Welcome to our New Board Chair, Suzanne Basalla, and Thank You to Larry Greenwood!
The Japan Society of Northern California has appointed Suzanne Basalla as the new Chair of our Board of Directors, effective May 1, 2026. She succeeds Larry Greenwood, who has served as Chair since 2020 following his tenure as President from 2016 to 2019.
Suzanne has been a valued member of the JSNC Board since 2020 and brings a remarkable breadth of experience across venture capital, public service, and nonprofit leadership. She is currently a Partner at Geodesic Capital, where she focuses on early-stage investments and advancing collaboration in emerging technologies between the United States and Japan.
Many in our community will know Suzanne from her previous role as President & CEO of the U.S.-Japan Council, where she led impactful initiatives such as the TOMODACHI Initiative and the Silicon Valley Japan Platform—programs that have helped strengthen next-generation leadership and innovation ties between our two countries. Her career also includes service as a U.S. Naval officer, as well as senior policy roles in Washington, DC and Tokyo.
Suzanne’s deep commitment to the U.S.–Japan relationship—and her ability to connect leaders across sectors—make her an outstanding choice to guide JSNC in its next chapter.
We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to outgoing Chair Larry Greenwood for his extraordinary leadership over the past decade.
During his tenure, Larry expanded and energized JSNC’s programming, significantly extended the reach of the Society in the Bay Area, strengthened the organization’s finances, forged stronger bonds with partner organizations, and recruited high level speakers like Dan Rather, Bank of Japan President Haruhiko Kuroda and a number of Japanese Government Ministers. He also helped launch Japan-based programming, making JSNC the only Japan Society in the United States to do so, including the annual Innovation Reception at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo and U.S.–Japan Healthcare Conference. In 2025 he co-authored a history of the Society over the past 120 years.
As leadership of the Japan Society Board transitions to Suzanne, we are deeply appreciative of Larry’s lasting impact on JSNC and grateful that he will continue to serve on the Board, as Chair of the Program Committee and informal historian of the Society.
Please join us in welcoming Suzanne to her new role and in thanking Larry for his continued service and dedication to the organization.
