Meet The Team.

Michael, Sarah, Joel and Cecile.

Michael Drake

Team Leader
59 years old
Attorney
Tucson Sunset Rotary Club

Mike lives in Tucson, Arizona. He is not married and has no children. He has been an attorney for 34 years. He has no partners nor associates. He has a civil trial practice. The work involves representing individuals in claims in court against insurance companies. Michael has been very involved with the local bar association. He is responsible for all aspects of managing his office. He meets with clients, does legal research, prepares court pleadings, and attends court hearings and jury trials.
Michael has been a Rotarian 24 years. He has been president of the Tucson Sunset Rotary Club and has served in many district positions. He is a Paul Harris Fellow.

Wish-List while in Fukushima
- Meeting with attorneys in private practice
- Meet judges, and observe a trial in court
- Michael is interested in learning about the Japanese legal and judicial systems.

Joel Mayer

38 years old
Team Member
Civil Engineer
Sponsored by Sierra Vista West RC.

Joel is married to Rebecca and has one 15 year old son. He lives in Sierra Vista, Arizona. Joel is a civil engineer. He works primarily designing sites for residential and commercial building development and is interested in hydrology and flood management. Joel is also the firm’s information technology manager.

Wish-List while in Fukushima
- visit civil engineering firms
- visit some sites being developed for residential or commercial use
- learn how Japanese engineers are trying to improve city infrastructure and deal with environmental issues.

Sarah Wright

33 years old
Team Member
Attorney- Law Office of Sarah Wright
Sponsored by Tucson Sunrise Rotary Club

Sarah grew up in the Midwest, living in Illinois, Missouri, and Wisconsin, before moving to Tucson, Arizona in 1987 when she began high school. She attended the University of Arizona and earned her Bachelor of Arts in American Literature with a minor in sociology in 1996. Her first year of law school was in San Francisco, before returning to the University of Arizona, where she graduated with a Juris Doctor decree in 1999. After graduating from law school, Sarah worked at two large law firms in Tucson, Snell & Wilmer and DeConcini McDonald Yetwin & Lacy where she worked as a civil litigator, handling commercial, real estate, tort, employment, and family law matters. Sarah met her husband Nate, a corporate attorney, while working at Snell & Wilmer in 1999. In 2003, Sarah and Nate, took a sabbatical from the practice of law to pursue a life long dream of traveling around the world for one year. They traveled by airplane, train, bus, car, boat, and camel, staying in countries such as Canada, Portugal, Morocco, Turkey, Singapore, Australia, and the Cook Islands. This experience was amazing and life changing. Sarah and Nate were married in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in April 2005. They have a red Boston Terrier named Ruby Dee whom they adore.

In August, 2006, Sarah opened up her own law firm, the Law Office of Sarah Wright, where she focuses her practice on commercial litigation, family law, and employment defense. Sarah also enjoys photography and writing. She is current in the process of writing a travelogue and a satire based on her life experiences. Sarah's immediate family all live in Tucson, along with an aunt and uncle and they spend time together as frequently as possible.
Sarah enjoys many outdoor activities, including running, hiking, biking, swimming, skiing, and scuba diving. She also loves to read and garden.

Wish List while in Fukushima
- Visit a Japanese tea garden
- See a festival
- Observe nightlife in Tokyo
- Visit an attorney or judge
- Visit a courtroom

Cecile Brown

33 years old
Team Member
Personal Fitness Trainer
Sponsored by the Pantano Rotary Club in Tucson.

Cecile was born in France and moved to the US when she was 26 after meeting her husband Chris in Tucson while on vacation. Cecile graduated from Paris University of Nanterre with a degree in Sports Sciences. She was an avid gymnast for over 15 years and became then a gymnastic coach in France. While in the US, after learning the language, she became a personal trainer. However her dream is to become a Firefighter, and she recently obtained state and national certifications of Emergency Medical Technician and State certification of Firefighter.
On her free time, Cecile likes to train for triathlons, run, swim, ride her bicycle. Her and her husband recently started to play golf and enjoy their new hobby very much. They also have a dog, an Akita named Nikita. Cecile likes arts and specifically the art of photography and would love to develop her photographic skills. She also loves to cook because she loves to eat. Her favorite is fish and seafood and more specifically Japanese food. She can't wait to visit Fukushima.

Wish-List while in Fukushima
- Go to a Natural hot spring bath.
- Visit a Firefighter Station.
- Eat authentic authentic Japanese food everyday.
- Visit a fitness gym or a gymnastic club.
- Assist to an authentic tea ceremony.
- Dress in traditional Japanese clothing and have picture taken.

Fukushima here we come!