Ludwik Wnękowicz - What I Hope to Achieve as the New President Of The Polish American Congress (PAC)

Recent years the PAC has been facing numerous difficulties and problems that go to questions about the internal governance of our organization.

During this period we have seen the PAC\'s membership decrease. This causes a drop in dues. The reason for this is a decline in Polonia\'s interest in the PAC\'s activities. Many strongly, but wrongly believe, that the PAC no longer has a mission after Poland acceded to NATO and the European Union. I strongly disagree. At this moment of resurgent imperialism by Putin\'s Kremlin, Poland needs the PAC to persuade American public opinion that a strong and independent Poland promotes the democratic values and security interests of the United States in Central and Eastern Europe.

President Spula has kept our organization united during this difficult period marked by financial problems.!

Now the PAC must move forward. With your support, this is what I will do to make our

PAC a strong and influential force in both American and Polish politics and society:

1. Improve the PAC\'s financial condition;
   a) Organize a yearly fundraising banquet in Washington DC, Chicago or New York, b) Cooperation with PAC Charitable Foundations as an arm for PAC
   c) Cooperation with largest financial institution like P&SFCU. Sponsoring P&SFCU will bring new members to PAC and additional funds
   d) To encourage national organizations to become PAC members
   e) If we will improve our financial climate we can decrease or cancel our fee for the Directors Fund.
2. Rebuild trust and confidence in the PAC;
3. Establish a Presidential Advisory Group composed of academics and intellectuals so the PAC\'S President can put Polonian and Polish ideas into practical policy;
4. Organize observers who will monitor and readdress outbreaks of Anti-Polonism on both sides of the Atlantic;
5. Require Polish Supplementary Schools to teach the history of Polish-Americans;
6. Streamline internal PAC communications to make our organization more effective, efficient, and nimble.

My education, business experience, and volunteer work for Polonian organizations have prepared me to serve as president of the PAC. I have been a PAC National Director for 22 years and president of my Division for 14 years. I have also held office on the PAC\'s National Executive Council: 4 years as vice-president for financial development and 4 years as vice-president for Polish Affairs. Moreover, many credit me with putting the Polish and Slavic Federal Credit Union, Polish America\'s largest financial institution and America\'s largest ethnic credit union, back on its feet after a period of difficulty. I can do the same for our PAC. I served as Grand Marshal of the New York/New Jersey General Casimir Pulaski Parade in 1997 dedicated to Poland,s accession to NATO. I have organized numerous successful fund-raisers to benefit our
Polonia.

My wife, Krystyna, and I reared our four magnificent children Monika, Christian, William and Isabell and instilled in them a love of Polishness and pride in America.

If you, my fellow national directors, consider that my qualifications and my services to Polonia match what is required of our next president, and if you agree that my six points\' program will strengthen and unify our Polish American Congress, then I ask you to vote for me.

Ludwik Wnekowicz
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