After 26 years at the helm of Densho as the organization’s founding executive director, Tom Ikeda is announcing his pending retirement.

From Tom:
I turn 66 years old this week and it’s time for me to shift my priorities and spend more time with my family. I am going to retire, but not until I am certain that Densho is in excellent hands under the direction of a new executive director.

The board has selected Koya Partners to lead the search, and we are all committed to ensuring that the vision and values that have driven the organization from its start are honored throughout the search process and transition to new leadership. Because of that, I have confidence that this change will lead to great new opportunities and growth for Densho and all of our supporters.

I have poured my heart into Densho for the past 26 years and consider it my life’s work to preserve and share the story of WWII Japanese American incarceration so that it is never forgotten. My commitment to this history and this community will continue long after my retirement. This isn’t an ending so much as the start of an exciting new chapter for Densho and for me.

Read the full message from Tom and join us for an upcoming virtual community town hall to learn more about this transition: https://densho.org/…/tom-ikeda-my-retirement-from-densho/