JACL Welcomes New Full-Time Executive Director, Lilly Simmering
May 28, 2026
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Matthew Weisbly, Education Programs/Communications Manager, mweisbly@jacl.org
Seia Watanabe, VP of Public Affairs, swatanabe@jacl.org
We are excited to announce that as of this week, we have a new full-time Executive Director! Lilly Simmering has accepted the position of Executive Director of the Japanese American Citizens League and has already begun in her new role.
Lilly brings extensive executive leadership experience in government, community initiatives, organizational operations, financial oversight, and cross-sector partnerships. During the search, she distinguished herself by providing structure, clarity, and momentum in complex settings. She has demonstrated the ability to assess organizational needs, build trust among diverse stakeholders, align priorities, and turn vision into action.
Lilly has led in highly visible and closely scrutinized environments. The search process gave the National Hiring Committee confidence in her judgment, resilience, and integrity under pressure.
As JACL enters its next chapter, Lilly’s leadership aligns with the JACL’s upcoming opportunities and responsibilities. She offers steady judgment, a relationship-centered approach, and operational discipline to support JACL’s national impact, strengthen internal systems, and build a strong, sustainable future.
Larry Oda, JACL National President, is excited to share, “We are proud to welcome Lilly Simmering as JACL’s next Executive Director. Lilly has led through complexity with clarity, courage, and accountability. These qualities are deeply important for JACL’s next chapter. Her experience navigating high-pressure environments, building trust across diverse stakeholders, and turning complex challenges into clear action stood out throughout this process. JACL has always understood that leadership requires both conviction and care. We believe Lilly brings both, and we look forward to the impact she will help us build together.”
Talking about her new role, Lilly shared, “I am truly humbled to be entrusted with leading such a prestigious organization as JACL. As a first-generation Hmong American, my community has long looked to the Japanese American community for inspiration and guidance on succeeding in a country where we are not the majority. Being part of JACL at this moment in time is still astounding to me. I hope to bring my years of government, policy, and leadership experience to ensure that JACL not only reaches its 100th year with pride and honor, but continues to blaze trails for the AAPI community for generations to come.”
JACL’s selection of its next Executive Director followed a national search in partnership with Bonsai Leadership Group. We sincerely thank the National Hiring Committee, staff, national board members, and chapter stakeholders for their time, perspective, and care throughout the process. Their engagement ensured a thoughtful, rigorous, and thorough selection process.
Please stay tuned for more from Lilly and staff in the coming weeks. Our Interim Executive Director, Saki Mori, will remain on for a short time to help with the transition process. We look forward to this next chapter in our organization's history.
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The Japanese American Citizens League is a national organization whose ongoing mission is to secure and maintain the civil rights of Japanese Americans and all others who are victimized by injustice and bigotry. The leaders and members of the JACL also work to promote cultural, educational, and social values and preserve the heritage and legacy of the Japanese American community.
