2024 OFFICERS
Derek Okubo, President
Stephanie Garnica, Executive Vice President
Richard K. Clark, Senior Vice President
John Bywaters, Treasurer
Our JASC team
Claudine Locascio, Executive Director
Miyuki Hirata, Program & Membership Manager
Miho Miyazaki, Office Administrator
Junko Goodwin, Japan in the Schools Program Leader & Japanese Language Teacher
Yuka Hicks, Japan in the Schools Outreach Coordinator
2024 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Claudine Locascio, JASC
Executive Director & Board Manager
Heather Alcott-Moritz, Enchanting Travels
John Branderhorst, bTrax
John Bywaters, Plante Moran
Richard K. Clark, Lewis Roca LLP, retired
Sherry Cree, Ascendant Real Estate
Greg Hanes, Cattlemen’s Beef Board
Tim Higashide, Sakura Square LLC
Eric Hiraga, Matrix Design Group
Stephanie Garnica, Denver Economic Dev. & Opportunity
Missy Kautt, CU Denver CIBER Program
Keita Kitahama, K2J LLC
Laura Jackson, Denver International Airport
Amanda Krost, Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Resort
Charlie McDaniel, GSSG Solar
Tom Migaki, City of Denver, retired
Florence Kehn, Eberspacher Vairex
Sandi Moilanen, World Trade Center Denver
Inta Morris, Confluence Strategies, StudyColorado
Chris Meier, Terumo Blood & Cell Technologies
Derek Okubo, JASC Board President
Jennifer Pierce, UBS Wealth Management
T.R. Reid, Author, Journalist, Speaker
Brian Roth, United Airlines
Masa Ikeda, Sumitomo Corporation of Americas
Brandon Wilcox, KPMG
Nobuhisa Yoda, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
Katrina Yoshida, Kintsugi Consulting
EMERITUS BOARD MEMBERs
Special recognition for serving JASC over 20 years
Kathy Ajisaka, Retired, AATJ
Margaret Battiste, Retired, BOK Financial
Masa Tanaka, Retired, Pentax Corporation
Seiji Tanaka, Farmers Insurance
A copy of the organization’s Form 990 as well as the Conflict of Interest Policy, Whistleblower Policy, and Document Retention Policy is available upon request via email.
“Japan America Society of Colorado is an organization dedicated to fostering cross-cultural relationships between Colorado and Japan. We believe strongly in the equality of all people from all races. The recent increase in hate crimes against our friends, partners and colleagues of Asian descent in the United States and Colorado is unacceptable and outrageous. When our friends are targets of hate, we cannot be silent. Bigotry and hate have no place in our community. JASC will continue to work to promote acceptance, tolerance, and cross-cultural friendship.”