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

October is Polish American Heritage Month

Stephen Pienkos, Polish American Congress – Wisconsin Division Vice President for Membership, worked with the Wisconsin state legislature to successfully pass a joint resolution recognizing the efforts of Polish Americans in Wisconsin.  This was done as part of our overall state division’s efforts during October which is designated as “Polish American Heritage Month” throughout the U.S.

Stephen works in the office of State Senator Robert Wirch (D-Kenosha), who co-authored the resolution along with State Senator Jerry Petrowski (R-Marathon) and State Representative Ken Skowronski (R-Franklin).  The 33 senators and 99 assemblymen all voted in favor of the resolution. The resolution reads:

2015 Senate JOINT RESOLUTION 61

Proclaiming October as Polish American Heritage Month

Whereas, many people in Wisconsin proudly trace their roots to Poland, a land whose rich and colorful past is rivaled only by the bright promise of its future; and

Whereas, in October, as we celebrate the many contributions that Americans of Polish heritage have made to our nation’s history and culture, we also reaffirm the strong and friendly ties between the United States and Poland; and

Whereas, before America became a nation, Poles came to these shores in search of liberty and opportunity, and their descendants have remained at the forefront of efforts to keep America free, strong, and prosperous; and

Whereas, we celebrate the great Polish heroes Tadeusz Kosciuszko and Casimir Pulaski, who helped secure the independence of our fledgling republic during the Revolutionary War; and

Whereas, since that time, millions of other men and women of Polish descent have invested their hopes in America’s bold experiment in self-government and, inspired by faith in God and a devotion to democratic ideals, have worked hard to ensure its success; and

Whereas, many of these Poles have chosen Wisconsin as their state of residence; and

Whereas, the deep cultural and familial ties between the peoples of Wisconsin and Poland have been strengthened by our shared values and aspirations; and

Whereas, for generations, Poles have demonstrated the same reverence for individual rights and dignity that infuses our own system of government; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the senate, the assembly concurring: That as we observe Polish American Heritage Month, we join all Wisconsinites in thanking our fellow citizens of Polish descent for their countless contributions to the strength and quality of our national life. Best wishes to all for a memorable celebration.

Congressman Clement Zablocki” Civic Achievement Award”

Awarded annually by the Polish American Congress – Wisconsin Division

Mrs. Teresa Jankowski is a dedicated fraternalist who has been active for many years in the Polish National Alliance. In 2011 Teresa was elected District Commissioner of the Polish National Alliance fraternal for Wisconsin and Minnesota. In the greater Milwaukee area, she is a longtime leader in her home PNA lodge and Council and is a supportive member of the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin State Division of the Polish American Congress. Teresa is a strong and always cheerful promoter of cooperative activity within our Polish American community and is a visible force in the Polonia Sports Club and in the annual Polish Fest.

Mr. José G. Pérez was elected Alderman for District 12 of Milwaukee in 2012. A native of Milwaukee’s near South Side, Jose Perez is a grandson of immigrants from Puerto Rico who came to our city to work here in the 1950s. As Alderman, Jose Perez has distinguished himself as a friend of Polonia, in particular by his leadership role in supporting the restoration of the Kościuszko Monument, which is in his district’s Kosciuszko Park. Alderman Perez’s interest in political service dates back to his college years at Cardinal Stritch University, his duties as an intern in the Washington, DC office of Congressman Gerald Kleczka, his  work under Mayor John Norquist, and in his many-sided involvements in Hispanic American organizations. As Alderman, Jose Perez has been dedicated to his District’s economic and community development.

Mrs. Gloria and Mr. Jim Shire have both been devoted volunteers with the Polish Heritage Alliance since the Polish Center was dedicated in 2000. Both have worked at every Polish Fest since then and have been fixtures in the annual Lenten Season Fish Fry fund raisers. Their volunteer spirit has been expressed in other ways as well. As Jim puts it, “When we get a call; we go.” Gloria’s volunteerism led to her appointment to the Management Committee of Polish Fest. The Shirer’s giving ways go beyond PHA service too. Jim, a veteran of the Korean War, is Commander of the Alonzo Cudworth Post of the American Legion. Gloria is active in the Girl Scouts of America. Both are involved in Holy Family parish of Whitefish Bay, where Jim has been an usher for forty years.

Dr. Wacław Szybalski is Professor Emeritus of Oncology and an eminent scholar in the fields of molecular genetics at the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research of the University of Wisconsin in Madison, WI. Dr. Szybalski’s contributions to medical science over the past sixty years have been extraordinary and his scientific achievements have merited at least one Nobel Prize in the view of his colleagues, some of whom have been Nobel Prize winners themselves. Among his many honors over the years, Dr. Szybalski has received Honorary Doctoral Degrees from five Polish universities, including Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin and the Universities of Gdansk and Kraków, the UW Hilldale Award and the Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta from President Komorowski of the Republic of Poland in 2011 for his “extraordinary and distinguished service.”   Dr. Szybalski was born in 1921 and educated as Ch.E. in Lwów, Poland.  He lived through six years of the inhumane Soviet-Russian and Nazi-German WW II occupations of his homeland and found his way to the United States in 1950.  His research in molecular biology commenced soon after at the Genetics Laboratory at Cold Spring Harbor, New York.  One of his primary research collaborators was his late wife, Elizabeth Hunter Szybalska. Dr. Szybalski is a member of the Polish Heritage Club of Madison.

The University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee Libraries is honored for its commitment to preserving and digitizing the Roman Kwasniewski Photographic Collection of interwar Milwaukee Polonia. This collection, acquired in the late 1970s, includes more than 25,000 photographs and is the best and most comprehensive visual historic resource for the study of Polish American urban life in the United States. Significantly, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries’ involvement in preserving and disseminating Poland’s heritage goes beyond its extraordinary actions with the Kwasniewski collection. The Libraries house the American Geographic Society (AGS) collection, which includes a number of invaluable historic maps of Poland and many other materials of benefit to students of Poland’s history, its geography, its place in European art and culture, and to members of the community interested in genealogy. In addition, the UW-M Libraries has hosted a long list of memorable exhibits, films, and lectures over the years that focus on important themes and events in Polish history, working in cooperation with the UW-M Polish Studies Committee and Polonia groups. In 2010 it hosted a grand reception for participants in the national meeting of the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America. In short, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries represent libraries at their best and is a living, coherent, and readily accessible repository of culture and in particular here, the Polish and Polish American experience.

Please Attend the General Membership Meeting – September 26, 2015

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

Saturday, September 26, 2015
10:00 a.m.
(Executive Meeting at 9:00 a.m.)

Polish Center of Wisconsin
6941 S. 68^th Street
Franklin, WI 53132

This is an important meeting as we will be focusing on Membership Recruitment!

September 11, 2015

Dear Polish American Congress – Wisconsin Division Member,

I look forward to seeing all of our members at our next General Membership Meeting to be held on Saturday, September 26^th.  We have much to discuss

Besides a lively discussion, delicious coffee & goodies, and great fellowship, we’ll have some door prizes.  Let’s have a fantastic meeting working and sharing our Polish heritage together!  Please plan to attend. 

PAC-WI is focusing on several important initiatives.  These will be discussed on Saturday, September 26^th.

• Kathy Wieczorek, PAC-WI Division Vice President for Public Relations, and Steve Pienkos, Vice President for Membership, have requested that we initiate a drive to increase our membership.  They need our help.  Please invite a friend, neighbor, or relative who might be a prospective member to the September 26^th meeting.  ANYONE WHO BRINGS A POTENTIAL MEMBER TO OUR SEPTEMBER 26^th MEETING WILL RECEIVE A SPECIAL ITEM IN APPRECIATION FOR HIS/HER EFFORT.  

• Membership is a key to any successful organization.  I will present a 10-15 minute presentation about the importance and history of the Polish American Congress.  I will also explain the efforts of our organization over the past few years, including our extraordinary efforts to promote the Jan Karski Exhibit, as well as highlight the many special anniversaries we celebrated in 2014 related to Poland.

• Kathy and Judith Free, our PAC-WI Division Treasurer, are planning some delicious foods to enjoy during our meeting.  Their hospitality is greatly appreciated!

Other items to be discussed include:

1. Polish Independence Day/Veterans Day luncheon scheduled for Sunday, November 8, 2015 at the Polish Center of Wisconsin.  Invitations will be mailed to you, as well as several other guests.  Your attendance at this annual PAC-WI event is crucial.  Please RSVP early to insure your reservation.
2. The following outstanding individuals will be honored with the Congressman Clement Zablocki “Civic Achievement Award” in November: Mrs. Teresa Jankowski, Mr. Jose Perez, Mr. and Mrs. Jim and Gloria Shire, Dr. Waclaw Szybalski, and the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee Libraries.
3. I will report on the recent Polish American Congress meeting held in Washington, D.C.
4. General Secretary, Ann Pienkos, will report on our booth at Polish Fest.  Many thanks to all who volunteered to help, as well as attend Polish Fest.
5. Officer Reports.
6. Organization Reports.

I also want to thank Anne Wal for volunteering once again in leading the silent auction effort at our November event.  Anne has done a remarkable job in gathering items for the silent auction.  But, she also needs your help.  Please bring any items you would like to donate for the silent auction to our September 26^th meeting.  If you know someone who would like to donate a restaurant gift card, please ask that individual to do so for a very worthy cause.

Our organization is vibrant!  We have much to celebrate.  Your involvement is crucial to our organization’s success.  Please ask yourself:  “Where would PAC-WI be without my involvement?”  That’s why your attendance at the upcoming Saturday, September 26^th General Membership Meeting is so important.  When we are together, we are strong.  We have much to celebrate: our Polish heritage, our traditions, and our friendships!

Once again, please place Sunday, November 8, 2015 on your calendar – the date for our annual “Polish Independence Day/Veterans Day” luncheon.  Let’s make this another big success!

As always, I am proud to serve you!  Bardzo Dziekuje!

Mark Pienkos, President
Polish American Congress – Wisconsin Division
markpienkos2012@gmail.com   or   262-325-8039