Rotary Hosts French Visitors
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Dominique Ferme, an engineer from
France, says the Pledge of
Allegiance on Tuesday with other
Rotarians during a Rotary Club
International event at the
Renaissance Center in downtown
Joliet. LIZ
WILKINSON ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER |
HERALD NEWS
May 23, 2007
The
Renaissance Center was infused with an international
flavor Tuesday when a quartet of French
professionals hit town.
The four
French businesspeople -- David Frigot, Frederic
Giletta, Florence Knapp and Anthony Libor -- were
visiting through the Rotary Club and were led in
their excursion by French Rotarian Dominique Ferme.
The group
is nearing the end of a four-week tour of
attractions around the state. Tuesday saw them stop
at the Renaissance Center. There they put on a video
presentation about Normandy, where they live, and
were honored by the Rotary Club.
During
their excursion, the group has been able to take in
Cubs games and a Bulls contest as well as a
JackHammers game Tuesday night.
Today, the
professionals will split up and visit businesses and
businesspeople in the fields they work in France.
Libor, a
project director at Micropole-Univers, will head to
Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center; Knapp, a
customer advisor for Banque Populaire, is going to
Manner Scroggins Financial Services; Giletta, a
project leader for Port Autonome du Havre, is bound
for Silver Cross Hospital; and Frigot, a political
and environmental reporter for La Manche Libre
newspaper, will spend the day at The Herald News.
The group
was pleased with their American experience so far.
Knapp and Giletta were impressed by the size of
Chicago, and Frigot commented on Joliet's expansive
green space. Libor hopes to return some day to run
the Chicago Marathon.
"We made
good friends here, being hosted by families in
Illinois," Libor said.
