Thomas E. McLain
Chair, Asia Society Southern California
Trustee, the Asia Society

Thomas E. McLain is a Trustee of the Asia Society, Member of the Executive Committee, Co-Chair of the Global Committee and Member of the Governance Committee. He also serves as Chair of the Asia Society Southern California Center and has been active in the Asia Society Southern California for over 15 years.

Mr. McLain is a corporate partner in the Los Angeles office of Arnold & Porter LLP. He focuses his practice on complex international business transactions, with a primary focus on Asia and the Middle East. After graduating from Duke University School of Law, he received a Japan Foundation Fellowship and studied at the Inter-University Center for Japanese Studies in Tokyo, and after completing his studies in Japanese language and law, he began his legal career at the Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu law firm. After returning to the U.S., Mr. McLain wrote a textbook and taught a course on Japanese law at the University of Southern California Law Center. He currently serves on the board of directors of Mitsubishi UFJ Securities (USA), Inc.

Mr. McLain was appointed by President Clinton to serve as a Commissioner of the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission and as a member of the U.S.-Japan Committee on Cultural and Educational Exchange, and he is a Founding Director of the U.S.-Japan Bridging Foundation. Mr. McLain is a Director of the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, and he served on the Board of Visitors of the Terry Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, is a Fellow of the British-American Project and founded The Century of the Pacific Conference, an exchange of young business leaders in Tokyo and Los Angeles. Mr. McLain has received the Los Angeles Young Business Leaders Award and the Charles A. Dukes Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service to Duke University.

John Windler
Executive Director

John Windler is the Executive Director of the Asia Society Southern California.  John joined the Asia Society in early 2012 but has been involved with the Southern California Center for nearly 20 years.

John has had successful careers in both academia and in business. John spent nearly two decades with the University of Southern California, involved in the University’s international activity. John was the Managing Director of the Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER).  CIBER’s aim is to foster international business understanding and to make Americans more competitive in the international marketplace. His duties included coordinating the activities of CIBER under a grant from the Department of Education, managing tens of million of dollars in government funds. 

John was the founding Director of the University of Southern California's International Offices.  He oversaw the comprehensive administrative operations for a multi-country network of offices throughout Asia and the Pacific Rim. He opened offices in Jakarta, Hong Kong, Taipei, Tokyo and Mexico City. John was instrumental in developing a range of services, activities, and programs to enhance USC’s international presence. He improved efforts to organize and serve the University's international alumni, developing a strong network throughout the Asia Pacific region and the world.  His efforts enhanced the recruitment of qualified international students.  He improved communication with families of Pacific Rim students. He facilitated academic exchange relationships, including being instrumental in the development of USC’s Global Executive MBA program in Shanghai, China. He also worked to cultivate regional donors. John implemented the USC Asia Conferences, which were held in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul and the APBO Asia Conference in Bangkok. Each of these large-scale conferences attracted hundreds of participants from upwards of 20 different economies around the world. Participants included key academic, government, and business leaders. John has a strong interest in Asia with nearly 20 years of being a regular visitor. 

John has extensive management and operations experience as an owner of the Computer Learning Center in Denver, Colorado. Prior to this, John spent almost fifteen years in the motion picture industry, most recently as president and director of operations at Scene Cinema. John served on the U.S. Department of Commerce's District Export Council. He also served on USC's International Affairs Committee and was on the Board of Directors of the Foreign Trade Association of Southern California for six years. 

John received his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from California State University, Fullerton with an emphasis in management and finance. He received his MBA from the University of Southern California with an international and finance emphasis.

John Windler
Executive Director
Phone: 213-821-2115
Email: jwindler@asiasociety.org

Katherine Estrada
Assistant Director

Katherine Estrada is Assistant Director of Asia Society Southern California.  Katherine joined the Asia Society in 2012 after several years of working with non-profit organizations in the Los Angeles area.

Katherine received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies with a South Asia regional focus and Global Studies with an East Asia regional emphasis from the University of California at Santa Barbara. As an undergraduate, she spent 6 months studying in Beijing.  Katherine has a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Southern California and participated in a student led consulting project in Foshan, China during her graduate studies.

Katherine Estrada
Assistant Director
Phone: 213-821-2116
Email: Kestrada@asiasociety.org