2024 - Board of Directors
Richard Alexander, President
Christina Aimard, Vice-President
Heather Barfield, Treasurer
Alicia Avery, Secretary
Ariane Baer-Harper, Director
Meghan Elwell, Director
Meri Krueger, Director
Kathy Keils, Director
Peter L'Heureux, Director
Marissa Lydon, Director
Melanie Otemoyola, Director
Mridula Rajiv, Director
Jacques Weber, Director
Laura Freedman - Executive Director
Born in Germany to American parents, Laura grew up between Ithaca NY, Chicago, and New England. She began her French language journey in sixth grade, but her passion blossomed at 15 during a transformative summer homestay and sailing exchange in St. Étienne and Bénodet. Laura returned to France to complete her Cornell senior year abroad at Sciences Po, followed by a Master’s from Université Paris IX – Dauphine. Her early career includes teaching English at a French lycée, interning at Crédit Lyonnais, and consulting at Booz Allen Paris, culminating in an MBA from INSEAD in Fontainebleau.
As a former management consultant and financial services executive, Laura has lived and worked in cities worldwide including Paris, Barcelona, Singapore, Bangkok, London, Moscow, Vladivostok, Boston, Atlanta, and New York. She guided Master’s students as a Career Advisor at INSEAD, the University of Singapore, and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. As an MBA admissions consultant, she helped hundreds of global applicants navigate admission to top international business schools. After moving to Austin from Barcelona in 2022, she co-founded a Spanish restaurant, “El Raval”, with her wife, Chef Laila Bazahm.
A native Anglophone, Laura also speaks French, Russian, and Spanish. Her diverse background and lifelong passion for cultural exchange align seamlessly with the mission of the Alliance Française d’Austin to promote the rich beauty of French language and culture in Central Texas.
Email - director@afaustin.org
Aileen Truax - Operations Manager
Aileen was born and raised in Houston to an Irish mother and an American father. As a dual citizen, she has always had a love of travel and exploring other cultures, and the opportunity to travel overseas frequently. Aileen was an avid student of French in high school and college, and has travelled to Montréal and Québec City with her husband to practice her skills while researching his family ancestry. They are looking forward to their first trip to France together in the summer of 2025.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in political science, Aileen says she “fell into a career with nonprofits”, preferring to work with community oriented, mission driven organizations and the passionate people they attract. Aileen has spent more than 20 years in management and leadership roles in various nonprofits, in Texas and Colorado, focusing on the environment, education and the arts. She is very excited to join the AF Austin team.
When not working on the day-to-day business of AF Austin, Aileen enjoys cooking, attending live music and theatre performances, and camping with her husband and their current four-legged companion, Sona.
Email - admin@afaustin.org
Laura Mortier-Smoter - School Coordinator
Originally from Paris, Laura was raised in a French-Polish family. This multicultural upbringing built her curiosity about the rest of the world. She stepped into the education world 11 years ago when she started to work as a private instructor in order to pay for her college tuition.
Upon graduating (she got a Master's Degree in Intercultural Management and Translation in French, English and Spanish), she realized how much she enjoyed teaching and decided to continue in this direction.
Laura strives to bring joy into her classrooms; she offers classes to adults and kids in group and private settings.
Aside from teaching French, she is a yoga instructor. She is passionate about books, feminism, and sustainability. So far, she had the opportunity to live and work in four different countries.
Email - schoolcoordinator@afaustin.org
David Barny - Instructor
David was born and raised in Orléans, the city in central France that gave its name to New Orleans (la Nouvelle Orléans). After receiving a Masters’ degree in English studies from the University of Orléans and a Masters’ degree in the Teaching of Languages (with an emphasis in French) from the University of Southern Mississippi, he fully dedicated to his career as a teacher of French as a foreign language. After seven years working as a French language instructor and cultural ambassador at various institutions in the United States, David earned a PhD in French Linguistics at the University of Texas, where he focused on researching and developing innovative tech-based approaches to language learning which incorporate multiple forms of literacy.
David strives to make his classroom a fun environment where students at all levels can feel heard and make relevant contributions.
When he’s not teaching or researching new ways to engage students, you’ll probably find David at a record store or a board game shop, where he’s enjoying his two favorite hobbies. If you can’t find him there, check in the kitchen, where he’s probably baking canelés, Parisian Flan, or a French king cake (galette des rois!).
Eléonore Le Corvaisier - Instructor
Eléonore was born and raised in Paris. She has a Master's in English Studies from the Sorbonne. Eléonore moved to the United States to study literature at the University of Illinois, where she was a teaching assistant in French for three years. She has been living in Austin since 2011.
She is working at the Alliance Française because she loves meeting motivated students of all ages and backgrounds, and accompanying them as they grow into competent speakers and culture savvy travelers. Her work is done when the students can make bilingual jokes.
When she is not teaching Eléonore enjoys exploring caves with fellow Texas cavers, hiking, gardening and reading.
Elisabeth Vedrine - Instructor & Event Presenter
Elisabeth was born and raised in Paris. She studied at L’Ecole Nationale Supérieur des Beaux Arts de Paris before moving to Austin, Texas in 1991.
She spent more than a decade teaching art and French to schoolchildren as part of an after-school program. She also served as a French instructor for Inlingua, the French immersions program for employees of Motorola, and has worked as a private tutor. In 2013, Élisabeth joined the Alliance Française d’Austin. Élisabeth has worked with students of all ages. Quick to laugh, she has a wonderful sense of humour which she brings to the classroom knowing that fun is a key element for learning. She leads conversation classes for A1 students and pronunciation classes for all levels.
Élisabeth loves creating art, cooking healthy foods, and spending time outdoors enjoying nature.
Isabelle Sambuis - Instructor & Event Presenter
Originally from the Paris area, Isabelle studied law in the University of Paris 10 Nanterre and has a master’s degree in Human Resources Management from the Institute of Gestion Sociale.
In 2010, Isabelle moved to the United States with her husband and three children. She started teaching French at the Alliance Française of Dallas and got the DELF PRIM Certification (Diploma in French Language Studies-Children) from the French Agency for International Matters in the Field of Education (CIEP). After relocating to Austin, she spent another 3 years teaching French at Education Française of Austin. She also helps high schoolers prepare for the AP French Test. In 2019, she proudly became a US citizen.
Her students describe her as determined and supportive, as she continuously strives for greater achievements. When she doesn’t teach French, she loves to stretch out her legs in yoga, show off her dance moves in Zumba classes, and draw in pastels. Isabelle can’t wait to introduce you to the beauty of the French language.
Marie-Agnès Brown - Instructor
Marie-Agnès was born and raised in Rouen in the region of Normandie. She has a bachelor’s degree in history, and a master’s in linguistics with a major in Francophone Cultures & Literature from the University of Rouen. Additionally, she has the DAEFLE: French Certification to Teach French as a foreign language from the University of Poitiers in partnership with the Alliance Française of Paris. She received her master’s degree in July 2015, and has been teaching French language & Francophone culture since then.
She enjoys reading mostly Francophone literature, and one of her favorite writers is the Moroccan French writer: Tarek Ben Jelloul.
She loves traveling and went to various places in Europe (Italy, Spain, etc.) as well as in Sub-Saharan African Countries such as Senegal, Benin; and has also visited North African countries (Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria); and Caribbean countries (Antigua, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, Martinique).
When she is not teaching, she enjoys outdoor activities like walking and riding her bike.
Maryvonne Le Guilly - Instructor & Café Conversation Lead
Maryvonne was born and raised in Cholet, France, in the Loire Valley. She studied Liberal Arts and Foreign languages (English, Spanish) at the University in Nantes. She furthered her studies at ACC and the University of Texas.
She embraces travel to other countries and enjoys discovering different cultures and languages. Her travels have taken her to Spain, Italy, Madagascar, Germany, England, Netherland, Belguim, Switzerland, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Canada. Maryvonne says, “Through my travels, I have learned the importance of communication, tolerance and patience, having the opportunity to practice the languages I have studied.” She has been teaching all levels of French and the culture of France to adults and children at Alliance Française for more than 13 years. She finds it rewarding when her students travel to France and come back saying proudly that they were able to communicate with the locals.
When not traveling or teaching, Maryvonne enjoys jogging, cycling, hiking, and swmming.
Morgane Nasi - Instructor
Morgane is a native of Southwest France and spent most of her youth in the Bordeaux area, between vineyards and the ocean. She earned her master’s degree in literature from the Michel de Montaigne university in Bordeaux and then moved to Lyon, where she obtained her master’s in teaching French as a foreign language from the Lumières University.
After a few years, she got married, became an American citizen, and traveled across the United States, where she has been consistently teaching to government personnels.
Three years in Germany and two children later, she now happily lives in Texas. When she is not busy with work, children and well…life, she enjoys hiking, running, and learning new skills.
Tanya Cook-Hoet - Instructor
Tanya was born and raised in Geneva, in the francophone region of Switzerland. She holds a bachelor’s degree in management and economics from the University of Geneva and a master’s degree in applied linguistics and language acquisition from the University of Barcelona. She also has a CELTA, a certificate to teach English to adults.
For the past eight years, she has been teaching French, English, and Spanish around the world, including in Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, and the USA. She has taught French to teenagers in a boarding school near Chicago, volunteered teaching French to seniors at the Red Cross in Geneva, and has also taught language for work in various companies.
What she loves most about teaching is practicing speaking with her students. She feels very proud when students use the vocabulary and sentence structures they have learned spontaneously in conversation.
In her free time, Tanya loves listening to podcasts, eating delicious food, and spending time outdoors with her husband and two young children. She recently moved to Austin and is excited to discover what this beautiful city has to offer.
Jordan Phillips - Payroll Manager
Jordan was born in Texas and raised in California. She fell in love with all things French during a trip to the Côte d’Azur as a teenager and dreamed of one day living in France. Along with her husband and daughter, she lived in Paris and then New York City before returning to her Texan roots and moving to Austin in 2018.
Jordan has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and a master’s degree in marketing and management from ESMOD Paris.
Aside from her time at AFA, Jordan enjoys making functional pottery in her home studio when in Austin and visiting museums when in Paris.