Alumni Council Update

Last year marked a big change for our Alumni Council as we shifted from a local, event-focused model to an international council with subcommittees to support a wider breadth of alumni programming. Integral to this changeover was Alumni Council President Rei Suzuki ’84, whose experience as president of the previous Tokyo Alumni Council allowed him to provide context and help create a smooth transition for the new format of the Council. We were disappointed to learn that outside obligations meant that Rei would have to step down from his role this year, but we look forward to his involvement in the future and are excited to bring on a new President, Deanna Elstrom ’86, for the 2022–23 school year.

It has been my pleasure to serve as the president of the Alumni Council for the first year in its new structure. I have been involved in the Alumni Council for many years, and I am always moved by how wonderful, diverse, and involved the ASIJ alumni community is. It was an honor to be involved in the transition to allowing even more alumni from around the world to engage directly with the school and with the alumni community at large through the Council. While I’m stepping down now, I now pass the baton to Deanna, who I know will do a great job in the position. I plan to remain involved in the future, and I am looking forward to seeing where the Alumni Council goes in the coming years.

—Rei Suzuki ’84 President of the ASIJ Alumni Council for the 2021–22 School Year In late 2021 when I first learned about the new ASIJ Alumni Council’s vision and activities, I felt motivated to get involved and volunteered to co-chair the ASIJ Alumni Connect Subcommittee with Brian Nelson ’85. Thanks to the professionalism and support of the ASIJ Alumni Office, it was even easier and more fun than I could have imagined. So, this year, when I was asked to step in as President, I readily accepted.

I am honored and excited to support the organization in fulfilling its mission to create value-added connections between ASIJ and the alumni community, whether those be Alumni Connect: City Network social connections, Alumni Connect: Industry Meetup professional learning and networking connections or acknowledgments of exceptional alumni through ASIJ’s two alumni awards. Thanks to virtual meetings, the ASIJ Alumni Council is a truly global organization, leveraging the enthusiasm and talents of alumni around the globe. Please join our city-based LinkedIn groups so you can see what’s happening in your part of the world. We would love to have you involved!

—Deanna Elstrom ‘86 Current President of the ASIJ Alumni Council

The Alumni Office would like to say a big thank you and otsukare-sama desu to Rei! His support has been invaluable for the past year. We would also like to say welcome and yoroshiku onegai shimasu to Deanna—we are so glad to have her on board as we head into the second year of the new format of the Alumni Council.

The Council has accomplished so much since we began working under this new structure—for updates, please check the Alumni Award (page 25), Alumni Connect (page 60), and Alumni Giving (page 33) sections of the magazine. If you are interested in supporting the Council’s efforts, we would love to have you involved! Please contact alumni@asij.ac.jp for more information about joining the Council.