Society For The Promotion Of Japanese Animation Announces New Board Members

Perez Announced as New Chairman of the SPJA Board

Anaheim, California (October 24, 2007) -- The overseeing body of Anime Expo® (the nation's largest anime/manga convention), the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA), announces five (5) new additions to the Board of Directors. More information can be found on the website www.spja.org.

Mr. Lionel Lum, with degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of California Los Angeles and Computer Engineering from San Jose State University, has been with the organization since 1992 with various volunteer and management positions. Mr. Lum states that his intentions are "to get things done with as little paperwork as possible and make sure set policies and rules adhere to common sense."

Mr. Craige Howlett, an A.S., Computer Science recipient from Harbor Junior College, is also the current Chief Financial Officer for the Anime Resources Group (owners of FanimeCon). Mr. Howlett has "over 35 years of experience in Sicence Fiction, Horror, Fantasy and Anime conference planning".

Mr. H. Roderic Onodera joins the Board as a veteran volunteer on staff for 15 years and has been an integral contributor to the Guest Relations Department of Anime Expo®.

Chairman-elect Mr. Marc Perez is a University Graduate and a Systems Analyst for the defense industry and has been part of the Anime Expo® family as a volunteer since 2004. His skills stem from retail sales management, computer service and support, customer service and management. Mr. Perez applied for a position on the SPJA Board of Directors for the betterment of Industry, Staff & Fandom.

Mr. Paul Wilson, hails from Penn State and is one of the most visible faces at the convention, has been with Anime Expo® extensively as a volunteer since 1992 (two (2) of the years Mr. Wilson served as co-Chairman for the convention as well). "I feel I have visibly demonstrated my commitment and dedication to Anime Expo® and the SPJA by the years of devoting personal time and resources to the betterment of AX", states Mr. Wilson.

The five (5) new additional members join existing Board of Directors, Josh Ritter and Ross Johnson, effective immediately and will be charged with the responsibility of guiding the activities of the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation and its existing and future projects.

About Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation
The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) is a non-profit organization with a mission to popularize and educate the American public about anime and manga, as well as provide a forum to facilitate communication between professionals and fans. This organization is more popularly known by its entertainment property ­ Anime Expo®. More information can be found at its website (www.spja.org).