The U.S.-Japan Council (USJC) is proud to announce the event “Finding Your Voice—Empowering You!“, to be held at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy in Sacramento on Monday, October 29. Sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA), this event brings together prominent Japanese and American speakers, including department heads in the California State government, experts in higher education, and business leaders. The afternoon also includes an empowerment workshop for attendees, followed by a networking reception.
The keynote speaker is Ms. Marybel Batjer, Secretary at the State of California Government Operations Agency (CalGovOps). Mr. Ryosuke Kamono (Consul at the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco); Dr. Paul Danczyk (Director of Executive Education in Sacramento, USC Price School of Public Policy); and Ms. Rebekah Christensen (Co-Founder and CEO, ORA Systems, Inc.; Chair, Cal-IPGCA) will provide welcome remarks. Ms. Sharon Ito Warren, Communications & Public Affairs Manager at Sacramento State University’s College of Continuing Education, will serve as emcee and moderator.
Panelists include Ms. Grace Koch (Chief Deputy Director, California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services); Dr. Juliet Lee (Director of Administration and External Relations, University of Southern California’s Sol Price School of Public Policy in Sacramento); Ms. Stephanie Nishikawa-Yee (Owner, Paper Garden Boutique); Ms. Genevieve Shiroma (Chair, Agricultural Labor Relations Board; Board of Directors, SMUD); and Ms. Kathleen Webb (Director, Eureka Institute – Performance Improvement, Government Operations Agency Executive Sponsor, Cal-IPGCA). Each will share their personal journeys into leadership.
Following these discussions, attendees will be invited to join a workshop in small groups. Led by expert facilitators, the workshop allows attendees to build their own plans for empowerment, including choosing a mentor, seeking further training and expressing their ambition. Please see the bios of speakers and facilitators, the schedule and other details here.
This event is part of the Regional Women in Leadership (RWL) series, which is generously supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. USJC members and supporters organize and attend panels, events and luncheons in their respective regions to network and discuss topics focused on women’s leadership. RWL expands the network of American and Japanese leaders engaged in women’s empowerment and U.S.-Japan relations. It also introduces Japan’s economic, political or societal issues to diverse regions of the United States. Through the end of 2017, RWL events were held in 20 cities, engaging close to 900 participants.
This event is also organized in collaboration with GovOps; ORA Systems, Inc.; University of Southern California, Sol Price School of Public Policy—State Capitol Center; Sacramento Chapter of the National Japanese American Citizens League; and the Matsuyama-Sacramento Sister City Corporation.
About the U.S.-Japan Council
The U.S.-Japan Council is a Japanese American-led organization fully dedicated to strengthening ties between the United States and Japan in a global context. By promoting people-to-people relationships through its innovative programs in networking and leadership, the Council serves as a catalyst to inspire and engage Japanese and Americans of all generations. The Council was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Washington, DC with staff in California and Tokyo. In 2012, the U.S.-Japan Council (Japan) was created to support the administration of the TOMODACHI Initiative, and in 2013, it became a Public Interest Corporation (Koeki Zaidan Hojin). The U.S.-Japan Council (Japan) maintains an office in Tokyo, Japan.