Sister Cities Commission Japan Subcommittee

SISTER CITIES COMMISSION MEETING JAPAN SUBCOMMITTEE TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2026 AL LARSON PRAIRIE CENTER FOR THE ARTS / CONFERENCE ROOM A NOTES MEMBERS PRESENT: Kazuko Mino Annie Miskewitch Suzanne Poeschel Jose Skrobot Ally Zinck MEMBERS ABSENT: STAFF PRESENT: Tiana Weiler, Director of Cultural Services Katie Langston, Assistant Event Coordinator CALL TO ORDER: Suzanne Poeschel called the meeting to order at 5:31 p.m. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: None NEW BUSINESS: A. Discuss 2027 30th Anniversary Celebration in Namerikawa Tiana Weiler started off by mentioning that local elections are being held on April 6, 2027, so we would not be able to travel to Japan until after the final board meeting on April 28. The agreed on potential date idea would be to visit after this date to align with the Firefly Squid Fest in Namerikawa. Tiana also mentioned that conversations are being held with elected officials and the village manager’s office on who could attend. In addition to some subcommittee members interested in going, the full commission will be asked to weigh in on their interest in attending. Ms. Weiler mentioned that we would need to find an interpreter, and Ms. Poeschel suggested discussing with Mr. Williams, from Harper College, and Mr. Fujibuchi, from Sugino. Ms. Weiler also mentioned that we should think about how we want to allocate funding for this trip once we have a better understanding of who is interested and cost per person. Ms. Mino confirmed the Namerikawa Mayor Mizuno has been re-elected and is excited to have us visit. Ms. Mino will be reaching out to Mr. Niwa to ask about the possibility of having a group of approximately 20 people coming from Schaumburg. She will also inquire about the length of the trip and types of activities that could take place around the celebration. There was discussion about whether we should consider bringing with us a student entertainment group. Ms. Weiler will be reaching out to Matt Frank in the Economic Development department to find a travel agency to assist with planning the trip. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: CONTINUING ITEMS: DEFERRALS: No deferrals. COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE: ADJOURNMENT A motion was made at 6:27 p.m. by Jose Skrobot to adjourn. Kazuko Mino seconded. MOTION CARRIED. NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 5:30 pm (Full Commission)