Our Team
KOREMATSU INSTITUTE STAFF
DR. KAREN KOREMATSU
Founder and President
Dr. Karen Korematsu is the Founder and President of the Fred T. Korematsu Institute and the daughter of the late civil rights icon, Fred Korematsu. Karen is a national speaker and travels the country advocating for civil liberties, social justice, civics, and ethnic studies education. Full bio
COURTNEY PEAGLER
Vice President and Director of Education
A hapa-yonsei descendant of Japanese Americans forced to leave the West Coast, Courtney is committed to ensuring the shameful history of the WWII incarceration is not forgotten and that its lessons are applied to the fight for social justice for all. Read more
MICHELLE MITCHELL
Development and Communications Director
Michelle has been a nonprofit director and event producer in the Bay Area for more than 20 years. She has a background in the arts and dramaturgy, and has managed communications and development, built cross-functional teams, and developed a variety of campaigns and marketing materials for special events, galas, and launches. Read more
SHARON SENZAKI
Operations Manager
Sharon has enjoyed working as an administrative professional in the nonprofit sector and is especially proud to be a part of the Korematsu Institute because of its educational and leadership role in advancing social justice and civil rights. Read more
NATALIE MILLER
Intern
Natalie is a recent high school graduate who is passionate about telling the stories of underrepresented groups throughout history. She is involved in historical research through the program National History Day, where she earned third place nationally for her paper, “Ex parte Mitsuye Endo: Breaking Through Barbed Wire.” Read more
KOREMATSU INSTITUTE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
JEFFREY D. HSI, Chair
KAREN IJICHI PERKINS, Secretary
ANDY LIU, Treasurer
ERIC PAUL FOURNIER
JACINTA TITIALII-ABBOTT
PEGGY SAIKA, Past Chair