Yuka Shimizu founded Bellevue Children’s Academy (BCA) in 1999 and Willows Preparatory School in 2014. She also operates BCA’s Saturday Japanese school for bilingual students. She serves as a director of Japan Fair, a community event in Bellevue, and serves on the boards of the Japan-America Society of Washington and the Seattle Symphony.

Yuka joined the Overlake Foundation board in 2021, inspired by the care that Overlake provided her late husband and the lifesaving care our Emergency Department provided for her daughter. English is Yuka’s second language and she says she has always been treated with respect at Overlake. She also wants to encourage and be an inspiration to others in the Japanese community to support Overlake, their community hospital.

Yuka was raised in Tokyo, Japan and has a degree in business and education. She moved to Bellevue in 1998 and has three adult children and one granddaughter.