Off to Japan

August 29, 1996

THE DAILY FED

Off to Japan

The seven executives are participants in the new Mike Mansfield Fellowship program, an exchange program created by Congress to expand U.S. knowledge of how the Japanese government works. The seven fellows were required to make a two-year commitment to stay in the U.S. government after returning from Japan.

Participants have spent the last year immersed in Japanese language, history, cultural and economics courses. They will begin their jobs in Japan in mid-September. A second group of fellows has also been selected and will begin their stateside training next month.

The exchange program is run by the Mansfield Center, a nonprofit organization focused on improving understanding between the U.S. and Asia. The center is named for former Senator Mike Mansfield, U.S. Ambassador to Japan from 1977 to 1989.

The seven fellows are:

• Stanley J. Austin, supervisory environmental protection specialist at the Environmental Protection Agency, placed at Japan's Environment Agency, Water Quality Bureau, and the Ministry of Construction, River Bureau.
• John D. Hill, director of international economic security policy at the Department of Defense, placed at the Japan Defense Agency and the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI).
• Amy Jackson, Japan desk officer and international relations specialist at NASA, placed at NASDA Earth Observation Policy and Planning Division and Science Technology Agency, Space Utilization Division.
• Rhonda S. Johnson, program analyst at the Export-Import Bank, placed at MITI, Export-Import Insurance Division and Japan Export-Import Bank.
• James Kariya, senior scientist at EPA, placed at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Food Chemistry Division and Office of Environmental Chemicals Safety.
• George McCray, attorney-advisor at the U.S. Customs Service, placed at the Ministry of Finance, Customs and Tariffs Bureau.
• Richard Silver, senior attorney for the Western Division of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, placed at the Ministry of Finance, Banking Bureau.