The US-Japan Young Political Leaders Exchange Program is an exchange program for up-and-coming leaders in both countries that began in 1973 in collaboration with the American Council for Young Political Leaders (ACYPL). Although the program began with American political leaders traveling to Japan, in 1981, Japanese delegations also began traveling to the United States, providing an opportunity for them to meet and engage in discussions with US Congressional members, state and local government officials, and nonprofit sector representatives.
Donald Barnett, Mayor, Rapid City, SD
Peter Berle, New York State Assemblyman
Joseph Canada, Virginia State Senator
Michael Dively, Michigan State Senator
Wyche Fowler, Alderman, City of Atlanta, GA
Richard Gimer, Delegate to the United Nations
Joseph Grandmaison, Deputy Director, Democratic Charter Commission
Calvin Hultman, Iowa State Senator
Clifford Kelley, Alderman, City of Chicago, IL
Fred Koory, Majority Whip, Arizona State Senate
Spencer Oliver, Executive Director, ACYPL
Melville Owen, Attorney
Joseph Raymond, Maryland State Senator
Richard Stearns, Special Assistant to Sen. George McGovern
Robert Understein, President, ACYPL
Richard Walsh, Mayor, Kansas City
Michael Antonovich, California State Assemblyman
Gregory Austin, Counsel, US Department of Commerce
Marion Barry, President, City Council, Washington, DC
William Baxley, Attorney General, AL
Sharon Camp, Chair, Maryland Democratic Party
Elizabeth Hanford Dole, Member, Federal Trade Commission
Joe Ford, Arkansas State Senator
David Forward, Chairman, Maryland Republican Party
George Gorton, Treasurer, California Republican Party
Richard Guthman, Alderman, City of Atlanta, GA
Charles Manatt, Chairman, Western Conference Democratic Party
Spencer Oliver, Executive Director, ACYPL
Allen Olson, Attorney General, ND
Robert Plante, Chairman, Washington, DC Republican Party
Robert Schmidt, Vice President, ACYPL (President, Wireless Cable Association)
Melvin Steinberg, Maryland State Senator
Charles Tyson, Chairman, South Dakota Republican Party
Thomas Beasley, Chairman, Tennessee Republican Party
Joseph Brennan, Member, Town Council of West Orange, NJ
Larry Brown, Special Advisor to Rep. Jack Kemp
Joseph Farmer, Executive Director, ACYPL
Luis Granados, Democratic Pollster
Augusta Hornblower, President, Republican Women’s Club of Massachusetts
Gwen Moore, Member, California State Assembly
Carl Officer, Mayor, East St. Louis, IL
Rosemarie Sansone, Member, Boston City Council, MA
Richard Seifman, Executive Director, UNA/USA
Linda Silver, Staff Member, House Foreign Affairs Committee
Christopher Stewart, Director, Greater Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce
Patricia Trendacosta, Assistant Vice President and Government Relations Analyst, Franzel & Share
Kim Wells, Administrative Assistant to Sen. Bob Dole
Catherine Ashley, Executive Director, Ohio State House of Representatives
Don Cogman, Vice President for Government Affairs, MAPCO
Bob Davis, Texas State Representative
Jackson Faris, President, Jack Faris and Associates
Lanny Hall, Texas State Representative
Travis Horel, Legislative Assistant to Sen. John Warner
Walt Klein, Administrative Assistant to Sen. William Armstrong
John Martin, Speaker, Maine State House of Representatives
Patrick Nolan, California State Representative
Jo Ann North, Member, Metropolitan Council of Nashville, Davidson County, TN
Martin Reilly, Massachusetts State Senator
Gary Tumulty, Sangamon County Clerk, IL
William Artist, Colorado State Representative
Chuck Hardwick, New Jersey State Representative
Adonis Hoffman, Legislative Assistant for Foreign Affairs to Rep. Mervyn Dymally
Judy Love, Professional Staff Member, North Carolina Washington Office
Charles Luken, President Pro Tem, Cincinnati City Council, OH
Patsy Madrid, District Court Judge, State of New Mexico
Marian Malashevich, Economist, Joint Economic Committee, US Congress
John Maxwell, Chief Counsel and Staff Director, Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Agency Administration
Denise O’Leary, Program Officer, ACYPL
John Plewa, Wisconsin State Representative
Betty Tamposi, New Hampshire State Representative
Robert Thibeault, Government Relations Manager, Chicago Regional Authority
Thomas Boney, Staff, Senate Agriculture Committee
Stephen Cohen, Tennessee State Senator
Donald Esty, President, Westbrook City Council, ME
Stephen Goldsmith, Marion County Prosecutor, IN
Chris Harris, Texas State Representative
Al Luna, Texas State Representative
Jon Mills, House Majority Leader, Florida State Legislature
Tim McDowell, North Carolina State Senator
Curt Moffat, Legal Counsel, ACYPL
Janet Mullins, Administrative Assistant to US Sen. Mitch McConnell
Jay Pierson, Minority Assistant Manager, US House of Representatives
Steven Saunders, Trustee, ACYPL
Kathy Wilbur, Board of Regents, University of Michigan
Kathleen Bertelsen, Legislative Assistant to US Congressman Sam Gejdenson
Jan Fisher, Ector County Judge, TX
Michael King, Assistant Minority Leader, New Hampshire House of Representatives
Matthew Kisber, Tennessee State Representative
Joseph Malone, Executive Director, Massachusetts Civic Interests Council
Ceci Cole, McInturffSpecial Assistant to President Reagan for Political and Intergovernmental Affairs
Thomas Sansonetti, Chair, Wyoming Republican Party
Robert Schmidt, Vice President, ACYPL
David Walker, Deputy Assistant Secretary, US Department of Labor
Lewis Warshauer, Legislative Director to Congressman Robert Torricelli
David Williams, Kentucky State Senator
William Alexander, North Carolina State Representative
Michael Coursey, Director, Office of Investigations, International Trade Administration, US Department of Commerce
Robert Eckels, Texas State Representative
Evelyn Frazier, Communications Director to Rep. Norman Sisiskey
Allen Gordon, Arkansas State Senator
William Graves, Secretary of State, State of Kansas
Niels Holch, Administrative Assistant/Legislative Director to US Sen. Mitch McConnell
Edward Jagels, District Attorney, Kern County, CA
Michael Lapolla, Chairman, Board of Chosen Freeholders, NJ
Rebecca Tidman, Staff Assistant to Rep. Dante Fascell
Patricia Blake, Councilwoman, City of Mesa, AZ
Thomas Jackson, Member, Virginia House of Delegates
William Lacy, President, The Lacy Company
Stephen McDaniel, Tennessee State Representative
Robert Moore, President, Moore Information Services
Barbara Rohde, Director, Washington Office, MN
Deborah Steelman, Associate Director, Office of Management and Budget OMB
Stratton Taylor, Oklahoma State Representative
Mark Wasserman, Executive Chief for Administration, Office of the Governor of Maryland
Tom Adams, Legislative Assistant to US Rep. Dante Fascell
Katalin Baranski, Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Community, Planning and Development, US Department of Housing and Urban Development
Paul Colbert, Texas State Representative
Charles Dusseau, Metro Dade County Commissioner, FL
Edward Houck, Virginia State Senator
Jeff Huenink, Pennsylvania State Representative
Nancy Jackobson, PAC Director, Democratic National Committee
Daven Oswalt, Executive Director to US Sen. William Armstrong
Susan Ridge, Account Supervisor, Fleishman-Hillard
Michael Wagner, South Dakota State Representative
Terry Campo, Member, Board of Trustees of the ACYPL
Daniel Cooney, Director, Washington DC Office, State of Oklahoma
Paul DeGregorio, Director of Elections, County of St. Louis, MO
Meghan Flaherty, Deputy Director, Office of Political Affairs, The White House
Jim Gonzalez, Supervisor, City and County of San Francisco
Marc Guthrie, Assistant Majority Whip, Ohio State House of Representatives
Wayne King, Minority Whip, New Hampshire State Senate
Sara Hope Smith, Director, Federal Relations, Pacific Telesis Group
Greg Walden, Majority Leader, Oregon State House of Representatives
Thomas Watkins, Ohio State Representative
Sharon Yanagi, Research Analyst, Democratic National Committee
Andrea L. Carroll, Communications Director to US Rep. Bill Alexander
Carol Chumney, Tennessee State Representative
Mike Coffman, Colorado State Representative
Holly Cork, South Carolina State Senator
Angelo Genova, Counsel, New Jersey Democratic Party
Roderick Hastie, Confidential Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Congressional Affairs, US Department of State
Donna Mullins, Legislative Director to US Rep. Dean Gallo
Trevor Potter, Commissioner, Federal Election Commission
Steven Roberts, Candidate for Mayor, City of St. Louis
Steven Ronnel, Legislative Assistant to US Sen. David Pryor
Judy Smith, Arkansas State Representative
John Carona, Texas State Representative
Jay Footlik, Director of Ethnic Affairs, Democratic National Committee
Mary McCarty, Chair, Palm Beach County Commission, FL
Pamela Neary, Minnesota State Representative
Arnetta Osborne, Democratic National Committeewoman
Christopher Rants, Iowa State Representative
Douglas Sosnik, Administrative Assistant to Sen. Chris Dodd
Gregory Thompson, North Carolina State Representative
Mary Anne Thompson, Member, US Small Business Advisory Council
Jeff Wentworth, Texas State Senator
Donald E. Williams, Connecticut State Senator
Ralph Campbell, State Auditor, North Carolina
Roann Destino, State Representative, New York
Skin Edge IV, State Senator, Georgia
Haley Fisackerly, Office of US Sen. Thad Cochran
Darrell Hanson, State Representative, Iowa
Mimi Mager, District of Columbia Director of Congressional Relations, Washington, D.C.
John Morgan, State Representative, Maryland
Ronald Ottinger, Board of Education, San Diego, California
Eric Reeves, City Councilman, Raleigh, North Carolina
Linda Semans, Trippi, McMahon and Squier, Inc.
Kathleen Shanahan, Deputy Director for Economic Development, California