Board of Directors

Co-Presidents

 

Sue Root

Retired Executive Director, World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts

Sister Cities relationship between Springfield and Takikawa

July 1, 2002.  Takikawa City Persons of Merit Award

March 31, 2004.  On the 150th Anniversary of the Treaty of Kanagawa, Ms. Root received a commendation from the Foreign Minister of Japan "in recognition of the outstanding contributions - made toward the furthering of friendship and mutual understanding between Japan and the United States".

1988, 1994 - World Affairs Councils of America-Japan Center for International Exchange Study Tours 

Resides in Holyoke, MA

 

Fernando Quezada

Executive Director

Biotechnology Center of Excellence Corporation

Resides in Lexington, MA

 

Vice President

 

Ikuko Burns

Sculptor

Executive Committee, Japan Society of Boston International Women's Club of Boston

From Yamagata Prefecture, in 1968-9 Ikuko Burns was a radio/TV announcer at Hokkaido Broadcasting Company in Sapporo.

Resides in Brookline, MA

     

 

"Mermaid"/Ikuko Kawai Burns/Cast Bronze-1987

 

 

Clerk

 

Emily Farrow

A graduate student at Tufts University's Fletcher School, studying for a Master's Degree in International Business.  After graduating from Brown University, Ms. Farrow spent two and a half years in Concord's sister city Nanae, Hokkaido where she worked as Coordinator of International Relations.  She next worked at the Japan Society of Boston before returning in 2006 to Japan to participate in a year long Japanese language program at Stanford's Inter University Center in Yokohama.

 

Treasurer

 

Michael Kargula

Retired Corporate Attorney

Over thirty years of senior level experience working for public and private corporations.

Resides in Concord, MA

 

Board of Directors

 

Patience Berkman

Chair, History Department

Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart
2002 Winner, Elgin Heinz Outstanding Teacher Award for Excellence in Teaching about U.S.-Japan Relations, U.S.-Japan Foundation

Resides in Newton, MA

Thomas Curtin

Retired Guidance Counselor

Concord-Carlisle High School

Concord-Nanae Sister Cities

Resides in Concord, MA

 

Laurel Foster-Moore

Associate Director, Education Abroad /Asia

International Programs

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Chair, Special Committee on Secondary School Exchanges

Born in Karuizawa, Ms. Foster-Moore lived in Tokyo before moving with her family to Sapporo.  She attended the Hokkaido International School and graduated from the American School in Japan in Tokyo.  She returned to the United States to attend Earlham College.

Resides in Florence, MA

 

Peter Grilli

President

Japan Society of Boston

Resides in Harvard, MA

 

Matsuko Levin

Academic Specialist-Japanese

World Languages Center

Northeastern University

Born, raised, and educated in Sapporo, Ms. Levin draws on her personal background and experiences in planning 40 day summer immersion courses in Hokkaido and elsewhere in Japan for her Northeastern students.

 

Kathleen Woods Masalski

Director, Five College Center for East Asian Studies, Northampton, MA

Co-Director, National Consortium for Teaching about Asia

In both positions, Ms. Masalski works with teachers eager to learn more about Japan through seminars, study tours, and resources on Japan.

December 9, 2008.  Recipient of a Commendation from the Foreign Minister of Japan for outstanding contributions to furthering friendship between the United States and Japan

2000.  Recipient of the John E. Thayer III Award from the Japan Society of Boston for

significant contributions to the advancement of understanding between Japan and the United States

 

Kathleen Molony              

Director

Fellows Program

The Weatherhead Center for International Affairs

Harvard University

Resides in Concord, MA

                  

 

In 2000, as the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Officer of International Trade &

Investment, Kathleen Molony joined Governor Paul Cellucci and Hokkaido Governor Tatsuya Hori at the signing ceremony for the 10th Anniversary Memorandum.

 

Kiyoko Morita

Lecturer in Japanese

Department of German, Russian and Asian Languages and Literatures

Tufts University

Kiyoko Morita comes from Asahikawa, Hokkaido.

Resides in Needham, MA

 

Lori Snyder

History Department

Longmeadow High School

2002-present, founder and Advisor to East Asia Society Club

Currently coordinates the fall visit of the Takikawa City Junior Ambassadors to Springfield and Longmeadow and will lead a second group of Longmeadow students to Takikawa in June of 2009

1997-Participant in Pacific Educational Conference in Hokkaido

1992-94 Participant in the JET Programme as an Assistant Language Teacher in Mie Prefecture

 

James Worthley

Carpenter-in-training for father's general contracting business

From Westford, after graduating from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, Jim Worthley spent six years working in business before changing tracks and completing the CELTA (Certificate in English Language Training to Adults) training to pursue work in ESL teaching.  He spent 2002-2007 on the JET Programme (Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme) working in Takikawa, Springfield's sister city.  For the first three years, Mr. Worthley served as a junior high school AET (Assistant English Teacher).  During the last two years he was an elementary school AET.

 

Advisory Board

 

Masaru Tsuji

Consul General of Japan

Boston

 

Dr. Jack M. Wilson

President

University of Massachusetts

 

President Emeritus 

 

Dr. David Knapp

Retired President

University of Massachusetts

  

 

Dr. Knapp addresses the 10th anniversary meeting of the Massachusetts Hokkaido Association in the Massachusetts State House.  Dr. Masao Morimoto, President of the Hokkaido Massachusetts Society, prepares to offer his greetings.