FORUM STAFF

Janis Koh Lania
Manager, Programs & Projects NorthEast Asia Forum
and
Overseas Program Manager, Center for Flood Hazard Mitigation
Civil Engineering Research Institute, Yonsei University Seoul, Korea

Ms. Koh was born and raised in Busan, Korea, and has resided in the United States since 1980. She is the conference organizer and Secretariat for the U.S. - R.O.K Disaster Management Conference and conducts research for various Korea government agencies on disaster prevention and mitigation. Ms. Koh serves as the overseas program manager for the Center for Flood Hazard Mitigation at Yonsei University and was the coordinator for what has been called by Federal Emergency Management Agency Director James Lee Witt a "landmark agreement" between FEMA and the Korea Ministry of Government Administration & Home Affairs.

Ms. Koh is also coordinating disaster management training and developing institutional agreements in disaster management with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to benchmark management approaches, technologies, and support for infrastructure in disaster prevention and sustainable development.

Ms. Koh served as the President of the Korean American Coalition Hawaii Chapter and as the Publicity Chair of the 2003 Centennial Committee for Korean Immigration to the United States. She was appointed by then-U.S. Secretary of Commerce William Daley to the Hawaii/Pacific District Export Council and was a project consultant to the Pacific Basin Economic Council, an association of senior business leaders representing 1,000 corporations in 20 economies, for their 2000 International General Meeting.

From 1995 - 1998, Ms. Koh was an anchorwoman for KBFD-TV News. During the 1998 RIMPAC operation, she coordinated the national primetime TV news coverage for KBS-TV, SBS-TV from South Korea and FUJI-TV from Japan. The operation and largest-scaled maritime fleet exercise in the Pacific. In 1998, she was the Director of Media Relations for the 1998 Miss Universe Pageant Host Committee. This international event attracted 373 journalists from over 60 countries. Her primary responsibility was to oversee all local and international media coverage during the telecast.

Ms. Koh was a co-chair for the 1997 Education Trade Mission for the Hawaii Korean Chamber of Commerce, and participated in the Seoul West Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from July 1983 to March 1985. She has received the highest (Kupa'a) award from the Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau CEO and President for her outstanding efforts in promoting Hawaii, and has also been honored by the City Council Chairman and Council members for her contribution to the Korean American community.

Bernice Glenn Bowers
Manager, Research & Administration, Northeast Asia Forum
and
Special Projects Manager, Pacific Basin Economic Council

Bernice Bowers conducts research and develops workshops for the Northeast Asia Forum in support of the organization's programs and projects, and general administration. She is also a project manager for the Pacific Basin Economic Council (PBEC) International Secretariat where she is responsible for coordinating the PBEC Environmental Award, PBEC-APEC Joint Workshops, and supporting all PBEC working committees in their activities.

Ms. Bowers has held positions as an administrator with Motorola's wholly-owned subsidiary in Japan, Nippon Motorola, Ltd.; as a project manager with Castle & Cooke; and was the executive director of the Oahu Economic Development Board, a private-sector membership organization. Ms. Bowers was appointed by U.S. Commerce Secretaries Ron Brown and William Daley to the National District Export Council and the Hawaii/Pacific Region Export Council.

Ms. Bowers is an honors graduate of Princeton University and completed her masters coursework at the University of Hawaii and earned a Certificate from the Pacific Asian Management Institute, at the University of Hawaii College of Business Administration.

FORUM ADVISORS

• U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye
• Dr. Woncheol Cho, Yonsei University
• T.S. Chung, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce
• Dr. Sung Choi, The Blue House, Office of the President
• Mr. Woody Goins, FEMA, District IX
• Dr. Fanthune Moeng, US NOAA International Programs
• Mayor Harry Kim, Hawaii County and former Civil Defense Director, Hawaii County
• Dr. Shim, National Institute for Disaster Prevention, ROK
• Mr. Jie Soon Kim, Ministry of Government Administration & Home Affairs, ROK
• Ms. Jalena Pentalik, Disaster Management Environmentally & Socially Sustainable Development, World Bank
• Dr. Cheng Chung Hsia, Director General, Taiwan Urban & Housing Development Department