Staff
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Charles Kolb Charles Kolb is president of the French-American Foundation-United States. Mr. Kolb has held this position since August 2012. Prior to joining the French-American Foundation, he was president of the Committee for Economic Development (CED) from 1997 to 2012 and served as General Counsel of United Way of America from 1992 to 1997. During nearly ten years of government service, he held several senior-level positions. Mr. Kolb served as Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy at the White House from 1990-1992. At the White House, he worked on economic, education, legal, and regulatory policy issues. From 1983 to 1990, he held three other government positions: assistant general counsel, office of management and budget (1983-1986); deputy general counsel for Regulations and Legislation, U.S. Department of Education (1986-1988); and deputy under secretary for Planning, Budget and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Education (1988-1990). |
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Dana Arifi Dana Arifi, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, has worked at the French-American Foundation since 1988. During this time, she has participated in program implementation, funding, and outreach. Her primary responsibilities, however, have been in the areas of administration, finance, and human resources. Prior to her tenure at the Foundation, Dana co-founded and managed an antiques and interior design retail business in Greenwich, CT and headed the U.S. office of ADERLY-Lyon, the Lyon Area Economic Development Agency. Dana earned her bachelor’s degree with honors in Art History, French, and Italian from Smith College. |
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Lindsey Abramowitz Lindsey Abramowitz joined the French-American Foundation in 2010. Before joining the Foundation, she spent four years teaching English, both in eastern France and New York. She graduated cum laude from Brandeis University with a bachelor’s degree in French and anthropology and is currently completing a masters of education at Hunter College. |
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Eugenie Briet Eugenie Briet joined the French-American Foundation in September 2010. She is responsible for managing the Translation Prize, the Sustainable Cities Study Tour, and the Foundation’s social media presence. She also conducts research on French policy issues, including healthcare, education, and French politics. During her time at the Foundation, Eugenie has worked on several exchange programs, including the Young Leaders program. A native of France, she graduated with a master’s degree in Public Communications from the Institut D’Etudes Politiques of Grenoble. |
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Thibault Chareton Thibault Chareton is Policy Program Officer for the French-American Foundation. He heads the Journalism and Immigration initiatives with the goal of improving coverage of immigration in the media. A native of France, Thibault received a joint master’s degree in Global Journalism and French Studies from New York University. He also graduated with a master’s degree in English from the University of Paris IV (Paris-Sorbonne). He has written for a number of U.S. publications, including Metro New York, The Huffington Post, and The Advocate. |
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Katie Fuller |
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Gabrielle Gilliam Gabrielle Gilliam comes to the French-American Foundation with 17 consecutive years of experience in fundraising and institutional advancement. Previous positions include director of development, Poly Prep Country Day School; executive director, Bottomless Closet; New York area development director, United Negro College Fund; and development director for City College of New York. Gabrielle received a bachelor’s degree from Vassar College and a master’s degree from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. |
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Chrissa LaPorte Chrissa LaPorte joined the French-American Foundation in September 2006, and is the Chief Policy Officer, responsible for oversight of all Foundation policy initiatives. She has a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and a bachelor’s degree in international relations and French civilization from Brown University. As an undergraduate, Chrissa studied for a year at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences-Po) and the University of Paris IV. |
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Patrick Lattin Patrick Lattin manages the French-American Foundation’s Speaker Series and Defense Symposium in addition to coordinating print and electronic publications, marketing materials, and the Foundation’s website. Prior to joining the Foundation, he worked in communications, marketing, and development with New York University and Baker University. He has written for a number of newspapers, including The Topeka Capital-Journal, The Lawrence Journal-World, and The Queens Chronicle. Patrick graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts and a bachelor of science degree from Baker University, with majors in French, journalism, and theatre and minors in English, German, and political science. He also holds a joint master’s degree in journalism and French studies from New York University. Patrick was named the 2007 Kansas Associated Collegiate Press Journalist of the Year. |
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Irene Savvas Irene Savvas rejoined the French-American Foundation in May 2013 as Chief Leadership Development Officer. She is responsible for directing the Foundation’s signature Young Leaders program. Prior to her current position, Irene served as Director of External Relations. Irene holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from Mills College and a bachelor’s degree in Western European Studies from the University of Connecticut. As a postgraduate, she studied Art History at the Université Paris IV Paris-Sorbonne. She speaks and writes five languages. |
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Alexandra Mac Kenzie
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Please note that the French-American Foundation is an operating foundation which funds its activities by seeking contributions and grants from outside sources. The French-American Foundation is not a grant-making organization.
Inquiries
We welcome your inquiries. For general questions, please email info@frenchamerican.org or fill out the contact form below.