Branford and Guilford Community Director Was In Paris During Terror Attacks: Report

Liza Janssen Petra, executive director at the Branford Community Foundation and the Guilford Foundation, and her mother Betsy Frederick, were in Paris following a dance company’s tour performance.

Petra oversees the entire board of directors for both organizations.

They were a part of 1,000 other people at the Theatre National de Chaillot. None of them knew of the horrible events going on in other parts of the city.

They were both safe, but Petra’s cell phone and facebook were flooded with family and friends reaching out in worry and fear. After receiving these communications is when she was updated on the terrible events, said Petra via the New Haven Register.

“We had gone from such a high of this beautiful dance performance to this just devastation to Paris and not knowing really what was happening,” said Petra via the New Haven Register.

Their hotel room was where they stayed for safety and looked forward to getting home to hug her husband and children, said Petra Sunday night over the phone via the New Haven Register.

The Branford Community Foundation, founded in 1980, is a public, nonprofit, tax exempt, charitable trust. It provides an administrative, philanthropic service–a means by which public-spirited citizens may make gifts or bequests, the income from which is distributed for educational, cultural, health, social and civic needs, according to the foundation’s website.

The Guilford Foundation’s goals are similar including making philanthropy as effective as possible, according to the Guilford Foundation’s website.

The entire New Haven Register story can be read here.