About us Meet the Board The Alliance française of Greenwich is lead by a volunteer board comprised of French and American members from Fairfield and Westchester Counties. Renee Ketcham (President) Renee's vivacious nature is central to the growth of the Alliance française of Greenwich. During her four years on the board, two as Secretary, she has worked on education, publicity and media relations and initiated the popular monthly French luncheon, La Table française. Renee also serves as Co-chair of the annual Focus on French Cinema film festival, which she co-founded in 2005. Renee's love of French culture runs deep, and she is delighted to foster greater of understanding between French and American cultures right here in Greenwich. Gail Covney(co-President) A dual citizen of France and the US, Gail grew up with the influence of both French and American cultures in her life. As a French teacher at the Stanwich School and an active member of our board for the past five years, Gail has worked as a member of the AFG Education Committee and as a Liaison with Greenwich Schools to keep our education programs on track. When she is not focused on deepening the educational offerings of the AFG, she pours her energy into the annual Focus on French Film festival, of which she is co-founder and co-Chair. Robert Daniel Vock (Board Member at large) A member of the Alliance française for 15 years and a Director for 48 months, Daniel has truly dedicated himself to enriching French culture in Greenwich and promoting teaching at AFG. Born and raised in France, he has lived in the States for 54 years. His time as a US Army officer and professional exploits in the oil industry have taken him as far as Africa, but he still keeps a home in Paris where he lives three months each year. A former Vice President and President of the board and now our Board Member at large, Daniel ensures that AFG remains connected to its roots and continues to foster a greater understanding between French and American cultures for years to come. Catherine Crochon Catherine joined AFG in February of 2006 as Education Director and has quickly become an invaluable member of our board. She works daily to improve our educational programs and deliver quality courses, workshops and private lessons to the children, teens and adults in our community. A resident of Larchmont, Catherine is a professional linguist and specializes in teaching foreign languages. She has lived and taught in four different countries over the past twelve years (France, Poland, Mexico and the United States) and we are thrilled to bring her depth of experience to the educational programs of the Alliance française of Greenwich. Meri Erikson A member of our board for the last two years, Meri has been very active in planning special events, among them our annual Pique Nique. Currently a resident of New Canaan, Meri and her family lived in Neuilly-sur-Seine from 1998 to 2002. There, she was very active in the American Womens Group of Paris, studied French cooking and organized monthly wine tasting dinners. In the coming year, Meri will tap into her love of French cuisine as she heads La Table française, our monthly French lunch event. Sandra Finch-Nguyen Sandra's knowledge of music and history serve us well as we continue to offer our popular Conferences series, which she heads. A member of our board for the past four years, Sandra has served as Secretary, handled Media Relations and serves as the Archivist for AFG. Sandra has studied and taught piano in the States and in France, where she lived for twelve tears. Catherine Lamairesse A member of the AFG board for twelve years, Catherine works tirelessly to ensure that the Alliance française remains a vibrant part of the Greenwich community. In her four years as President, she instituted new methods of communication and created our current AFG office headquarters. Currently, she is Chair of the Focus on French Cinema Film Festival, which she co-founded in 2005. Born in La Rochelle, Catherine studied Political Science then spent her early career in Paris as a senior marketing manager at Citroen. She now uses her business savvy to open new doors to French culture right here in Greenwich. Fereshteh Priou Fereshteh has served as our board Treasurer for the past two years. She lends her time and expertise to maintaining our financial health so we can continue to enrich French educational and cultural offerings in our community. Fereshteh currently works as a corporate senior tax manager and as an adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut, Stamford campus. A native of Iran, Fereshteh came to US as a student in the 70's, then met her French husband and moved to Paris where she learned French. She has lived with her family in Greenwich and Stamford for the past 27 years. Madeleine Strass A member of our board for the past year, Madeleine immediately applied her love of French cinema to our popular Cine Club. When she is not organizing monthly film screenings, Madeleine actively volunteers to help produce our newsletter and organize AFG events, like our annual Pique Nique. Born in Quebec City, Madeleine has lived in the US for 34 years and currently resides in Rye Brook, NY. Carrie Waible Carrie recently joined the Alliance française to revive her knowledge and appreciation for French language and culture. A full-time event planning and marketing professional, Carrie has been a student of French since she was six years old and also studied abroad in Paris. As a new member of our board, Carrie is working to introduce an exciting new event series that will raise funds for our important cultural and educational programs. Mimi Wind A member of our board for more than thirty years with positions ranging from Secretary to President, Mimi is still bringing fresh energy and new ideas to the Alliance française of Greenwich. Born and raised in Belgium and currently a residen t of Stamford, Mimi has been speaking French all her life. Her love of the French language and French cinema serve members well at Cine Critique, which she founded in the 90s, and at Causeries, in which she is an active participant. Mimi is also credited with founding our Cine Club and the Videotheque, an important part of the AFG Resource Center. Anne M. Kern Anne M. Kern is Assistant Professor of Cinema Studies at Purchase College, State University of New York, and a resident of Greenwich. Dr. Kern serves as a Board Member of both the Alliance Française of Greenwich and the Focus on French Cinema film festival. She has a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and Film Studies from Yale University, and is also a graduate of the Scholars Program (an intensive program in psychoanalytic theory for non-clinician scholars) at the Western New England Institute for Psychoanalysis, New Haven, Connecticut. Dr. Kern has presented and published work on European and American film, surrealism and psychoanalysis; her research interests and teaching experience include silent, Classical Hollywood and European cinema, critical theory, as well as French and Italian literature and theatre.