Board Members
If you have a question or concern that you would like to direct to the entire board, please attend one of our upcoming board meetings (schedule here) or email board@internationalcharteracademy.org.
If you have a question or concern that you would like to direct to the entire board, please attend one of our upcoming board meetings (schedule here) or email board@internationalcharteracademy.org.
Ms. Whitcomb believes in the curiosity of the Western culture and the humility of the Eastern culture. The balanced combination between the two qualities would enable people to accomplish great things. Being involved in ICAGeorgia’s Dual Language immersion program is one attempt to help offer young children the opportunities to be inspired by the most outstanding qualities of the two polar cultures at one location. Ms. Whitcomb was born and raised in Hong Kong. She received a B.S. degree from Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan and spent a total of thirteen years in Japan. Studying languages give her great joy and inspiration. She is currently employed at eCapital Commercial Finance Corporation at Atlanta. Her professional career has been in the area of finance and higher education. She and her husband of 35 years raised three children together. One of her favorite books is ‘Ego Is The Enemy’ by Ryan Holiday. Email Ms. Whitcomb.
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.
Ms. Ueno is originally from Kyoto, Japan. At the age of 22, she moved to Atlanta and earned an MBA from Kennesaw State University. She pursued SHRM-SCP certification with SHRM.
Ms. Ueno currently serves as the Human Resources and Administration Manager at Nissei ASB Company located in Smyrna, GA.
She has been an HR professional in the U.S. for over 20 years. She feels that her profession was given to her for a reason. She loves helping and guiding others to a better position in life and career.
She raised three boys by herself and are now all adults and enjoys her life of empty nest by traveling and hiking. She has five grades on the second stage of calligraphy, and she also enjoys calligraphy for meditation.
She is a member of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Georgia and the Society for Human Resource Management.
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.
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.
Carol Freeman is a graduate of Georgetown University, where she studied international management and Japanese. She has lived, worked and studied in Japan. She studied undergraduate at Waseda University, in Tokyo, and went on to complete the Stanford Program in Tokyo’s Japanese for Professionals Course. She has worked for major Japanese corporations in Japanese-language only environments in Tokyo, New York, and Hawaii.
Freeman-sensei is a highly experienced teacher who has taught in Fulton County at the middle school and high school levels, at Georgia State University, and adult
education classes in Atlanta. She has developed teaching strategies that make the beginner student’s experience smooth, engaging and rewarding, as well as
resolve issues that typically impede the progress of more advanced learners.
In addition to teaching, she enjoys reading, traveling, cooking and a brisk walk to clear the mind.
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.
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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.
Architect, school design: Mr. Gardner is the co-founder and CEO of the architecture firm Gardner Spencer Smith Tench & Jarbeau, P.C. He is a 1973 graduate of the Georgia Tech College of Architecture, and a 1979 graduate of the Georgia State Graduate School of Business but began his professional career in the summer of 1969 working in the office of John W. Cherry, Architect. Joe has been a lifelong member of Peachtree Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and has served as Chair of the Official Board, Chair of the Executive Committee and Chair of the Elders. He continues regular service on the Official Board as an Elder, and his wife, Gita, also serves on the Board as a Deacon.
“Dagmar Sands – Real Estate International, Inc.” Known as the “International Real Estate Agent,” Ms. Sands has assisted clients from all over the world in selling their homes, luxury homes, churches, schools, office buildings, self-storage warehouses, apartments & much more. Bilingual herself, she moved to Atlanta as a teenager not knowing the language or this country. She has been a member of FIABCI (The International Real Estate Federation) since 1987 and is the Past President of FIABCI-USA (The USA Chapter) where she obtained her “Certified International Property Specialist” designation.
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.
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.
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. Email Ms. Cork.
“Our state needs employees who can speak more than one language, and there is no better time for its citizens to acquire language skills than when they are young. This charter school will also be an excellent educational environment for children with parents who come from Japan to do business in Georgia.”
-State Representative Tom Taylor (District 79)
“As one of the first and largest Japanese companies operating in the state of Georgia, YKK understands profoundly the crucial need for raising the next generation of citizens who understand a different language and culture and are equipped with the skills needed to ensure that Georgia can continue to be a leader in international trade and investment. The International Charter Academy of Georgia will fill a need in our community for K-5 education focused on foreign language acquisition, cross cultural communication skills, as well as a strong curriculum in science and mathematics.”
-Mr. Alex Gregory, YKK Corporation of America
