Meet our admin team!
Julie Ripoll
Executive Director
Julie Ripoll moved to California, with her family, in 2012 after living in Austin, Texas. Julie Ripoll holds a Master of Law, Economics and Management from the University of Paris Sorbonne, and an MBA from the Paris Institute of Business Administration (IAE - Sorbonne Business School).
She went to UCSD to learn more about fundraising and development while volunteering in various organizations related to education or social justice. She worked at San Diego French American School, then opened her company “San Diego, c’est beau!” which helped newcomers settle in the Finest City of America (relocation) and showed tours with historical and architectural sights.
While in France, she worked as a computer scientist at the Marine Nationale, as a geographical information analyst at the Town Hall of Mougins, and was elected in the city of Pegomas as a councilwoman.
She enjoys going on a walk or watching a movie with her family, and making her own sourdough bread or baguettes in her free time.
Estela Baptista
Educational Director
Estela was born and raised in France. Of Portuguese origin, she moved to Portugal with her family, where she studied modern Languages and Literature. She loves everything related to languages and aspires to be a polyglot.
Her life has been dedicated to Education, particularly in the French language. For 20 years she worked as a French teacher in Portuguese schools. Even after moving to the United States, she continues her mission as a French teacher in the Alliances françaises in San Diego and New York.
In Portugal, Estela also served as the Educational Director of an Adult Education Program for five years - a challenge she accepted and successfully achieved as part of a group effort.
Beyond her professional life, Estela enjoys reading, watching movies and series, and traveling. As someone raised in both French and Portuguese cultures, she has a deep appreciation for good food and fine wine!
Laurence de Valmy is French-born and has been living in the USA since 2013. She moved to San Diego after 8 years on the East coast. She holds a Master of Economics & Management from the University of Paris Dauphine, and an MBA from the Aix Institute of Business Administration (IAE). Alongside her training and career in marketing, she is a professional artist, passionate about art history and culture.
Laurence is in charge of the communication, and the events of the AFSD alongside teaching art classes.
She gives art lectures and writes for art publications. She is a wikipedia contributor on a mission to enrich biographies of women artists.​
Laurence de Valmy
Director of Cultural Affairs
Perrine Dellicour
Certificate Coordinator
Perrine is a Belgian native French speaker who arrived in San Diego in January 2023. She enjoys traveling while discovering new cultures, which led her to decide to work abroad as a French teacher.
Perrine has extensive experience with teaching French internationally.
After obtaining her Master degree in French as a Foreign Language (FLE) from the university of Brussels, Perrine taught French at the French Institute - Alliance Française of New York City (FIAF).
She continued to explore the French Culture while pursuing her career in Europe, in Paris and in Belgium, where she taught to children, teenagers, and adults, from beginners to advanced speakers, including various schools and enterprises.
In collaboration with the Alliance Française of Brussels-Europe, she obtained all the DELF, DALF and TCF certifications between 2019 and 2022.
Perrine has now settled down in California, where in addition to teaching French at the Alliance Française San Diego, she manages the Certifications department.
Véronique graduated from Paris University with a degree in social and economic administration. She spent a decade working in various Human Resources roles at Manpower and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Paris while residing in the suburbs of Paris. In 2009, she relocated to San Francisco, where she took on part-time positions at Google and Palo Alto Networks.
After five years in the Bay Area, she and her family moved to San Diego, often referred to as America's finest city. She feels fortunate to live there, enjoys hiking with friends, and loves exploring the natural beauty and lifestyle of Southern California.
Veronique Ricatte
Office manager
Alliance Française
de San Diego
Alliance Française de San Diego is a 501 (c) 3 charity, all donations are tax deductible.
Email is the best way to contact us
Email: bureau@afsandiego.org
Phone of the AFSD Office:
+1 (619) 806 6719
​​
Registered Charity: # 95-3432-182
Heritage School
Alliance Française de San Diego
6390 Greenwich Dr, #185,
San Diego, CA 92122
Before coming, please check if we are open on Google hours.
