Announcing the 29th Class of Mansfield Fellows

NEWS RELEASE
November 15, 2024

(Washington, DC)  The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation is proud to announce the twenty-ninth class of Mansfield Fellows, ten federal employees participating in a two-year program including a year of working and living in Japan.

The Mike Mansfield Fellowship Program was established by Congress in 1994 to build a corps of U.S. government officials with substantial Japan expertise. This group will join a total of 208 Fellows, representing nearly 30 federal agencies, commissions, and the U.S. Congress.

The Mike Mansfield Fellowship Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, with funding provided by the U.S. Government, and is administered by the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation.

Members of the twenty-ninth group of Mansfield Fellows include:

• Elizabeth Baer – Weapons Coordinator, Department of Defense – Defense Security Cooperation Agency
• Major Rebecca Bosworth – Archer Flight Commander, Delta 3 ISRS (P), U.S. Space Force
• Christopher Dong – Air Traffic and Airspace Manager, Department of Defense
• Major Robert Everman – Security Cooperation Officer, Air, Space and Cyber Capability Development; Joint U.S. Military Affairs Group Korea, U.S. Embassy Seoul, U.S. Air Force
• Nyeemah A. Grazier, Esq. – Patent Attorney-Advisor, United States Patent and Trademark Office, Office of Policy and International Affairs
• Nicole Ibrahim – Deputy Office Director, Office of Cardiovascular Devices, Office of Product Evaluation and Quality, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Department of Health and Human Services
• Mark Jamias – Deputy Section Chief, Office of Strategic Partnerships, Pacific Area, U.S. Coast Guard
• Stephen Money – Deputy Director, Office of Academic Exchange Programs, Department of State
• Major James-Darrell Vallo Racca – Chief of Plans & Programs / C-17A Instructor Pilot, 15th Wing, U.S. Air Force
• Nick Wilson – Foreign Affairs Specialist, Federal Aviation Administration

The Mansfield Fellows participate in twelve months of Japanese language education paired with professional and cultural training in the United States from July 2024 to June 2025, followed by a seven-week intensive Japanese language program in Ishikawa Prefecture and ten months of placements, primarily in Japanese government agencies in Tokyo. This class will deploy to Japan on July 1, 2025, and return on June 30, 2026.

Working side-by-side with their counterparts in Japan’s ministries and agencies, National Diet, and non-governmental organizations, the Fellows will deepen their understanding of Japan’s government and policymaking process. This experience—and the contacts the Fellows make in the Japanese government, business, professional, and academic communities—will contribute to their work on Japan and Asia-related programs and policies when they return to federal government service.

“The U.S.-Japan relationship will be strengthened by the experience and continued careers of these ten outstanding individuals,” said Frank Jannuzi, President and CEO of the Mansfield Foundation. “With this group, the Program has reached a total of more than 200 Mansfield Fellows. This is a milestone accomplishment in building a federal workforce trained in what Ambassador Mansfield called ‘the most important bilateral relationship in the world—bar none.’”

“This new cohort of inspiring professionals will continue to build strong relationships with their Japanese counterparts across a wide range of sectors,” added Benjamin Hiromura, Associate Director of Programs at the Mansfield Foundation. “The Mansfield Fellowship Program will also gain new perspectives in the 29^th class, which includes the first Fellows from the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Space Force, in addition to the Program’s first second-generation Fellow.”

The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that promotes understanding and cooperation in U.S.-Asia relations. It was established in 1983 to honor Mike Mansfield (1903-2001), a revered public servant, statesman, and diplomat who played a pivotal role in many of the key domestic and international issues of the 20th century as U.S. congressman from Montana, Senate majority leader, and U.S. ambassador to Japan. Maureen and Mike Mansfield’s values, ideals, and vision for U.S.-Asia relations continue through the Foundation’s exchanges, dialogues, research, and educational programs, which create networks among U.S. and Asian leaders, explore the underlying issues influencing public policies, and increase awareness about the nations and peoples of Asia. The Foundation has offices in Washington, DC; Tokyo; and Missoula, Montana.