The Alliance Française de Philadelphie is dependent upon its Board of Directors as its governing body. This group of individuals guides and oversees the strategic and fiscal direction of the organization, as well as investing their time, expertise and financial support. We are deeply grateful for their leadership.
L'Alliance Française de Philadelphie est gouvernée par son Conseil d'Administration. Les personnes qui le composent guident et supervisent les opérations fiscales, tout en donnant de leur temps, leur expertise, ainsi qu'un soutien financier. Nous sommes reconnaissants de leur engagement.
Elizabeth Diffley is a partner with the national law firm, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath, where she serves as co-lead of the firm’s capital markets team. Beth is an accomplished and pragmatic adviser to public and private clients on corporate and securities matters, including capital-raising transactions, public company reporting and compliance and corporate governance.
She has an accounting background and spent several years living and working in Paris. Beth is committed to gender justice, inclusive economic development and community engagement. She supports these efforts through leadership in local nonprofit organizations and has been a member of the Alliance Française de Philadelphia for nearly 15 years.
Born and raised in the Philadelphia area, Amanda expressed an interest in French language and culture from the tender age of seven. She began her studies in high school, earned her BA in French from Penn State University in 2001 and her MA in French literature from the University of Delaware in 2010. As part of her studies she spent a semester at the Université d’Aix-Marseille III in Aix-en-Provence, taught French to American students at the American University in Paris and English to French university students at the Université de Caen Basse-Normandie. She has also taught French as a graduate student at the University of Delaware and as an adjunct at Villanova and the University of Pennsylvania. A recent addition to the board of the Alliance Française de Philadelphie, Amanda wishes to advance the Alliance’s mission to help people learn French and deepen their knowledge of Francophone cultures.
Sheree currently serves on the Board of Directors of Chesapeake Utilities, a diversified energy delivery company serving customers in
the Mid-Atlantic states, Ohio and Florida. She also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Magee Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation in
Philadelphia. She retired from her career in the energy industry in 2018.
Sheree has participated as a student and member of Alliance Française de Philadelphie over the last twenty years, and she is currently a
student of French language and culture at Widener University. She was also a student and member of Alliance Française de St. Louis from
2014 to 2018. Her time spent at Alliance Française has been rewarding as she has met many friends and made a greater connection to
the Philadelphia community through this experience.
Michelle is an experienced and well-rounded educator, dedicated to cultivating opportunities for students to grow. She is the Director of Academics at The Rock School for Dance Education here in Philadelphia. Prior to this role, Michelle created an arts-collaborative history curriculum at a performing arts high school, then served as the Director of Teaching and Learning before moving from Minneapolis to Philadelphia. For some years here, she taught language arts in the format of Art History for students who have specific reading and information processing challenges. Michelle has been a student of French for many years, slowly absorbing and using the language. She is currently working on a Masters in Art History and Visual Culture. She considers Philadelphia to be a wonderful setting for working and learning, with an international environment and incredible arts and culture. Ballet performances are a particular favorite arts activity for Michelle. Crediting the Alliance Française de Philadelphie for connecting Michelle to the life of the city in her first years here, she is thrilled to deepen my connection and serve the AF mission as a board member.
She holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology from New York University and a BS in International Business from the College at Plattsburgh, State University of New York. She is a certified consultant who has consulted to civilians, military officers, and emerging leaders in the public and private sectors around leadership, authority, followership, and organizational life. Dr. Cowie works as a psychotherapist and manages her psychology private practice. In her consultant role, she runs a leadership training program and has consulted to local community, educational, and cultural organizations. She is the vice president of the Board for the A. K. Rice Institute for the Study of Social Systems and also serves on the board for Alliance Française de Philadelphie and Arch Street Preschool.
Born in Los Angeles, Alice moved to Philadelphia in 2018 and has been growing her community ever since. She holds a B.A. degree in Art and Gender Studies from the Johnston Center for Integrative Studies at the University of Redlands and a J.D. degree from the Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law, where she earned a Certificate in Business Law. She has studied economics through the lens of law, written on the topics of Federal student loan debt and elder abuse financial frauds, and completed projects analyzing housing issues local to Philadelphia. Out of a commitment to service, she participated in the Employment Advocacy Project, the Name Change Project, and the Pro Se Asylum Clinic. Currently she works as a litigator practicing civil defense. In every one of these roles, Alice has valued the ability to represent clients and advocate on their behalf in situations of critical need. Valuing Philadelphia’s diverse community, she joined the Board of the Alliance Française in 2024. Many years ago, as an undergraduate student, she studied in Paris with a focus on photography and European culture. This seminal experience solidified her passion for French language, culture, and country, which has continued to this day. Alice enjoys the opportunities for immersion that the Alliance Française offers. Alice also sits on the Board of the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club. When she is away from her desk, she enjoys cooking, the outdoors, and traveling as often as possible.
Kedra Kearis is Associate Curator of Art and Visual Culture at Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library and is a faculty member in the Winterthur Program Master’s degree in American Material Culture at University of Delaware. She holds a Ph.D. in Art History from Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University, an M.A. in Literature from Eastern Michigan University, and a B.A. in French Language and Literature and Art History from Oakland University. She has received grants and fellowships in support of her research and writing from the Association of Historians of American Art, the New-York Historical Society, the Preservation Society of Newport County, Tyler School of Art and Architecture, and others. She formerly researched the paintings collection at The Barnes Foundation, where she served on the adult education faculty. Prior to pursuing a career in museums, she taught a variety of ages from early childhood to university, devoting nearly ten years to private French instruction and French classroom teaching grades 6-12. She brings to the Board of the Alliance Française de Philadelphie a passion for French language and francophone cultural studies as well as a commitment to a global perspective in education and public programming.
Kirk, a lifelong resident of Upper Bucks County, is a graduate of Moravian University with a double major in French and Management. While in college, he pursued advanced language, business, and culture studies at the Sorbonne and the École du Louvre. He has continued studying French for many years, has extensively traveled in the Hexagon, and has been a student at the Alliance Française de Philadelphie since 2020.
As a marketing and advertising professional, Kirk held senior leadership positions in several Fortune 500 companies including Prudential, TIAA, and Pfizer. He is the Owner of MODUS, a consulting firm that provides marketing, strategic planning, and project management services to the financial services, pharmaceutical, education, and non-profit sectors.
Kirk has held board and advisory positions at several notable not-for-profit organizations, including Zoellner Arts Center (Lehigh University), the Baum School of Art, and the Pennsylvania Society of Goldsmiths. As a board member, he spearheaded the development of initiatives that significantly increased brand awareness, enrollment/attendance, and fundraising.
Remy is a business lawyer specializing in mergers and acquisitions and commercial contracts. He is a partner at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, a national law firm. He grew up in Rwanda and immigrated to the United States in 2003. He has an undergraduate degree in French and Francophone studies from the University of Pennsylvania. While in law school at the University of Pennsylvania, Remy enrolled in a joint degree program between Penn Law and two French universities: Institut des Études Politique (Sciences Po) and the Université Paris l Panthéon - Sorbonne, which enabled him to spend his third and final year of law school in Paris where he earned master's degrees in Global Economic Law (Droit des Affaires, Droit de la Globalization Économique). During that year, he further experienced and appreciated even more the beauty of the French language and culture. Remy joined the board of the Alliance Française in 2023 with a desire for help foster the study of French and appreciation of not only the beauty of the language, but also the relative historical, cultural, and geopolitical importance of Francophone cultures.
Luke O'Connell is a political advisor based in Philadelphia. He fell in love with the greater Francophone world while getting his master's degree in International Public Management at Sciences Po's Paris School of International Affairs. Currently, he serves as a senior aide to a local member of Congress and serves on a number of boards across the country tasked with electing LGBTQ individuals and allies to government. Passionate about cinema and literature above all else, he is excited to support the Alliance Française de Philadelphie in its programming and to spread the love of the French language and culture far and wide.
.Alicia joined the board in April 2021 with 15 years’ experience in language education. She double majored in Creative Writing and French Studies at Lycoming College and studied at the Université Grenoble Alpes her junior year. From 2008-2010, she was an English Language Assistant in Lyon for the French Ministry of Education. In 2012, she joined the Alliance Française as an instructor and subsequently gained French teaching positions at the University of Pennsylvania, Rutgers University-Camden, and Drexel University, the latter at which she taught beginner, intermediate, and advanced undergraduate courses for seven years. In 2017, she earned an M.A. in Linguistics & Cognitive Science from the University of Delaware, and in 2020, she joined JEVS Human Services as the Education Director for Project WOW and IT Pre- Apprenticeship where she oversees the educational operations for young adults. Alicia is a passionate education advocate with a strong commitment to DEI and educational equity and is excited to promote the continued presence of the French language and culture in the Philadelphia area as a board member.
.Born and raised in Marseille, France, a multicultural city, Sonia’s story with the Alliance dates back in 2007, when she first fell in love with the Alliance Francaise’s mission while she was traveling in Bangkok, Thailand. After completing a degree in English language, British and American civilizations and literatures in Aix en Provence, she studied pedagogy of teaching French as a second language with Alliance Francaise de Paris. She moved to Philadelphia in 2012, where she started teaching French at the Alliance Francaise de Philadelphie, and soon became executive assistant, then executive director, until 2023. Sonia is passionate about French language and francophone cultures and arts and strives in connecting with the greater Philadelphia community, and sharing her passion. Like the Alliance Francaise’s motto, she believes that learning French is learning more than a language. She is currently a high school teacher of French at Germantown Academy in Fort Washington.
Karen Roggeman built her professional career in the biopharmaceutical industry with the multinational companies Merck & Co, Inc. and Boehringer Ingelheim. She held senior leadership roles in the USA, France and Germany. Known for her strategic thinking, marketing acumen, and collaborative approach, she successfully led complex commercial organizations in the Human Health and Animal Health sectors. She holds an MBA from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California and a BS from the University of Arizona. Karen’s passion for the French language and Francophone cultures was ignited during her time in Paris with Merck’s French affiliate, MSD France. Since then, she has continually nurtured that passion, with the Alliance Française helping her to do so. She now splits her time between Philadelphia and Paris. Karen currently serves as President of the Board of Directors of Women’s Connection, a national nonprofit that serves women aged 50 and forward. She is delighted to contribute her expertise to the Alliance Française de Philadelphie as a Board member and is committed to its mission, which opens the world to its students through language, cultural experiences, and greater understanding.
Yijie is an educator in STEAM fields, with a focus on equity and inclusion work. After graduating from Hampshire College in 2018, Yijie has worked across a number of different contexts and environments including in public education, special education, and with non-traditional students. Yijie is currently the lead instructor for the Design Lab at Orleans Technical College, teaching skills related to advanced manufacturing including 3D printing, laser cutting and engraving, and computer numeric control (CNC) manufacturing. As a lifelong learner of multiple languages including Chinese and French, Yijie is excited to expand the reach of language education and Francophone culture throughout the Philadelphia region.