Texas Fujitsu Employee Leads Dallas-Sendai Bonds

Prior to March 11, you may not have known that Dallas has an international sister city in Japan--Sendai. The 400-year-old community of over 1 million people suffered severe devastation, being a mere 50 miles from the quake's epicenter. Local news stations quickly began reporting on the Dallas-Sendai connection and it wasn't long before FNC employee, Mark Berry, a Manufacturing test engineer, found himself featured in those reports. He volunteers as the Dallas-Sendai Committee Chairman of the Japan-America Society of Dallas/Fort Worth (JASDFW). Formed in 1997, the friendship city relationship provides exchange activities for businesses, students, athletes and other cross cultural interests. Since the earthquake, Mark has led the effort to contact the committee's friends and associates in Sendai, providing updates on the group's Facebook page. His plight went national on March 21, when CBS featured him in their "Assignment America" segment on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric in a report entitled, "Bonds Unite from Texas to Japan." His story reveals a lot, although he admits to us that, "I wish my volunteer work would take center stage on a better note."

Mark isn't the only FNC connection to Sendai and the JASDFW. In 2009, several FNC employees became host families to Sendai students, they include: Juliett Ramsey, Erik Stewart, Yvonne Engel-Lambeth and David Lambeth, and John Lanius. Also, FNC President & CEO, Makoto Hamada, serves on the JASDFW Advisory Council; and FNC Executive Vice President, Yozaburo Tajima, serves on the JASDFW Board of Directors as the Japanese First Vice President.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• FNC
• Fujitsu
• Japan Earthquake
• Sendai