Board Members

Cecelia Shimizu is a 5^th generation Sonoma County native, and the 4^th generation in her family to be President of the Sonoma County Chapter of the JACL. She attended Cali Calmecac Language Academy where she was certified as bilingual, a skill she still utilizes to this day. She then moved on to attend Windsor High School and then Santa Rosa Junior College where she got her AA-T in Psychology and was able to explore other interest in the community. She went on to Sonoma State University where she got her BA in Psychology and officially joined the JACL. She was an inaugural member of the NCWMP District Youth Board as the At Large Member of Events. While on this board she helped organize many events that engaged the youth throughout the district and it sparked her interest to get involved with more local agencies. She joined the Sonoma County JACL as Secretary in 2022. She became president of the Sonoma County Chapter in January of 2024 and is looking forward to getting to meet all the members of the community and holding events to bring everyone together as we come out of COVID. She has a 5 year old cat named Freddy Mercury who she spoils and her hobbies include knitting, reading, baking and spending time with her family and close friends.

Nancy grew up and was part of the Sonoma County Japanese American community. She was an early member of the Jr. JACL group that was started in the 60’s with her brother, Randy, serving as the first president.  She later became president of the group and brought back Keiro Kai as one of our activities. This was right before the group was renamed the Sonoma Co. JAYs.  After raising kids, she was asked to join the Oral History Project and later joined the Sonoma County JACL board, serving as recording secretary, VP-Finance and treasurer. She is also active with Enman no Tomo, a group that brings older people in our community together to socialize, exercise, and do our best to stay young at heart.

Phyllis is a sansei (third generation) Japanese American whose grandparents and a great-grandfather immigrated from Japan to California in the late 1800’s-early 1900’s.  Born in San Jose, California, she grew up on a farm of prune trees and strawberries the first part of her life. Her family moved to Sonoma County when she was a teenager and she became a member of the Sonoma County Jr. JACL from 1967-1971. After attending Santa Rosa Junior College, she returned to San Jose to attend and graduate from San Jose State University.  She worked in San Jose and after getting married, moved to San Francisco. In 1985, she moved back to Sonoma County where she raised two children and worked at Sonoma State University until her retirement.  From early 2000, Phyllis helped with the JACL Oral History Project, rejoined Sonoma County JACL, and later became a board member. She is a committee member of several other community organizations and is grateful to live in the company of family, good friends and allies.

Sachiko Knappman is currently a VP of membership for Sonoma County JACL Board.

She was born and raised in Kobe, Japan, and has been living in Sonoma County for the last 40 years. She really feels this is her home.

She is also involved with the Peace Crane Project, an anti-nuclear organization, and the Rohnert Park Sister City Committee. She has always been interested in promoting sustainable life styles and world peace. She served as a board member for the Sonoma Co. Peace and Justice Center some years ago. She is a volunteer for the Sonoma Co. JACL’s Speakers’ Bureau. This group visits schools and other local organizations to talk about the importance of diversity, equality and justice among all people using the experience of the Japanese American community during World War II. She also does cultural presentations including tea ceremony at schools and organizations.

Sachiko feels grateful to be a part of the JACL and feels our organization has a lot of potential.

Now that she is a grandmother of two grandsons, she feels even more committed to make the world a better place for all.

Her love is working with textiles, including sewing, knitting and embroidering. Her passion is also cooking especially the types of home cooking she grew up with in Japan.

Janet Tajii moved to Sonoma County in 2018 with her husband Ron Tajii after his retirement. Janet grew up in Altadena, CA.  She went to John Muir High School (school of Jackie Robinson and Renee Tajima-Peña) and attended UC Irvine where she was on the swim and water polo teams, got a BS in Math, and met Ron. After graduation, she went to work for Northrup as a Systems Engineer for the B2 program. Later she worked for Hughes Aircraft and they moved to Washington D.C. to support a program. She had her first son, Chris, in 1988 (incidentally, the same hospital in Falls Church, VA. where she was born 26 years previously). Soon after, the family moved back to Torrance, CA and had Kevin in 1990, and Brian in 1994. Janet kept busy raising the three boys, and in addition, volunteering in school classrooms, serving as Committee chair for Cub Scouts, serving as president of the West High Band Parent Association, and as PTA president for middle and high schools. Her PTA service culminated as President of the Torrance District Council of PTA Presidents in the 30-school district. Janet loves her new life in Sonoma County and became a JACL board member in 2019 (currently VP of Finance and Scholarship Committee Chairman). Janet also volunteers for the United Way VITA program as an income tax preparer, and was a reading tutor at Wilson Elementary school. Her hobbies includes baking, quilting, reading, travel, and spoiling her grandchildren.

Born in San Jose, CA, Ron and his family moved to Sonoma County in 1964 when he was 6.  He went to El Molino High School and SRJC and was active in sports and the Japanese American Youth (youth branch of the JACL).  He served as President of Sonoma County JAYs and then as National Chairperson for JACL JAYs. He went on to UC Irvine getting a BS in Math, and where he met his wife, Janet.  After Graduation from UCI, he went to work for an aerospace company as SW systems engineer and later an Engineering Manager in space programs and image understanding R&D. He lived in Torrance, CA and raised 3 boys (Chris, Kevin, and Brian) with Janet.  Besides work, he was active in coaching youth sports, school activities (band and PTA, mostly in support of his wife), and a Boy Scout adult leader for 18 years (11 years as a Scoutmaster).  He was most proud of assisting over 50 scouts obtain the Eagle rank during his tenure as Scoutmaster. Upon retirement in 2018, he moved back to Sonoma County and became active in the JACL as a board member in 2019 (currently VP of Cultural and Community Programs). Other than the JACL, he is also on the board of Sebastopol World Friends (a sister city org) and has volunteered preparing and serving meals at COTS Mary Isaak Center.  His hobbies are enjoying wine, cooking, gardening, travel, and spoiling his grandchildren.

Bruce is a fourth generation Sonoma County native, having grown up on a chicken ranch in Cotati. He attended local area primary & secondary schools, Santa Rosa Junior College, and received his AS from the College of Marin. He continued his education at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, earning a BS in Landscape Architecture, and is a MS Candidate in Architecture. Bruce is married to Karen (Neuman), has 4 children and 2 grandchildren. They share their home in Windsor with their daughter Cecelia, Makanani (Husky), Freddie & Queenie (cats), chickens, a dozen Koi.

He has worked as a landscape architect and has spent most of his professional life as a real estate developer, building affordable homes for working families in the North Bay. Prior to attending college, he served as a hospital corpsman/paramedic in the US Coast Guard. His nonprofit experience is diverse with positions in civil rights, affordable housing and agriculture.  Bruce was the National Youth Director for the Japanese American Citizens League, affordable housing developer with Burbank Housing & Ecumenical Association for Housing, MidPen Housing, Habitat for Humanity, and Catholic Charities, Chief Operations Officer with California FarmLink, and Executive Director of Sonoma County Farm Trails. 

He currently works as a Housing Specialist/Senior Project Manager with LACO Associates, a civil engineering and planning firm in their Santa Rosa office. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Sonoma County Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League and is a member of the Chapter’s Speakers Bureau. Bruce is also one of the founders of Sonoma County Taiko, a local community based Japanese drumming group.

Bruce’s life has been dedicated to serving the community and believes in finding sustainable solutions to problems that balance the needs of the planet, its people, and creates prosperity for all.

Amy is an accomplished Director of Human Resources SHRM-SCP, she graduated from the University of California, Davis with a BA in Psychology. Amy has focused on organizational culture, mentorship and development of an inclusive, diverse and equitable workplace. 

Joining the JACL was influenced by her upbringing in Sonoma County, and her value of giving back to her community. Amy is a current Sonoma County JACL board member, board member of the Enmanji Buddhist Temple and board member of the California Bankers Association ERISA Trust Committee.