FOURTH SLOVAK-AMERICAN AWARDS DINNER HELD

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1 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Amb. Theodore E. Russell Founding Chairman Joseph T. Senko Chairman and Treasurer William Tucker, Esq. Vice Chairman and President Julie Brès Slávik Secretary Kenneth J. Bombara Dr. Sharon Fisher Frederick Frank, Esq. Amb. Peter Kmec Roger Kodat Richard Marko Peter Muzila Peter A. Rafaeli Thomas W. Skladony Scott Thayer Prof. Sharon L. Wolchik BOARD OF ADVISORS Ingrid Kimianova Aielli Amb. Adrian A. Basora Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski Amb. Martin Butora Mary Ellen Callahan, Esq. Dr. Pavol Demes Thomas A. Dine John H. Goodish Amb. Rastislav Kacer Hon. Michal Kovac Amb. Branislav Lichardus Hon. Frank E. Loy Wendy W. Luers Hon. John L. Mica Gail Naughton Prof. Michael Novak Amb. Vincent Obsitnik Juraj L.J. Slavik Amb. Carl Spielvogel Peter Stastny Jan Erik Surotchak Amb. Ronald Weiser FOURTH SLOVAK-AMERICAN AWARDS DINNER HELD O Volume 17, Issue 1 Fall 2013 n Friday, June 14, Friends of Slovakia (FOS) hosted the fourth Slovak-American Awards Dinner at the Washington Golf & Country Club in Arlington, Virginia. e event was a black-tie gala celebration of the 20th anniversary of Slovak independence and friendly ties with the United States. e dinner was attended by approximately 110 guests, who enjoyed a pre-dinner reception on the outdoor patio overlooking the club s golf course with a view of the National Cathedral in the background. e evening s keynote speaker was Mr. George Babcoke, Senior Vice President-Europe and Global Operations Services for U.S. Steel Corporation. A few days prior to the dinner it was announced that Mr. Babcoke was Maria Hurajova, Amb. Ted Russell, Miroslav Vajs Anton Zajac, Joe Senko, Andrew Rajec, Amb. Peter Kmec, and Bill Tucker returning to Slovakia to serve as President of US Steel Kosice, a position he held several years earlier. Slovak Ambassador Peter Kmec served as Honorary Chair of the dinner, Bill Tucker, Vice Chairman & President of FOS served as the Dinner Chairman, and Honorary Consul Ed Zelenak was the entertaining Master of Ceremonies. Also in attendance this year were the five 2013 Slovak scholarship recipients as this year s dinner coincided with their stay in Washington, DC to attend one of the summer institutes sponsored by the Fund for American Studies. As in previous years, a number of awards were presented during the evening to the following worthy recipients: Two Business/Economic Awards were presented to Mr. Anton Zajac, President of ESET North America and to Mr. Milan Filo, President of Eco-Invest, a.s. Mr. Zajac is the founder of ESET, an award winning cyber security company and the most successful Slovak company in the U.S. Mr. Filo is the founder of Eco-Invest, a privately held Slovak investment and holding group, and a generous contributor to charitable organizations in Slovakia. Mr. Filo was unable to attend in person and the award was accepted on his behalf by Mr. Miroslav Vajs, Chairman of the Eco-Invest Board of Directors. e Slovak-American of the Year Award was presented to Mr. Andrew Rajec, President of (continued on page 2)

2 2 Friends of Slovakia Newsletter (continued om page 1) the First Catholic Slovak Union of the USA and Canada. Mr. Rajec is a graduate of Marquette University Law School and has worked for national accounting CPA firms Price Waterhouse and Ernst & Young and has served as Senior Vice President and National Counsel for a national life insurance company. As president of FCSU, Mr. Rajec has expanded FSCU activities into 26 states and the organization has increased its assets by $116 million. e Education/Culture Award was presented to the Slovak-American Foundation (SAF). SAF s mission is to foster the relationship and strengthen the bonds between the US and the Slovak Republic by providing educational and exchange opportunities that will enrich the economic, social and political fabric, and help develop knowledge, skills, and abilities that will lead to prosperity. Ms. Maria Hurajova, a member of the SAF Board of Directors, accepted the award on behalf of SAF. A silent auction was held during the gala dinner, the proceeds of which will benefit the FOS Scholarship Fund and the Amb. Peter Burian Roma Scholarship. Slovak Scholar Andrea Tittelová speaks at awards dinner Musical entertainment was provided by Stereo Strings. O AMBASSADOR KMEC HOSTS DINNER FOR 2013 AWARDEES n ursday evening June 13, the day before the Slovak-American Awards Dinner, Slovak Ambassador Peter Kmec hosted a small dinner at his residence in honor of the 2013 Slovak-American Awards Dinner honorees: Mr. Andrew Rajec, President of the First Catholic Slovak Union of the USA and Canada Recipient of the Slovak- American of the Year Award; Mr. Anton Zajac, President of ESET North America Recipient of the Business/Economic Award; and Mary McPherson and Maria Hurajova of the Slovak-American Foundation Recipient of the Education/ Culture Award. Mr. Milan Filo, President of Eco-Invest, and recipient of the Business/Economic Award, was unable to attend. Joe Senko, Bill Tucker, Ambassador eodore E. Russell, and Ken Bombara, members of the Friends of Slovakia Executive Committee, also attended the intimate dinner, which provided an opportunity for the 2013 awardees to get acquainted with one another, with the ambassador and with Friends of Slovakia prior to the gala dinner the following evening. Ambassador Kmec and Bill Tucker, Chairman of the Slovak-American Awards Dinner, made some brief welcoming remarks and then each honoree was asked to say a few words about their company or organization and a lively discussion followed. WE NEED YOUR HELP! Please make sure that FOS has your current and regular mail address. Some members have not received FOS correspondence or INVITATIONS to embassy and FOS functions because the and/or regular mail is returned. So if you have changed your or regular mail address since you first joined, please send the new information to: bill@tuckintl.com

3 Friends of Slovakia Newsletter 3 PROF. JOHN PALKA TO DISCUSS NEW BOOK IN WASHINGTON, D.C. O n Saturday, October 26, the Friends of Slovakia will co-sponsor a talk by Prof. John Palka who will present his new book, My Slovakia, My Family: One Family s Role in the Birth of a Nation. e event, co-sponsored with the Slovak American Society of Washington, D.C., will take place at 2:00 pm at the Slovak Embassy, 3523 International Court, NW, Washington D.C. (near the Van Ness Metro stop). e event is free, open to the public, and light refreshments will be available. Dr. John Palka is a retired professor of biology at the University of Washington and is the grandson of Dr. Milan Hodža, who was the prime minister of Czechoslovakia from 1935 to 1938, the years leading up to World War II. In the eyes of many historians, Dr. Hodza was the most prominent Slovak political leader of the first half of the 20th century. In reviewing the book, former U.S. Ambassador to Slovakia Ted Russell states, Professor Palka s book, My Slovakia, My Family, is a fascinating and superbly documented biography of the Hodža and Pálka families significant role in Slovak history. It includes dramatic accounts of his family s escape first from Nazi-occupied Europe and then from Communist-controlled Czechoslovakia to a new life in America. It provides vivid portraits of courage and love of freedom and country that will resonate with anyone interested in Slovak history and Slovaks in America. John Palka reads at Seattle bookstore A Special Thank-You! FOS board members Amb. Ted Russell, Julie Slavik and Bill Tucker present a gift to Maria Vidova of the Slovak Embassy in thanks for her help to FOS in arranging events at the embassy.

4 4 Friends of Slovakia Newsletter ROSEMARY MACKO WISNOSKY, HONORARY CONSUL OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC IN CHICAGO R osemary Macko Wisnosky, Honorary Consul of the Slovak Republic in Chicago, was installed on May 21, 2012 at Benedictine University in Lisle, IL. The school, originally known as St. Procopius College, was founded by Czech and Slovak monks sent to Chicago from St. Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, PA in 1885, with their stated mission to provide an education to the children of Czech and Slovak immigrant families. Rosemary's installation ceremony, scheduled to take place at the time of the NATO Summit in Chicago, was attended by the entire Slovak NATO delegation. Slovakia's President, Ivan Gasparovic, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Miroslav Lajcak, and State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and Slovak Ambassador to the U.S., Peter Burian, participated in the ceremony. Born in Connellsville, PA, the second of three children to Albert H. and Mary Matuschak Macko, Rosemary's entire childhood was rooted in the Slovak community. She graduated from St. John the Evangelist Elementary School (Slovak) in Connellsville and from Mt. St. Macrina Academy (Byzantine) in Uniontown, PA. Her paternal uncle, Rev. Hubert A. Macko, OSB, a priest in the Benedictine community at St. Vincent Archabbey, wrote the first textbook for the teaching of the Slovak language to non-slovak speakers (in the 1920s). All four of Rosemary's grandparents emigrated from the Spis region of Austria/Hungary, now Slovakia. Villages include Richnava, Kalava, Kluknava and Jaklovce. For most of Rosemary's life she has been involved in the Slovak community. In 1992 she worked tirelessly to promote Nitra, Slovakia as Naperville's official Sister City. Ratified in Nitra, Slovakia on November 17, 1993, exactly four years after the Velvet Revolution, this Sister City relationship is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2013, just as Slovakia is celebrating its 20th anniversary as an independent nation. Rosemary and her husband, Dennis E. Wisnosky, have three daughters and nine grandchildren, ages 2 to 13. She earned both a B.S. Ed and an M.S. Ed from Wright State University in Dayton, OH and has worked, for more than 35 years, as a real estate broker in Naperville, IL where she and Dennis reside. SAVE THE DATE November 12, 2013 Czech Ambassador to Great Britain Michael Zantovsky will deliver the Czech and Slovak Freedom Lecture. Amb. Zantovsky was formerly Czech ambassador to the United States. The lecture will be hosted by the Wilson Center for International Scholars from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. An invitation will be forthcoming. The event is sponsored by American Friends of the Czech Republic, Friends of Slovakia, and the Czech and Slovak embassies. Previous speakers have included former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former Czech President Vaclav Klaus and former Slovak Prime Minister Iveta Radicova. Last year s speaker was former Slovak Ambassador to the United States Martin Butora.

5 Friends of Slovakia Newsletter 5 A SENKO AWARDED PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL t a recent reception at the Slovak Embassy in Washington D.C., Joseph Senko of Pittsburgh, PA was awarded the Medal of the President of the Slovak Republic for extraordinary merit in the development of friendly relations with the Slovak Republic, as well as promoting Slovakia throughout the world. This is the highest award that the Slovak government awards to foreigners. Joe Senko has been the Slovak Honorary Consul for Pennsylvania since In this capacity, he receives and responds to approximately 100 inquires each year. Shortly after becoming honorary consul, he formed the Western Pennsylvania Slovak Cultural Association, a non-profit organization that presents approximately ten Slovak cultural programs each year. He is also a charter member of the executive committee of the Washington D.C. based non-profit organization, Friends of Slovakia, which was formed in 2001 to seek friendship and understanding between Slovakia and the United States. Joe is the chairman and treasurer. This organization has sponsored over 125 events and activities since it was formed, including scholarships for Slovak students, annual freedom lectures, receptions for dignitaries from Slovakia, and artistic and cultural events. Some of the more notable achievements that Joe has accomplished are: The collection, repair and shipment of 250 computers to Slovakia, which were distributed to 45 schools; Shipment of 60,000 copies of an American children's magazine, which were distributed to 830 schools to assist in learning English; Shipment of medical supplies to hospitals in Svidnik, Bardejov and Bratislava. Amb. Peter Kmec, Albina and Joe Senko Senko is presently arranging his tenth tour to Slovakia. Over 250 people from the United States have participated in his previous tours. WALL OF HONOR UPDATE e Class of 2013 plaques will be officially unveiled at a Reception at the Slovak Embassy on November 6, All FOS plaque donors will be invited to attend (details to come). August 2014 is the 70th Anniversary of e Slovak National Uprising. FOS will commission a special commemorative group plaque honoring the Heroes of the Uprising. Reserve your place on this 2014 plaque now!

6 6 Friends of Slovakia Newsletter T 2013 SLOVAK SCHOLARS HONORED his year, Friends of Slovakia (FOS) was able to sponsor five very deserving Slovak Scholars to attend one of e Fund for American Studies (TFAS) summer institutes in Washington, DC at George Mason University. To honor these students and introduce them to FOS members and the embassy staff, Amb. Peter Kmec and FOS co-hosted a luncheon at the Slovak Embassy on July 23. e Fund for American Studies is a 46-year-old organization started by Charles Edison, former governor of New Jersey and the son of the inventor, omas Edison. e Fund's summer institutes are among the most prominent summer institutes offered in the nation's capital and attract students from throughout the United States, including the Ivy League universities and military academies, in addition to foreign students. e students are instructed by outstanding professors, gain valuable work experience in Washington, DC and learn from one another about campus life in the US and foreign countries. Michal Magusin is a student at Comenius University in Bratislava who attended the Institute on Political Journalism. He was an intern at Industry Dive, a private company providing information for its clients, where he wrote features, did research and said he learned a lot. Denisa Pacholska attends the University of St Andrews and while in Washington, she studied at the Engalitcheff Institute on Comparative Political and Economic Systems. Her internship was with the National Taxpayers Union Foundation where she learned about the government s taxing authority and how citizens organize to keep tabs on the government s taxing policies. Andrea Tittelová attends Comenius University in Bratislava and participated in the Institute on Business and Government Affairs. She interned with United States Steel Corporation, a company that owns the largest steel plant in Slovakia. Gabriela Virostkova is a student at the University of Economics in Bratislava and attended the Institute on Economics and International Affairs. Her internship was with a non-profit organization, Character Education Partnership that fosters effective character education in US schools. Matej Uhlik is also at Comenius University in Braitlsava and attended the Engalitcheff Institute on Comparative Political and Economic Systems. His internship was with Iona, a non-governmental organization that supports seniors. Matej worked as a new media communications intern responsible for developing new ways of utilizing online-based technologies and services to expand Iona s objectives. Amb. Peter Kmec hosts a lunch for Slovak Scholars, FOS board members and scholarship donors FOS would like to thank the Slovak-American Foundation, Mr. Richard Marko and Ambassador eodore Tod Sedgwick, the US Ambassador to Slovakia, for their generous contributions to the FOS Scholarship Fund. e June 2013 Slovak-American Awards Dinner raised additional funds for this important initiative. FOS members are urged to consider sponsoring a partial scholarship of $5500 for 2014 Slovak Scholars or donating funds to help continue this highly successful program. is is the ninth year that FOS has been able to bring outstanding Slovak scholars to Washington, DC. FOS has maintained contact with the Slovak graduates of this program and they have gone on to pursue productive and successful careers.

7 Friends of Slovakia Newsletter 7 RESERVE YOUR PLACE ON THE FRIENDS OF SLOVAKIA WALL OF HONOR T he Friends of Slovakia Wall of Honor program is one of the most personal and permanent ways you can show your support for Slovakia and its people. The Wall of Honor, located in the beautiful garden patio of the Slovak Embassy in Washington, D.C., contains dozens of bronze plaques inscribed with the names of individuals, families, fraternal organizations, and business firms that have made generous contributions to Friends of Slovakia. The project was launched in 2001 and has had the enthusiastic support of every Slovak ambassador to the United States. Individuals, organizations, and businesses purchase plaques of varying dimensions based on the size of their contributions to the Friends. Funds raised through the Wall of Honor program are used year-round to support the Friends of Slovakia s many cultural and educational activities in Washington and beyond. Each year, after the new class of plaques is installed on the Wall of Honor, the Slovak Embassy organizes a reception commemorating some important event in the country s history. This reception also serves as the official unveiling of the new plaques. All contributors to the Wall of Honor program are invited to attend the reception and to have their photographs taken with the Slovak Ambassador at the Wall of Honor. In 2014 Slovakia will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the Slovak National Uprising against Nazism and fascism, a landmark event in Slovakia s history during World War II. Friends of Slovakia will produce a special group plaque in 2014 recognizing this anniversary. Reserve your place on the 70th Anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising group plaque now. Inscription rates start at $250 per individual and $1,000 per corporation, organization, or society. As always, individual plaques for persons and groups are also available for purchase. For more information, please contact: Thomas W. Skladony 6230 North 27th Street Arlington, VA Tel: skladony@verizon.net or complete the form below: FOS WALL OF HONOR INSCRIPTION INFORMATION FORM Please indicate how you would like your tribute inscribed on the FOS Wall of Honor on the grounds of the Slovak Embassy in Washington, DC. Please type or print clearly: Your name: Your address: Your phone number: Your address: Individual - Please note that for an individual the name of the contributor and spouse or family name is allowed for a contribution of $250-$999 on the group plaque. There is a limit of 30 characters for each inscription on the group plaque. Corporation, Organization or Society A corporation, organization or society must contribute $1,000-$2,499 to have its name inscribed on the group plaque. There is a limit of 30 characters for each inscription on the group plaque. Tom Skladony can give further information for donations over the amounts shown above.

8 704 Blueberry Hill Road McLean VA MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FORM Yes, I would like to renew/start my annual individual membership and enclosed is my $35 membership contribution for Yes, I would like to renew/start my annual organization/fraternal membership and enclosed is my $250 membership contribution for Yes, I would like to renew/start my corporate membership and enclosed is my 2014 membership contribution ($2,500 for companies interested in doing business in Slovakia; $5,000 for those currently doing business in Slovakia) $ Yes, I would like to renew/start my membership and enclosed is my $ membership contribution for 2014 and an additional contribution of $ for the following FOS sponsored program (please check one): FOS Scholarship Fund Corporate Involvement in Slovakia General contribution to FOS Name: Address: City, State, Zip: Tel/Fax: Please send form to: _Friends of Slovakia, 704 Blueberry Hill Road, McLean VA FOS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization