Dr. Mark Pienkos received Cavalier’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland

On November 8, 2015, Dr. Mark Pienkos received special honors from the President of the Republic of Poland (signed officially by former President Bronisław Komorowski).   The Cavalier’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland was presented during the annual Polish Independence Day/Veterans Day luncheon sponsored by the Polish American Congress – Wisconsin Division and held at the Polish Center of Wisconsin located in Franklin.  Pienkos is superintendent for the Washington-Caldwell School District. 

The Cavalier’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland is bestowed on foreigners and Polish citizens permanently living abroad who have made outstanding contributions to international cooperation and to bonds between the Republic of Poland and other nations and countries.

The award was presented to Pienkos on behalf of the President of the Republic of Poland by the Deputy Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Chicago, Robert Rusiecki.

In presenting the award, Rusiecki stated:  

“The Cavalier’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland is bestowed on foreigners and Polish citizens permanently living abroad who have made outstanding contributions to international cooperation and to bonds between the Republic of Poland and other nations and countries.  Specifically, Dr. Mark Pienkos has provided special services and extraordinary support to the Republic of Poland.  His record of service includes not only his leadership in Polish American organizations, but also his many recent efforts to find various sites to display the Jan Karski Exhibit throughout the state of Wisconsin beginning with the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison in 2013.  Karski was a humanitarian and member of the Polish Underground during World War II who brought the first eyewitness accounts of the Holocaust to the West.  The efforts of Dr. Pienkos helped many people throughout Wisconsin learn more about this Polish and international hero.  This effort, as well as for many other reasons, are why the President of Poland awarded Dr. Mark Pienkos with the Cavalier’s Cross of Merit.” 

Pienkos currently serves as President of the Polish American Congress – Wisconsin Division and also is the elected Vice President for Public Relations for the national Polish American Congress which was founded in 1944.

Attached Photos:

(6885): Deputy Consul General Robert Rusiecki and Mark Pienkos