About Us

Elected members of the Board of Directors

YAHNE MIORINI

President

Yahne Miorini, former president of the Comité Tricolore from 2013 to 2019, has started her law firm, Miorini Law, PLLC, 11 years ago. She concentrates her practice in estate planning, probate, international tax, and elder law. She has been involved in the French Community for many years. She is still an advisor of the Comité Tricolore’s Executive Committee.
She also volunteers in several legal non-profit groups and was named Pro Bono Lawyer of the year by Fairfax Bar Associations in 2006.


EVE CHAUCHARD

Vice President in charge of Communication and development
evechauchard@gmail.com

Eve has been an active member of the Francophone community for more than 25 years.
Eve was a volunteer at the FIAFE Accueil in Brussels from 1993 to 2013, and for Washington Accueil Association (WAA) since 2013. She was president of WAA from 2015 to 2019 and president of the Comité Tricolore from 2019 to 2023. She holds a doctorate degree in Physical chemistry from the University of Paris and has worked for 10 years in scientific research.


FREDERIC ROCHE

Vice President in charge of solidarity
frederic.roche@daphneusa.org

Originaire de PACA, le Dr Frédéric Roche, diplômé en médecine de Nancy avec une spécialisation en psychiatrie, a enrichi son parcours par un DEUG en sciences de la vie et une maîtrise en psycho physiologie. Il a exercé dans divers cadres cliniques avant de diriger l’U.I.S.A.R. à l’hôpital de Toulon, développant des soins innovants en réhabilitation. Membre des CUMP (équipe de support psychologique) de 1998 à 2014, il a aidé des réfugiés du Kosovo et développé une expertise en PTSD. En 2014, il s’installe aux États-Unis, créant Kconsulting4U, LLC, offrant des conseils en gestion du stress et du soutien psychologique, tant personnel que corporatif. En 2019, il fonde l’ONG DAPHNE pour soutenir les francophones à l’étranger, intervenant notamment après un accident d’avion. Volontaire actif, il participe au CERT, CAP, et MRC du Maryland, contribuant lors de crises telles que l’ouragan Florence et la pandémie de COVID19.


JEAN-PHILIPPE KRUKOWICZ

Vice President in charge of events
jpkruko@gmail.com

Jean-Philippe has been in the hospitality business since 1980. He graduated in 1982 from a culinary school in France finishing 3rd of its promotion. He then worked in several restaurants in France (2 stars Michelin), Switzerland and USA ( Miami, Boston, San Diego and Washington, D.C. ) . In 1996 he opened his company in Washington, D.C, JPK Enterprises inc d/b/a KRUKO selling Kitchen uniforms, small ware equipment and the top brands of the industry for plates, glasses, silverware and Linens.
Jean -Philippe Krukowicz was named President and CEO and President of Garnier Thiebaut Inc in 2010. He was the co-funder of Chefs on Bike a gathering of more than 100 Chefs de Cuisine from the east coast who came to ride at the benefit of Share Our Strength . He is a member of CCE and in February 2024 was inducted at L ‘Academie Culinaire de France ( ACF )
#I❤️mychef


FRANCOIS NANKOBOGO

Treasurer

Francois Nankobogo joined the "Tricolore Committee"’s Board of Directors on February 1, 2024. He has been living in the Washington, D.C. area since late 1996; and continuously engaged in francophone organizations, particularly the one he is a representative of, Lafayette 89. Most of Dr. Francois Nankobogo’s career has been with the World Bank, both at Headquarters in Washington D.C. and in Country Offices; and he held various technical and managerial positions over the years.

Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Dr. Francois Nankobogo spent many years in the academia, mainly the Universities of Geneva and Burundi, and was a consultant to international organizations and private sector entities. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and he completed his Post-Doctorate fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, USA.


MICHEL LAUDIER

Treasurer adjunct
mlaudier@hotmail.com

Michel has been an active member of the French-American community since 1971. After many years serving on the board of different non-profit associations he has been Treasurer of the Tricolore Committee from 2017 to 2023. He spent over forty years in the restaurant business and is now a real estate agent in the state of VA.
He successively worked in France, Germany, Switzerland and the USA where he has been living in Fairfax County for the past forty five years.


NOE WALTER

Secretary

Noé Walter is the pastor of the French Protestant Church of Washington DC since September 2021 after serving as pastor in France in the Paris area.


ANNIE SEYS

Board Member

seysamc@gmail.com

I moved to Washington, D.C. from France in 1971 for a career at the World Bank until I retired in 2012.
My involvement in the French/Francophone non-profit community started in the early 80s. In the mid-90s, at the initiative of a French consul, we created the Comité Tricolore (CT) – a society of French, Francophile and French-American associations of the Washington, D.C. area. After serving as president from 2007 to 2012, today I am still a member of the executive committee of the CT. The Alliance Française de Washington, D.C. is a member of the CT where I am currently serving as Vice-President of the Board of Directors, after being President from 2014 to 2019.


MARIE-HELENE ZAVALA

Board Member

Marie-Hélène Zavala a commencé sa carrière professionnelle en France dans le marketing et le lancement de produits dans le secteur des assurances et de la gestion de patrimoine. Elle est actuellement directrice des événements et réceptions à l’ambassade et à la résidence de France. Elle a participé à la création du Kids Euro Festival dont elle a été la première directrice et aussi responsable de la coordination du Festival de la Francophonie jusqu’à récemment. Depuis son arrivée aux Etats-Unis en 1998, elle a toujours été très impliquée dans la vie associative franco américaine. Elle a été présidente de Washington Accueil et membre actif du Comité Tricolore depuis plusieurs années.


Honorary Chair

CAROLINE MONVOISIN

Consule Générale de France à Washington DC

Caroline Monvoisin entered the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs in 2005, where she held a number of editorial positions: first in the Department of French Nationals Abroad and Consular Administration, then in the Department of Strategic Affairs, Security and Disarmament. She then joined the European Union Directorate as deputy director for Germany and Alpine and Adriatic Europe, and head of the Franco-German Mission. From 2016 to 2020, she was Counselor at France’s Permanent Representation to the European Union in Brussels, in charge of France’s representation in European institutions. From 2020, she returned to the consular field, as project manager (implementation of e-voting for the 2022 legislative elections and the 2021 consular elections), then project manager for the Director of French Nationals Abroad and Consular Administration.

Caroline Monvoisin is a graduate of the Institut d’études politiques de Rennes. As part of her studies, she spent a year as an exchange student at Colorado State University.


Members of the Events Committee:

  • Jean-Philippe Krukowicz, VP
  • Eve Chauchard (Solidarity Dinners)
  • Hugh Cossard
  • Théo Pary
  • Caroline Whiteman
  • Marie-Helene Zavala
  • Yahne Miorini (President)

Members of the Solidarity Committee:

  • Frédéric Roche, VP
  • Roselyne Chang
  • Raphaèle Holley
  • Noé Walter
  • Annie Seys
  • Emmanuel Van der Mensbrugghe
  • Yahne Miorini (President)

Past Presidents

EVE CHAUCHARD

2019-2023
See bio and picture above


YAHNE MIORINI

2013-2019
See bio and picture above


ANNIE SEYS

2008-2012
See bio and picture above


MARIE-CHANTAL DUMONT

2007-2008


VICTOR OBADIA

1998-2007

Victor Obadia was an active member of the French-American community for more than 30 years. He was one of the founders and former president of the Comité Tricolore. He then served as Vice-President and played an integral role in managing events, such as Bastille Day, for the past 10 years. As a result, he was awarded l’Ordre National du Mérite and French Légion d’Honneur, two of the most prestigious awards presented by the French government, for his long-term dedication to building relationships between the French and American cultures in the Washington, D.C. area.
Under his leadership, Mr. Obadia created "Le Club Philosophique Lafayette 1989". He also formed the "Association Américaine de l’Ordre National du Mérite". Victor Obadia passed away on 27 October 2019.