Board of Directors
Yoshinori H. T. Himel
President
Yoshinori Himel is a 1975 King Hall graduate, a part-time law teacher there, and a retired Assistant United States Attorney. He wrote his first computer program in 1955 and got his bachelor's in mathematics from Harvard. He was ABAS's founding President. ABAS, the State Bar, VLSP, the King Hall Alumni Association, and others have honored him for his pro bono work. He has been president of the Foundation since 1999.
Henry D. Nanjo
Secretary
Henry D. Nanjo, Secretary, who has a decade in private practice as a litigator and over twenty years as a government lawyer, currently is Chief Counsel with the CA State Board of Equalization. He is a past President of ABAS, Asian/Pacific Bar Assn. of CA, and the APSEA Foundation. Henry is a founding member of CAPITAL, and continues to be active in a number of community and church activities.
Jerilyn Paik
CFO/Treasurer
Jerilyn (“Jeri”) Paik formed the ABAS Law Foundation in 1997, and is the CFO. She serves as a co-chair of the Speaker Series and formerly chaired the ABAS annual golf tournament. When not helping her favorite non-profit, she can be reached at her law firm. She is certified by the State Bar of CA, Bd. of Legal Specialization, as a specialist in her principal areas of practice, which are estate planning, probate and trust administration. For more information about her, visit www.jplawoffice.com.
Michael K. Iwahiro
Board Member
Mike was born in Los Angeles, raised in Sacramento, schooled at Berkeley, and learned hard work as a farmhand on his grandparents' North Shore, Oahu farm. Mike believes his 30+ years of experience as a business attorney helps him serve the board well. He has been with the Foundation long enough to be a part of the steady push to expand program and service offerings and looks forward to continuing that effort along with the fundraising necessary to sustain it. Email Mike at miwahiro@lawburton.com
Joshua Kaizuka
Board Member
Joshua Kaizuka has been on the board since 2012 and works on a number of educational and fundraising events for the Law Foundation. He is a past President of the Asian/Pacific Bar Association of Sacramento (ABAS) and is the co-chair of the civil rights committee and co-president for Florin chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL). Josh is a criminal defense lawyer by day and enjoys touring the country on a motorcycle in his free time.
Jeannie Lee Jones
Board Member
Jeannie Lee Jones was the ABAS President in 2010 and served on the SCBA as an elected board member from 2011-2014. She has previously interned for LSNC and volunteered in VLSP’s debt collection clinic. Ms. Jones has helped plan and organize numerous events such as the annual ABAS dinner and the SCBA Bench Bar reception.
Kathryn E. Doi
Board Member
Kara K. Ueda
Board Member
Kara Ueda practices municipal law at Best Best & Krieger LLP. She is a 2000 King Hall graduate and an adjunct professor there. Kara is a past President of the Asian/Pacific Bar Association of Sacramento (ABAS). Kara can be reached at kara.ueda@bbklaw.com.
Christopher S. Alvarez
ABAS Representative - Board Member
Chris Alvarez practices labor and employment law at Fisher & Phillips LLP. He is the current President for the Asian/Pacific Bar Association of Sacramento and a board member of the Sacramento Filipino Lawyers Association.