Thomas S. Johnson To Be USJF Chairman

New York, May 3, 2001

The United States-Japan Foundation has elected Thomas S. Johnson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GreenPoint Financial Corp. & GreenPoint Bank, as the new Chairman of its Board of Trustees, effective April 23, 2001.

Mr. Johnson succeeds Dr. Thomas A. Bartlett, the former Chancellor of the State University of New York, who expressed a wish to retire after seven years in the office.

Johnson has been a Trustee of the Foundation since 1993 and has served as Chairman of its Finance Committee since 1994. His election took place at the semi-annual meeting of the full Board of Trustees in Kobe, Japan. He is the fourth chairman in the Foundation's 21-year history.

The US-Japan Foundation, based in New York City, promotes stronger ties between Americans and Japanese by supporting projects that foster mutual understanding and education, deepen understanding, create effective channels of communication, and address common concerns. It also brings together young leaders from both countries each year.

Johnson, who is also Chairman of the Board of Trinity College, has long had an interest in East Asia and education, spending two years as an educator in the Philippines from 1964-66, and serving as Treasurer of the Asia Society and as Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Institute of International Education.

A graduate of Trinity College with an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, he worked at Chemical Bank for 20 years, serving as its president from 1983-89. From 1989-91 he was President and Director of Manufacturers Hanover Trust Co. until its merger agreement with Chemical Bank. He assumed his present position in 1993.

Johnson said yesterday, "It is a high honor to succeed Tom Bartlett as Chairman of the Foundation. Our work in promoting greater understanding between Japan and America has never been more important, and I look forward to working with the staff and the other trustees to add to the effectiveness of that work in the coming years."

The Foundation's Board is composed of eight Japanese and eight American Trustees. Two new members, former Ambassador to Japan Thomas S. Foley, and the Chairman of the Fuji Xerox Corp., Yotaro Kobayashi, attended their first meeting on April 23.

The Foundation has offices in New York City and Tokyo.