Jeff Mori Recognized as ‘Local Hero’
By J.K. Yamamoto
Community leader Jeff Mori was among those recognized as “Local Heroes” by KQED and Union Bank on May 4 during a ceremony at the PBS station’s studios in San Francisco.
In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, KQED aired brief profiles of the four honorees throughout May.
George Tanaka, senior vice president for retail specialized markets at Union Bank, said, “Our commitment to celebrate the contributions of local Latinos, Asian Pacific Islanders and African Americans has remained strong since the program’s inception. We join PBS stations throughout the state of California in sponsoring ceremonies that recognize our diverse communities during Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, and of course Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
“Tonight we celebrate our vibrant Asian Pacific Islander community in Northern California by honoring some of its most influential members.”
He added, “At Union Bank, diversity is an important part of our heritage … We take pride that our company is inclusive of many diverse ideas, experiences, perspectives and people, and we are humbled that our efforts to support diversity within our workplace and among our customers and vendors have received national recognition. We know that our continued success as a company is directly related to our investing in the communities where we operate, and we will continue to play an integral part in those communities.”
Mori is the executive director of Asian American Recovery Services (AARS), a non-profit community organization that provides specialized substance abuse services to Asian and Pacific Islander communities in San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. He has developed strategies of prevention by having young people interact with their peers through such initiatives as Club Impact in East Palo Alto, which reflects the needs and culture of the Pacific Islander community.
He was executive director of Japanese Community Youth Council (JCYC) for 23 years and has served on the San Francisco Citizens’ Committee on Community Development, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission, and the California Coastal Commission.
He has also been honored by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the U.S. Senate, the California State Assembly, the Asian Business League of San Francisco, and the San Francisco Foundation, among others.
In thanking those who helped him along the way, Mori said, “I do have to look back and see what put me in the place that I was able to work and make the commitment to help many people, and I go back to one particular person in mind … When I needed to get a letter to go to college — I wasn’t a very good high school student — I was introduced by Richard Wada to his father Yori, who was director of the Buchanan YMCA in San Francisco.
“As I started to work at the Japanese Community Youth Council, a fledgling organization, I had right down the street from me, four or five blocks away, a mentor who was committed to working with young people in the African American community and the Japanese community in the Western Addition. He served under two governors as the first Asian UC Board of Regents member and many other commissions.
“For 25 years before he passed on, I had the luxury of having a mentor who taught how to build a community organization, work with a board of directors. He introduced me to politicians and taught me that in order to change society we needed to do our work and be able legislate through the process. He taught me how to coalition-build … I had a golden umbrella for many years at JCYC as executive director.”
Yori Wada passed away in 1997 at the age of 80.
Mori also introduced JCYC’s current executive director, Jon Osaki, and noted that the organization is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. “So as long as you are successful, Jon, my reputation is intact,” he joked.
Other mentors cited by Mori included Rep. Nancy Pelosi, now speaker of the House of Representatives; the late Rep. Phil Burton and his brother, former State Sen. John Burton; former Mayor Dianne Feinstein, now a U.S. senator; former Mayor Willie Brown; and Norman Mineta, who was mayor of San Jose before becoming a congressman and a member of the Cabinet.
“That taught me a lot because they were all politicians who believed very much that they needed to represent their total constituency, no matter what community you lived in, no matter what race or ethnic group … It was a privilege to represent people in public life, and a responsibility.”
Noting that he is approaching 60 and AARS is celebrating its 25th anniversary, Mori said, “I owe young people, the colleagues I have here, the best years of my life ahead to listen to them and to help them prepare as best as possible an organization that will last another 25 years and help them be prepared to assume the leadership and take it farther than I could ever imagine.”
Mori thanked his wife of more than 29 years, Sandy, also a well-known community leader, his three sisters, and “the supporters and friends that I’ve been lucky to have over these years.” He accepted the award on behalf of “my heroes” and “everybody that I’ve worked with.”
Also honored were:
• Vane Feuy Chao, a mental health counselor for the last 24 years at Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI), the largest community-based organization focused on the health and well-being of Asians in Santa Clara County, and past president of the Lao-Mien Association of Santa Clara County.
• Kennith Lee, who left the corporate world to work for the San Francisco Unified School District as a classroom teacher at Commodore Stockton Elementary School (now Gordon J. Lau), counselor at Marina Middle School, and counselor and dean at Presidio Middle School prior to his current position as the assistant principal at Francisco Middle School.
• Sue Lee, executive director of the Chinese Historical Society of America Museum, former member of the San Francisco Planning Commission and director of economic development under Mayor Brown, and co-founder of the Richmond District Neighborhood Center.
In addition to the awards, the honorees received certificates of recognition from the State Senate, State Assembly and San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
Other speakers included John Boland, president and CEO of KQED Public Media; David Lee, a member of the KQED Board of Directors; and Michael Isip, KQED vice president of TV content.
The event concluded with a performance of “Sansa Odori” by Ensohza Minyoshu, a Japanese folk music and dance ensemble based in the Bay Area, and a reception featuring music by the Francis Wong Trio
Past KQED honorees from the Japanese American community:
2009
Caryl Ito, Pacific Asian American Women Bay Area Coalition
Dean Ito Taylor, Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach
2008
Cathy Inamasu, Nihonmachi Little Friends
2007
Betty Kinoshita, San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin Sangha Crafters
Norm Ishimoto, Kiyomura-Ishimoto Associates
2006
Jon Osaki, Japanese Community Youth Council
2005
Jerrold Hiura DDS, California Arts Council
Akio “Joe” Shimizu, Alameda County Mental Health Services
2004
Linda Asato, Wu Yee Children’s Services
2003
Takumi Matsuba, Japantown Merchants Association
Dr. Emily Sano, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
2002
Ruth Asawa, sculptor
Ken Iwagaki, Japanese American Resource Center/Museum (now Japanese American Museum of San Jose)
2001
Linda Jofuku, Yu-Ai Kai
Allen Okamoto, T. Okamoto & Co.
2000
Janice Mirikitani, Glide Foundation
Steve Nakajo, Kimochi Inc.
1999
David Kakishiba, East Bay Asian Youth Center
1998
Fred Korematsu, Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient
Nancy Yoshihara Mayeda, Rooftop Alternative School
Dale Minami, Asian Law Caucus co-founder
1997
Clara Miyano, Cherry Blossom Festival Senior Appreciation Brunch honoree
1996
Jimi Yamaichi, San Jose Japantown volunteer
1995
Ann Igarashi Boylan, Alvarado Middle School
1994
Florence Hongo, Japanese American Curriculum Project (now Asian American Curriculum Project)
Sox Kitashima, National Coalition for Redress and Reparations
Beckie Masaki, Asian Women’s Shelter
