Leadership

Head of School 

Emmanuel Texier was born in Paris and raised in a multicultural French-European environment across mainland France and its overseas territories. He first studied English Civilization, Language and Literature at the University of Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV), before completing a Bachelor’s degree with High Honors in Linguistic Engineering (Computer Science applied to linguistics) at the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (INALCO) in Paris.

After ten years as a teacher, he became a Head of School in 2008, leading several schools in France before moving abroad. He contributed to Franco-Chinese educational cooperation at a university in Beijing, then served as Head of School of the Lycée Franco-Australien in Canberra for five years.

Since 2017, Emmanuel Texier has been the Head of School of the Lycée Français de San Francisco, where he continues to promote bilingual excellence, international education, and innovation. In recognition of his commitment to education and cultural diplomacy, he was awarded the Palmes Académiques by the French Ministry of Education in 2021.

Chief Financial Officer

Born in San Francisco and raised in a multicultural background, Erin GROGAN studied Chemistry and Physics at Columbia University in the City of New York, before completing her studies with an MBA in Finance at New York University, Stern School of Business.

Her professional experience includes leading finance and operations for many non-profit and for-profit entities such as IFTTT, Inc, YouCaring, and University of San Francisco, School of Management.

She holds active licenses in tax and Human Resources. She sits on the board of the Marygold Companies, Washington Sports Foundation, and others.

High School Principal

Sonia was born in Paris (French father & American mother), and grew up in an international setting enhanced by her time at the Lycée International de St Germain en Laye, France.

With a dynamic background in both education business management, Sonia brings a wealth of experience to her role as High School Principal.
She graduated from ESCP Business School Grande École, as well as the University of Pennsylvania,  and began her career in marketing and leadership roles at Colgate-Palmolive before transitioning into education. Before joining us, Sonia spent over a decade fostering academic excellence and student success at École Jeannine Manuel in Paris where she taught in the French BFI (OIB) and served as High School Deputy Head (Première & Terminale). Additionally, her role as an executive committee member of AAMIS has positioned her at the forefront of international education, coordinating History-Geography programs in the American section of the BFI, across multiple continents.

Passionate about fostering an inclusive and innovative learning environment, Sonia is dedicated to education and international understanding. 
Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, exploring new cultures, and discovering/understanding different perspectives. She is excited to join the Lycée and looks forward to collaborating with students, faculty, and families to help contribute to cultivating a thriving academic community.

Middle School Principal

Stacy Chandler, a French-English bilingual educator, has significantly enriched middle school communities through interdisciplinary learning, multilingualism, and a strong focus on wellbeing, diversity, equity, inclusion, and socio-emotional development. With a career spanning over two decades, she began at the International School of Paris as a teacher and later served as Head of Languages A and IB Middle Years Coordinator, while also earning a postgraduate degree in Intercultural Relations. At the French American School of Puget Sound, where she has served as Middle School Head for eight years, her leadership has grown an international exchange program and co-taught interdisciplinary options, launched a French STEM program, and introduced schoolwide STEAM initiatives.

Her leadership includes the management of separate middle school campuses. Co-chair of multiple strategic planning task forces, Stacy’s investment in middle school education fosters teamwork, consensus and growth. Previously, as Middle School Head at Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley, she championed innovation through events like the EB Maker Faire and TEDxYouth, fostering student voice and creativity. 

Primary School Principal

Born in Rouen, Amina's multicultural and multilingual upbringing shaped her passion for languages. She holds a Master's in English Language and Literature and taught near Paris before joining the International School of Brooklyn, where she became an IB primary teacher and Coordinator for the French program.

She joined the Lycée Français de San Francisco in 2019 as Head of the English Department. Amina is a proud mom to Sarah and Sofia at our Ashbury campus. Outside her roles as an educator and parent, she loves to explore California's trails and delve into captivating reads. 

SAU Campus Principal

Laurence CHAMPOMIER is a passionate educator dedicated to multilingualism. She began with studies in German literature and has multiple teaching credentials. Laurence taught in Parisian suburbs for six years before moving to the Bay Area, where she worked at the International School for twelve years, teaching and coordinating programs.

She then became the Director of Dual Language Immersion (DLI) in French and English at a public charter school in Oakland, where she led innovative language programs and served as Principal of TK-2, fostering a supportive learning environment.

Laurence's excellence in education earned her the prestigious Chevalier of the Academic Palms for her contributions to education and multilingualism.

Director of College Counseling

Natalie BITTON has received a bicultural and bilingual education, in French and English, in the US and in Canada. She studied neuroscience and psychology at McGill University in Montreal and received an MA in clinical psychology at JFK University in California. She holds certifications in college counseling from UCLA and Harvard, and a Mindfulness Teacher Certification from Mindful Schools (www.mindfulschools.org). She lectures nationwide on topics of the teenage brain, mindfulness and teenage developmental models of college counseling and has developed numerous programs incorporating mindfulness practices into college admissions programs.

Director of Enrollment Management

Amy has over 15 years of experience in the education sector, including program administration, outreach, strategy & innovation, and diversity & inclusion.

Amy is a Bay Area native who grew up speaking Vietnamese with her immigrant family, learned French in high school and college, and worked with diverse cohorts of students in her prior roles at Lingnan University (Hong Kong) and UC Berkeley. Having benefited greatly from her multicultural upbringing and education, she is proud now to support the Lycée's mission.

Amy holds a BA in Human Biology from Stanford University and a MA in Organization & Leadership from the University of San Francisco; her master’s thesis focused on early career women of color as social justice change leaders. Outside of work, you might find her camping, cycling, studying languages, or learning about urban planning.

Director of Extracurricular Activities and Athletics

Born and raised in Lille, Northern France, Julien moved to the U.S. at 26. His journey with children began at age 15, teaching beginner classes at a Taekwondo club. His experience includes working as both a camp counselor and director at summer camps in France and the Bay Area.

With over 10 years of experience as a PE teacher and department head, becoming the Extracurricular Activity and Athletic Director at Lycée is a natural progression and Julien is eager to create opportunities for students to explore their interests in athletics and beyond.

In addition to a passion for sports, Julien is also an author and illustrator, having self-published a first children’s book last year with more projects underway.

Director of Advancement

Nathalie HAUTAVOINE has been working at Lycée Français de San Francisco since 1996 at the very beginning of the Advancement Department. Dedicated to the institution and the education it brings to its students, the primary responsibility of the Advancement director is to collect funds through fundraising campaigns and events to support the school with innovative projects. 

Director of Communication + Marketing

Agnes HOGAN joined Lycée in 2016 as Director of Enrollment Management and Communication. Agnes has an education in business and marketing, as well as graphic design and communication. After developing her own marketing and graphic design studio in the Washington DC area, she joined Rochambeau, the French International School as their Communications Specialist. As she had left her heart in San Francisco, she was happy to return to Lycée where she had worked for 10+ years in admissions. She brings to our school an extensive experience in enrollment management, marketing and communication, with a proven track record in strengthening enrollment.

IT Director

Fabian Mach has served as the Lycée's Innovation and Technology Director for the past 8 years, overseeing all aspects of the school's technology and digital strategy. His tenure has been marked by a series of successful projects, including the implementation of a new network infrastructure and the deployment of security cameras, door access, printers, phones, digital signage, and smartboards.

With an extensive background as an IT consultant, he has a proven track record of helping organizations leverage technology to achieve their goals. He is a strong advocate for a people-first approach to IT, actively listening to the needs of staff and students to develop solutions that support the learning process and genuinely improve communication and workflow. Educated in France and Germany, he is perfectly trilingual. Both of his children are Lycée alumni.

Director of Facilities

Born in Mexico, Cupertino PALESTINA moved to the Bay Area in 1998. Passionate about food and creating new flavors, his first job was at a French-Vietnamese restaurant. He then met an independent constructor and started working with him on the weekends. Being a quick learner, he became a full time general independent constructor himself soon after. Plumbing, carpentry, electricity... he can do it all! Cupertino started to make some repair work for the Lycée in 2007 before joining the Facilities Team in 2008 and becoming its Director in 2019. He loves cooking, horseback riding and enjoys working collaboratively with people.