Après-Midi Recap

“The Future of American Politics and What it Means for Expats Living in France”

Our community was so fascinated by Billy Linville’s topic that they arrived as early as one hour in advance to get a good seat. Ending in SRO, we had people sitting on the floor in front of him for lack of seats and space. We didn’t take a count, but no doubt, it was one of our biggest turn-outs ever.

He opened with a joke and then it got serious. The state of affairs in our home country is so shocking to those of us who live on the other side of the big pond. I got really upset when he told us that Alex Haley’s book, Roots, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, had been banned from the school shelves in Knoxville, Tennessee, where the author is from and where I lived for 14 years!

Then, I checked it out for myself and discovered that just two days earlier, Knox County revised its ban after “weeks of community backlash, board member pressure, and statewide criticism, all unfolding in the same city where a 13-foot bronze statue of Haley has stood for nearly three decades.”

Thank goodness! There is some hope for sanity, but Billy’s message was strong and important. He went on to discuss what we can do, and that means uniting and standing up for our rights and beliefs, even as expats living in France.

Billy is a public affairs and strategic communication professional, working with clients such as Delta Air Lines, Blackstone, Atlanta Braves, Tesla Motors, Millicom, Atlanta Hawks, American Bar Association, American Cancer Society, RaceTrac, American Medical Response, Invest Atlanta, CIM, and Atlanta Public Schools.

Billy, described by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a longtime Atlanta P.R. guru and the Atlanta Magazine as a P.R. whiz, is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Lexicon Strategies, a leading public affairs consulting firm, focusing on public relations, government affairs, media relations, crisis communication, social impact, and strategic communication.

Billy is also a co-founder and managing partner of Connexion South, an economic development and cultural exchange firm, located in Valbonne, France.

From 2006 to 2013, Billy was the Eastern Region and Global VP of Public Affairs for AT&T. Managing a team of 25 professionals and consultants in the U.S. and Brussels, he helped direct legislative, regulatory and issue strategies; guided media relations, messaging, and communication for public policy matters; and leveraged the citizenship and reputation of the company.

Billy began his career as a legislative aide and campaign manager for U.S. Congressman Phil Sharp (IN). For more than ten years, he served as campaign manager, communication director and political consultant for clients, including Georgia Governor Roy Barnes, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu (LA), U.S. Senator Zell Miller (GA) and others.

Billy and his wife, Sherry now reside in Nice.