James W. Fatheree is Executive Director – Washington, for The GR Company, a Tokyo-based government relations company with offices in Osaka, Seoul (GR Korea), Taipei (GR Taiwan), Singapore, and London in addition to Washington, DC.

In this role, he works closely with the firm’s offices to provide strategic counsel to leading international companies across a wide range of industries on U.S trade and investment policy, bilateral relations with Japan and Korea, and related regulatory and other policy matters.

Mr. Fatheree is a former president of the U.S.-Japan Business Council (USJBC), Vice President for Asia and Executive Director for Japan and Korea at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC. In these roles Mr. Fatheree worked with leading U.S. companies to set strategic direction and advocate for US economic policy priorities in Japan, Korea and Asia. He helped lead the Chamber’s work on the ill-fated Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations in 2015-16, including as co-chair of the U.S. Coalition for TPP.

Previously, he worked in the International Trade Administration, on Capitol Hill, and in several private firms on international trade policy and transactions.

A native Texan, Fatheree received a B.A. in government from the University of Texas at Austin, an M.A. in international economic policy from American University, a certificate in international business from Georgetown University, and a certificate in ESG and Sustainable Capitalism from the University of California School of Law.

Mike Patterson helps businesses navigate corporate, compliance and securities matters. He has extensive experience in domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, equity and debt offerings, foreign direct investment, distribution, agency and licensing matters, and market entry strategies. He efficiently resolves legal matters by identifying key issues, focusing resources, and executing on a plan.

Mike also regularly advises U.S. and foreign clients in connection with the establishment, structuring, and compliance for international operations, including the establishment of international distribution networks. Also known as “Miguel” after a decade-long stint living and working in Central America, he reads, writes, speaks, and negotiates in Spanish. In addition, he has done legal work for clients in Canada, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Dr. Jannah Scott has decades of experience with government and civil society in the U.S. and internationally. She has a depth and breadth of experience across governance realms, with special emphasis on policies and programs to promote peace and security. She serves as the CEO of the American Center for Religious Freedom (ACRF). From 2009 to 2017, Jannah served in President Obama’s administration as Deputy Director of the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In that role, Jannah led federal policy, guidance, and training with states and localities on engaging with civil society organizations. Using the tools of all-hazards preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation, her focus was promoting the power of multiculturalism, dialogue and religious collaborations in achieving peace and security. It is out of her work with the Obama Administration that the ACRF was born. In 2017, Jannah was asked to establish ACRF to continue her work in promoting dialogue and reconciliation across various sectors and people groups. She continues her work with leaders from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan, and, most recently, has begun engagement with civil society in several Central Asian countries. From 2005 to 2009, she served as the Policy Advisor on Faith and Community Initiatives to former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano. In that role, Jannah represented the Governor with community leaders to establish and strengthen local initiatives to serve the poorest and most vulnerable citizens. Jannah has undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of California at Berkeley in Public Health Planning and Policy, postgraduate work at Arizona State University and Brown University, and two honorary Doctor of Theology degrees from Bible Colleges in Phoenix and Redlands, CA. In her free time she serves as Arizona point person for the 71-year old annual National Prayer Breakfast Gathering, which hosts over 2,000 US and international guests from many faith traditions in dialogue, small groups and large events around the Spirit of Jesus of Nazareth.

Theresa is the Senior Program Coordinator for the Critical Languages Institute at ASU's Melikian Center for Russian, Eurasian, and East European Studies. As a National Resource Center for less-commonly taught languages, CLI provides linguistic and cross-cultural training to learners across the USA. A Dartmouth graduate and former Great Hearts Academies educator, her knowledge of Russian has opened doors to travel to Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia. In 2022 she worked with Ukrainian refugees in Romania and traveled to Russia post-invasion. Most recently she took a team to Ukraine to rebuild homes hard-hit during Russia's initial full-scale incursion. She and her husband Peter have been married for 27 years and have three grown children.

Dr. Glen Goodman is Senior Director for Latin America with ASU's International Development Initiative and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Brazilian Studies in ASU’s School of International Letters and Cultures (SILC). Dr. Goodman and the Latin America team work to harness ASU’s considerable expertise and capabilities to pursue funded projects in the region across development sectors. In SILC, Goodman teaches a variety of courses on Brazilian and Latin American culture and history. He also helps to coordinate research funding opportunities for SILC faculty.

Dr. Goodman’s historical research focuses on German migration and ethnicity in Brazil and has been published in journals such as German History, The Americas, and Global Food History. Prior to joining ASU, he was an Assistant Professor of Brazilian Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as well as a Fulbright Visiting Professor of History at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. He has secured research support from a number of top funding sources including the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Fulbright, and Fulbright-Hays.

Samuel Richardson is the Interim Executive Director at PCFR and a former Program and Outreach Fellow for the organization. Sam started his career as an intern in the public diplomacy office for the Bureau of Southeast Asian and Pacific Affairs in the US Department of State and in the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy. He then worked as a special assistant for US Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and helped to liaise with local and national transportation systems at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently, Sam has worked with a local Arizona manufacturing company to develop its global communications strategy.

Sam is from a small town in Northern Utah but calls Arizona home with his wife. He received his undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University - Idaho in Communications and Asian Studies, a certificate in Vietnamese from Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City, and a master’s degree in Global Business Management with a concentration in Global Public Affairs and Digital Transformation from the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University.

Besides connecting with the global community, Sam loves to go on long hikes, cook and create new recipes, and take photos.