Published by Rédaction Courrier du Pays de Retz on March 7, 2026 at 7:16
One could do an inventory at Prévert! Member of the southeast estuary development council (instance of participatory democracy on the community of municipalities), of the mixed environment commission (which issues opinions and makes concrete proposals in environmental matters), president of the association Les Amis de Saint-Brevin (association for the defense and improvement of the living environment)…
Serge Pucelle is a very committed volunteer in the local fabric of Saint-Brevin-les-Pins (Loire-Atlantique). “I joined the Friends of Saint-Brevin association 10 years ago. My sister encouraged me to join. I entered directly as an administrator. It has now been 3 years since I became president. For the development council, I have been there for 4 years. It was my neighbor who pushed me in.”
A rich career in the air force
This penchant for the associative world came late because the Niort native previously had a rich career in the air force.
“My father being military, we traveled a lot, especially in Germany. Then, my parents settled near La Rochelle. Then I joined the air force technical school in Saintes and then in Rochefort.”
Entering as an air technician (corporal), he integrated the military school and gained skills to finish as a senior officer with 5 stripes on the sleeve (colonel).
“I spent 35 years in the air force. I was assigned to different air bases all over France, except in Brittany because there is no air base! I had up to 250 men and women under my command.”
Serge Pucelle
Cryptanalysis specialist
Thanks to an internal competition of the Ministry of Defense, Serge Pucelle was able to study cryptanalysis (techniques for deciphering coded messages).
“I was in charge of units responsible for the security of information systems. After leaving the army thanks to this specialization, I worked for 10 years in the service of a bank, first as a consultant, then as a contractor.”
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Father of two daughters and grandparent of three grandchildren, the new retiree did not imagine stopping all investment.
“When I retired, the question of finding a new dynamic arose immediately. It is really asked a few months before. I had my second home in Saint-Brevin. It became the main one when my wife finished her professional activity a year later.”
No political commitment
Serge Pucelle does not see himself applying for an elected position. “Political commitment as an elected official doesn’t interest me.” He prefers “the great margin of freedom and expression offered by the associative world.”
And to give an example. “Two years ago, for the 40th anniversary of the Friends, we did a retrospective. We reviewed all our actions and we realized that a good part of the requests led to changes or evolutions to preserve and improve the living environment of the people of Brevin.”
“The goal is to promote ideas in the general interest, to build a bridge between citizens and elected officials!”
Serge Pucelle
“We are a team and we work on our subjects!”
The former military man puts to good use the skills acquired during his career without forgetting to value teamwork.
“Because of my job, I did a lot of files, summary notes. It’s a field that I master and that I enjoy. I studied mathematics and applied statistics when I was in the army. When I do public surveys, I rely on these methods and especially on the analysis part. This brings added value, but each member of the association brings their skills. We are a team and we work on our subjects!”
And when teased about rarely smiling in photos, far from feeling embarrassed by the question, Serge humorously replies: “Even in family photos, I’m the only one not smiling… It’s probably because of my military background!”
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