JCYC Alumni Spotlight

Travis Kiyota became involved with the Japanese Community Youth Council (JCYC) at age 3. The organization’s summer day camp was something Travis looked forward each year and a place where he made lasting friendships. After participating in the summer day camp for several years, Travis joined the Summer Teen Group in junior high and then returned to serve as a summer camp counselor during his high school years.

Travis went on to graduate from UCLA with a degree in Sociology and Asian American Studies. He then worked for the Mayor of Los Angeles for 2 years before moving to Washington DC to serve in the U.S. Department of Justice under the Clinton Administration. It was during this time that Travis worked on the President’s National Crime Bill to advance community policing and community crime prevention programs in local cities across America and got his feet wet in U.S. politics.

Toward the end of his 3rd year in Washington DC, Travis returned to his hometown to work for the then San Francisco Mayor, Willie Brown. At City Hall, Travis served as the Senior Policy Advisor for Public Safety under Mayor Brown. He was in this role for 3 years and became re-involved in local San Francisco issues. Then, utilizing his experience in the public arena, Travis moved on to the private sector and joined RCN, a telecommunications company in San Mateo as their manager of government relations. After a brief stint, Travis joined Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) Company in San Francisco where he currently works.

For the last 6 years, Travis has been involved with the Government Relations team at PG&E with the mission of strengthening the partnerships and engagement of the company with community leaders and local officials. In his current role, Travis leads a team of diverse, talented professionals and manages the public affairs activities in the counties of San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda, and Contra Costa. Within these efforts, Travis and his team are helping PG&E’s efforts to be an environmental leader that works closely with communities, businesses, and government officials to address climate change and global warming.

Travis’ position at PG&E has allowed him to continue to be involved with JCYC by working with its Executive Director, Jon Osaki and other key staff members to support the operations and programs of the organization. He has also worked with other key Japantown groups like Kimochi, the Japantown Task Force, and the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC).Travis serves on the boards of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, San Francisco Planning + Urban Research Association (SPUR), Peninsula Coalition, and the Asian Pacific American Leadership Project.

One of Travis' most memorable moments at JCYC was the annual field trip to Heather Farms during the summer camp program. This all-day field trip was filled with outdoors games for the youth along with outdoor swimming pools for the kids to jump in and cool off during the summer months.

Travis and his family reside in San Francisco. He credits JCYC with the opportunity to build his leadership skills, which he has taken to heart in various career adventures in Los Angeles, Washington DC, and the San Francisco Bay Area. He considers JCYC to be part of his extended family. He is proud to be part of the history of the organization and its current growth and continued efforts to mold future leaders within the community.

If you are a former participant of any JCYC program, we would love to hear from you! Please contact Sakura Suzuki at (415) 202-7910 or ssuzuki@jcyc.org.

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