Meet the Team

Get to know the dedicated board members and staff who lead AF Raleigh, bringing passion and expertise to foster French language and culture in our community.


Board of Directors

Edmund Tiryakian President
I am a US citizen married to a French.  A former lawyer and investment banker, I spent my career in Hong Kong, ran marathons around the world, tracked mountain gorillas in Rwanda and bonobos in Congo.  I am now retired to my native North Carolina, living in the unexplored wilds of Hillsborough, where I tend to chickens, bees, cats and dogs in modest attempts to be a gentleman farmer. 
Jérôme Pedretti Vice-President

I am a French-American citizen who grew up in France and has lived in several European countries. I’ve been calling Raleigh home for the past nine years and currently hold a senior role at a global water company.  I enjoy cycling, skiing, and travelling with my wife and two daughters.

Sylvain Perret Treasurer
I was born and raised in France. After a career as a bank executive in France and the West Indies, I moved to Florida to grow my consulting business, specializing as a business and real estate broker. During my time in Orlando, I had the privilege of serving as Chairman of the Board of the Alliance Française of Orlando. My wife and I recently relocated to Raleigh, where we naturally found our way to the Alliance Française of Raleigh.
Samuel Hotchkiss Secretary

I am an American citizen originally from Washington DC., and have lived in Durham since 2020.  I received a BS in French and Mathematics from Davidson College with a focus in the post-colonial Maghrebin experience, and studied Mathematics at l’université François-Rabelais in Tours during my junior year abroad.  Prior to my current career in Healthcare Finance and IT, I worked as an English language teaching assistant in the Vendée region of France. 

Rod Frankel Member

Originally from Rochester, NY, I was a cadet at West Point for two years before completing my studies at the University of Pennsylvania. After four years teaching snow skiing in Vermont, I began a career working for Club Med, an international resort company, and that’s where I learned to speak French. I moved to Raleigh in 1994 to start a staffing and recruiting business and currently live in Cary, NC where I enjoy tennis, pickleball, travel, and collecting antique maps.

Fred Beaujeu-Dufour Member

I was born in Pontoise, France, and have called North Carolina home since 1999. I earned my MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. After graduation, my wife and I moved to her hometown of Clinton, NC, where I have become an integral part of both the community and the Faircloth Farms’ family business. Over the years, we’ve remained closely involved with the Alliance Française of Raleigh. In my spare time, I enjoy honing my photography skills - both digital and film.

Employees and French Instructors

Claire Barthélemy Executive Director

I was born in the South of France and raised in Paris, so I like to think I got the best of both worlds! I earned a Master’s in Literature from University Paris X and a Business degree from INALCO (Institute of Eastern Studies).  I then spent 15 years working as an International Sales Manager in the medical device industry, living and working in Italy, Germany, Israel, Côte d’Ivoire, and the Netherlands - apparently, staying in one country was never really my thing.  In 2000, I moved to the US to marry my husband, Michael. We relocated from California to Raleigh in 2017 and absolutely love North Carolina. I’m happiest outdoors, surrounded by animals and nature.

Marie Lambert Program Manager & French Instructor

I was born and raised in Paris. Thanks to my Spanish parents, I also speak Spanish.  I obtained a Master's degree in Finance from University Paris IX and a degree in Business Law from University Paris X.  I began working in a French company as an international controller, then joined the Merger and Acquisition Department as an expatriate in Argentina and Mexico. I discovered the joy of teaching my native languages when I moved to the US, after marrying my American husband. I have been teaching French in various settings ever since.

Amandine Furey French Instructor

I was born and raised in France and earned my Ph.D. in French Studies from the University of Arizona. I have spent more than 20 years in higher education, including 11 years at Georgetown University, where I was a Teaching Professor in the Department of French and Francophone Studies and coordinated the Advanced French Program. I am passionate about education and sharing the French language and culture, and I strive to support and encourage my students as they work toward their personal and professional goals. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, doing arts and crafts with my daughter, traveling, and making jewelry.

Dany Guerendo Christian French Instructor

Born in the Central African Republic, where French is the official language, I am a native French speaker. I spent part of my childhood in the Paris area and graduated from Institut Pierre et Marie Curie with a Master’s in Physiques et Applications.  I also earned a Master’s in mathematics from Indiana University Bloomington and a PhD in data science from National University, San Diego.
As a multilingual speaker of French, English, Sango, and Spanish, I understand both the challenges and rewards of learning a new language. 

Priya Joawn French Instructor

Originally from Paris, I have lived in Cary since 2011. I graduated from ESGI International Business and Marketing School in Paris. I followed my husband to North Carolina after he completed his Master's degree at NCSU and found a job in the Triangle. 
I became a fulltime teacher when I moved to the US and have enjoyed teaching French to non-French speakers ever since.

Claudie Vo Van French Instructor

I was born and raised in Lyon, France's gastronomic capital city.  I originally trained as a social worker and psychotherapist.  I became a French teacher in 2019, when I relocated to Greensboro with my husband and 2 kids.  In addition to working with Alliance Française, I teach French in Middle School.  I am passionate about literature and I also enjoy writing.

Léa Jourjon French Instructor

I was born and raised in Lyon, France, where I studied communication and worked for several years in communications and education, including teaching at the university level.  In 2019, I left France to embrace a nomadic lifestyle and have since lived and traveled around the world. Since 2024, I have been traveling through the Americas by motorcycle while teaching French online. Outside of teaching, I am passionate about coffee, photography, and the outdoors.






Sophie Laura French Instructor

I was born and raised in Annecy, in the French Alps. I originally trained as an agricultural engineer. I became a French teacher in 2019, when I moved to Ecuador with my husband and 3 kids.  I have really enjoyed teaching French to non-French speakers ever since.  I love using games to teach the language.  In my free time, I enjoy yoga, hiking, reading, visiting historical sites and spending time with friends.

Nay Achkar French Instructor

Raised in Beirut, Lebanon, I earned the French Baccalaureate in 2015 from a French school. I began tutoring after high school, mainly in French and Arabic, and have continued ever since. I earned a B.A. in History and International Relations (in French) at Université Saint-Joseph in Beirut, then spent a year in France with 'L'Arche en France' NGO.  In 2021, I moved to the U.S., completed an M.A. in Public History at NC State, where I’m now pursuing a PhD. 

Vanessa de Froidcourt French Instructor

I was raised between Paris, France, and Sofia, Bulgaria. I graduated from Sciences Politiques Paris and completed an exchange program at King’s College London.  I spent over ten years as a French civil servant at the École nationale d’administration (ENA, now INSP), where I served as Head of Multilateral Affairs and Tenders, working on international projects with governments and organizations worldwide.  I have lived in North Carolina since 2019 with my American husband and our two children. 

Anne-Marie Hulin French Instructor

I was born and raised in France and have had the wonderful opportunity to live in several countries. After earning a Business degree from CNAM in Paris, I began my career in the corporate world before moving abroad with my husband. This experience eventually led me to teaching French and sharing my language and culture with people from diverse backgrounds.
I have taught French for many years, in the UK and the United States, in public schools and Alliance Françaises. I teach students of all ages and levels and enjoy making French practical, engaging, and interactive. When I’m not teaching, I enjoy traveling and playing golf with my husband.

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