Board of Directors

President:  Edmund Tiryakian

Edmund Tiryakian, US citizen married to a French, is a former lawyer and investment banker who spent his career in Hong Kong, ran marathons around the world, has tracked mountain gorillas in Rwanda and bonobos in Congo.  He has now retired to his native North Carolina, living in the unexplored wilds of Hillsborough, where he tends to chickens, bees, cats and dogs in modest attempts to be a gentleman farmer. 

Vice-President: Hélène Crié-Wiesner 

A French-American citizen, writer, and journalist, Hélène Crié has worked for many years at Libération, a national French news daily, and for the national public radio France Inter. Based in the USA, she now writes for French media as a freelancer.

Secretary: Anne Clayton

Anne grew up as a "third culture kid" in the US, with her French mother and Dutch father. She has lived in North Carolina for the last 20 years and works as a realtor in the Triangle.  In her personal life, she loves travel, kayaking, knitting, learning any kind of craft, and spending time with her family and dog Milo (a cute little Biewer Terrier!) 

Treasurer:  Samuel Hotchkiss

Sam is an American citizen originally from Washington DC., and has lived in Durham since 2020.  He received his 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 his junior year abroad.  Prior to his current career in Healthcare Finance and IT, Sam worked as an English language teaching assistant in the Vendée.

Michèle Darrah

A French-American citizen, retired teacher from NCSU and musician, Michèle Darrah has chaired the Alliance française for more than twenty years.

Charles Neely

Chuck Neely was born in Raleigh, NC. A graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke Law School, he served in the Navy during the Vietnam war, practiced law in Raleigh for 50 years and was elected to three terms in the General Assembly. He bicycles, sails and is studying French through the Alliance.

Employees and French Instructors

Claire Barthélemy - Executive Director

I was born in the South of France and raised in Paris.  I obtained a Master's in Literature from University Paris X and a Business degree from INALCO (Institute of Eastern Studies) in Paris. I went on working as an International Sales Manager in the Medical Device Industry for 15 years, home based in Italy, Germany, Israel, the Ivory Coast and the Netherlands. I moved to the US in 2000 to marry my husband Michael.  We relocated from California to Raleigh in 2017 with our son and 3 dogs.

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.

Rebecca Rumpf - French Instructor

I was born and raised in South Carolina, where I earned a BA in French from Clemson University. During my university studies, I spent a semester at l'Université de Rennes II, Haute-Bretagne.  After completing an assistantship in Normandy, I earned an MA in French from Middlebury College in Vermont and Paris. In the U.S., I have taught high school and elementary School in Vermont, Massachusetts and North Carolina. 

Catherine Delorme - French Instructor

I was born and raised in Burgundy, France. I taught French as a second language in France, worked as a wine seller in Italy, and as a social worker in Lebanon. I moved to California in 2008 and have been teaching French ever since. My husband and I relocated to North Carolina in December 2022.  I go to France every year to maintain my connection with my French roots and brink back useful materials for my classes.

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 full time 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.

Michel Seguin - French Instructor

I am a native French Canadian  with experience in translation, terminology research, and teaching French as a foreign language (Quebec and France varieties.)  I completed a Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics at Université de Montréal and a MBA at HEC Montréal. I enjoy teaching French at all levels.  I also help students develop their French skills for business and marketing purposes.

Marine Nouhaud - French Instructor

I come from the French Alps, near Switzerland.  I started teaching French when working as a Campus France Manager in Laos.  I then realized how much I enjoyed being in a classroom and sharing my culture. I went back to college to complete a Master's degree and have been a French instructor ever since.  I taught in France and 
Eastern Europe (Bosnia and Poland,) mostly to adults, both online and face-to-face. I’m passionate about hiking, figure skating, cinema and cooking. I also write for a French magazine and work as a marketing consultant.
I relocated to Christchurch, New Zealand, in February 2023 - this means that I am 1 day ahead of you ��

Avrile Floro - French Instructor

I was born in Versailles, in the outskirts of Paris. I started studying law at Paris-Dauphine University and earned a Master's degree in law (LL.M) from Duke University in North Carolina.  I also hold a Master's degree in teaching French as a Foreign Language (FLE) from the University of Artois (France.)  I am currently furthering my education by studying computer sciences. My passion for learning goes hand in hand with my joy in teaching.  I always look forward to teaching as much as learning from my students.