• Dr. Andrzej Pronczuk, Cultural Achievement Award
• Mr. Kazimierz J. Olejarczyk, Distinguished Service Award
• Col. Robert and Mrs. Mary Flanagan, Founders' Award

The Cultural Achievement Award is given to a prominent American of Polish descent for outstanding achievements in the field of artistic and cultural endeavors. The Awards Committee, Co-chaired by Mary Flanagan and Wally West, with Jacqueline Droleski, Ange Iwanczyk and Marion Winters, conducted a thorough review of the candidates whose names were submitted by ACPC board members and Affiliate organizations for the 2007 Cultural Achievement Award. The committee’s unanimous choice was Polish-born scientist/professor, Dr. Andrzej Pronczuk

Cultural Achievement Award presented to Dr. Andrzej Pronczuk by Debbie Majka

Dr. Pronczuk received his Master of Science degree from Warsaw Agricultural University and PhD from MIT, Cambridge, MA. As a specialist in human nutrition, he lectured and ran research at Warsaw Agricultural University for 15 years. He has been working in a similar capacity at Brandeis University in Boston for the last 22 years. He is the author of over 100 scientific publications and several patents.

Besides his professional work, since 1984, Dr. Pronczuk has been very active in social and cultural fields on behalf of Polonia and Poland. During 1984-89 he was the Chairman of the newly formed Polish Socio-Cultural Assoc. In 1989, he joined the Executive Board of the Polish American Congress - E. MA Div. and was its President from 1993-1998. In 1998, Dr. Pronczuk, along with other Polonia activists, established a new organization, The Polish Cultural Foundation, Inc. (PCF), in which he has been serving as President since 1999 (the PCF is an Affiliate organization of the ACPC). He is also Chairman of the Polish Language School Advisory Council in Boston.

Dr. Pronczuk’s major accomplishments on behalf of Poland and Polonia include:

• Successful lobbying in New England on behalf of Poland’s membership in NATO. For this action, the President of Poland awarded him the Knights’ Cross of the Order of Merit.
  
• Publisher and editor from 1992-1998 of Life of Polonia/Zycie Polonii, the only bilingual publication in the Boston area.
  
• Organized the Boston premier showing of over 20 Polish award-winning movies.
  
• Initiated the design and production of the PCF bookmark as a tool for promoting Poland and famous Poles. Over 10,000 have been produced and distributed, primarily to school children, throughout the U.S. thus far. The growing demand for this popular item is resulting in increased production and new designs, including one that draws attention to the prominent role of Poles at the Jamestown Colony with their arrival in 1608.
  
• Prepared and organized the presentation of several outstanding exhibits: the exhibit "Poland" was shown several times at international festivals at the Bayside Expo Center in Boston with 50-80,000 school children in attendance.
   
• In 2003, initiated and prepared a photo exhibit about Pope John Paul II, in cooperation with the publisher in Krakow "Kwadrat." This exhibit has been shown for the last four years 34 times in over 20 major cities from Boston to San Diego and is slated for a showing in Trenton, NJ.
   
• In cooperation with the Polish Embassy in Washington DC, presented the exhibit "Roads to Freedom: Europe via Solidarnosc" at the University of Massachusetts/Boston Campus in 2006.
   
• For the last four years, he has organized annual fundraising activities for poor and handicapped children in Poland. Over $35,000 has been raised and donated.

The American Polonia may be justly proud of the creative work and tireless efforts expended by Dr. Andrzej Pronczuk in promoting Polish culture and heritage and promulgating throughout the U.S. the real story of Poland’s and Polish American’s magnificent contributions to society. It must be mentioned that a tireless and constant invaluable aid at Dr. Pronczuk’s side is his wife, Lila.

In appreciation for Dr. Pronczuk’s creative work, impacting across the U.S., Poland and Canada, ACPC President Deborah Majka presented him with an engraved plaque, The Cultural Achievement Award.

Distinguished Service Award presented to Kazimierz Olejarczyk by Marcia Lewandowski

The Distinguished Service Award is presented annually to a prominent distinguished American or Polish American who has made outstanding contributions toward a better understanding and appreciation of Polish culture, artistic, scientific, humanitarian, social or public service achievements. Once again, the Awards Committee made a unanimous choice - Mr. Kazimierz J. Olejarczyk. Mr. Olejarczyk was born in New Jersey, but grew up in Warsaw. While he was studying engineering at the Warsaw Polytechnic Institute, Germany invaded Poland and World War II began. Young Kazimierz volunteered for the Polish Air Force in exile (RAF) and transferred to the U.S. Army Air Force in 1944. At war’s end, he moved to Michigan, where he earned a BBA from the Univ. of MI and MBA and MA from the Univ. of Detroit. He worked for General Motors Fisher Body for 33 years, retiring as a senior analytical systems engineer. He also taught Mathematics and Political Science at the Univ. of Detroit. During that period he also reported for the Voice of America and translated for Radio Free Europe.

Mr. Olejarczyk served as President of the Polish American Congress (PAC) - MI Division for 16 years, beginning in 1969. During his terms of office, he developed the organization’s leadership role in the Polonia. The Michigan Division grew to 100 organizations and purchased a building in Hamtramck, which continues to serve the Polish American community and the area. The division assisted the national PAC effort to help Poland regain its independence and become a member of NATO. He is serving as national director of PAC since 1968.

Mr. Olejarczyk has been an active member of many Polonia organizations and has worked closely with various Detroit area ethnic communities. He has received many decorations and awards over the years, most notably, the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland and he was inducted into the Metropolitan Detroit Intl. Heritage Hall of Fame. Through the years, his voice has become known over the Detroit airwaves for the organization "Veritas" and later for the PAC on the "Polish Varieties" radio program.

In proud recognition of Kazimierz Olejarczyk’s lifelong achievements in promoting Polish arts and culture, ACPC’s Recording Secretary Marcia Lewandowski presented him with the ACPC 2007 Distinguished Service Award plaque. ACPC members commend Mr. Olejarczyk’s appearance at the banquet despite his very recent surgery. He wrote his "acceptance remarks" in which he recounted his life experiences and his charming daughter Ann Bankowski read the tender memories as his illness prevented him from attempting the delivery. Polonians salute Mr. Olejarczyk for his courage and all his valiant efforts on behalf of our proud heritage and wish him Good Health - Sto Lat!

Founders' Award presented to Robert and Mary Flanagan by Bernadette Wiermanski

The ACPC Founders Award is given to one of the Council’s own members whose exceptional contributions to the growth of our organization on a national or local level has earned him/her the gratitude of our organization. The Awards Committee had no problem accepting the overwhelming vote in favor of the superior and dynamic work of a husband and wife team, Robert and Mary Flanagan!

Mary Lubienski Flanagan studied journalism at the Univ. of Michigan and has a BFA in Art History and an MFA in Art History & City Planning from Wayne State Univ. She volunteered at the Corcoran Gallery Museum in DC and worked in public relations for the Food & Drug Admin. before becoming an aide to Congressman Lucien Nedzi of Michigan. When the latter retired, she worked for Congressmen John Dingell of MI and Henry Nowak of NY. She began a publications and design business with her husband Robert. As retirees, they continue doing pro bono work in this field. Mary served as president and board member for the local chapters of Polish American Congress, Polish American Arts Assoc., and Friends of John Paul II Foundation. She has been serving in various capacities on the ACPC board for over three decades. Along with her husband, she was instrumental in raising the funds for the creation of a memorial honoring artist and ACPC member Jan de Rosen, which was unveiled at the cemetery of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown in 2005. Mary is co-editor of the ACPC Polish Heritage quarterly publication and is completing a biography of Jan de Rosen. Mrs. Flanagan received the Cavalier’s Cross Order of Merit for service to the Republic of Poland, the Pro Ecclesia medal and the Order of Knight Commander of St. Sylvester from Pope John Paul II.

Robert Flanagan was a student at the Massachusetts School of Art when WWII broke out. In 1942, he volunteered for duty in the Army Air Corps and served with the 14th Air Force "FLYING TIGERS" in the CBI (China, Burma, India) Campaign as a B25 Billy Mitchell bomber pilot. After the war, Bob stayed in the Air Force and served as public relations officer stationed in Germany with the Hungarian Air Lift. He was Art Director of "Airman" magazine and retired in 1968 with the rank of Colonel. His military medals include the Distinguished Flying Cross with one Oak Leaf Cluster and the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters. His civilian employment was in public relations for several government agencies until his retirement in 1986. Robert became a part of the Polish community when his co-worker Mary invited him to help make decorations for the 1966 Polish Millennium Ball and has been deeply involved with Polonia ever since. He created logos for Poland’s Breast Cancer Awareness Program and ABCXXI Children’s Reading Program. He is co-editor and layout designer of The Polish Heritage and Friends of John Paul II Foundation Newsletter. For his contributions and support of Polish causes, Mr. Flanagan was awarded the Cavalier’s Cross Order of Merit from the Republic of Poland.

The Founders Award plaque was presented to Mary and Robert Flanagan by 2nd V.P. Bernadette Wiermanski. Members of the American Council for Polish Culture feel immensely proud and fortunate to have this Dynamic Duo, Mary and Robert Flanagan, on their team. Their creativity and boundless energy that enable them to edit and publish first class editions of the ACPC’s quarterly publication while fulfilling other responsibilities with exceptional degrees of success for the Council as well as other organizations earns them boundless thanks not just from ACPC but all Polonia!