Board
Georgia Aussenac
President
I have been on the Board of the Association since 2018, and I stepped in to the role of President in 2021. Born in New Zealand, I moved to France in 2015 following several educational exchanges to be with my now-husband. The Association is hugely important to me, in its role of bringing people together, developing understanding between our cultures, and keeping a strong connection to New Zealand for all our members.
George Taylor
Treasurer
Born and raised in New Zealand, I started studying French at school purely by chance. I loved studying the French language and continued to do so in university, but it was only when I spent a semester in Paris that I was able to fully experience the French culture and art de vivre. After a few more years in New Zealand, I was finally able to come back to France on a permanent basis.
Being on the other side of the world, the association is an important link to home and makes it seem not so far away.
Clément Aussenac
Secretary
I joined the Association in 2015 and I became Secretary in 2020. Being part of the Association helps me promote the common history between France and New Zealand, particularly by sharing my experience of New Zealand with French people who are willing to discover Aotearoa. I am also interested in sharing and sometimes mixing food traditions between the two countries, but I still need to practice a bit to make a great Pavlova.
Valérie Baisnée
Board Member
I am French, with a PhD from the University of Auckland. I do research in New Zealand literature and culture. I have been involved in the Association for many years and was President from 2008-2018.
Sabine Bernert
Board Member
I'm a french photographer in love with New Zealand. I went there for the first time in 2011. Since then I'm totally devoted to the preservation of its amazing nature.
Melissa Hannam
Board Member
A kiwi living in Grenoble, I moved to France in 2018 to join my now-husband who I met back in NZ.
I’m excited about the opportunity to connect my two worlds (NZ roots and life in France) and meet a community of people who are passionate about this too. Being a mum to a little friwi has made me realise how important strengthening the relationships of these two cultures is to me.
Hilary Keir
Board Member
After growing up in New Zealand, I stepped out into the world at the age of 18 with no idea where life might lead me. Today, 5 years later, I find myself in France, pursuing a Bachelors degree in International Relations and Political Science, and I cannot imagine living the rest of my life anywhere else.
I started attending France - NZ Association events in 2021, and I am very much looking forward to discovering more in depth this unique relationship between our two homes.
Isabel Kerr
Board Member
As a New Zealander who has been living and working in France for the last 8 years, the France New Zealand Association has been a fantastic way to meet individuals who share a common interest and understanding of the cultures and histories of these two countries.
Lynette Thorstensen
Board Member
I am a proud New Zealander who has lived all over the world including in France for the last fifteen years. My permanent home is in the department of La Haute Loire in the Auvergne where I live with my French husband, Jacques. After a long career in international sustainable development, I am delighted to be part of the Board and contributing to the connection between New Zealanders and French citizens in France.
Claire Waddington
Board Member
I am a French New Zealander in France since 1995. I started attending Association France Nouvelle-Zélande events in about 1997 and have been with the association many years, becoming social events coordinator in the mid-2000s until just a few years ago, which was truly one of the most enriching experiences of my life. I am still a board member and look forward to being a part of the new dynamic direction the association is taking.
Dunstan Ward
Board Member
A retired academic (Professor of English), I was born in New Zealand but have spent more than half my life in France. I appreciate the opportunities the Association provides to meet other New Zealanders living here, together with visitors from NZ. I am particularly interested in co-operating in matters of literature, the arts and music.