News

Remembering Deborah Wenig

Former Club governor Deborah Wenig passed away last week in Dayton, Ohio at the age of 61.

Joining the Club with her husband, Joseph, in 2008, she served on the Board of Governors from 2009 to 2013, a period that included the Club's opening of its current Azabudai home in 2011.

Born in Catskill, New York, Deb, as she was known to family and friends, graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University before teaching political science at several colleges in the United States.

In the October 2012 issue of INTOUCH magazine, she discussed the importance of voting in the Club's annual election (she was a passionate supporter of the League of Women Voters).

Deb is survived by her husband, two children, six grandchildren and mother.

Women's Group Adopts New Name

The Women’s Group wrapped up its 70th-anniversary year with a brand-new name.

Formally approved with a vote at the Club’s Annual General Meeting in November, the group is now referred to as Connections.

According to Rusty Yuson, the group’s director of administration, the adoption was the culmination of many months of discussion, research and focus groups.

Yuson says the name reflects the evolution of the group, its membership and its purpose.

“The name Connections resonates with the group’s current mission to enhance the lives of members and their families through social connections, enrichment and cultural programs and charitable activities,” he says.

Club Unveils New Board

Seven Members were elected to the Club's Board of Governors at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on November 26.

At the first Board meeting following the AGM, Michael Alfant was selected as representative governor for his fourth consecutive one-year term.

In other Board positions, Jesse Green and Alok Rakyan were named first and second vice president, respectively, with Kenji Ota named secretary and Michael Benner continuing in his role as treasurer.

Elected Governors
American Citizens
Michael Alfant
Jeffrey Behr
John Flanagan
Catherine Onaka

Japanese Citizens
Kenji Ota

Other Nationalities
Alok Rakyan

Women's Group Representative
Heidi Regent

Club Earns Awards for Wine and Spirit Offerings

Three Club restaurants have won international recognition for the quality of their wine and spirit lists.

Among the restaurants honored in The World of Fine Wine magazine's annual best wine list awards was CHOP Steakhouse, whose wine list received three stars for a fifth consecutive year.

In a first, the third-floor dining spot's selection of spirits was named the best spirits list in Asia.

Elsewhere, Rainbow Café's wine list picked up two stars in the restaurant's first awards mention and American Bar & Grill's list garnered two stars, one more star than last year.

Wine lists are assessed on their breadth, depth, quality and value by a panel of eminent wine experts.

A three-star award, according to The World of Fine Wine, reflects a "great" wine list that shows variety in wine region, style, vintage, quality, winery prestige and format.

Former world sommelier champion Gerard Basset says the awards are "rapidly becoming as coveted as Michelin stars."

Remembering Sadako Ogata

Former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and accomplished diplomat Sadako Ogata passed away on October 22 at the age of 92.

Ogata received the Club’s Distinguished Achievement Award in 1999 for her lifetime commitment to bolstering protections for the world’s most at-risk communities.

Following an accomplished career in academia, Ogata became the first woman to assume the role of UNHCR in 1990. Mere weeks after taking up the post, Ogata displayed characteristic empathy and decisiveness in confronting the Kurdish refugee crisis precipitated by the Gulf War.

Under Ogata’s leadership, the international community also mounted strong responses to the humanitarian crises of the Yugoslav wars and the Rwandan genocide. Her contributions to the legal definitions of refugees remain critical to the protection of displaced communities today.