Irene Y. Hirano
Irene Y. Hirano, president of the U.S.-Japan Council and president and chief executive of the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy, serves on the Ford Foundation Board of Trustees. She is chair of the Audit Committee, and a member of the Management and Governance and Democracy, Rights and Justice committees.
Ms. Hirano served as president and executive advisor of the Japanese American National Museum from 1988 to 2009. She was executive director of T.H.E. Clinic Inc., in Los Angeles. She was a consultant to the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Administration on Aging, Project Advocacy for the Elderly and associate director of the Asian Women's Center.
Ms. Hirano serves as chair of the American Association of Museums and is a trustee of the Kresge Foundation; National Trust for Historic Preservation; California Japanese American Leadership Council; Little Tokyo Community Council; and the LA Inc. Convention and Visitors Bureau. She is also on the Business Advisory Board of Sodexho Corporation.
She received her B.S. and M.P.A. degrees from the University of Southern California.