NAJAS President

Since May of 2004, Sam Shepherd has been President of the National Association of Japan-America Societies (NAJAS) in Washington, DC. Shepherd moved to DC from Tokyo, Japan, where from 1994 to early 2004 he was the Executive Director of the Japan-United States Educational Commission (JUSEC), which administers the Fulbright Program and the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund programs (JFMF). Prior to assuming this position, Shepherd was Executive Vice President of the American Cultural Exchange, a Seattle-based international education NGO. During his tenure with JUSEC, Shepherd spoke and wrote widely, in a variety of forums, on issues related to educational exchange, language education, globalization of education, and educational reform. Appointed by the Japanese Minister of Education, he served as a "Specialist Member" of the Central Council on (Primary & Secondary) Education from 1995-1998. In June of 2004, the Japanese Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, & Technology awarded Shepherd a Commendation of Merit for his contributions to international education.