2021 Members Forum (Virtual Event)

Members of the U.S.-Japan Council are invited to join us for the Members Forum on October 21, as the next installment of our 2021 Signature Series that kicked off earlier this month with the Bilateral Boardroom. This virtual event will highlight a range of voices within the USJC community. Attendees will hear from USJC leadership and share their own visions for USJC’s future, and network with other members through breakout sessions hosted by the USJC Board of Directors.

Masters of Ceremony

• Kenji Negi (ELP ’16), Japan Region Chair, , Business Development Manager, Xandr
• Kumiko Hidaka, Japan Region Vice Chair, Director, Global Product & Technology Communications, Netflix

Featured Member Speakers

• More information coming soon

Featured Panel: Elevating the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, & Pacific Islander Community: A View from the Biden Administration

Guest Speakers

Erika L. Moritsugu
Deputy Assistant to the President and AA and NHPI Senior Liaison

Erika Moritsugu was appointed by President Joe Biden in April 2021 to serve as Deputy Assistant to the President and AA and NHPI Senior Liaison.  At the White House, Ms. Moritsugu supports the Administration on a wide array of the President’s priorities and engages with AA and NHPI communities and leaders on important issues such as advancing safety, justice, inclusion, and opportunity for Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities through a whole-of-government approach to racial justice.  

Her past government service includes serving as the Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations at the Department of Housing and Urban Development under the leadership of Secretary Julián Castro in the Obama Administration and was the first-ever Senate Deputy Legislative Director at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

On Capitol Hill, she was a senior representative of Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois. Senator Daniel K. Akaka of Hawai‘i, and at the Senate Democratic Policy Committee under Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. 

In the non-profit sector, Ms. Moritsugu managed two teams the National Partnership for Women & Families for economic justice and congressional relations advancing workforce and health policies focused through a gender equity and race equity lens. She has also led the Government Relations, Advocacy and Community Engagement team at the Anti-Defamation League, a leading anti-hate organization.

Krystal Ka‘ai
Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI)

Krystal Ka‘ai is the Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI). In this role, she is responsible for directing the efforts of the White House Initiative and Presidential Advisory Commission on AANHPIs and advising the Biden administration on the implementation and coordination of federal programs as they relate to AANHPIs across executive departments and agencies.

Prior to joining WHIAANHPI, Ms. Ka‘ai worked on Capitol Hill for a decade, including serving as the Executive Director of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) for eight years. She previously held positions with the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs; the State of Hawaii, Office of Hawaiian Affairs; and the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation.

Ms. Ka‘ai was born and raised in Hawaii and is the first Native Hawaiian to ever lead WHIAANHPI.

Moderator: Stephanie Nitahara
Senior Program Manager, Community Partners

Stephanie Nitahara (she/her/hers) is a fourth-generation Japanese American active in the Little Tokyo community and works at Community Partners as a Senior Program Manager. She’s passionate about building sustainable community power, creating inclusive workplaces, and finding innovative approaches to development and philanthropy. Ms. Nitahara has vast nonprofit experience locally and nationally, previously serving as the Executive Director of Kizuna and the Associate Director of the Japanese American Citizens League. 

Ms. Nitahara enjoys crafting, finding a new recipe to cook/bake, writing for Yo! Media, and everything about her senior chihuahua-pomeranian.