Key to Community SERVICE AWARD win
Japanese American agent speaks for his
heritage through his support of a Japanese American museum
By Alice Ashby Roettger
Photography by Tim Meyers
Since Bob Kretzmer and the late Walt Gdowski established The Rough Notes Company Community Service Award (CSA) nearly 30 years ago, it has honored a wide range of charitable work by independent agencies, including health services, hunger relief, and support for survivors of sexual abuse.
In the case of the 2025 winner, however, the word “charity” takes on a larger meaning. Joshua Morey has been a long-time supporter of the Japanese American National Museum (JANM), which—like Josuha’s firm, The J. Morey Company—is located in Los Angeles, California. The museum’s goal? To honor and preserve the heritage of Japanese Americans but also to serve to educate the larger American community in a way to help it understand and embrace our country’s ethnic and cultural diversity.
To know about Joshua’s involvement with the JANM, we must venture back into his own heritage.
More than 100 years ago, in 1897, Josh’s Japanese immigrant great grandfather opened a general store in the Little Tokyo area of Los Angeles, aptly naming it to recognize his heritage: The Asia Company. Fast forward to 1980 when Josh’s father, John, and his brothers, Jack and James, opened an insurance agency in Cerrito, California.
As is the case with many successful insurance agency leaders, Josh originally expressed no interest in the industry. Then, a visit to Japan caused him to recognize the importance of insurance to the Japanese people. Think typhoons, earthquakes, and tsunamis.
Upon his return, Josh joined his father’s firm. A few years later, his dad asked him to open a branch office in—yes—the very city where his great grandfather had opened his general store. Recognizing his heritage, Josh saw to it that the new office found its home on that very street in the Little Tokyo area.
In a March 2023 Rough Notes magazine “Agency of the Month” article, Josh observed, “I stand on the shoulders of my ancestors.” He is now the president of The J. Morey Company.
A community effort
The J. Morey Company’s charitable efforts focus on supporting diverse communities—not to stand apart but to help them become part of and to serve and educate the greater American whole. It is interesting to note that in 2020, the agency was honored as The Best Insurance Agency in Downtown Los Angeles, and the next year won the 2021 Outstanding Agency Overall Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance (now Liberty Mutual) Agent for the FutureTM award.
These awards reflect Josh’s belief that “independent agents are entrusted with protecting what people have built; and as stakeholders of our communities, we also have an obligation to build our communities through service.”
Enter the Japanese American
National Museum
In 1985, just five years after the founding of The J. Morey Company, a group of World War II Japanese veterans and Little Tokyo businessmen met to create a foundation. The goal of the foundation: Fund a museum to tell the story of the Japanese American culture that is an integral part of the American story. In just 10 years, the Foundation had raised $60 million and had opened the new museum in a renovated Buddhist temple. Four years later, it added a pavilion and began to offer educational programs that included school field trips.
“[I]ndependent agents are entrusted with protecting what people have built; and as stakeholders of our communities, we also have an obligation to build our communities through service.”
—Joshua Morey
President
The museum’s purpose played right into the goals of The J. Morey Company and in particular, Josh: to preserve the heritage of the Japanese culture, while helping to ensure a stable future for its younger people.
During his introduction of Josh at the annual Rough Notes Agency of the Year dinner in Indianapolis, Rough Notes CEO Sam Berman shared its stated purpose: “The Museum documents 130 years of Japanese history highlighting resilience, discrimination, incarceration, military service, redress movements, and cultural contribution. Its permanent collection exceeds 150,000 objects, including artifacts from early immigration, community life, World War II concentration camps, photographs, diaries, letters, artwork by detainees, and items from units like the 42nd Regimental Combat Team.”
It is interesting to note that Josh’s grandfather, George Morey, as well as his father, John Morey, and his Uncle Jack, were founding members of JANM. In addition, his Aunt Janet volunteers at the museum. Josh enthusiastically followed suit.
According to award Nominator Sara Hutter, “Building on his family’s legacy, Josh has elevated [his] commitment through his current service on JANM’s Board of Governors. He was also a founding member of the museum’s New Leadership Advisory Council, ensuring another generation of leadership and commitment to the museum’s legacy.”
JANM President and CEO Ann Burroughs observed in her nomination: “Under Josh’s leadership as chairperson of Ori-gen and president of The J. Morey Company, these organizations have maintained a steadfast partnership with JANM as annual benefit sponsors year after year …. Beyond financial contributions, Josh’s involvement demonstrates deep personal investment in preserving Japanese American history for future generations.
“At our 2023 annual benefit gala themed ‘Across Generations,’ Josh was recognized as embodying the future of JANM’s leadership as we announced the largest fundraising campaign in our history,” she adds. “His participation in initiatives to reimagine our public spaces, expand our digital presence, and broaden the telling of the Japanese American story reflects his commitment to making our museum accessible and relevant to diverse audiences nationwide.”
As a result of the success of JANM’s fundraising efforts, its pavilion and galleries are temporarily closed for major renovations and a reimagining of its core exhibition. However, off-site programs continue to operate.
A new need for resilience
Ironically, JANM recently lost more than $1 million in federal funds because it refused to comply with any orders to end DEI programs. Those funds would have been used for planned upgrades to the archival HVAC system, as well as various educational programs such as teacher workshops on Japanese American incarceration camps.
“[Josh’s] participation in initiatives to reimagine our public spaces, expand our digital presence, and broaden the telling of the Japanese American story reflects his commitment to making our museum accessible and relevant to diverse audiences nationwide.”
—Ann Burroughs
President and CEO
Japanese American National Museum
The J. Morey Company
As part of his CSA acceptance speech, Josh shared a story that impacted events of the near past and possibly could influence present-day events. If JANM didn’t exist, those lessons could disappear into the mists of time.
Norman Mineta served as a U.S. Army officer and then as Secretary of Commerce during Bill Clinton’s administration and as Secretary of Transportation during George W. Bush’s. Said Josh: “During 9/11, there were conversations circling that the United States should round up all the Arab and Muslim community and put them in detention centers because they were a threat to America. Secretary Mineta told President Bush that history will not be repeated and that just because someone is of a certain descent or religion, doesn’t make them a terrorist. He grounded the planes, created TSA and saved many Arab Americans from unjust incarceration.”
Josh then shared “the rest of the story” [The late radio commentator Paul Harvey’s catchphrase during his broadcasts]: “What most people don’t know is that [Mineta] was an insurance agent in San Jose, and his father [a Japanese American immigrant] started his insurance agency after WWII, coming out of the incarceration camps. His father got into the insurance business because no one would insure the Japanese Americans [after the war].”
Josh’s heartfelt conclusion: “This story is a reminder of why the Japanese American National Museum is important. Our communities’ story needs to be remembered so that we don’t make the same mistakes again.”
For more information:
The Japanese American
National Museum
www.janm.org
The J. Morey Company
www.jmoreyins.com
The author
Alice Ashby Roettger is a freelance writer based in Indianapolis, Indiana. She currently serves as an editorial assistant for the Rough Notes Company.
