Governing Board Members

Mr. Barnett is Owner of an International Business and IT Consulting company. He has over 20 years’ experience in managing projects ranging from Corporate Financial migrations, Global Mergers and Acquisitions and Healthcare improvements. His business has allowed him to travel throughout Europe and Asia, including Japan and India, and has learned and appreciates the many cultures of the world. He has an Accounting degree from Auburn University with a Master’s Degree from Vanderbilt and one from Troy University.

He has raised three daughters who are now all adults. Mr. Barnett is a member of the Japan-America Society of Georgia and enjoys traveling and most outdoor sports including golf, tennis, hiking and mountain biking.

Mellissa Takeuchi is a Senior Project Manager at the Georgia Department of Economic Development specializing in Japanese investment. She is tasked with bringing more Japanese companies to Georgia. In addition, she travels the state to better understand the local communities, including all of their unique characteristics and strengths and to assist them in attracting more Japanese businesses. She took over this role in February of 2021.

Ms. Takeuchi is fluent in Japanese and has nearly 20 years of experience working with Japanese companies and public entities. She earned her B.A. in International Affairs and Economics from George Washington University. Prior to joining the Georgia Department of Economic Development, she held various roles at the Consulate-General of Japan in Atlanta for 8 years. Previously she worked as a Bilingual Executive Assistant at Toppan Interamerica in McDonough, Georgia, as well as serving 5 years as an Assistant Language Teacher on the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. She lived and worked just outside of Kobe, Japan for 6 years and has remained connected to Japan and the local Japanese community in Atlanta ever since.

Ms. Takeuchi is a member of the Japan-America Society of Georgia, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Georgia, and the Georgia Economic Developers Association.

Ms. Takeuchi is a native of Conyers, Georgia. She now lives in Marietta with her husband and their two pugs and four cats. In her free time she likes to travel and (attempting) to cook Japanese food.

Tripp Morgan has been the controller for REMAS Corporation and Vanguard Property Management, a private real estate asset management company for over 30 years and has served as the Vice President for ten years. His responsibilities have included budgeting, financial reporting and partnership tax return preparation.

Tripp graduated from Mercer University’s Stetson School of Business and Economics, earning Bachelor and Master of Business Administration degrees in Finance. Prior to joining REMAS Corporation, he taught Marketing at Crandall Junior College in Macon, GA.

Tripp lives in West Cobb County with his wife Nozomi, their Great Pyrenees Pierce and Calico Cat Lily. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling with his wife and gardening and landscaping.

Daniela Britton is a lawyer, writer, and research professional. She is licensed to practice law in Germany and the United States (Georgia) and currently serves as a Staff Attorney at DeKalb County State Court, handling complex civil litigation matters.

Daniela grew up in Mainz, Germany and got her J.D.-equivalent degree after graduating from Albert Ludwigs University in Freiburg i. Brsg., Germany. After obtaining her bar license in 1999, she worked as a transactional and entertainment lawyer in a boutique law firm in Berlin, Germany. In 2007, she got a Master of Arts degree in Journalism from Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz and subsequently worked as a Legal Editor for a nationally acclaimed trade publication.

After moving to the United States in 2011, she worked at the law firm Arnall Golden Gregory, specializing in business immigration and international litigation, before establishing her own company where she provided language services for multinational law firms, agencies, and individuals and managed a team of experts in financial fraud and other white-collar crime investigations. She was admitted to the Georgia Bar in 2019 after graduating from Georgia State University College of Law.

Daniela serves the global community in Atlanta as a volunteer and board member of several cultural and non-profit organizations. Daniela’s interest in Japan originated in her love for modern Japanese literature. She is currently studying Japanese and is a member of the Japan-America Society of Georgia.

Debra Owen was born in New York and raised in the small town of Shelter Island, NY. After a successful career in corporate banking in New York City and the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area, she moved with her family to Atlanta in 2007.

Deeply committed to building cultural connections and fostering community engagement, Debra serves as Co-Chair of the Tomodachi Club (a Japanese and American women’s cultural exchange club), Liaison Officer for the Asian Pacific Children’s Convention (APCC) program, and a board member of her neighborhood HOA. She is also an active volunteer with the Japan-America Society of Georgia, supporting programs that strengthen the ties between Japan and the United States.

Outside of her volunteer leadership roles, Debra enjoys running—having completed nine marathons—practicing Taido karate as a first-degree black belt, golfing, and traveling. She speaks Japanese and French, and values opportunities to connect with people from diverse backgrounds. Debra lives in Atlanta, GA, with her husband and two dogs.

Having spent her early life between Japan, America, and Europe, Mrs. Ahearn knows firsthand the difficulties and the great benefits of living in more than one culture. Throughout her career, she has striven to provide similar experiences to others. She started a Dual Language program and pioneered service-learning and peace-education initiatives in Atlanta in 2004. Mrs. Ahearn believes in a future of peaceful international cooperation, where individuals from different cultures interact with open hearts and minds. Having worked both in the classroom and in administrative roles as principal, Mrs. Ahearn’s ideals are matched by the hands-on experience of running an educationally-sound and financially-viable school. Mrs. Ahearn obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in International Law from the International Christian University in Japan in 1982, a Bachelor of Music from Southern Methodist University in Texas in 1986 and a Master’s Degree in Education from Central Michigan University in 2005. The area of her research focus has been Dual Language immersion education for the last 15 years. She was named one of the 25 Most Influential Asian Americans in Georgia in 2019. She taught Japanese at Oglethorpe University, Lagrange College, and Spelman College.

Mr. Johnson is a longtime Atlanta lawyer with strong ties to the local Japanese community. After living in Japan for several years in the early 1980s, Mr. Johnson obtained his Juris Doctor from Brigham Young University in 1988. Since then he has worked at the law firms Jones Day and Ogletree Deakins. He is currently employed at Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC. He specializes in Business Immigration law and International Business law in general. Aside from the legal expertise, he brings to ICAGeorgia, his good standing in the community is evident in his membership in a number of professional and non-profit organizations. Since 2007 he has been recognized as a Leader in Business Immigration by Chambers USA. He is an Executive Board Member as well as the former Chairman of the Japan-America Society of Georgia. Email Mr. Johnson.

After graduating from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in French, Dr. Barfield spent nearly twenty years teaching in Cobb County high schools. He went on to obtain a Master’s Degree in Secondary Education and a Ph.D. in Language Education. Since 2004, he has held a number of administrative-level positions with various school districts and educational organizations, including World Language Coordinator at Fulton County Schools and Lead Program Specialist in World Languages and Global Initiatives with the Georgia Department of Education. In these positions, Dr. Barfield worked closely with educators and students, developing Dual Language curricula and training teachers in best practices. His professional experiences have led to his recognition as one of the leading authorities on Dual Language education in the state of Georgia. To date, he has offered his support to a number of local, Dual Language charter schools, including International Charter School of Atlanta and Globe Academy.

Partner, Alston & Bird LLP: Mr. Shimizu has practiced law in the State of Georgia since 1996. His familiarity with the law has been an invaluable asset to ICAGeorgia in its founding period. A leading member of the Japanese community in Atlanta, Mr. Shimizu serves on the boards of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Georgia and the Japan-America Society of Georgia.

Professor Noriko Takeda retired as Senior Lecturer of Japanese at Emory University. As professor of Japanese at Emory for more than 25 years, she knows well the challenges and advantages of studying Japanese. She also is one of the founders of the Georgia Association of Teachers of Japanese and served as its president for many years. In 2021, Prof. Takeda received the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Japan-America Society of Georgia and GATJ. She is widely known for her devoted and caring teaching style and great leadership.

Kennesaw State University: A preeminent voice in mathematics education in both Japan and the United States, Dr. Watanabe brings a true mastery of elementary education to ICAGeorgia. Currently a professor of Mathematics Education at Kennesaw State University, he has previously taught at Pennsylvania State University and Towson University in Towson, Maryland. He has translated many Japanese math assessments into English and served on a committee that prepared Mathematics Frameworks for the State Department of Education.

Ms. Cork is Vice President of Community Engagement and Communications at YKK Corporation of America. Her primary responsibilities include managing government relations, public relations, and corporate communications for YKK Corporation’s North and Central America Group; serving as the regional liaison with YKK corporate headquarters in Japan for global public relations and communications; planning corporate events; managing the region’s corporate philanthropy and community outreach programs; and leading the Group’s Philosophy and Core Values initiative.

Ms. Cork is fluent in Japanese and has more than two decades of experience working in Japanese organizations. She has B.A. in Japanese Language and Literature from the University of Massachusetts, and an M.A. in Advanced Japanese Studies from the University of Sheffield in the U.K. Prior to joining YKK, she worked as the Adviser for Educational and Cultural Affairs at the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta and spent 3 years as a Coordinator for International Relations in Hiroshima, Japan.

Ms. Cork currently serves as Chair of The Japan-America Society of Georgia and is a member of the Communication Committee of The Georgia Council on Economic Education. She has four children and has traveled to 25 counties around the world.