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.

Nadiya R.S. Conner
Assistant Director

Nadiya R.S. Conner is Assistant Director of Asia Society Southern California. Nadiya joined the Asia Society in 1999 as a volunteer intern and in 2000 Nadiya joined the staff permanently as an Administrative Assistant. In her 7 years at Asia Society, she has seen the organization grow and develop new programs such as EMAsia, an entertainment/media program focused on Asia, and the Pacific Fusion Food and Wine Festival. Nadiya was promoted from Administrative Associate to Office Manager and now oversees the day-to-day management of the Southern California Center.

Nadiya received her Bachelor of Science degree from California State University, Los Angeles. She is fluent in Bahasa, her native Indonesian language.