Becoming Leaders: The Power of Authenticity, Mentors, and Role Models

Becoming Leaders: The Power of Authenticity, Mentors, and Role Models

Presented by Japan-America Society of Tennessee 

You are invited to meet distinguished women leaders whose experience and achievements on both sides of the Pacific will enlighten, motivate, and inspire.

Positive female role models are important for women and girls at every stage of life. Of equal importance are mentors who champion and guide their aspirations. Being able to see, learn from, and form connections with women who have realized their own dreams to the fullest extent possible inspires others to become leaders themselves, to define "success" on their own terms, and to live life as authentically as possible.

 

REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED 

A RECORDING OF THE WEBINAR WILL BE AVIALBLE AT A LATER DATE ON THE JAST YOUTUBE PAGE 

 

Join us for this webinar and be eligible to win a $50 gift card. Space is limited, so register today! This event is FREE.

使用言語：英語（イベント終了後、一部の講演内容につきましては日本語訳付の録画公開を予定しております 。）

JAST's Women's Leadership Forum brings into focus the critical need to invest in the advancement of women everywhere, but specifically in the U.S. and Japan. By advancing social and economic equality, women from all walks of life stand to benefit from participating in societies free from gender bias. In turn, both the U.S. and Japan stand to reap rewards aplenty in the form of future jobs growth, economic and political stability, and inclusive prosperity.

Part 1 Speakers 

Kayoko Fukushima 

Consul-General of Japan in Nashville 

(Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee) 

Consul-General Fukushima assumed her post as Consul-General of Japan in Nashville in December  2019. This is her third diplomatic assignment in the U.S.: she received a Master of Law and  Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Tufts University in 1985 and served at the Consulate-General  of Japan in New York (1993-1996). The Consul-General has extensive experience working with the  United Nations. She served as a Program Officer at the United Nations University (2003-2006) and as  the founding Director of the UN Women Japan Liaison Office (2015-2017), both based in Tokyo. 

Consul-General Fukushima joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA) in 1981 after  receiving a Bachelor of English Literature from Sophia University. She has held a variety of posts at  MOFA headquarters in Tokyo, most recently serving as Director of Diplomatic Archives (2017-2019).  Prior to that, she held several posts in the Minister's Secretariat, including as Senior Coordinator of  the Public Diplomacy Strategy Division (2014-2015) as well as Assistant Chief of Protocol (2011- 2013). She served overseas at the Embassy of Japan in Ireland (1985-1988) and the Embassy of  Japan in Thailand (2006-2008). 

Consul-General Fukushima is married with two adult daughters.

Dannelle Whiteside

Interim President 

Austin Peay State University

On Aug. 10, 2020, Dannelle Whiteside began her tenure as interim president of Austin Peay State University. Her appointment by the APSU Board of Trustees makes her the first Black president of the more than 90-year-old institution.

President Whiteside originally joined the University in 2017 as Austin Peay’s general counsel. In the spring of 2019, she was named vice president for Legal Affairs. During her career at Austin Peay, she has also served as Secretary to the Board of Trustees.

Prior to her time at APSU, President Whiteside served as General Attorney for the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, General Counsel for the Tennessee State Board of Education and District Policy Advisor for Metro Nashville Public Schools.

She was recently named to the 2020 class of the Millennium Leadership Initiative (MLI), a premier leadership development program of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). MLI provides individuals traditionally underrepresented in the highest ranks of postsecondary education with the opportunity to develop skills, gain a philosophical overview, and build the network and knowledge needed to advance to the presidency.

In 2019, President Whiteside was named to the inaugural cohort of the Tennessee Higher Education Leadership and Innovation Fellows program. That program is designed to develop the next generation of enterprise leaders in higher education, according to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC).

President Whiteside received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, with honors and received her bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, graduating Summa Cum Laude.

Part 2 Moderator and Panelists 

Jody Shoup

Moderator

Vice President and International Corporate Banking Director

Fifth Third Bank

Jody Shoup serves as a Commercial Relationship Manager with Fifth Third Bank, N.A. In her role she is responsible for establishing and enhancing relationships with Japanese-owned subsidiaries operating in North America. Jody is experienced in the cultural and business aspects of Japanese corporations and is knowledgeable about the automotive industry.

Prior to joining Fifth Third Bank, Jody worked with a Japanese automotive OEM and a Japanese engineering firm for ten years, spending half of that time living in Japan. Jody is fluent in Japanese.

Jody earned her bachelor’s degree in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. As part of her curriculum she spent a year of study at the Stanford Kyoto Center for Japan Studies in Kyoto, Japan. Jody earned her MBA from the University of Kentucky.

Terry Vo

External Affairs Specialist

Comcast

With over 10 years of domestic and international community engagement experience, Terry Vo brings her expertise to Comcast on the External Affairs team where she manages government and community affairs in the Tennessee region. Vo has opened eight computer labs throughout Middle Tennessee and connected over 250,000 Tennesseans to the power of the internet through Comcast’s Internet Essentials Program. She played a critical role in Comcast’s $1M investment into Tech Hill Commons that is designed to foster innovation, promote business, and develop students and tech professionals in Nashville. She was recently recognized as a Circle of Success Award Recipient for her outstanding work at Comcast.

Eko Ishii
Co-founder and Managing Partner

CWell Institute, LLC

Co-founder with her husband of think-tank consultancy CWell Institute in 2000, Eko has created and organized numerous projects to educate Japanese communication companies focusing on global business. She was instrumental in organizing The US-Japan Critical Infrastructure Protection Forum which began in 2004 and was held annually for 14 years thereafter.

Coming from a bi-lingual and bi-cultural family background, Eko from an early age embraced the important role of promoting US-Japan bilateral cooperation. Eko's grandfather was the youngest member of the Japanese Delegation in attendance at the Peace Treaties Signing at Versailles (Paris) in 1919/20.  His function as a translator interested her from the time she was a young girl. 

Prior to her family's move to Chicago, IL, in conjunction with her father’s career and where she received higher education, Eko was born in Kobe and was raised and educated in Tokyo, Japan.