Board of Directors

Julia Molander has deep roots in San Francisco, having lived and worked in the city since 1978. She is a lawyer with a background in insurance law, and currently she works as a court expert in that area. Julia has served on the board of World Arts West (producer of the Ethnic Dance Festival), as well as the boards of other professional and charitable organizations. She is an avid museum-goer and a collector of a wide variety of Asian art. She joined the board of the Society for Asian Art in 2023.

Jim Brown is a graduate of Columbia University, where he was Chapter President of the Business School’s American Marketing Association. Upon graduation he joined Lever Bros. Co., embarking on a marketing career which eventually led to the cruise industry where he held various positions at both French Line and Royal Viking. He has visited more than 60 countries around the world. Jim is currently a docent at the Asian Art Museum. He has been an SAA Board Member for the past two years.

Sheila Dowell became involved with the Society for Asian Art and with the Asian Art Museum, as a Docent, because she wanted to build on the knowledge she had previously gained while living in Japan, India, and Saudi Arabia. Prior to this, she became an AOA (Africa, Oceania, and the Americas) Docent at the de Young Museum to connect with her experience living in Tanzania. Sheila was a member of the SFMOMA Modern Art Council. She earned a B.A. in Anthropology and Sociology from Mills College. She currently serves on the Upper Category Member Events Committee and the Travel Committee. She also serves on the Board of SACHI and on the University Relations Committee and the Science Committee of ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists).

Anne Katz worked for over thirty years in second language education with a focus on assessment, curriculum design, and standards development. She became interested in Asian art and the programs offered by Society for Asian Art through friends. After attending the first session of the Arts of Asia lecture series on the Arts, Cultures and Kingdoms of the Silk Roads, she signed up for the whole series and became an SAA member. Anne has been a board member for the past five years.

Daniel Raybin started collecting Chinese pottery with his mother. Later, he studied Asian civilizations at Columbia with William Theodore DeBary, solidifying a lifelong interest. He graduated from Stanford Medical School, where he is an Adjunct Clinical Professor of Medicine, Emeritus, teaching at Palo Alto VAHCS.

He was a charter member of the Asian Art Museum and recently joined the Society for Asian Art for the Arts of Asia lectures. He has been a board member for the past

Trista Berkovitz is a former President and Secretary of the Society for Asian Art. She also led the Souk and Investment Committees and recently co-chaired the Upper Category Member Events Committee. Her interest in Asian art began when she lived in Japan during her high school years and has grown through her travels to other Asian countries. She speaks conversational Japanese and has earned several teaching certificates from the Sogetsu School of Ikebana. Prior to her involvement with SAA, Trista worked for 35 years at PG&E, most recently as a director leading several engineering and operating departments there. Trista is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara in chemical engineering and has a professional engineering license in mechanical engineering from the California Board for Professional Engineers.