CANDIDATE STATEMENTS for Alliance Française BOARD 2017
New Candidates
Barbara Cotter:
In my decades-long quest to speak and comprehend French, I turned to Alliance Francaise of
Sacramento three years ago. Since then, I have enjoyed French classes, the movie nights and guest
speakers on history and culture. I look forward to expanded cultural and language programs,
facilitated by the Alliance’s move to the new location and the growth of downtown and midtown.
As an attorney in a boutique law firm based in midtown, I would hope to serve the Alliance’s mission
with a perspective on the practical business challenges confronting every organization – non-profit or
otherwise. As a specialist in labor and employment law, I could draw on my professional background to
help ensure the Alliance avoids the pitfalls of California’s quirky regulatory landscape. The Alliance is a
local treasure as a result of the genuine commitment and heartfelt work of those who have built it. I
would be proud to join in that effort.
With respect to personal information, I grew up in the Bay Area and have lived in Northern California all
my life. I moved to Sacramento in 1989 when I landed a job here after law school. I wish I could travel to
France more often. I have enjoyed many trips, but I always look forward to the next one. This year, I
hoped to return to see some of the presidential election craziness, but I will probably have to watch
from here. I fill in with French television, French podcasts, and, of course, trips to N and 25th Street to
visit the Alliance.
Paul Beard:
Paul became involved as a student at the Alliance Française shortly after he moved to Sacramento in
2003. Originally from Los Angeles, he is an environmental and land-use attorney with an international
law firm. He helps developers and other landowners obtain permits to use and develop their properties,
and represents them in court if necessary to defend their rights and entitlements.
Recently, Paul had the pleasure of assisting the Alliance, on a pro bono basis, with the negotiation of
their new lease. As a member of the board, he would continue to lend his background and expertise to
legal issues that the Alliance may confront from time to time. Having spent a number of years as an
attorney for a nonprofit legal foundation here in Sacramento, he also has some fundraising experience
under his belt.
Before embarking on his legal career in 2000, he attended Cornell Law School in New York, and did his
undergraduate work at UCLA, where he studied (among other things) French language and literature. He
enjoys transmitting his love of French language and culture to his wife, Julie, and their six-month-old
daughter, Madeline, through French conversation and French-language sing-along videos. Besides
French, Paul is a native Spanish speaker and is fluent in Italian. Paul is eager to help the Alliance grow in
membership and donations, and build on its status as a premier cultural institution in Sacramento.
Etienne Girard:
I confirm that I am interested by the opportunity of positions opening at the Board of Alliance Française
Sacramento. As discussed, I am applying as an individual, not a representative of my company. I think I
might be able to help with the business plan, fund raising and perhaps education.
My interest in this Director’s position is to structure my support to French cultural activities in the
region, which has been an area of interest for years, but on an ad hoc basis. Although I am applying
as an individual, I think I can transpose some of the best practices I use professionally to the
development of the Alliance Sacramento branch (e.g. discussions on governance, vision/mission, etc.).
I have been living in the Sacramento area (Folsom) for the last 15 years. Beside me, my wife Jean and
our 3 kids are dual US/French citizens. Jean is also a French teacher at one of Folsom’s high schools.
I am a French native, with degrees in Finance (Université Paris 2 + Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris)
and currently working in the Treasury department of a large technology company with headquarters in
the Bay area.
As discussed, I can make myself available for board meetings on a 6 week cadence, as well as committee
work, as long as this remains overall light, and barring the travel constraint related to my work (for
board meetings).
Guy Michelier (French Honorary Consul – Sacramento)
I am writing to you to express my motivation to become part of your board for the “Alliance Française of
Sacramento”. My functions as the French Honorary Consul in Sacramento, allows me to be fully
integrated into the French community I serve which I believe will be an asset to your board.
I am also part of the planning committee for the Sacramento French Film Festival for the past six years,
the French Language Meetup, and the French Club of Sacramento sharing my roots, culture, and travel
experiences with their members.
I am a resident of Davis where I also engage with the UC-Davis international relations department as
well as the one from the State Capitol where I meet various State, French, and foreign dignitaries.
It is my hope that my application will be accepted and I am looking forward to being
with you on the board.
Roman Munoz:
Esteemed board members. I write this in hope that you may consider me to make part of your group. I
believe I can help l’Alliance expand and thrive. I am a Francophile since memory serves and also a
Francophone since the age of twelve years old.
I was first exposed to the French language in my Native Mexico. I am from a colonial region with a great
ethnic diversity. While immigrants to this region ranged from Spaniards to Austrians, Irish, etc., the great
majority after the Spanish were the French. Because of its history, there has always been a great cultural
exchange between the old and new world. This cultural exchange is most evident in fashions, music,
festivals and food; still, for some people, the only way to truly connect to and understand a culture is
through learning the language. I have always been fascinated by language. The first foreign languages I
was exposed to were Latin, French and Italian, as well as native languages such as Nahuatl and Maya.
Because Spanish is my mother tongue, I felt inclined to learn a similar language, but of all the ones I had
yet heard I loved French the most.
I have lived in the city of Sacramento for 15 years and started working at a young age. As such, I have a
big network of people whom trust I have earned through hard and honest work. I have worked in fine
dining restaurants, as well as a teacher and translator. Besides French, I am also fluent in Spanish,
English, French, Japanese and Italian. In order to maintain fluency, I have established links to all these
communities through volunteering and other forms of community service. I hope to put my talents to
good use for the Alliance as well, therefore I ask you to consider my request.
CANDIDATE STATEMENTS for Alliance Française BOARD 2017
Continuing Candidates
Michèle Ambry:
Michèle is Vice-President and co-owner at HomeSmart ICARE Realty, a fast growing company with now
more than 150 agents working in 3 different offices in Sacramento, Roseville and Grass Valley. Real
estate broker, in the business since 2009, Michele also assist every year buyers and sellers in the greater
Sacramento area to achieve their dreams of ownership. She is an active member of the Sacramento
Association of Realtors where she helped in The Equal Opportunity Cultural Diversity committee and the
Scholarship Fundraising Committee.
Michèle was a member and secretary of the French Club of Sacramento and has been an active member
of the Sacramento French Meetup and the Alliance Française for several years.
Michele was raised in the mountains of the Tarentaise Valley in Savoie, in the French Alps, and later
moved to Provence, where “the fields of lavender, the old villages and the olive trees caught a part of
my heart,” she says. In 1999, she moved to Sacramento with her husband, Benoît, and their two
daughters, Manon and Coralie. They return to France regularly to keep contact with the family. “The
feeling is being a part of 2 countries” she says. Michele enjoys hiking in the Sierra Nevada and the French
Alps, she loves painting on wood and silk.
Julie Baumhoff:
I have been an Alliance Francaise de Sacramento member since 2008, a Board member since 2010, and
the Board secretary since 2011.
Prior to my retirement in 2007, I worked 30 years at the California Department of Motor Vehicles. While
at DMV I worked, among other positions, for 3 years as a billing analyst and for 6 years as an information
systems analyst. I am a lifelong Francophile, having learned French as a child, living in Switzerland for a
year, and continued my exposure to French, living in France for two years, as a young adult.
I very much like being on the Alliance's Board where I have seen so much growth since I first joined. I
would like to continue to be on the Board and to be its secretary
Burt Cohen:
I believe that the Alliance Francaise serves an important cultural and educational function in the
Sacramento community, and I would like to remain active in continuing its work. I have served on its
Board of Directors for six years, was its second vice president for three years, and have been first vice
president for an additional two. In the fall of 2015 I joined the Board of the newly formed CLARA as the
tenant representative for the Alliance.
I enjoy working with people and supporting community projects. I have served on other nonprofit
boards of directors, have management and financial experience, and also have taught at the college
level. I’ve been a member of the Alliance for many years, and have taken a variety of classes, including
language and literature classes, as well as those focusing on the culture and history of different regions
of France. I have traveled in France, including visiting my wife’s ancestral village in Alsace. My speaking
ability is, shall we say, intermediate, and I enjoy practicing every chance I get, including at informal social
and cultural events.
This is an important and exciting time for the Alliance, with continued growth under sound leadership,
the relocation to a new building and environment, and the resultant challenges we face. I believe my
experience is in management and finance, in implementing new programs, and with the Alliance Board
can contribute to the Alliance as it moves forward. I understand the Alliance’s history and goals, and can
provide continuity and support to help it continue to grow and prosper.
Jim Sandberg-Larsen:
I’ve been a student and/or a board member of the Alliance Française since 2007 but have had a life-long
interest in French. I’ve been an exchange student to France twice, the first time through the University
of Oregon and the second through the UC Irvine MBA program.
Over the years I have fed my passion for French by listening to French radio, reading novels and taking
classes. Professionally I’m a CPA and principal auditor for the California State Auditor where I’ve worked
since moving to Sacramento in 1994.
Over the last seven years, I have enjoyed bringing my perspective and skills to the position of Treasurer
for the Alliance. I’ve helped ensure that the Board is well informed about the Alliance’s finances and that
the organization has maintained a stable financial position. I think the Alliance is doing a great job
promoting French language and culture in Sacramento both through its language school and special
events. I would love to continue helping the Alliance as it expands its program in its new location at the
Clara.
Susan Tune:
I have had the honor of serving on the Board of Directors of the Alliance Française de Sacramento since
2011, the last few years as second vice president. During that time we have guided AF through many
changes in its growth and development including the move to our wonderful new facility and the hiring
of our new executive director. As we seek to share French culture and education with the community, I
am excited about the growth of AF and the potential for collaboration with other arts groups in Clara
Performing Arts Center
After retiring from a career that included working as a teacher, a trainer, and a personnel management
consultant, I began taking French classes at the Alliance Française de Sacramento (AF). Though I have
not yet attained the level of fluency to which I aspire, I have thoroughly enjoyed the journey. I love
attending my French class and planning and volunteering for the many cultural events offered by AF de
Sacramento.
If elected, I will continue to dedicate my time and effort to helping AF thrive and grow. I believe my
background in personnel administration, event planning, training, and work for other non-profits, along
with a willingness to support the organization in whatever way is needed will be an asset to the board.