in 1934 by Professor E. A. Rogers at the Montezuma Mountain School in Los Gatos, California, as an experiment in self-government. Students at the Montezuma Mountain School set up their own three-branch government, complete with a student court, police force, executive officer, and legislative branch. The students would draft, pass, and enforce their own rules. The JSA has had liaisons with other similar organizations outside of the United States. For example, throughout the 1980s the Pacific-Northwest State developed close ties with the British Columbia Youth Parliament (BCYP). "Ambassadors" were invited from the Pacific-Northwest State to attend the December BCYP legislative session in Victoria, British Columbia, as well a number of BCYP sponsored events, including the "Vernon Conference" held in 1985, a project to celebrate the United Nations International Year of the Youth, involving the BCYP, the TUXIS Parliament of Alberta, and the JSA. In turn, the BCYP would send delegates to attend Pacific-Northwest Spring and Fall State. The Southern California state also added the American School in Honduras as a chapter in 2006 and the school's chapter attended the annual Congress convention. There are two active chapters in St. Kitts and St. Thomas, USVI. Puerto Rico has traditionally one or two chapters. All Caribbean chapters attend either the Northeast State or Mid-Atlantic State conventions. Since its inception in 1934, more than 500,000 student members have participated in the JSA. Notable alumni Notable former members include Leon Panetta (Former Secretary of Defense, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, White House Chief of Staff, United States Congressman, and Member of the California State Senate), Mike McCurry (Press Secretary under President Bill Clinton), Edwin Meese (Attorney General under President Ronald Reagan), Jennifer Palmieri (White House Communication Director under President Barack Obama) businessman and inventor Charles R. Schwab, and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. There are also 3 current JSA alumni serving in Congress: Mark Takano, Derek Kilmer, and Zoe Lofgren. Other notable alumni Christopher Cabaldon (Former Mayor, West Sacramento) Lanhee Chen (David and Diane Steffy Research Fellow, Hoover Institution and Former Policy Director, Mitt Romney presidential campaign, 2012) Andrei Cherny (Former Chair, Arizona Democratic Party) Fred Dutton (Chief of Staff, Governor Pat Brown) Michael Edelstein (President, International Television Production at NBC Universal) Dario Frommer (Former Majority Leader, California State Assembly) Eric Garcetti (Mayor, Los Angeles) Chris Gethard (comedian) Beth Labson Freeman (Judge, United States District Court for the Northern District of California)