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YOUNG LEADERSL - R: Jamie Metzl, Tony Smith, Kimberly Morin and Spencer AbbotFAF ANNUAL REPORT 2003-200462003Pierre AlbouyExecutive Director, Rothschild, Inc.Pascal AusseurNavy Captain, Joint Staff HeadquartersBertrand BadréSpecial Advisor to President ChiracKaran BhatiaDeputy Under Secretary of CommercePierre-Antoine BraudPolitical Counselor, UN Mission to CongoYves CensiMember of ParliamentVincent ChapelFounding Partner, Archimède SASJerôme ChartierMember of ParliamentAnnick CojeanReporter, Le MondeMatthieu CroissandeauJournalist, Le Nouvel ObservateurCharlotte DenneryDirector of Corporate Development,BNP ParibasMargaret EbrahimProducer, CBSBruno Erhard SteinerExecutive Director,Institut MontaigneSarah HorowitzExecutive Director, Working TodayAlexandre de JuniacCorporate Secretary, ThalèsAlexander JutkowitzPresident, Westhill PartnersJennifer KochMajor, U.S. ArmyNational Security CouncilLeft to right: Romesh Ratnesar, Arnaud Ventura and Isabelle Bordry with Carina Van VlietOn September 17-21, the 2003 Young Leaders first convened in Washington, DC,where they were greeted by Hurricane Isabel. The storm wrought havoc with theitinerary, but could not deter the group from a visit to Capitol Hill to meet withSenator Chuck Hagel, who engaged them in an animated discussion of French-American relations and U.S. politics. Isabel also failed to dampen the resolve ofFrench Ambassador Jean-David Levitte, who hosted a welcome dinner at his residence,in the company of former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger.Despite flooding and power outages, the meeting continued in Charlottesville,VA, with a rather authentic private tour of Monticello conducted by candlelight.YL alumni Anthony Blinken, Minority Staff Director of the Senate ForeignRelations Committee, and Chris Schroeder, CEO of Washingtonpost-NewsweekInteractive, joined the group in Charlottesville to discuss policy, politics, and therole of the media in French-American understanding.On November 13-15, 2003, the Foundation convened an extraordinary reunion of allYoung Leaders in Paris to discuss “Getting Back on Track”. 80 participants (including31 from the U.S.) met to assess and debate the state of the bilateral relationship,hosted by former Young Leader and AXA CEO Henri de Castries. An “interview” formatwas devised to elaborate the conference theme. Program alumnae andjournalists, Annick Cojean and Sylvie Kauffman, from Le Monde, as well as JoshuaSteiner, Managing Principal, Quadrangle Group, conducted the interviews with YLalumni panelists and speakers on the topics of French-U.S. relations in politics,business and culture.The convocation naturally included animated dinners and a champagne cruise onthe Canal St. Martin to allow Young Leaders to renew and create new friendships.At an elegant dinner hosted by U.S. Ambassador Howard Leach, participantsheard comments from Noëlle Lenoir, Minister for European Affairs. The dinneralso served as a very appropriate occasion to honor FAF Board member AnneCox Chambers by making her the first ever “Honorary Young Leader”, a welldeservedrecognition of her generous and sustained support of the program.The 2004 meeting took place in Paris and Avignon, from September 29 to October 3.It brought together a dynamic group of enthusiastic “returnees” and outstanding newrecruits. Official visits in Paris began with a morning at the Quai d’Orsay, and ameeting with Gilles Andréani, Director of the Centre d’Analyse et de Prévision, followedby a gracious reception at the Hôtel du Ministre with Michel Barnier, Minister ofForeign Affairs, who emphasized the importance of the French-American relationship.