USJC Management & Staff
The Council maintains offices in Washington, DC and Los Angeles. The Council staff is responsible for administering programs, implementing the decisions of the Board of Directors, and promoting the Council’s mission and organizational goals.
IRENE HIRANO INOUYE President
Irene Hirano Inouye is President of the U.S.-Japan Council, appointed in April 2009. She is the former President and founding CEO of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. After 20 years, she stepped down from her CEO position in spring 2008 with her marriage to U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye. A recipient of a B.A. and an M.A. in Public Administration from the University of Southern California, Ms. Hirano Inouye has more than 35 years of experience in nonprofit administration, community education, and public affairs with culturally diverse communities nationwide. Her professional and community activities include serving as the Chair of the Ford Foundation Board of Trustees; trustee and immediate past chair of the Kresge Foundation; trustee of the Independent Sector; National Trust for Historic Preservation; The Washington Center, and the National Children’s Museum. She is a past Chair of the American Association of Museums and former member of the Business Advisory Board of Sodexho Corporation and the Toyota Diversity Advisory Board. Ms. Hirano Inouye has led the ten Japanese American Leadership Delegations to Japan and served as co-chair of the Annual Consuls General and Japanese American Leaders Meeting since its inception.
BRYAN TAKEDA West Coast Program Director, Los Angeles Office
The USJC has retained Bryan Takeda to serve as West Coast Program Director. Mr. Takeda is responsible for a number of key USJC programs, including coordinating the 2010 Japanese American Leadership Delegation (JALD) recruitment and application process and assisting in building the Japanese American Network Initiative in Los Angeles. A long-time Japanese American community leader, he sits on the Boards of the California Japanese American Community Leadership Council and the Pasadena Japanese Cultural Institute, and founded the Nikkei Federation, which promotes Japanese American cultural programs and services throughout Southern California. He holds a B.A. in Economics from UCLA.
SAKI TAKASU Development Manager, DC Office
Saki Takasu is responsible for fundraising and development efforts at the Council, engaging with the Board of Directors and with the members. Prior to joining the Council in July 2009, for four years, she worked in global strategic marketing analysis and communications for MWV (MeadWestvaco), a Fortune 500 consumer packaging company. While at MWV, she was selected to participate in a two-year management training program, with rotations in Europe and the United States. She was a corporate communications associate for Emerson Electric in Hong Kong for two years. A native Japanese speaker, she also worked as a translator for Nihachi in San Francisco. She has a B.A. in International Development Studies from the University of California, Berkeley.
LER LEE TAN Finance and Administrative Manager, DC Office
Ms. Ler Lee Tan is the Finance and Administrative Manager, working out of the Washington, DC office. She is responsible for all areas of accounting for financial reporting as well as budgeting for the U.S.- Japan Council. Ms. Tan has more than 20 years of accounting and finance experience in various industries. Before joining the U.S. - Japan Council, Ms. Tan was with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as a Financial Reporting Manager. She was also a certified senior financial consultant for a major software company called PeopleSoft. Additionally, Ms. Tan has experience in non-profit accounting,public accounting and served as an assistant controller for various private companies earlier in her career. Ms. Tan holds a B.S. in accounting from South East Missouri State University.
ANNA CABLE Program Manager, DC Office
Anna Cable develops and manages exchange programs at USJC, including educational exchange and legislative exchange programs. She also supports east coast regional business networks and planning of the Annual Conference. Anna has a background in education and youth development having worked with Concordia Language Villages' Mori no Ike Japanese Village and the Commonweal Foundation. She was a recipient of a Fulbright Grant to conduct independent sociological research in Nagasaki, Japan from September 2007-2008. She remained in Japan until May 2010 teaching English in Japanese junior high schools in Fukuoka-ken. Anna holds a B.A. in Anthropology and Sociology from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. She continues to study Japanese in language classes in Washington, DC.
LAURA GOLDSTEIN Communications Manager, DC Office
Laura Goldstein is the communications manager working out of the Washington, DC office. Laura drives the organization’s communications efforts by providing web content, creating printed materials and publications , composing internal and external e-newsletters, and managing public relations. Laura’s background is in broadcast journalism, particularly in the field of television writing and production. She has worked or interned at television stations in New York, California and Pennsylvania. From June 2008 to February 2010, Laura taught English in Japanese junior high schools in Fukuoka-ken, Japan. Laura holds a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism and International Relations from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. She continues to take Japanese language classes in Washington, DC.
CANDICE SHIKAI Administrative Assistant, Los Angeles Office
Candice Shikai is responsible for providing administrative assistance to the West Coast Program Director in the Los Angeles office, and provides both logistical and on-site support for USJC programs and events. She served as Director of UCLA’s Asian Pacific Coalition from 2007-2008 and was active in both the Nikkei Student Union and UCLA Kyodo Taiko for four years. In 2008, Candice was accepted into the Fellowship Program at the Taiko Center of the Pacific in Hawaii, where she studied taiko for a year and a half under Kenny Endo. While there she also worked as an after school teacher at Kaimuki High School and was the Educational Program Coordinator for the Hawaii Human Development Corporation. She has also worked as a summer intern with the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum for two years and participated in the Leadership in Action program with Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics. She holds a B.A. in History from UCLA.
ANGELA ARANDA Executive Assistant & Office Manager, DC Office
Angela Aranda is the Executive Assistant for the Washington, DC office. Angela provides administrative support to the President, Board of Directors and all Council staff. Prior to joining the Council, Angela interned at The Washington Center in DC and has most recently worked with the Peace Corps. Angela attended Monmouth University in New Jersey, graduating Cum Laude with a Bachelors in Political Science,concentration in International Relations. Currently, Angela is working on a Master’s degree in Government, with a concentration in Security Studies, at the Johns Hopkins University. She is fluent in Spanish.
TIM WHITE Programs and Communications Associate, DC Office
Tim White is the Council’s Programs and Communications Associate, assisting staff in these two departments. Tim acts in support of the Communications Manager by creating and editing content for Council documents, social media and the web. He also works on Council programming, providing technical and logistical assistance. Since joining the Council as a volunteer in early 2011, he has contributed to various Council efforts, including the post-3/11 stories blog, TOMODACHI Initiative, and 2011 Annual Conference. Tim has studied at The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Sophia University in Tokyo and holds a B.A. in Global Studies from Loyola University Maryland.
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