Machelle Baker Sanders was appointed by Governor Cooper in 2021 to lead the North Carolina Department of Commerce, enlisting her experience as former Administration Secretary, strong background as a business leader and her extensive knowledge of what it takes to build a globally competitive workforce. Secretary Sanders’ vision for North Carolina’s post-pandemic economic restoration is to work with partners to attract better paying jobs, support small businesses, and stimulate our state’s innovation and entrepreneurial economy. Her bold and purposeful leadership aims to ensure North Carolina’s diverse state is an inclusive one that works for all people.

Sanders brings 30 years of strong management and leadership experience to Commerce as a seasoned pharmaceutical and biotechnology executive, previously serving as vice president of manufacturing and general manager of Biogen’s largest manufacturing facility in Research Triangle Park. She’s also held leadership positions overseeing manufacturing, global quality assurance and quality control functions at Biogen, Purdue Pharmaceuticals, and Diosynth-Akzo Nobel.

In 2015, Christopher Chung joined the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina
(EDPNC) as Chief Executive Officer and brings more than 25 years of state-level economic
development experience to the role.

As a public-private partnership, the EDPNC is responsible for a number of economic development
functions on behalf of the State of North Carolina, including new business recruitment, existing
business support, international trade and export assistance, small business start-up counseling,
and tourism, sports, and film promotion. With a staff of 70 professionals and an annual operating
budget of more than $25 million, the EDPNC is focused on improving the economic well-being
and quality of life for North Carolina’s more than 10 million residents.

Since 2015, the EDPNC has helped North Carolina win more than 1,260 corporate expansion
projects, resulting in 171,000 announced new jobs and $64 billion in announced new investment
statewide.

Michi Calcagno is Executive Director of the Japan-America Society of North Carolina (JASNC). Prior to working for JASNC, she spent 20 years in the telecommunications industry as an operations professional  with extensive cross-functional and leadership expertise. As a college junior, she studied at Sophia University in Tokyo focusing on Japanese and international business studies. She completed her undergraduate degree in Economics at Lafayette College, and has an MBA from Cornell University.

The Japan-America Society of North Carolina (ノースカロライナ日米協会) is a non-profit dedicated to fostering understanding and connections between individuals and corporations interested in Japan and US-Japan relations. Through cultural events, public affairs, and educational programs across North Carolina, we promote networking and mutual understanding between Americans and Japanese. JASNC serves as a vital resource for knowledge and idea exchange, advancing cooperation and dialogue between the two nations.

Stephen Sumner was appointed by North Carolina State as the NC Japan Center (NCJC) Director in September 2023. Sumner is a graduate of NC State, bringing a wealth of experience and deep commitment to education and fostering connections between NC and Japan. Formerly serving as a First Year Advisor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Sumner has dedicated his post-corporate career to supporting students on their academic journeys.

As Director of the NCJC, Sumner has outlined several ambitious goals and initiatives. His primary focus is on establishing personal relationships with the leadership of Japanese companies in NC, with the aim of enhancing the state’s business environment and contributing to economic growth. Additionally, he envisions creating a space for higher education professionals specializing in Japanese language and Japan-related studies to network and share knowledge.

David Robinson has been the Honorary Consul for Japan in North Carolina since 2015.  He has been the Chairman of the North Carolina Consular Corps since 2018, representing the 20+ heads of diplomatic missions in North Carolina.  In almost three decades as an international lawyer, David has assisted clients in cross-border transactions around the world. He has been to over 55 countries. He has run two US subsidiaries of foreign companies. In addition, he has been politically active in North Carolina for almost three decades.

David perennially serves on more than a dozen boards and commissions, including as a member of the Board of Governors of the North Carolina Bar Association and the NCBA Future of Law Committee.  He has twice chaired the International Law Section and he has been active in the Bar’s Haiti and Lawyer Exchange programs.  He is the recipient of the Dortch Award, the highest award accorded an international lawyer in North Carolina. David is an adjunct professor of Law at Campbell University where he teaches Business Organizations and Global Corporate Compliance.

Tom White has served as the director of the NC State University Economic Development Partnership Office since 2008. His responsibilities include collaborating with economic developers, workforce development professionals and community development leaders to help attract capital investment and employment growth throughout North Carolina. In that role he identifies and recruits NC State faculty, staff and students to participate in corporate recruitment and retention expansion projects with EDP NC, the NC Department of Commerce, the Wake County Economic Development Program, and local economic development commissions, chambers of commerce and workforce boards across the state.

White previously served as the director of the NC Commerce Department Division of Employment and Training as well as the president and chief executive officer of the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce. He currently serves as the chairman of the Research Triangle Foreign Trade Zone Rates Tariff and Legal Review Board, vice chairman of the Coalition on Global Competitiveness and secretary treasurer of LC Industries for the Blind sheltered workshop. White has served as chairman of the Durham United Way Campaign and Board of Directors, chairman of the Durham Day Care Council, president of the Durham Literacy Council and vice chairman of the Emily Krzyzewski Center in Durham. White earned his BA in English from Duke University and his MPA from NC State University.

Jonathan Brewster leads the Business Recruitment Team at the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. Jonathan is a Japan-focused MBA graduate with experience working in Japan in domestic and international sales, promotions, and business strategy. Jonathan has formally served as the Director of the NC Japan Center from 2018 to 2023 and received NC State’s OJonathan Brewster served as Director of the North Carolina Japan Center at NC State University from 2018-2023, where he received NC State’s Outstanding Extension Award. Prior to this, Jonathan worked for nearly a decade in Japan, both as a participant in the JET Program in Shiga Prefecture and at Fujitsu, Ltd. in Tokyo, serving the high performance computing market. Jonathan is a graduate of the University of Delaware (BA, East Asian Studies) and the University of Hawai’i at Manoa (MBA, Japan Emphasis). He currently works at the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina on the Business Recruitment Team.