The election for the 2020-21 JETAADC Board is upon us! Please review the candidates below before voting.
President Platform: Rachel Reed
Akita, 2010-2013
I greatly enjoyed working with our wonderful community over the past two years as President of JETAADC and it would be an honor to continue to serve in this capacity. As President, I successfully led an incredible team of dedicated officers who volunteered their time to provide a wide array of programming for JET Alums, friends of JETs, and members of the larger DMV community. I have been a member of the JETAADC Board for 4 years and have served as the Social/Volunteer Chair for one year, Co-VP/Treasurer for one year, and now as the President for two years. Last year, we celebrated our 30th Anniversary as an Alumni Association and we hosted many large scale events such as the Sushi and Sake Japanese Friendship event when NAFSA was in town, and our Legacy Award and Panel Discussion on Maintaining the JET Momentum with the support of Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA and USJETAA.
I am 100% committed to delivering the leadership and support necessary to ensure our long-term success and I am always open to ideas from our community that will help us further tailor our events. I am an extremely engaged networker always seeking new partnerships and opportunities for JET alumni and I am a firm believer in giving back to our community. I will aim to strike a balance between our professional interests that have led us to achieve 501c3 non-profit status, and our personal interests in keeping the fun alive through socially enriching activities that help alums feel more connected and motivated. An alumni association is a great place to go for professional support and development, but it isn’t all about work. We are also here to develop strong friendships, to belt out that go-to karaoke song, to show-off our nihonshu drinking prowess, to make that okonomiyaki from scratch, and to stay in touch with what made our JET experience so unique and impactful in the first place.
I have been involved in the Japan world in DC for over 12 years and have been actively growing my network among the JET and Japanese communities that call the DMV area home. I have a lot to bring to the table. I enjoy public speaking (gasp!), am comfortable representing JET in any environment, be it at Otakon or at the Ambassador of Japan’s Residence, and I LOVE JETAADC. I’m here to serve my community and I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together.
Vice President Platform: Kendaal Strailey
Ehime, 2006-2008
Hello, my name is Kendaal Strailey and thank you for allowing me the opportunity to run for JETAADC vice-president. Despite my JET experience being over 10 years ago, there is not a day that goes by that I don’t feel thankful for the profoundly positive experience I had. I joined JETAADC a couple years ago and within seconds found the same sense of welcoming I had experienced in Japan. It is for this reason that I am seeking to attain the position of VP, as I see it as a means to give back to this wonderful international community!
My background is in educational technology and business development, which have always had me operating in a teamwork driven culture. I am a people person who has worked on dozens of small teams – reflective of the structure of JETAADC. I can leverage my own personal and professional experience to help support the growth and sustainability of our organization.
I have served on multiple executive boards, most recently as the president of a graduate student organization where I helped take it from a largely student focused org, to one that was implementing negotiation skill training workshops for non-profits and embassies. I would fulfill the role as a team player who strives to create an atmosphere of open communication and feedback, while making sure that we have the structure we need for each person to succeed in their individual responsibilities. I am eager and ready to support the president and the rest of the board in keeping this organization running strong!
Treasurer Platform: Joshua Beatty
CIR, Saga 1999-2001
Thank you in advance for considering this platform for a JETAA DC Board role as Treasurer. I previously served the JETAA DC Board in volunteer and social chair roles for a few years after my return from JET as a CIR in 2001. Given the 30+ year history of the JET Program and the hundreds of alumni in the DC community, I think it is important that alumni in the 10+, 20+, and even 30+ categories have a voice and can contribute their experience and expertise to the JET Board.
I’ve worked in NGO’s for more than 20 years in a variety of operational, budgetary, and programmatic capacities. I’ve managed budgets and grants as large as USD 21M, ensuring timely completion of reports and compliance with strict US and international government regulations. I procured, tested, and implemented expense management software for two small NGOs. Finally, I’ve drafted, rolled out and trained staff on financial operations and policy manuals for office operations in more than a dozen countries. In the JET Alumni community, I think I’m mostly known as an application reviewer/interviewer, as the chef and speaker at JET Talks Ramen Nights, and my volunteer work with the Japan-America Society of Washington, DC.
If elected Treasurer, I will provide accurate and transparent financial information to the JETAA DC Board to enable confident decision making. Additionally, I will produce timely reconciliations and grant documents to ensure we stay in compliance with CLAIR regulations, and that the Board is confident that vendors and alumni are punctually reimbursed.
JET Ambassador Chair Platform: Amanda Rollins
Friend of JET
I’ve been the JET Ambassador Chair for two years now, and I’ve coordinated more than 20 Ambassador visits to local DC/VA/MD schools. At this point, many teachers know to contact me if they want a former JET to come to their school and talk about their experience in Japan. I get a lot of positive feedback about my support methods, and I have connections in the teaching community. I also try new things – I’m working on doing a pilot online JET Ambassador visit (via Skype), and I still hope that I’ll be able to send a JET Ambassador to PTA meeting at some point. Let’s keep this momentum going!
Events Coordinator Platform: Jamila Barger
Hyogo, 2016-17
Hi! My name is Jamila Barger and I taught in Hyogo Prefecture from 2016 to 2017. I consider myself lucky to be a part of one of the most supportive JET alumni communities around. As Social Chair, I enjoyed making every JETAADC event fun, memorable and successful for everyone. From our Sushi & Sake event to Bounenkai, I’ve brought my enthusiasm and passion for the JET community to every JETAADC event, and I hope to continue serving you as an Events Coordinator. As Social Chair, JETAADC events allowed me to engage with our membership and understand the importance of making connections in our personal and professional lives.
This year I would like to expand on my experience as Social Chair by planning more activities that allow members to connect with each other, but also gives JETAADC a recognizable name in the DMV. This includes:
- Helping to identify and create special interest groups (similar to AJET) within the JETAADC community
- Organizing more volunteer and social activities throughout the DMV area, especially free and casual weekend activities for members
- Continuing the JET Talks series
Finally, as a woman of color, I deeply believe representation is very important in our community, and I wish to highlight this more with new activities this year. I look forward to collaborating with fellow JETAADC board members in organizing events that not only celebrate our unique bond to Japan, but also the diversity of our alumni community. I have felt welcomed and included in every JETAADC event I’ve attended and I will continue this tradition as Events Coordinator. I hope you will give me the opportunity to give back to the JETAADC community for another year by electing me as your Events Coordinator. Thank you!
Technology Chair Platform: Alison Aadland
Friend of JET
As a “Friend of JET”, it was a privilege to serve as Technology Chair on JETAADC’s 2019-2020 Board. Though I’m not a JET myself, I couldn’t feel closer to the mission: I myself studied abroad and taught English in Japan, where after several years, Japan became a second home. Now, communications and technology work within the international education field has become my career. I currently work as the Public Relations Manager at the U.S.-Japan Council, a nonprofit that seeks to strengthen the bonds between Japan and the United States, and I have years of professional experience doing website, social media, and other communications work in nonprofit settings. During the 2019-2020 year, I had the chance to contribute to the management of the JETAADC online presence, as well as manage accounts for the many electronic pieces that allow JETAADC to keep going. This year, if elected, I would like to do more. I look forward to the opportunity to increase JETAADC’s social media presence beyond Facebook, contributing to the communications content that keeps us connected, and brainstorming new ways to engage the JET community. This is an amazing organization that extends the mission of the JET Program, and I hope to have the chance to continuing supporting it as a board member!