Embassy of the United States

University Outreach in Nantes:  APP Rennes staff gave a series of talks at the Nantes Management Institute (IAE Nantes) on topics such as US-French trade and higher education in the United States.  On October 23 the Consul addressed students at Centrale University on the best ways to identify study and training opportunities in the U.S.

WWII Reunion:    The Consul helped the town of Saint Vougay (Brittany) welcome back Bob Jackson, a U.S. airman who survived the Nazi bombing of his B-17 bomber over the town in October 1942.    

Secretary of Education Visits Normandy: The Consul assisted with the private visit of Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings to the Normandy American Cemetery and the Bayeux Tapestry on October 17. 

UPS Opens Regional Center in Rennes:  Consul Murray delivered opening remarks at the inauguration of UPS’ new regional consolidation center in Rennes on October 11. 

“Play Ball!”: On September 22, APP Rennes helped bring the national past-time to life for a group of young people during an “American Sports Day” event in Caen (Normandy). The event, organized by the France-Etats Unis friendship group, gave 60 school kids a hands-on introduction to flag football and baseball.  Another 300 spectators watched demonstration baseball and football games in the afternoon.

US Photographer Exhibits: The Consul joined the city of Rennes in welcoming renowned US photographer Steve McCurry, best known for his National Geographic cover of the green-eyed Afghan girl.   Rennes mounted poster-size copies of forty of McCurry’s photographs in an outdoor exhibit in the city’s center.  

Maritime Security Conference: APP Rennes arranged for the participation of U.S. Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander Jon Maiorine in the biennial Maritime Security Conference in Nantes (September 28-29). Lieutenant Commander Maiorine described the U.S. process for crewmember identification.

Hosting US Firms at Agricultural Trade Show:  The Consul hosted a reception for agricultural officials and representatives of American and French farming equipment firms during the annual Salon de Production Animale – Carrefour Européen (SPACE) on September 13.

Supporting Student Exchange: APP Rennes joined local officials in Nantes at the unveiling a new welcome center for foreign exchange students. 

US Rugby Team Honor War Heroes: APP Rennes joined the Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission and the U.S. World Rugby Cup team at a public ceremony in the Normandy-American Cemetery to honor American service members who died during the D-Day landings. 

Sister City Support: We joined the mayors of Lexington, Kentucky and Deauville as they celebrated the 50th anniversary of their town’s sister city relationship. 

American Film Festival:  Ambassador Stapleton inaugurated the 33rd American Film Festival in Deauville (Normandy) noting its role in promoting American culture and advancing Franco-American friendship.

Independence Day: APP Rennes hosted an Independence Day reception at Centrale University in Nantes for business, educational, and cultural contacts.  The West Country line dancers from Pontivy provided entertainment. (See their web site for pictures of the event http://www.westcountrydancers.fr/bonus.html.)

Ambassador Joins Friendship Groups At Omaha Beach: The Ambassador and Mrs. Stapleton joined the "French Will Never Forget" and "Collectif Respect" associations on June 30 as they organized a gathering of 1200 people to form the words "France Will Never Forget" on Omaha Beach.

World Investment Conference: Ambassador Stapleton spoke about the US’s role in addressing climate change in remarks to the 400 member audience at the World Investment Conference in La Baule on June 29. 

Ambassador Promotes Cultural Ties in Brittany and Pays de La Loire: Ambassador Stapleton met with the Caroline Boyle-Turner, founder of the Pont Aven School of Contemporary Art, on June 28.  He visited an exhibit on American painters in Brittany at the Pont Aven Museum, and an exhibit of the works of Franco-American surrealist Yves Tanguy at the Musée des Beaux Arts in Quimper the same day.

Consul Inaugurates Yves Tanguy Exhibit: The Consul spoke about Franco-US cultural ties at the June 28 opening of an art exhibit at the Quimper Fine Arts Museum featuring surrealist painter Yves Tanguy.

World War I Memorial:  The Consul joined the mayor of Saint Nazaire at a June 25 ceremony at the American Memorial to mark the 90th anniversary of the arrival of US troops during WWI. 

High School Exchanges:  Consul Murray welcomed groups of US high school students participating in exchange programs in Brittany.  The students, from Missouri and Pennsylvania, stayed with French families in the towns of Pontivy and Vannes.

60th Anniversary of the Marshall Plan:  A member of the U.S. Mission to the OECD spoke about the legacy of the Marshall Plan to an audience at the Franco-American Institute in Rennes on June 12 as we marked the 60th anniversary of the plan. Regional newspaper Ouest France published an interview with APP Rennes' consul on the same topic.  

Explaining Commercial Diplomacy:  On May 21 and June 13, Consul Murray addressed business students from the University of Miami (Ohio) and Ohio State attending summer programs at Audencia, one of France’s top-ranked management schools, in Nantes.

Normandy Cemetery Visitor Center Opens: The Consul attended the opening of the new visitors’ center at the Normandy American Cemetery on the anniversary of D-Day, June 6. 

St. Cyr Conference on 21st Century War: The Consul attended a conference at St. Cyr Military Academy May 15-16 to mark the launch of the school’s latest area of concentration: “Action Globale et Forces Terrestres” (“Global action and land forces”).

Memorial Day Commemorations: The Consul honored the nation’s fallen soldiers at the American Cemeteries in Normandy and Brittany on May 27. 

Regina Shamvili: American classical pianist Regina Shamvili performed for an appreciative full house audience at the Institut Franco-Américain in Rennes on May 22.

The Ambassador Visits Caen Classroom: Ambassador Stapleton answered questions about the U.S. for a class at Ecole Jean Moulin in Caen on May 11.   The visit was part of a two-month school outreach program organized by APP Rennes and Caen City Hall.

Franco American Institute Chooses a New President: The board of the Institut Franco-American (IFA) named former recteur and American literature professor Lillian Kerjan as its new President during its May meeting. 

Fleurs de la Memoire: Consul Murray spoke at the Fleurs de la MemoireAnnual Conference in St. James, site of a WWII American cemetery, on Sunday April 15.  The group honors the US war dead by laying flowers on their graves. 

Commercial Specialist Organizes Wheelchair Basketball Tournament: Commercial Specialist Eric Beaty helped organize an April 1 wheelchair basketball tournament gathering players from Rennes and its sister cities Rochester (US), Leuven (Belgium), and Ljubljana (Slovenia). 

San Francisco Theater Company Spreads the “Word”:  San Francisco based theater company “Word for Word” brought two short stories to life during a March 29 performance in Nantes.  Word for Word, which performs short stories in English in their entirety, has toured France for the past ten years with support from the Florence Gould Foundation; the Nantes performance was also funded in part by a Public Affairs grant.  The 160 audience members in Nantes raved about the innovative theater performance. 

Consul Reaches Out to Caen Primary Schools:   In March, Consul Murray started a weekly outreach initiative in Caen in coordination with the Mayor’s Office.  In talks to three or four grade school classes each week, the consul gives an introduction to U.S. culture and society, highlighting the importance of America’s diverse immigrant roots as a source of cultural renewal.  The weekly visits will run through May and touch 850 of the town’s 1300 third and fourth graders. 

Celebration of Black History Month and Women’s History Month
Adrienne Bishop, Fulbright exchange teacher and Kareen Patterson, an African-American feminist artist shared their experience as African-American Women in the US with a class of high school students on March 15.

Expert Talks on Biofuels in the US
Congressional Research Service specialist Randy Schnepf talked at Agrocampus Rennes on March 14th about developments in biofuels use and technologies in the U.S.

Promoting U.S. Studies
Public Affairs specialist spoke on graduate study opportunities and professional internships in the U.S. to an audience of 60 people at a Rotary International event in Rennes on Feb. 27th. 

Celebrating Black History Month with “The Blues”
APP Rennes’ Public Affairs specialist set up a partnership with the Anglophone Library in Angers and the English language section of Angers University for weekly screenings throughout the month of February of the PBS program “The Blues”.

Superbowl Night
Public Affairs specialist organized a Superbowl night party Feb 5, attended by American students and French football aficionados alike.

Consul Shares Her American Experience with Students
The Consul spoke to 30 middle-school students in Rennes about her life as an American diplomat on February 6. Her interview was part of a program set up by several local schools to promote the role of women in modern society and explore the legacy of immigration. 

Welcome Forum for Fulbright Scholars
American Presence Post Rennes supported the Fulbright Commission in arranging a Jan. 29-Feb 1 mid-term meeting of the American Fulbright scholars in France.  The APP arranged for the scholars to receive a guided tour of the city, a reception hosted by City Hall, a briefing from the region’s largest newspaper, Ouest-France, and an introduction to Breton culture at Rennes University.

Promoting Franco-American Economic Cooperation

APP Rennes’ Commercial Specialist spoke to several institutions about U.S. and French commercial relations in January/February. His talks led to discussions on topics such as French and American management styles, cross-cultural approaches to entrepreneurship and opportunities to work or carry out professional internships in the United States.