The 2026-28 JACL National Board and Executive Director Lilly Simmering. Pictured (seated, from left) are Carol Kawase, Sheldon Arakaki, Lilly Simmering and (standing, from left) are Chip Larouche, Rob Sonoda, Mariko Fujimoto, Ken Massey, Paul Uyehara, Simon Kutz, Alex Tokita, Brian Tsukimura, Gil Asakawa, Seia Watanabe, Nancy Takayama and Gary Nakamura. (Not pictured: Jonathan Okamoto) (Photo: George Toshio Johnston)
After election win, 2026-28 biennium president makes new appointments.
By George Toshio Johnston, P.C. Senior Editor
Sheldon Arakaki wasted no time attending to JACL National Board business during his first meeting in Las Vegas on Aug. 2 as the newly elected JACL National Board president for the 2026-28 biennium, making it the first time in four years a National Board meeting was not presided over by Larry Oda.
Joining Arakaki as newly elected officers were Public Affairs VP Carol Kawase, Membership Services VP Seia Watanabe and Alex Tokita and Simon Kutz as National Youth Student Council chair and representative, respectively.
In a meeting room at the Paris Las Vegas, Arakaki began by making appointments to vacant offices following the taking of attendance, getting the agenda approved and welcoming introductions from guests and staff.
Approved reappointments included Ken Massey, legal counsel; Jonathan Okamoto, secretary-treasurer; Steve Okamoto, National JACL Legacy Giving officer; and David Kawamoto, Scholarship Committee chair. Also approved was the appointment of Carol Kawamoto as vp of Planning and Development. The vp of General Operations position remains vacant. JACL Executive Director Lilly Simmering acknowledged that and said, “Since we don’t have a vp for General Ops, that will be Sheldon stepping in in the meantime to wear that hat.”
“This is just the first round of appointments,” Arakaki said. “Obviously, there’s going to be another round coming up in September.” Also approved was having Arakaki being added as a signatory for all JACL bank accounts. Simmering also announced that dates for formal board orientation training would be forthcoming.
The other business decided upon that morning was a vote — it was affirmative — brought forth by Kawase whether to reinstate for the new biennium the Social Justice Action Committee, formed at the 2025 JACL National Convention in Albuquerque, N.M. (see “JACL National Board Acts in Albuquerque,” Aug. 8, 2025, Pacific Citizen, tinyurl.com/yfxjrhhr) It is comprised of Naoko Fujii (who will continue as chair), Dan Mayeda, Natsu Taylor Saito and Peggy Nagae, with Kawase continuing as the liaison for the committee to the National Board.
“This is an incredible team of attorneys, and at a drop of a hat, one of them will volunteer their time to review a lawsuit or amicus brief to allow us to whether or not we should participate and sign on,” Kawase said.
The meeting then went into executive session, which sent all staff with the exception of the executive director and non-National Board members and guests from the room.
Those in attendance at the Aug. 2 JACL National Board meeting included Sheldon Arakaki; Gil Asakawa (Pacific Citizen Editorial Board co-chair); Mariko Fujimoto (Northern California-Western Nevada Pacific District governor); Ken Inouye; Carol and David Kawamoto (former JACL National president); Carol Kawase; Simon Kutz; Arly La Mica and Pam Dally-La Mica (president and secretary-treasurer, respectively, Monterey Peninsula JACL chapter); Chip Larouche (Pacific Northwest District governor); Ken Massey; Irene and Floyd Mori; Saki Mori (National Operations director); Gary Nakamura (Midwest District governor); Larry Oda; Jonathan Okamoto; Steve Okamoto; Miko Sawamura (Northern California-Western Nevada Pacific District board member); Floyd Shimomura (past JACL national president); Lilly Simmering; Rob Sonoda (Intermountain District governor); Nancy Takayama (Pacific Southwest District governor); Alex Tokita; Brian Tsukimura (Central California District governor); Matthew Weisbly (JACL Education Programs manager); Paul Uyehara (Eastern District governor); and Seia Watanabe.