Meet Our Staff

Until the 1980's, JASSW was run entirely by volunteers; today, our staff consists of three full-time professionals and our Board of Directors is headed by an annually elected Chair and composed of local and state leaders in business, government, education and the arts.

Carie Cable - Executive Director

A long-time close observer of Japan and East Asia, Carie has returned to Seattle from Los Angeles, where she was executive director of the Asia Society Southern California Center and director of special projects for the Pacific Asia Museum. Her previous work in Seattle includes director of business development for Weber Shandwick International, Asian communications manager for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, executive director of the Japan- America Society of the State of Washington (1986-1989), and vice president of the Washington Council on International Trade. Her editorials about policy issues in Japan have been published by news media outlets such as The Seattle Times and The Nikkei Weekly (Tokyo).

Carie earned a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology at the University of Washington and a Master of Public Administration at the Harvard Kennedy School. She has studied and worked in Japan for six years and has traveled extensively in Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, The Philippines and the Peoples Republic of China.

Akiko Olson - Japan in the Schools Program Coordinator

My name is Akiko Olson, the Japan in the schools coordinator. I started as a volunteer with JIS in 2008 and became coordinator on October 13, 2009. I love what I do here at Japan America Society, helping to establish an acknowledgement of Japan or Japanese culture in our community.

Meeting lots of kind people and getting involved with schools by coordinating visits or planning events is a real thrill for me. Talking to young students in a classroom setting is also thoroughly enjoyable. It is truly a pleasure to share what I know about Japan to someone who is interested in my home country!

Erika Fiebig - Administrative & Program Assistant

Erika has been involved in Japan-Washington relations since she was 11 when her parents were selected as the Seattle-Kobe Sister City exchange teachers. She returned to Japan four years later as a Rotary International exchange student in Kumamoto. She studied cello performance and Japanese at Oberlin College before completing her degree at The Evergreen State College in Olympia. She worked as an animation art gallery manager, in administration positions, as a private music teacher, and even directed a play as adjunct faculty at South Puget Sound Community College. Erika volunteered with Japan in the Schools for two years before joining the staff of the Society in 2010.