CVs of the staff

Steve Potash

Steve is a founding member of the Board of Directors of the California-Asia Business Council (Cal-Asia), a non-profit business association promoting expanded commercial ties between California and the markets of China and the rest of Asia. Cal-Asia members include some of California's largest multinational corporations. Potash & Company provides management services to the group, and domiciled it for 17 years..

Steve served as public relations consultant to APL, the global container transport and logistics provider, continuously for 25 years (1979-2004), except for the period 1987-90. During those three years, he served in-house as Vice President, Corporate Communications, for the then-$2 billion, publicly-traded (NYSE) company.

Earlier in his career, Steve also served as a public relations consultant to the Japanese Consulate General at San Francisco, JETRO San Francisco, Japan Air Lines, British Week, Bank of Tokyo of California (now Union Bank), California Council for International Trade (CCIT), and others..

Steve is a graduate of Pomona College in Claremont, California, majoring in International Relations. His interests include Chinese Export Silver (objects made in China in the 18th and 19th centuries for use in China by resident Western trading company officials, diplomats, and also commissioned by sea captains). Other interests include 19th Century paintings and original lithographs depicting the ships of the Pacific Mail Steam Ship Company and the Chinese immigration to America.

(Ms.) Jeremy W. Potash

Jeremy W. Potash is President of Potash & Company, a public relations and association-management firm. In that capacity, she is the founding Executive Director of the California-Asia Business Council (Cal-Asia), a non-profit business group dedicated to expanded commerce between U.S. companies and the markets of Asia, a position she has held since 1983.

Until 2007, she also served as Executive Director of the non-profit Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of Northern California (CBFANC). Brokers and forwarders facilitate the flow of exports and imports on behalf of retailers, manufacturers and beneficial owners of freight.

Jeremy is editor of a periodic on-line newsletter for Cal-Asia members that announces business events and summarizes business conditions in Asia; and earlier publications such as the Southeast Asia Infrastructure Directory, and Southeast Asia Environmental Directory. She has written a number of articles on trade and investment prospects in Asia for business publications, and has spoken about that subject throughout the state.

Because of her extensive experience in trade promotion with both Cal-Asia and the Customs Broekers and Forwarders, she was named by the Secretary of Commerce to serve on the Northern California District Export Council, an advisory group to the US Department of Copmmerce. She continues to serve on this board.

Jeremy is listed in Who's Who in America and Who's Who of American Women. She formerly worked with Forbes Magazine, New York, and Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), and prior to Cal-Asia, she also managed its predecessor organizations, California-Southeast Asia Business Council (Cal-SEA), from 1992 to 2000, and Pacific-Indonesian Chamber of Commerce, from 1983 to 1991.

Jeremy received her BA from Pomona College in International Relations, with an emphasis on Southeast Asia, under faculty advisor Ambassador Michael Armacost. She is also a member of the Pacific Council on International Policy, the western arm of the Council on Foreign Relations, and serves on the Advisory Board of the Center for the Pacific Rim, University of San Francisco.