Meet Denise Matsuoka

"I love to travel. I recently purchased a small flat in Italy with 2 friends. The town has medieval and Roman roots and our building was originally built in the 1600s. Other favorite destinations have been South Africa, Victoria Falls in Zambia, Highclere Castle (aka Downton Abbey), and Provence in the South of France. 

Another passion is visiting (and hiking in) our national parks. My favorite so far: Denali. I'm not afraid of a craft project so when I find time at home I will be attempting to make ornaments, cards, hats, quilts, and whatever Instagram thinks I need to try."

Meet Mark Kuroda

“I am Yonsei.  Last September, I was married to Diana.   I have two nephews that are so much fun, and hope to have a family of my own soon.

My grandparents were very proud to be Japanese, and that definitely rubbed off on me. Since a very young age, it always felt like home. We would come and visit my Aunties the day after Christmas and it always felt like a homecoming. 

I love the Bay Area - the skiing, wine, diverse restaurants, and the Asian population.

I am studying Film at SFSU with hopes of changing the ways that Asian people are depicted in the media. I love cycling, enjoy running, and swimming too, but played Baseball until college, as a 2nd baseman. I’ve always enjoyed automobiles, and love driving on the local Bay Area race tracks. Thunderhill being my favorite.”

Meet Lori Kozen

Lori is currently a Managing Director in KPMG LLP’s Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) practice in their Silicon Valley office. She is currently participating in a Professional Practice Rotational Program with the KPMG National office. She has more than eighteen years of experience providing services related to financial statement audits, audit of internal controls, and financial reporting. She holds a B.S. in Business Administration from UC Berkeley.

Outside of the office, Lori and her husband Joji Maekawa enjoy spending time with their 3-year-old daughter, Blake, and French bulldog, Sumo. Blake currently attends Lotus Pre-school within San Jose’s Japantown. Lori is an avid sports fan (49ers, GSW, Giants/A’s), fantasy football and survivor league player, snowboarding. As a family, she enjoys camping and traveling (been to all 7 continents).

As the descendant of Japanese American immigrant farm workers and the granddaughter and daughter of family members that were incarcerated during the war, Lori has embraced this opportunity to get more involved with the museum. Further, as a mother of a Gosei daughter, she values the mission of the museum to preserve and share Japanese American history, culture, and art for future generations and to others more broadly. Lastly, as an alumni of the Suzume no Gakko and CYS programs she wants to give back to the same community that helped in her early development. Lori is looking forward to bringing her perspectives and professional skill sets to the Board while expanding the vision and mission for the museum.

Meet Kristina Kozen

Kristina has a 13 month old son, Klayton Shigeru Hines Kozen. Outside of work and spending time with her family, she enjoys hiking, trips to Tahoe, playing in an adult volleyball league, swimming, being outside, and rooting on her Bay Area sports teams.

Kristina is a fourth-generation Japanese American, both her parents grew up in the Japanese American internment camps during World War II (Topaz and Gila River). Kristina grew up with ties to SJ Japantown, having attended Sunday School at Wesley Methodist as a child, attending Suzeme No Gakko, and playing CYS sport (baseball, volleyball, and basketball). At UC Berkeley she was involved in the Nikkei Student Union  (where she met Vanessa Hatekyama, Museum Operations Manager).

Having moved back to the Bay Area 5 years ago, navigating the pandemic, being closer to family, and starting a family of her own has helped to renew her passion to preserve and share the Japanese American history and culture, especially for her Japanese American “Gosei” son and the younger generations.

Meet Carolyn Brown

In November 2022 Carolyn retired from a career in health care that spanned 51 years and included roles as a critical care nurse, executive leader, and educator. 

Carolyn is looking forward to spending more time with her husband, two sons, one who lives in Sunnyvale and the other in Los Angeles, and her two cats. She loves going to the movies. This year she is planning to visit Hawaii and Heart Mountain, Wyoming. 

Carolyn is very excited about working with JAMsj, reconnecting with the Japanese American community, continuing her work in diversity and equity, and is even planning to learn to speak Japanese.

This picture was taken at the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles when she and her husband Richard attended the premier of Top Gun Maverick.