I lucked into being a founding member of Portland Taiko while in high school. My mother, Valerie Otani, was a pivotal piece in getting the group started and I was just along for the ride. Portland Taiko quickly began developing into something much more than just a community performing group, with lengthy group discussions about what it meant to be loud, assertive, exuberant taiko performers, especially when we weren’t cis straight white men. What were the roles of white performers? What WAS Portland Taiko and what did we want it to be? Despite being one of two high school students in the group my opinion was always sought out and considered. Being in Portland Taiko helped shape me as a human. Although I haven’t been a member for decades I’ve always been around Portland Taiko and I’m hopeful I can help the group make the world better for everyone who interacts with it.

My mother was born in Japan, and all of her family still lives there. I moved to Portland with my family from Gainesville, FL in 2015 in large part due to its vibrant Japanese community. I was instantly drawn to taiko after seeing a performance by the En Taiko youth group at my son’s Japanese immersion school. While I have enjoyed taking beginner taiko classes and look forward to taking more, I don’t think I have the time (or talent) to become a performer. Joining the board of directors allows me to be involved in the group in another way. As a senior data analyst at OHSU, I hope that I will be able to leverage my analytical experience to support Portland Taiko’s administrative efforts and mission. I am passionate about fostering the sense of community and excellence that Portland Taiko represents and look forward to contributing to its continued growth and success.

Scott Winner works at Bonneville Power Administration as an Operations Research Analyst. He holds degrees in Chemistry from Portland State University and has served on the Board of Directors of the Oregon Buddhist Temple. In 2017, Scott found the truck chassis for Portland Taiko’s festival float and has been a long-time supporter of Portland Taiko.

In 1994 my husband and I moved from Florida to start our lives in Portland. I started taking Taiko lessons in 2017 with a friend and fell in love with the art and how it strengthens the connection between mind and body. I recently concluded my 30-year career in the food and nutrition business and was delighted to be invited to be on the board of Portland Taiko. I’m looking forward to contributing to the next phase of its growth and evolution. 

Zack Semke is Director of Passive House Accelerator and a member of Al Gore’s Climate Reality Leadership Corps. He writes and speaks about the role that buildings can play in accelerating the clean energy transition. He helped found Portland Taiko in 1994 and served as Co-Director until 2005.

Ann Ishimaru (yonsei) is a founding member of Portland Taiko, former co-director, and currently an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership, Organizations & Policy at the University of Washington. Her research seeks to cultivate community and educational leadership to foster educational justice in and beyond schools. Although retired from taiko performing these days, she still teaches taiko occasionally through temple (Seattle Betsuin) or when her daughter was in a middle school taiko group. She is happy to reconnect with PT as a board member.

When Portland Taiko started it needed a structure to handle business aspects and became a project under the Oregon Nikkei Endowment organization (ONE). I was on the board of ONE (1992 – 2016) and agreed to also serve on the PT board (1994 – 2004). I knew little of taiko but was hooked with the first concert I attended – the enthusiasm, energy, talent, and smiles of pure joy were overwhelming, and it is a pleasure to return to the PT board in 2018. I am a retired primary school teacher and can hopefully bring some organizational and project experience to the board. My whole family, husband, two children and their spouses, and two grandchildren all enjoy taiko.

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