Thirtieth Group of Mansfield Fellows Announced

NEWS RELEASE – January 12, 2026

(Washington, DC)  The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation is pleased to announce the thirtieth class of Mansfield Fellows, eight federal employees who will be working and living in Japan from July 2026 to June 2027.

The Mike Mansfield Fellowship Program was established by Congress in 1994 to build a corps of U.S. government officials with deep specialized expertise on matters concerning Japan. The 2026 cohort will join a community of more than 200 alumni Fellows, representing dozens of federal agencies 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 thirtieth class of Mansfield Fellows include:

• James Baker-McKee – Policy Analyst, Digital Health, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Captain John Collins – Flight Commander, 70th Operations Support Squadron, U.S. Air Force
• Aaron Cook – Senior Attorney-Advisor, Regulations & Rulings, Office of Trade, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• Dr. Dominique Duval-Diop – Deputy Chief Data Officer, Office of the Undersecretary for Economic Affairs, U.S.  Department of Commerce
• Daniel Muller – Director, International Affairs Office, National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce
• Captain Claire Park –Major Command Budget Analyst, Headquarters United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa Financial Management, U.S. Air Force
• Captain Joshua Santini – Deputy, Chief Spacecraft Systems Engineer, Electro-Optical Systems Program Office, National Reconnaissance Office, U.S. Space Force
• Nell Williams, PhD – Senior Enforcement Officer, Office of the Whistleblower, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, U.S. Department of the Treasury

This class of Mansfield Fellows will participate in nine months of professional, cultural, and language training prior to their July 2026 deployment to Japan. There, the Fellows will conduct a seven-week intensive Japanese language program in Ishikawa Prefecture followed by ten months of placements, primarily in Japanese government agencies in Tokyo. 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.  This experience—and the contacts the Fellows make in the Japanese government and in the business, professional, and academic communities—will contribute to their work on Japan and Asia-related issues and advance U.S.-Japan bilateral relations.   The thirtieth class will continue the Program’s thirty-year legacy of investing in human capital development, strengthening subject matter expertise and institutional capacity at agencies across the U.S. Government.  

“The thirtieth class of Fellows is a significant milestone for our Program,” said Frank Jannuzi, President and CEO of the Mansfield Foundation. “These individuals build on a legacy of hundreds of previous Fellows who have contributed to a vibrant alliance between the United States and Japan across more than three decades. The leaders of the United States and Japan have heralded a ‘new golden age’ between our countries, and Mansfield Fellows stand at the vanguard of these strengthened ties.”

“The United States and Japan enjoy what Ambassador Mike Mansfield called ‘the most important bilateral relationship in the world – bar none,’” added Benjamin Hiromura, Associate Director of Programs at the Mansfield Foundation. “This class of Fellows will serve the ‘bar none relationship’ by developing skills and connections in trade, security, and public service fields, and we look forward to preparing the class for their year in Japan with the language and cultural knowledge to best leverage that experience.”

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 20^th 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.   

This 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.