Meet the Team
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Jessyca Livingston
Executive Director (Hokkaido, 2003-2006)
Jessyca Livingston has served as executive director of the US JET Program Alumni Association (USJETAA) since January 2023. She leads USJETAA’s work to support the nearly 40,000 American alumni of the JET Program, as well as its predecessor, the Monbusho English Fellowship Program. Prior to taking the helm of USJETAA, Jessyca was Programs and Membership Manager at the Japan-America Society of Colorado, and she also worked for seven years as the JET Coordinator at the Japanese Consulate in Denver, CO.
Jessyca has a long history of leadership in the JET community. After returning to the US, she served as treasurer for the Rocky Mountain JET Alumni Association (JETAARM) chapter for two years, and then as JETAA USA Country Representative for another two years, helping guide the JET community through its response to the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. In 2012, she led the establishment of the JETAA USA Board of Advisors, and she also served as a founding board member for USJETAA when it was launched in 2015.
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Julia Thang
Program Coordinator (Fukuoka, 2016-2017)
Julia Thang is an experienced operations professional with a strong background in international initiatives and community engagement. Following her time in Japan, Julia leveraged her cross-cultural insights and collaborative skills in various roles across the tech, gaming/entertainment and food media sectors. Julia's experience with marketing, account management and event coordination is a true asset to USJETAA. Fluent in English and Vietnamese, Julia holds a Bachelor of Science in Business with a minor in Theatre Arts from San Jose State University.
With a passion for cultivating meaningful connections and experiences, Julia applies her skill set toward creating a vibrant and inclusive environment for fellow JET alumni as she helps organize events, fosters connections and implements creative programming. -
Peter Weber
Database Manager (Saitama, 2004-2007)
Peter brings over a decade of experience in IT consulting and database management to the USJETAA team. He has managed databases for the Girl Scouts of Northern California, the JET Alumni Association of Northern California (JETAANC), and the University of California, San Francisco’s (UCSF) School of Nursing.
Peter has spent 20 years serving the JET program, as an ALT in Saitama prefecture from 2004-2007, JET Program Coordinator at the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco from 2007-2012, and is currently on the board of directors of JETAANC.
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Kimberly Matsuno
Content Strategist (Niigata, 2019-2022)
During her time on JET, Kimberly was a section editor for AJET’s CONNECT magazine and served as the Niigata AJET Webmaster. In her current role, she plans, creates, and posts all content shared across the website and social media platforms as well as oversees marketing and branding.
Her vision for the greater JETAA community is to develop and expand grassroots efforts in promoting US-Japan relations at the local community level by highlighting the current efforts and successes of JET alumni across the nation.
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Danielle Reed
Microgrants Program Manager (Miyagi, 2011-2014)
Danielle Reed manages the operations of the USJETAA/US Embassy Tokyo Microgrant Initiative for current JET Program participants. She also heads the consulting practice PinPath, LLC, which she founded in November 2019 to support a number of other US-Japan educational and philanthropic initiatives. Previously she worked as the Senior Program Director of S&R Foundation, a private family foundation with the mission of supporting talented individuals with high aspirations in the arts, sciences, and social entrepreneurship.
Danielle began her career as a diplomatic assistant in the Economics Section at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, DC from 2008-2011, then was an Assistant Language Teacher on the JET Program in Sendai-shi from 2011-2014.
Board of Directors
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ALT, Mie, 1988-1989
Executive Director, Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission
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ALT, Ehime, 1992-1994
Senior Fellow, Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE/USA)
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ALT, Kagoshima, 1990-1992
Professional Artist, Owner, White Point Studio
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ALT, Okayama, 1993-1995
Japanese Translator
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MEF/CIR, Gifu, 1985-1988
President & CEO, Better UOutside Director, Oak Lawn Marketing
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Senior Foreign Service Officer (ret) and Former US Consul General to Osaka/Kobe, U.S. Department of State
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ALT, Gunma, 2005-2007
Executive Director, International Student Conferences
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ALT, Saga, 1999-2002
Country Representative, JETAA USA
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ALT, Saitama, 2002-2004
Vice President of Research, The Arena Group
Active Committees
Governance Committee
Finance Committee
Development & Partnerships Committee