the Washington State Public Stadium Authority (owners of Qwest Field and Event Center). She currently serves on the Seattle Sounders FC Advisory Board, the City of Seattle Livable South Downtown Planning Study Citizens Advisory Committee, Bellevue Convention Center Financial Oversight Committee, and the Puget Sound Regional Council Prosperity Partnership Tourism and Visitor Working Group. She earned her B.A. from Pomona College, and studied at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and earned her M.P.A. from the University of Washington Graduate School of Public Affairs.

Ina Goodwin Tateuchi is the chief executive officer of the Tateuchi Foundation and a retired librarian. She currently serves as a board member of the Seattle Public Library Foundation. Ina lived in Japan for more than thirty years during which time she served as the head librarian at the International School of the Sacred Heart and founded the Association of Professional Librarians. She was also an active volunteer with the Tokyo Union Church including projects to help the homeless and children. She studied at Whitman College and earned her B.A. in history from the University of Washington and her M.L.S. from the Pratt Institute School of Library and Information Science.

Brad Tong is a shareholder principal of Shiels Obletz Johnsen, Inc where he manages major urban development and civic projects such as Seattle City Hall and the Kent Events Center arena. He currently serves on the Intiman Theater’s Executive Board of Trustees and Building Committee as chair; the Downtown Seattle Association Smart Growth Task Force; and the Seattle Center Theater Commons Executive Team. Prior to his current position at SOJ, Brad worked for Tong Development, LLC and previously at KPFF designing high-rise office and residential towers, parks and institutional projects. He earned a B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Washington and currently holds a Washington license in professional engineering.

Debbie Nagasawa a Seattle native, currently works for the City of Seattle and was the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Development Officer for Nikkei Concerns. Debbie has held financial management positions at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center, King County, the City of Bellevue and the King County Library System.

Debbie is a graduate of the University of Washington, a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and she is a member of various professional and community organizations including the American Institute of CPA’s (AICPA), Government Finance Officers Association, Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) and Ayame Kai.

Debbie spends time at her two sons’ sporting events, helping care for her parents and relaxing with family and friends. She is an avid and devoted Mariners fan, supports various community organizations/events and enjoys cooking and baking.

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Tsutomu "Tom" Sasaki currently serves as chairman of the Japan America Society, president of the Japanese Community Service of Seattle and he serves on the council of the Japanese Language School. Tom has amassed an expansive career in international business, export and finance, and currently he owns BBS International, Inc., specializing in property purchasing and management and Ecore Global, Inc., specializing in ecology related trade between the U.S. and Japan.

Tom earned a BA in Economics and Pacific Rim International Relations from Jochi (Sophia) University in Tokyo in 1969 and also attended the American Bankers Association International Banking School at the University of Colorado. Tom, his wife, Yoko and family moved to Seattle in 1979. The Sasakis have two grown daughters and one grandchild. Tom's hobbies include golfing, gardening, world traveling and listening to music.