Kazumi Teune
Executive Director
Born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, Kazumi Teune moved to Philadelphia in 1982. She holds a Bachelor of Law from Gakushuin University (Japan) and an M.A. in Political Science and Library Studies from the University of Hawaii. She also studied accounting at the Wharton School and worked as a U.S. representative for a Japan-based trading company for fifteen years.
Kazumi joined the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia (JASGP) as Executive Director in 2001 and retired in 2016 upon the merger with the Friends of the Japanese House and Garden, Shofuso. In 2016, she received a Commendation Award from Japan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. After six years of retirement, Kazumi returned to JASGP in 2022.
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Theresa Carney
Senior Director
Theresa Carney previously worked as an attorney/consultant for law firms in New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and Tokyo, handling cases involving Japanese corporations. Before her legal work and law degrees from Villanova Law School (2007 JD/2008 LLM-Taxation), Theresa had an international business career, including 12 years in Tokyo and three years in Singapore. She has an undergraduate degree in mathematics from Bryn Mawr College and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Theresa does pro bono work for immigrant/asylum clients. She is currently the President of the Stanford Club of Philadelphia, GSB Philadelphia Chapter Leader, and Vice President of the Bryn Mawr Club of Philadelphia.
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Alexander Polyakov
Garden Curator and Preservation Director
Alexander Polyakov oversees the maintenance and development of Shofuso’s traditional Japanese gardens. The scope of his work entails equally the physical care of the garden’s horticultural specimens, pathways, and spaces; and an ongoing exploration of traditional Japanese garden philosophy and techniques.
Coming from a professional background in ornamental gardening, Sandi has also lectured regionally on various ethnobotanical topics including wild food foraging and plant-based crafts. He studied painting at the Tyler School of Art, with an emphasis on composition, and currently maintains a diverse craft-oriented practice spanning from knifemaking to basketry. When not in the garden, Sandi enjoys devising functional knots and venturing into nature’s more seldom trodden places.
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Mike Lewis
Program Manager
Mike Lewis is in charge of programming and event planning at Shofuso. Mike plans, sets up, and gauges public interest in Shofuso’s programs throughout the year, including tours, festivals, Japanese holiday celebrations, and other special events. Mike has been with Shofuso and the JASGP since early 2018 and joined the office staff as Program Coordinator in May 2021.
Mike graduated from West Chester University with a B.A. in History with the intention of working in the museum field. He first became involved with Shofuso as a Visitor Service Assistant, giving tours and selling tickets. He became a Shift Supervisor in early 2020, setting daily schedules and running the site. During his time at Shofuso he has also gone on to work many different roles within other cultural institutions throughout Philadelphia, such as Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, the Barnes Foundation, Morris Arboretum, and Grumblethorpe all while focusing on his work with Shofuso as well. These experiences have given him a well rounded approach to programming, event planning, and site maintenance that fits the needs of the JASGP and Shofuso itself.
Mike’s love of Japanese art, history, and culture began with Shofuso, and grows exponentially each day.
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Candice Graham
Shofuso Site Manager
Candice Graham’s love of Japanese art and culture began when she was first introduced to anime and manga at a young age. That passion led to her pursuing creative arts. After receiving a B.F.A from The University of the Arts in Animation. She then went on to instruct classes for the Young Adult Workshops program for Moore College of Art and Design; teaching Animation, Manga Illustration, and Graphic Design.
Candice has also worked at other cultural institutions in Philadelphia in a visitor services role such as The Philadelphia Zoo and Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens. She was able to bring her love of Japanese culture, and teaching to the JASGP when she joined Shofuso as a Visitor Services Assistant. As a Visitor Services Assistant she interpreted the site for visitors, gave tours, sold tickets, as well as helped out with preservation projects for Shofuso. And was given the opportunity to be the Manga Instructor for Shofuso’s Summer camp.
Her enthusiasm for Shofuso and customer service skills led to her being promoted to Shift Supervisor in 2019. Now as Site Manager, she is in charge of the day to day operations at Shofuso. Candice also oversees the visitor services staff, interfaces with guests, mentors new hires, and works with special guests who give demonstrations of Japanese culture.
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Millie Takizawa Chen
Membership & Development Associate
Millie assists in carrying out JASGP’s behind-the-scenes operations, including membership engagement, fundraising campaigns, database management, and more. They are a Spring 2021 graduate of Temple University with a B.A. in Global Security and minors in Japanese and Geography/Urban studies.
Millie’s curiosity and passion for intercultural connection stems from their multicultural background as a Japanese Taiwanese American. They frequently visit Japan and have studied abroad in 2019-2020 for an academic year at Temple University Japan in Tokyo. During their time at TUJ, Millie was the first student to intern with the U.S.-Japan Council (UJSC) through TUJ’s internship program, where they assisted in bilingual communications and program reporting. At UJSC, Millie developed an interest in working with international nonprofits, cultural exchange, and Japanese-to-English translation.
At JASGP, Millie aims to keep learning about nonprofit management and development towards cultural education and preservation efforts. They plan to continue studying Japanese in order to pass the JLPT Level 1 exam and become a certified translator. In their free time, Millie enjoys reading, watching sumo, spending time with friends and family, and exploring textile arts and crafts.