22nd Class Meets with Deputy Assistant USTR
May 17, 2018
As they near the end of their Fellowship year, the Mansfield Fellows in Japan have begun preparing for the transition from their Tokyo placements back into federal service. On May 8, the ten Fellows participated in a pre-departure orientation session with the Mansfield Foundation’s Tokyo office staff. On May 9, they met with Deputy Assistant USTR for Japan David Boling, who participated in the Fellowship Program as a representative of the U.S. Department of Justice from 1999-2001 and managed the program as vice president of the Mansfield Foundation from 2011-2015. Mr. Boling shared his thoughts on working effectively with Japanese government officials with four members of the twenty-second class of Fellows: Stephen Ching (U.S. Department of State), Luke Deckard (U.S. Air Force), Charles Mahaffey (U.S. Department of State), and Sarah Watson (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). Mansfield Fellows are required to return to federal service for at least two years after their Fellowship year; meeting with alumni Fellows like Mr. Boling helps them navigate this transition and prepare to use the contacts and expertise gained during their Fellowship year upon their return to their home agencies. The twenty-second group of Fellows will finish their placements June 22 and conclude their Fellowship June 30.
