Who are we?

Monthly Meetings

Bloomington-Normal/Asahikawa Sister Cities Committee meets the first Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Central Illinois Regional Airport, 2nd Floor Conference Room 3201 CIRA Drive Bloomington, IL.

Our next meeting will be on May 5th at 6:30.

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Our next meeting will be on May 5th at 6:30. 〰️

Chairman Jeff Kroesch

Jeffrey Kroesch serves as the chairman of the Bloomington-Normal/Asahikawa Sister Cities Committee. As an English teacher at Normal West High School, Mr. Kroesch dedicates his career to inspiring students and fostering cross-cultural understanding. His first experience in Japan was in 2007 as an exchange student in Kansai.

Mr. Kroesch’s involvement with the committee began as a chaperone of the Junior Ambassador Program in 2017. Afterward, he formally joined the committee as an understudy for that program, and later became Vice Chairman. Mr. Kroesch navigated the committee through the COVID-19 pandemic before stepping into the role of Chairman. He has focused the committee’s efforts on relaunching each of the yearly exchange programs to bring the students of both cities together again. He led the committee’s 60th anniversary celebration, which brought thirty guests from Asahikawa for three days of tours throughout Bloomington-Normal.

Mr. Kroesch is so excited by the renewed interest from the community in the committee’s offerings. During his time as Chairman, he is determined to strengthen the bonds between our cities and continue providing the life-changing experiences our programs create.

Committee Members

  • Sarah Adelman

  • Steven Campbell

  • Brenda Guest

  • Dawn McBride

  • Bennett Morris

  • Katherine Scheck

  • Justin Tirone

City of Bloomington Members

Town of Normal Members

  • Ryan Apple

  • Veronica Kroesch

  • Eric Stegemann

  • Chizuko Tsukamoto

Bloomington Normal/Asahikawa Sister Cities Member Commitments

Our committee consists of twenty members, ten approved by the Mayor and Council of each community who serve a renewable three year term.

Committee members meet monthly and are expected to participate in at least one sub-committee:

  • High School Exchange to Asahikawa

  • High School Exchange from Asahikawa

  • Junior Ambassadors from Asahikawa

  • Junior Ambassadors to Asahikawa

  • Japanese Garden

  • Public Relations

  • Special Events

  • Long Range Planning

These subcommittees facilitate the work of the committee on weekly basis. Time commitment varies depending on the month, but committee members usually work an average 3 – 5 hours each month. If you would like to learn more, please contact Jeff Kroesch, Chair, for more information at jeff.kroesch@bnsistercities.org. Come be a part of this fun-loving, and wonderfully diverse, group of dedicated volunteers!

Apply to the committee here if you live in the Town of Normal.

Apply to the committee here if you live in the City of Bloomington.

“Being a member of the Bloomington-Normal Asahikawa Sister Cities committee allows me to support international travel and cultural immersion for young students from both the Twin Cities and Asahikawa, Japan. This student exchange is a life-changing experience for all of the young people who are able to participate. I firmly believe in the hands-on life experience this committee facilitates for young people.”
— Mary Anne Schierman