Stephen Nakajo
Stephen Nakajo

Stephen Nakajo

Commissioner

Appointed in 1996 by Mayor Willie Brown, Mr. Nakajo served as President of the Commission from 2000 to 2004 and again in 2010.  Mr. Nakajo was Vice President since 2004, was reappointed in 2004 and in 2008 by Mayor Gavin Newsom and was reappointed by Mayor Edwin M. Lee on March 12, 2012, and again on January 16th, 2020 by Mayor London Breed.  Mr. Nakajo served as Commission Vice-President in 2013, 2017, and 2018. 

Mr. Nakajo was the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Kimochi, Senior Center, which serves the needs of the Japanese American Senior Community.   He was also the Co-Founder of Nihomachi Street Fair.  Mr. Nakajo was the organizer in 2017-2018 of the Japantown Business District and is currently the Executive Director of the Japantown Task Force.  He was awarded the KGO Profile in Excellence and the KQED Asian American Heritage Award.  He was awarded from the Counsel General in 2016 the Foreign Minister Commendation and in 2018 the Order of the Rising Son Gold & Silver Rays.  He was also the SPUR Award Winner in 2017.  He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science and a Master's in Social Welfare from San Francisco State University.