In Memoriam: Marybel Balendonck

The National Bonsai Foundation and greater bonsai community celebrates the life of brilliant bonsai artist Marybel Balendonck, who passed away at age 97 in California in February 2023. 

Balendonck was born and raised in Texas, working an assortment of odd jobs (even obtaining a pilot’s license!) before moving to California in the 1960s. Asian arts captivated her, and she began to teach herself bonsai through books, starting her formal training in 1965. She was one of John Naka’s principal students and dear friends but also studied under prominent artists like Melba Tucker and Harry Hirao.

Since her introduction to bonsai, her passion for the art only grew, and she became thoroughly involved in the bonsai community, once saying that "bonsai combines many of the best aspects of art and nature.”

Balendonck was one of the founding members of the NBF Board of Directors (serving until 2020) and an original member of Kofu Bonsai Kai, a Southern California-based bonsai club. She served in several bonsai club leadership positions, including the Santa Anita Bonsai Society, California Bonsai Society, Golden State Bonsai Federation and a founding member of California Aiseki Kai. She was also the first non-Japanese member of Nampu Kai Bonsai – John Naka’s exclusive bonsai club.

Naka (in overalls) and Nampu Kai members gather including Marybel (in yellow) around a tree during a 2003 meeting in California

“There was hardly any separation between John and Marybel, they were that close,” Former NBF President and Chair Emeritus Felix Laughlin said. “Her legacy will be the Museum’s John Y. Naka Pavilion and the iterations of it in future renovations. Marybel was the real deal and a great and tenacious fighter and promoter of NBF and the Museum.”

Left: John Naka and wife Alice Naka with Marybel

Right: Marybel (orange), John Naka, Nay Komai, Barbara Hall Marshall, Cheryl Manning and Alice Naka

Besides her support for the Naka Pavilion, which houses the North American collection, Balendonck was a key player in the fundraising efforts for several Museum structures and was known for her generous heart. The California Bonsai Society and other friends of Marybel helped to fund the Research Center of the Museum’s exhibits gallery, recognizing her contributions toward the Museum’s completion. 

“Legend has it that during a banquet at a bonsai convention in California she locked all the doors except one, where she put a table and chair in front of and no one could leave unless they gave to the North American Pavilion construction project,” former NBF Co-President Jack Sustic said. “Not sure if that's the exact truth, but knowing Marybel I wouldn't put it past her!”

Her trees were displayed in venues like the Huntington Library and Gardens, Los Angeles County Arboretum, the Japanese American Cultural Center Los Angeles and the Bowers Museum in Orange County, California. Her Chinese Elm, shown left and donated to the Museum in 1990, was once on display at the White House. She was awarded the 1994 Ben Oki Award by the American Bonsai Society.

Marybel also has several stones, including a dobutsu-seki, or animal-shaped stone, in collections all over the world. 

“I have so much respect and admiration for Marybel and consider myself fortunate to be able to call her friend,” Sustic said. “Never one to hide her opinions or waver in her views, one knew exactly where they stood in her eyes. We came to be close friends and her support of me, as a friend and as curator has meant the world to me and I'm eternally grateful for both.”  

Marybel, middle, at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Naka Pavilion in November 1988.

Bonsai is Best of D.C. 2022

You voted, and the results are in! Washington City Paper has published this year’s Best of D.C. with promising results. We sincerely appreciate all of our supporters who worked to recognize the National Bonsai Foundation, the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum and the U.S. National Arboretum in so many categories. 

The results show that the Museum, the Foundation, and the Arboretum were recognized in a total of four categories! Thank you for demonstrating the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum and the National Bonsai Foundation’s value in the D.C. community for yet another year.

The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum has now been recognized as one of the best places to take an out-of-towner for five years in a row! Take a look at the total awards and honorable mentions below.

Best Place to Take an Out-of-Towner

Winner:  The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum  (selected for fifth year in a row)

Finalist:  U.S. National Arboretum

Best Tour for Out-of-Towners

Finalist:  The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

Best Place to Meditate

Winner:  The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

Runner-Up:  U.S. National Arboretum

Best Place to Day Trip

Finalist:  U.S. National Arboretum

Bonsai Apprentice Henry Basile's Thank You Letter

As the morning weather in Washington, D.C. gains the slightest hint of a chill, I look out on the serene courtyard of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, where I’ve learned and experienced so much since my graduation from Kansas State University with a Horticulture degree just four months ago.

My understanding of plant physiology and general horticultural care – and of course bonsai maintenance, development, and refinement – has deeply expanded through the incredible opportunity to be this year’s Bonsai Apprentice (in honor of the Museum’s first curator, Robert Drechsler. The Apprenticeship provides me eight hours of daily practice at one of the highest levels of intensive horticulture. As anyone who practices bonsai, penjing, kusamono, shitakusa, or related arts will tell you: This hands-on experience is irreplaceable.

Along with the roles of artist and horticulturist, curatorial staff play the roles of educator and historian. While I’m out in the collection watering or weeding, visitors often ask questions from simple (“What are the tea bags on top of the soil?”) to complex (“What is the history of that tree?”), allowing me to deepen my insights each day. This accumulation of knowledge and proficiency, as well as daily interactions with patrons regarding the artistry and history of the trees, are among the most meaningful aspects of my Apprenticeship.

With your support, this program will continue to train people who increase the scope of bonsai within the United States. The National Bonsai Foundation’s ongoing investment in this Apprenticeship, promotion of various exhibits and artists, and dedication to introducing bonsai to a broader public are necessary steps to develop the next generation of bonsai artists and curators. 

Thank you to the National Bonsai Foundation for advancing bonsai artists, horticulturists, and curators through the Bonsai Apprenticeship. And special thanks to you and the many supporters who have made this incredibly formative experience possible for me, those before me, and those still to come.

Henry Basile

Bonsai Apprentice 2022

In Memoriam: Abe Shinzo, September 21, 1956–July 8, 2022

The National Bonsai Foundation extends its deepest condolences to the loved ones of Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and to the people of Japan at this sad and difficult time.  Mr. Abe was the longest-serving prime minister of Japan and a very faithful friend to both the United States and democracy throughout the world.  The news of his assassination on July 8, 2022 is a truly tragic and shocking loss. 

Mr. Abe had a special connection to the U.S. National Arboretum’s National Bonsai & Penjing Museum and the NBF, starting from when the Museum opened in 1976.  The Museum opened with a gift of fifty-three trees from the people of Japan to honor the United States’ bicentennial and celebrate peace between the two nations. These trees, the “original gift,” occupy a special place in the Museum’s history, and many remain on display today. One tree, a dwarf Japanese maple, was donated by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, Shintaro Abe, Mr. Abe’s father. 

The Museum was also honored in 2019 to host Mrs. Akie Abe, Mr. Abe’s wife, during her visit to Washington, DC when she toured the Museum alongside the First Lady. It was a privilege then to share with her the tree that her father-in-law had donated, and the Museum continues to be proud to display it for the public at this time.

Former NBF Board Member presented distinguished Japanese award

All photos courtesy of Aaron Webb – Embassy of Japan in the USA

The Ambassador of Japan honored former National Bonsai Foundation (NBF) Board of Directors Member and author Ann McClellan at a ceremony earlier this month for her outstanding contributions of introducing Japanese culture and promoting friendly relations between Japan and the United States. 

Though she was officially awarded the Imperial Decoration “Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays” in 2021, the award presentation and ceremony was ultimately hosted on May 10, 2022, at the home of Koji Tomita, Japanese ambassador to the United States. 

“I am humbled beyond measure to have been recognized in this way,” Ann said. “It wasn't something I sought or expected.”

The presentation began with Ambassador Tomita’s speech, which welcomed the intimate crowd of Ann’s colleagues, friends and family and highlighted her contributions to furthering understanding of Japanese culture in the United States. The ambassador presented Ann with a certificate signed by the Japanese prime minister to accompany her medal, which had been pinned to her jacket for the ceremony. 

“The award came in a lovely lacquer box, which I keep in a special spot where I can see it daily,” she said. “Sometimes I reach out and touch it, just to affirm to myself that it's really here in my world.”

Ann also spoke at the ceremony, thanking the many supporters she has had throughout her career and about her introduction to Asian culture, which came when she unexpectedly taught a Japanese and Asian history course to high school students while finishing college. Since then, she’s traveled to Japan several times, worked on the Smithsonian Institution’s product development team for Japanese goods, written several books on Japanese cherry blossoms and spread the spirit of bonsai throughout the United States. 

Ann and her brother, Bill, speaking at the ceremony

“I was one hour ahead of the students in learning that semester, but it launched my abiding interest in Japan and all things Japanese,” Ann said in her speech. “I thank the cherry blossom and bonsai spirits for the honor and privilege of sharing their stories, and I thank the government of Japan for its recognition of my efforts to expand understanding of Japanese culture through these trees.” 

Ann’s eldest brother, Bill, gave a toast in her honor, which included an overview of Ann’s academic and professional background as well as family memories the siblings share. 

“To you and your written works and presentations on the Sakura Celebration, bonsai and Japanese culture – we toast your good works and wish you good luck in your next projects,” Bill said in his toast. 

Ann said she was in a state of astonishment about the experience and still lives in the reverie. For the foreseeable future, you will find her presentations on bonsai and cherry blossoms or working on her upcoming publications. Ann’s next book, to be published in 2023, highlights the cherry trees blossoming at the U.S. National Arboretum and around the world. You can find her book about the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, Bonsai and Penjing: Ambassadors of Peace & Beauty, on the NBF bookstore.

 Although Ann recently finished her term as a member of the NBF Board, we still wholeheartedly  feel her support as a long-time supporter and leader of the Foundation. NBF is grateful for her dedication to sharing the art of bonsai and looks forward to her continued success in spreading appreciation and understanding for Japanese culture.

New Special-Edition, Commemorative T-Shirt Design!

We are thrilled to launch the new design of our 2022 commemorative World Bonsai Day t-shirt to our Gift Shop. The art featured on the front is of the Museum collection’s Black Pine and was originally done in woodblock by professional artist and friend of the Museum, Mary Ellen Carsley. Learn more about her and the inspiration she finds and shares through bonsai and the Museum here. The back features a quote by Bonsai Master Saburo Kato.

T-shirts come in both short-sleeved and long-sleeved and in several colors. Get yours today, or as a gift for your favorite bonsai lover!

Learn more about World Bonsai Day here.

Introducing the NBF Officers and Board of Directors for 2022-2023

Just as our trees are seeing changes of spring, so are we seeing changes to our Board leadership. We at the National Bonsai Foundation wish to thank Jim Hughes and Jim Brant who served as Chair of the Board and Secretary/Treasurer respectively over the last two years. Their long histories of dedicated support and fine leadership in these roles and beyond have been invaluable to NBF and the Museum over the years and we are forever grateful.

With their departure, we wish to offer a warm welcome and congratulations to newly elected Chair of the Board, Dr. Richard Kahn, PhD, Secretary, Ross Campbell, and Secretary/Treasurer-Elect, Daniel Angelucci.

We invite you to get to know these new leaders through their bios below. And hope you will leave a congratulatory message below.

Richard Kahn, PhD
Chair of the Board (2022-2024)
Richard Kahn, PhD, is an independent consultant/researcher and is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine since mid-2009. Prior to his retirement from the American Diabetes Association in June 2009, Richard was responsible for the scientific and medical affairs of the Association for nearly 25 years. He provided senior management oversight for all professional education activities, which consisted of all clinical and research conferences and symposia, and the largest diabetes-related clinical and scientific meeting in the world- --the annual ADA Scientific Sessions. Richard also oversaw the development of clinical practice guidelines and consensus statements, and he provided senior staff direction for the professional books and journals produced by the Association.

Under his leadership, the Association defined for the first time Standards for the medical care for persons with diabetes, introduced the concept of diabetes performance measures, redefined the diagnosis and classification of diabetes, started two major professional certification programs, introduced a new test for the diagnosis of diabetes, and produced dozens of guidelines and statements that have had a major impact on how diabetes and its complications are defined and treated. Before joining the American Diabetes Association in 1985, Richard was Chief of Scientific Affairs for the American Red Cross in St. Louis, Missouri, and an Associate Professor of Pathology at Washington University. In these positions, he established the first Tissue Bank in the Red Cross System and directed a large research laboratory concerned with the pathophysiology of blood cells and the prevention of transfusion-transmitted diseases.

Richard received his doctorate in physiology from Georgetown University and has published over 70 papers as well as numerous book chapters. He has received many awards and honors, including the 2009 Charles H. Best Medal for Distinguished Service from the American Diabetes Association and the 2009 Albert Renold Medal from the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. Richard has been a member of the board of NBF since 2018. He and his wife, Michelle, reside in Chevy Chase, MD. He has served on the board since 2018.

Ross Campbell
Secretary/Treasurer (2022-2024)
Ross Campbell retired from the U.S. Government Accountability Office in December 2019 after 34 years of federal service. As a Senior Analyst for GAO, Ross led teams of analysts, attorneys, and other specialists in reviewing and evaluating programs across a wide range of federal agencies. As the analyst in charge of these reviews, he was the principal author of reports to Congress on topics including ecosystem management, invasive species control, the use of animals in research, honeybee health, and avian influenza.

Ross was introduced to the beauty of Japanese gardens, bonsai, and design during a four-week trip to Japan as an exchange student in 1979. He became reacquainted with bonsai while living near the National Arboretum in the 80s and soon thereafter joined the Washington Bonsai Club. Ross served as the president of the Washington club for nearly a decade before joining the Brookside Bonsai Society in Maryland. He began as its newsletter editor in 2017. Ross also served many years as the treasurer of 1the Potomac Bonsai Association and as the treasurer for the American Bonsai Society’s 2015 Learning Symposium. Continuing in the realm of botany, Ross has been a registered Weed Warrior in Montgomery County, Maryland since the early 2000s. In this capacity, he works with other volunteers to remove non-native, invasive plants from his local county park. Ross has served as a member of the board of directors of the National Bonsai Foundation since 2020 and also became Secretary/Treasurer- Elect in 2020. For over 40 years, Ross has been dedicated to squash, but in this case, it is the racquet sport and not the vegetable. Ross was raised in Detroit, Michigan, and moved to Washington, D.C. in 1985. He and his wife, Maureen Wylie, reside in Silver Spring, Maryland. He has served on the board since 2020.

Daniel F. Angelucci, CIMA®
Secretary/Treasurer-Elect (2022 – 2024)
Dan Angelucci joined Merrill Lynch in 1987 and became part of The Locniskar Group in 1990 with more than 30 years of wealth management experience. The Locniskar Group joined the Merrill Lynch Private Bank and Investment Group in 2000. Dan focused on equity trading, concentrated stock strategies, philanthropic planning, creating retirement strategies, and providing personalized investment advice and guidance. He was granted the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) designation in 2008 through the Wharton Business School and is an active member of the Investment and Wealth Institute.

Dan has served on the board of directors of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (Finance Committee, Pension Advisory Committee) and has been on the board of the National Bonsai Foundation since 2018 and as Chair-Elect since 2020. He is currently a member of the American Bonsai Society, Ann Arbor Bonsai Society of Michigan, and Pittsburgh Bonsai Society. He has practiced the art of bonsai for 36 years. He, also, served as Past-President of the Board of Directors of the Gowanie Golf Club and as a member for seven years. Dan and his wife, Rose, reside in Pittsburgh, PA. He has served on the board since 2018.

Milton Chang, PhD (2020-2023)

Milton Chang, PhD, has been an avid bonsai hobbyist since 1975, initially under the tutelage of Harry Hirao and later briefly under John Naka, when he was inducted into the California Bonsai Society. He broadened his perspective on bonsai through travel in Japan, China, Europe, and the United States. Milton’s collection is comprised of 100 trees, most of which he created from raw material.

Milton is an engineer, entrepreneur, and author of Toward Entrepreneurship. He was the CEO of two companies, which he built and led to successful initial public offerings. In addition, he has incubated over a dozen companies to successful exits. Milton has been active in professional societies and is a fellow of both the IEEE and the Optical Society of America (OSA). He has been on the boards of several private and public companies and served on the advisory boards of governmental agencies including the NIST and the SEC. He is a trustee of Caltech. His full bio can be found at www.miltonchang.com.

Chris Cochrane (1998-2025)

Chris Cochrane’s interest in bonsai began through the study of Eastern religions as his undergraduate major at the University of Virginia. He also holds a Master's degree in Public Administration. In 1988, the Richmond Bonsai Society (RBS) forever changed and challenged his appreciation of trees in miniature. Chris became secretary of RBS and later served as treasurer and president. In the early 1990s, he was an active participant on a listserv group that led to the formation of the Internet Bonsai Club (IBC). Discussion of stones on the IBC led to the formation of the Viewing Stone (web) Mail List (VSL, 1996-98) that Chris co-chaired. The VSL merged into a re-formulated IBC when it became a website discussion forum. He has served as a moderator (focusing especially on the "Stone Forum") on the IBC since it replaced the VSL.

In 1998, Chris joined the National Bonsai Foundation (NBF) as Secretary to the Board and helped construct the first NBF website. For a year (2003-04), Chris studied bonsai & suiseki in Japan at the garden studio of Kunio Kobayashi. In 1999, Chris became one of the founders of Potomac Viewing Stone Group (PVSG), a Potomac Bonsai Association club. Since 2005, he has served as president of PVSG. He has co-designed each annual exhibition for PVSG at the US National Arboretum. Chris is the Webmail Correspondent for California Aiseki Kai. He maintains a personal collection of bonsai as well as viewing and garden stones.

In 1999, Chris became one of the founders of Potomac Viewing Stone Group (PVSG), a Potomac Bonsai Association Club. Since 2005, he has served as president of the PVSG. He’s noted for co-designing the annual exhibitions for PVSG at the US National Arboretum. Chris proudly maintains a personal collection of bonsai as well as viewing and garden stones. Chris and his wife, Susan, reside in Glenn Allen, VA.

Charles Croft (Began term in 2018)

Charles (Chuck) Croft is a retired U.S. Air Force veteran, IT program manager, and consultant. He became peripherally interested in bonsai at the Brussels World’s Fair as an Air Force dependent but did not have the time or opportunity to pursue it as a hobby until the early 1990s. Chuck took up bonsai as a hobby in 1990 as a way to relax during a very high-pressure job situation and quickly became addicted. He was able to volunteer occasionally at the U.S. National Arboretum’s Bonsai and Penjing Museum until his retirement in 2007, which allowed him to then volunteer regularly.

During this journey, Chuck served as the President of the Northern Virginia Bonsai Society (NVBS) twice. He served as President of the Potomac Bonsai Association (PBA) four times and is currently serving in this role. He’s been serving in this capacity since 2018. He has also taught at various local club meetings, working as a mentor through in-person study groups and workshops at Merrifield Garden Center in Northern Virginia.

The PBA where Chuck has served as president since 2018 is an umbrella group consisting of local member clubs throughout Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Each of the clubs under PBA is focused on bonsai or, in one case, viewing stones. The purpose of PBA is to provide Bonsai-related educational resources and community-building opportunities by connecting mentors with bonsai practitioners at all levels. The PBA makes it possible for their member clubs to have access to great speakers, teachers, and useful resources consistently. They also allow members of one local club to attend another club’s meetings without the requirement of joining multiple clubs. Chuck and his wife, Verna reside in Burke, VA.

Julie Crudele (2014-2025)

Julie Crudele is an experienced fundraising and marketing professional with expertise in international development, environmental organizations, and national nonprofits undertaking capital campaigns and ambitious fundraising efforts. She recently concluded her tenure of almost 20 years as a partner consultant with Capacity Partners, based in Bethesda, MD.

Before that, she was the vice president of development and communications at CEDPA where she raised international funds for programs for women and girls. Other positions include executive vice president of the Jane Goodall Institute and vice president of communications and development at University Circle, Cleveland, plus many more. She is active in the Annapolis community and is a Board Member of Annapolis Green, Chairs the Events Logistics Committee for Anne Arundel Women Giving Together, and has been a member of the board of the National Bonsai Foundation since 2014. She has earned two master’s degrees from Case Western Reserve University in International Health and Medical Anthropology.

Mark Fields (Began term in 2018)

Mark Fields began his lifelong passion for the art of bonsai in 1968 at the age of nine. Since then he has learned from more than 60 bonsai artists from all over the globe. Over the years, has attended all but a few of Brussel’s Rendezvous. He is a past two-term president of the Indianapolis Bonsai Club and is currently the president of the American Bonsai Society.

His desire for more formal bonsai training led him to Europe. There he studied with Danny Use at Ginkgo Bonsai Nursery, located in Laarne, Belgium, in 2004, 2005, and again in 2009. It was there that he learned more about the horticultural aspects of bonsai.

Bjorn Bjorholm, a bonsai professional who was certified by the Nippon Bonsai Association, has taught at Mark’s nursey, Bonsai by Fields, LLC, located in Greenwood, Indiana, annually. Mark considers Bjorn to be his sensei. Bjorn urged Mark to study in Japan and in 2013 he traveled there where he visited several bonsai nurseries, including many of the nurseries in the Omiya Bonsai Village, Kyoto, and Osaka.

Mark also attended the 33rd Taikan-ten Bonsai Exhibition and the World Bonsai Exhibition in Saitama City, Japan, in May of 2017.

At Keichi Fujikawa’s Osaka bonsai nursery, Kouka-en, where Bjorn was a resident bonsai artist, he made arrangements to return to study at Fujikawa’s International School of Bonsai, where he studied for five weeks, in January and February of 2015. He received his certificate, for completing his studies there, in February 2015. It was during that trip that he attended the Gafu-ten Bonsai Exhibition in Kyoto and the 89thKokufu-ten Bonsai Exhibition in Tokyo. In April 2017, he returned to Japan to attend the 2017 World Bonsai Convention, held in Saitama City, Japan, as a guest. Mark built a new bonsai studio in 2018 and travels all over the Midwest where he teaches, lectures, vends, judges, and exhibits. He has served as an ex-officio member of the board of the NBF since 2018.

Carl Morimoto, PhD (2006-2024)

Carl Morimoto’s involvement with bonsai started in the early 1990s as a support role when his wife Helen started bonsai as a hobby. However, his interest piqued when he went to collect California Juniper with Harry Hirao in the mountains of Mojave, CA. Since then, he served for over nine years as editor/publisher for the Golden State Bonsai Federation’s bimonthly publication. He has been serving as a member of the board of NBF since 2006 (serving as Vice President from 2011 to 2020) and is currently a member of four local bonsai clubs.

Carl was born in Hiroshima to Hawaii-born parents. He immigrated to Hawaii in 1957 after completing middle school in Japan. After completing his doctorate in physical chemistry in Seattle, he moved to Michigan and Texas to continue some research work. Carl moved to California in 1975 and eventually retired from GE Nuclear Energy working on a safety instrument system development for nuclear power stations. Carl and his wife, Helen, reside in San Jose, CA.

Deborah Rose, BA MPH, SM, PhD (2004-2025)

Deborah Rose is a chronic disease epidemiologist with an interest in psychosocial epidemiology, demography, environmental health, and sustainable development. She has spent over 20 years designing and analyzing data from the US National Health Interview Survey focusing on 1990 Health Objectives, Healthy People 2010, tobacco use, Hispanic health, and advising the Ministries of Health of Hungary, Mexico, and Taiwan on best practices for their health interview surveys. She also was the first to advise the National Health Interview Survey of Mexico asking Mexican women about breast cancer screening practices. The resulting module uncovered the previously hidden epidemic of female breast cancer in that country.

Two of her projects were (1) co-chairing a conference on the formulation, assignment, protection, and use of national identification number systems, held at Harvard in November 2015 and (2) working with the University of Cape Coast, the Yale Alumni Service Corps, and the community of Yamoransa, Ghana, to bring computing, clean water, and sanitation to this crossroads village. In this capacity, she is enstooled as Nana Abena Nkosuo Hemaa (Queen Mother for Development). Deborah has a BA, MPH, and PhD from Yale University, and an SM in Population Studies from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.

She has spent more than 20 years developing and analyzing data from the U.S. National Health Interview Survey. She focused on tracking progress toward U.S. health goals between 1990 and 2010, with an emphasis on monitoring tobacco use in the U.S. and health disparities among Hispanics.

Deborah has advised the Ministries of Health of Hungary, Mexico, and Taiwan on best practices for their health interview surveys. Rose is currently working with partners at Yale, the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, the Ministries of Education and Health of Ghana, and the Yamoransa Community Development Committee in an ongoing collaboration to enhance opportunities for computing, education, clean water, sanitation, and local health care for the people of the village of Yamoransa and the surrounding communities. At Harvard, she spearheaded an international conference on “21st Century Identification Systems,” which has become an ongoing project, in collaboration with colleagues at the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights.

Stephen Voss (2018-2024)

Stephen Voss is an internationally recognized photographer based in Washington, DC. His clients include CNN, Time, Vanity Fair, Salesforce, and Audi. His work has been exhibited worldwide and is in the permanent collection of the Library of Congress. Stephen has been interviewed by the BBC, National Geographic, and Slate and writes regularly about photography. He has served as a member of the board of directors of the NBF since 2018. Stephen resides with his wife, Charlene Kannankeril, and family in Washington, DC.

NBF Helps Host Guests for Museum Tour

Photo from Tomas Eric Sales/Asian Development Bank

The National Bonsai Foundation was honored to host, and tour distinguished guests of Ambassador Chantale Wong (United States Director of the Asian Development Bank) from the Asian Development Bank, National Museum of Asian Art, the White House and Japan on a recent beautiful spring Sunday. NBF Board Chair Jim Hughes led the tour around the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum grounds. Those in the group picture above: 

• Jim Hughes, National Bonsai Foundation Board Chair

• U.S. Representative Mark Takano, (D-CA 41)

• Erika Moritsugu, Deputy Assistant to the President and Asian American and Pacific Islander Senior Liaison, The White House

• Masatsuga Asakawa, President, Asian Development Bank

• Ambassador Chantale Wong, United States Director of the Asian Development Bank

• Ross Campbell, Board Member, National Bonsai Foundation

• Frank Feltens, PhD, National Museum of Asian Art 

• Haruto Takimura, Chief Advisor to the President of the Asian Development Bank

• Laura Schwartz, Senior External Relations Officer, Asian Development Bank

• Mieko Kuramoto, Legislative Correspondent for Representative Takano

In the picture below, Assistant Museum Curator Andy Bello brought the tour to a close in the staff workroom with a brief explanation of his work on a Chinese Quince Orchard Forest. This tree was donated to the Museum by past curator, Warren Hill.  It was started from seed and has been in training since 1975.

 Photo from NBF Board Member

NBF is grateful to have spent time with the group remembering and celebrating the longstanding relationship between the United States and Japan, strengthened by the extraordinary Japanese gift to our country that formed the beginning of the Museum. NBF looks forward to bolstering those ties and hopes to welcome our guests for another visit soon.