Atlanta’s international affairs director receives knighthood from France

By Collin Kelley

What do these people have in common: Oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, celebrated actress Isabelle Huppert, French President Francois Mitterrand, U.S. Navy Admiral Frank Bowman, and the Atlanta Mayor’s Office of International Affairs Director Vanessa Ibarra?

They are all recipients of the French National Order of Merit (Ordre national du Mérite) awarded by the President of

France. Ibarra now holds the rank of knight for her efforts in advancing the relationship between the country and the City of Atlanta.

Ibarra, who has worked in the mayor’s office for seven years, said she had to read the email she received three times – and even sent it to a friend – to comprehend that she’d received the prestigious honor.

“I’m a knight now,” Ibarra said incredulously. “Who gets knighted these days in this century?”