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 Welcome to the Japan America Society of Pennsylvania (JASP) web site.
The Japan America Society of Pennsylvania is the region's premiere organization for educational, business and arts activities related to Japan and Japanese-American relations.
Our members and partners include the leading businesses, universities and organizations in the Western Pennsylvania region. JOIN the JASP today and be a part of the region's dynamic global community. |
Letter from our Chairman:
Dear JASP Members,
It never ceases to amaze me how dynamic the world is. In governments, economies and our lives, change seems to be constant and rapid. This fact of life is reflected in the JASP itself.
It is my pleasure to announce that, effective February 1st, Donna Lee Siple will succeed Wendy Bennett and serve as the “new” Executive Director of the Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania. While we thank Wendy for her service and wish her the best, Donna Lee is certainly not new to our membership. She previously served with distinction as our Interim Executive Director in 2008, and she has over twenty years of first-hand experience with Japanese culture, language, and business practices.
To refresh your memory, Donna Lee’s experience in Japan began shortly after graduating from Geneva College with a double major in public relations and communications. She first traveled to Japan in 1986 to manage a group of native English teachers for a university in Osaka. Then, in 1988, she relocated to the San Francisco area where she worked as Director of New Business Development for a Japanese consulting firm. There she helped to negotiate opportunities for businesses to enter the Japanese market through direct marketing avenues. She also spent time continuing her studies of the language and made several business trips to Japan. Donna Lee moved back to the Kansai region of Japan in 1992, where she began an English Academy, Jack & Betty, named after the first English primer used in Japan, which her Uncle Jack wrote. Donna Lee returned home to Pittsburgh in 1998 to work for Hiland Presbyterian Church and subsequently the Beaver Valley Youth Network and Eden Christian Academy. In addition to her professional experiences, for the past twelve years Donna Lee has been actively involved in JASP as well as the Japanese community in Pittsburgh in general. She has volunteered for and participated in various activities and events such as the Japan Bowl, the JASP golf outing, the Japan in the Schools program, Saitama Sister City program and the G-20 Summit.
Please join Sam Ishihara and me in welcoming back Donna Lee, and we know that she can look forward to the full support of friends and members as we chart an exciting future for our Society.
Sincerely yours,
Stephen Ceurvorst, Chairman
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Keizai Koho Fellowship Tour
Since 1980, the Keizai Koho Center (Japan Institute for Social and Economic Affairs) in cooperation with the National Association of Japan-America Societies (NAJAS) has sponsored a Fellowship tour to Japan for educators in the U.S. and Canada. The Fellowship allows teachers to learn first hand about contemporary Japanese society and enhance their classroom teaching of global perspectives.
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2009 KKC Fellows visit the Tokyo Stock Exchange. |
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Applications for the KKC Educator Fellowship are
due February 12, 2010!
Click here for details!
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 Ex-envoy: Japan ties essential
The "fundamental friendship" between Japan and the United States should remain intact despite changes in leadership for both countries, former Ambassador Howard H. Baker Jr. told members of the Japan America Society of Pennsylvania on November 9, 2009. Baker, a former Republican senator from Tennessee, served as ambassador to Japan from 2001-05. He spoke for 20 minutes to about 250 people gathered for the society's annual dinner.
Read the entire Pittsburgh Tribune-Review article>> | |
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