Conferment Ceremony of a Japanese Imperial Decoration for Donna Fujimoto Cole, President and CEO of Cole Chemical
2022/5/20
Ms. Donna Fujimoto Cole
Patent of Decoration
From left, Mr. Gondo, Consul General, Ms. Cole & Mayor Turner
Donna Fujimoto Cole, president and CEO of Cole Chemical & Distributing Inc. was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays, in November 2021, in recognition of her contributions to promoting regional exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and the United States.
On May 12, Consul General Murabayashi hosted the conferment ceremony and celebratory reception at his official residence in Houston with about 50 guests in attendance, including Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.
Consul General Murabayashi reflected on the past 16 years of knowing Ms. Cole, and highlighted their initial introduction when she came to Japan for the first time to participate in the Japanese American Leadership Delegation (JALD), which he coordinated. He expressed his appreciation for her various achievements after the JALD trip, including becoming president of Japan-America Society of Houston, board member of U.S.-Japan Council, and chair of Japan-Texas Economic Summit in 2018, as well as contributing to Japan Festival Houston, the Japanese Garden in Hermann Park, and the Asia Society.
Consul General Murabayashi then presented Ms. Cole with the Patent of Decoration, and formally fastened the Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays.
Ms. Cole expressed great gratitude for such a high honor and to all of the people in attendance for their continued support, emphasizing that the award is shared by everyone. She recalled the plane ride back to Houston from the JALD trip, as a defining moment when she decided to dedicate her efforts towards becoming a bridge between the U.S. and Japan, through helping grow the economies in both countries. She concluded by announcing that she is going to Japan with Mayor Turner in October, on the occasion of Houston Ballet’s tour to Tokyo and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Houston-Chiba Sister Cities relations.
Mayor Turner commended Ms. Cole for being such an inspiration to so many people in Houston, the most diverse city in the U.S. He thanked her for her contributions to and participation in the Holocaust Museum’s event on Chiune Sugihara, the Houston-Chiba Sister Cities youth exchange, Houston Community College, and Japan Festival Houston. He concluded by sincerely congratulating her on behalf of the City of Houston, on the decoration as well as her varied achievements as a bridge between Japan and the U.S.
Finally, Mr. Glen Gondo, president of Gondo Company, spoke about his eagerness to meet Ms. Cole when he first heard that she was serving on the Export Council under President George H.W. Bush in 1991. Over the many years of collaborating alongside Ms. Cole, he has come to know what a wonderful person she is and he emphasized that they share the same goal of eliminating prejudice and discrimination against Japanese Americans and all Asians. He concluded with a toast, after highlighting her achievements and expressing how proud he is to call her a friend.
The guests then enjoyed various Japanese food at the reception, prepared by the Consul General’s Chef.
For more information about Ms. Cole’s achievements, please refer to the following:
https://www.houston.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_ja/11_000001_00279.html
On May 12, Consul General Murabayashi hosted the conferment ceremony and celebratory reception at his official residence in Houston with about 50 guests in attendance, including Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.
Consul General Murabayashi reflected on the past 16 years of knowing Ms. Cole, and highlighted their initial introduction when she came to Japan for the first time to participate in the Japanese American Leadership Delegation (JALD), which he coordinated. He expressed his appreciation for her various achievements after the JALD trip, including becoming president of Japan-America Society of Houston, board member of U.S.-Japan Council, and chair of Japan-Texas Economic Summit in 2018, as well as contributing to Japan Festival Houston, the Japanese Garden in Hermann Park, and the Asia Society.
Consul General Murabayashi then presented Ms. Cole with the Patent of Decoration, and formally fastened the Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays.
Ms. Cole expressed great gratitude for such a high honor and to all of the people in attendance for their continued support, emphasizing that the award is shared by everyone. She recalled the plane ride back to Houston from the JALD trip, as a defining moment when she decided to dedicate her efforts towards becoming a bridge between the U.S. and Japan, through helping grow the economies in both countries. She concluded by announcing that she is going to Japan with Mayor Turner in October, on the occasion of Houston Ballet’s tour to Tokyo and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Houston-Chiba Sister Cities relations.
Mayor Turner commended Ms. Cole for being such an inspiration to so many people in Houston, the most diverse city in the U.S. He thanked her for her contributions to and participation in the Holocaust Museum’s event on Chiune Sugihara, the Houston-Chiba Sister Cities youth exchange, Houston Community College, and Japan Festival Houston. He concluded by sincerely congratulating her on behalf of the City of Houston, on the decoration as well as her varied achievements as a bridge between Japan and the U.S.
Finally, Mr. Glen Gondo, president of Gondo Company, spoke about his eagerness to meet Ms. Cole when he first heard that she was serving on the Export Council under President George H.W. Bush in 1991. Over the many years of collaborating alongside Ms. Cole, he has come to know what a wonderful person she is and he emphasized that they share the same goal of eliminating prejudice and discrimination against Japanese Americans and all Asians. He concluded with a toast, after highlighting her achievements and expressing how proud he is to call her a friend.
The guests then enjoyed various Japanese food at the reception, prepared by the Consul General’s Chef.
For more information about Ms. Cole’s achievements, please refer to the following:
https://www.houston.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_ja/11_000001_00279.html