Leadership

Head of School 

Born in Paris and raised in a multicultural French-European background in several parts of mainland France and its overseas territories, Emmanuel TEXIER first studies English Civilization, Language and Literature at the University of Paris IV Sorbonne, before completing his studies with a Bachelor of Linguistic Engineering (Computer science applied to linguistic) at the Institut National des Langues Orientales in Paris.
After ten years working as a teacher, he becomes a Head of School in 2008 and manages several schools in France before moving abroad. He works on French Chinese educational cooperation in a Beijing University and later moves to Australia where he is the Head of School of the Lycée franco-australien in Canberra for five years until 2017.

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.

Deputy Head of School and Campus Director • ORT

Eric SZARZYNSKI was born in the Gard region of southern France and studied at the University of Montpellier, where he obtained a double degree in modern literature and comparative literature, followed by a master's degree in modern literature. He was a teacher of literature from 1999 to 2015 and has been a director since then. He has worked in 6 academies (in metropolitan France and overseas) with High school and university students.

He loves literature, movies, sports (including scuba diving: he was a volunteer instructor in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean), travel, food and new experiences. He is excited to join the Lycée Français de San Francisco in 2021.

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 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 LFSF 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 LFSF 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 worked for 4 years in the LFSF Communication and Marketing dept. In addition to his core projects, he spearheaded multiple technical installations for the school such as the digital signage, and to address pandemic specific issues, contact tracing and zoom rooms on Ortega campus. 

He has an extensive technological background as an IT consultant and helped multiple businesses with their technological and application needs. 

A people’s person, he focuses on listening and identifying one’s needs before finding solutions that ultimately improve their experience. 

Educated in France and Germany, he is perfectly trilingual. His 19-year-old twins were both LFSF lifers and graduated in 2020.

Alejandra Navarro (she/her) is a life-long learner, educator and passionate advocate for marginalized voices. Prior to joining LFSF, she served as a second grade teacher at Woodland School in Portola Valley, in addition to teaching in the Spanish immersion program in the Menlo-Atherton School District. In those roles, she led DEIJ initiatives, including employee programming, curriculum development, socio-emotional learning and parent education. Alejandra has over 20 years experience working in international environments where she has developed collaborative communication practices that help her to connect people from diverse backgrounds. As an educator, Alejandra brings a passion for equity, student centered learning and culturally responsive instruction. 

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 LFSF 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.

Admissions Director

Mireille grew up in the Paris region. She owns a BA in Education and Training as well as a primary teaching degree. Her teaching career started in France in 2004 and took her to Los Angeles, San Francisco and London. In 2015, led by her entrepreneurial mindset and her desire to promote high quality early childhood education, she founded and operated a French immersion preschool in San Mateo. Mireille loves photography and the great outdoors, she is also part of the LFSF amateur theater troupe.

She joined the admissions team in 2021 and is delighted to guide families through the process of choosing the best education for their children. 

Director of AES and Camps

Stanley ZELPHIN joined the LFSF in June, 2021. He arrived in the Bay Area in September 2019.  Before joining LFSF, Stanley served as a Director of L’ecole de la Deuxième Chance in Val d’Oise, France where he worked for four years as a teacher, basketball player and coach. Stanley graduated with a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Montpelier and has a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University. He is actively involved in several international charity organizations and is passionate about arts and sports education.