Pierre-Antoine Gatier

Architecte en Chef des Monuments Historiques, since 1990;
Inspecteur Général des Monuments Historiques, since 2003;
Minstère de la Culture et de la Communication, France
Président, ICOMOS France since 2010
Head of his own architectural firm in Paris

1991 - First French Heritage Society French fellow for the Richard Morris Hunt Fellowship.

Pierre-Antoine regularly welcomes American Richard Morris Hunt fellows to his architectural firm in Paris and to work sites for historic preservation under his supervision. He has been a loyal and devoted collaborator with French Heritage Society since his fellowship days.

Pierre-Antoine is one of the most prominent architects for historic preservation in France. He represented the French Ministry of Culture to do inventories of the damages sustained to the French architectural heritage in New Orleans following Katrina and has served as a consultant for the restoration of Passebon Cottage, part of the African-American Museum and one of French Heritage Society's Katrina Grants.

He also teaches at the Centre des Hautes Etudes de Chaillot, as is in charge of courses on the history of restoration of modern materials and at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Paris Belleville where he is in charge of courses on restoration of 20th patrimony as part of the DSA "Patrimoine du 20è siècle". Pierre-Antoine is also contributes to scientific committees at the Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine (Acquisitions Committee); the Comité de Rédaction de la Revue Monumental (Ministère de la Culture) and the Comité des Experts de la Fondation Le Corbusier (Paris) for the safeguard and promotion of the built works of Le Corbusier.

His recent projects include: Architectural and urban works by Le Corbusier, request for inclusion on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites (2006-2009); La Roche House by Le Corbusier (1922) Paris 16th, Classified as an historic monument (work completed Oct. 2009); Villa E-1027 by Eileen Gray and Jean Badovici (1929) Roquebrune-Cap Martin (Alpes Martimes) classified as an historic monument. Preliminary studies for the overall restoration of the Villa and its gardens (work completed Feb. 2010); musical theater l'Opéra Comique-Salle Favart (Paris 2nd).

Jean de Lambertye

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Stephanie K. Meeks

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Didier Repellin

Didier Repellin is a Chief Architect for Historic Monuments and since 1996 an Inspector General for Historic Monuments with responsibilities on a national level. As an inspector general he is one of seven consultants to the French Minister of Culture for major and difficult projects. Didier gives many conferences and lectures all over the world. A long-time collaborator with French Heritage Society, he hosts the American Richard Morris Hunt Fellows who visit restoration projects under his supervision throughout France and in Rome. He always works with local contemporary architects, engineers, landscapers as sees heritage as a link between cultures and generations, past and future.

He has been in charge of historic districts and projects such as The old Lyon and the dossier for its designation as a UNESCO's World Heritage Site. He has also been assigned to the Loire and Haute Loire départements. Since 1991 he is in charge of two other districts in the Provence region, which include the towns of Avignon with the Popes' Palace, Orange with the Antique Theater, both are World Heritage Sites, Aix-en-Provence with numerous churches and private mansions, and since 1994 he has been in charge of the French monuments in Rome: Villa Medici, Trinità dei Monti and five other churches. Since 1996, he is Inspector General for three French provinces: Alsace (Strasbourg Cathedral, Haut-Kœnigsbourg Castle...etc), Auvergne (Clermont-Ferrand, Le Puy-en-Velay, a XIIth century pilgrimage site) and Nord-Pas-de-Calais.

His work includes the restoration worksite and the development and readaptive use of numerous and famous buildings from Roman theaters from the 2nd century to Le Corbusier's convent of La Tourette built in 1968.

Didier spent two years in the United States, attending courses at Columbia University, training at Lyndhurst Castle, and working on several rehabilitation projects in San Francisco. In 1989-90, thanks to his contacts in the US, he set up the twinning of Primatiale St Jean Gothic church in Lyon, then being restored, with St John the Divine Cathedral in New York, a Gothic construction being built today and also set up the exchange of French and American stone cutters from the two sites.

As a preservation international consultant for heritage, he has led many missions of experts: in Yemen, Syria, India, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and China. In Cambodia (1991), before the return of the King Sihanouk, he managed the restoration of the Napoleon III Pavilion, inside the Royal Palace in Phnom-Penh, with 50 volunteers and 300 local workers. In Singapore, since 1986, he has been a consultant for URA (Urban Redevelopment Authority) and STPB (Singapore Tourist Promotion Board) several times has managed the restoration and reuse of the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus.In Malaysia (Penang), he led the restoration of the Syed Alatas Mansion, a training worksite for craftsmen and the house, once restored, became a training center on restoration techniques. Under the patronage of the Prime Minister, he managed the restoration of the Lebuh Acheh Mosque, and in 2001 he helped the States of Penang and Melaka to prepare a dossier for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Philippe Toussaint

Philippe Toussaint has a law degree (Paris Assas) and degrees from the Institut d'Etudes Politiques (Paris) and ENA. His career has been concentrated in finance and insurance where he has held prominent positions including inspector of finance for several French Ministries. He has worked for UNILOG and currently holds an administrative position at M.C.S.

Philippe has been President of Les Vieilles Maisons Françaises, one of French Heritage Society's partners, since 2002 and has actively sought to broaden the scope of the association's activities, in particular with the creation of VMF Monde to inventory the French architectural heritage around the globe and notably in former French colonies and to work with local groups and authorities to preserve that heritage.

He has also served as President since 1999 of France Festival, a National Federation for International Music Festivals.

Didier Wirth

Didier Wirth has a degree from the Ecole Polytechnique and served in the French Air Force. He began his career as scientific director for a French biological company before becoming the Founding President of Isochem, a chemical and pharmaceutical company that he led to create three factories in France employing 450 workers.

After selling his company, Didier was able to pursue his passion for parks and gardens. He sits on the board of a number of organizations for the preservation of French heritage and its parks and gardens, notably in lower Normandy.

Didier purchased the Château de Brécy in Normandy and restored the château and its exceptional park and gardens while putting in place the Union des Parcs et Jardins de Basse-Normandie. He then became President of the Comité des Parcs et Jardins de France and along with Jean Guéroult created "Rendez-Vous aux Jardins" to promote French gardens and open them up to the public. They also created the label "Jardins Remarquables" to draw attention to the most notable gardens in France.

The Comité des Parcs et Jardins, one of French Heritage Society's partners, also lobbies to protect not only the parks and gardens themselves, but their neighboring environment, the protection of which is essential in order to maintain an authentic harmonious natural setting.