WASHINGTON: The Honorable Chuck Hagel, former US Secretary of Defense, to deliver keynote address at this year’s Polish American Conference
The American Polish Advisory Council, a Washington, D.C. based nonprofit, bi-partisan organization with a mission to politically engage Polish Americans, announced today that former US Secretary of Defense, the Honorable Chuck Hagel will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Polish American Conference.
The 2015 conference will take place on October 10, 2015 at the Atlantic Council Headquarters located at 1030 15th Street Northwest, in Washington, DC.
The American Polish Advisory Council’s Polish American Conference is held in a different city each year and focuses on some of the most pressing issues concerning Polish Americans as well as those shaping the US – Poland strategic partnership.
This year’s program, in addition to remarks by Secretary Hagel and Mr. Ted Kontek from the State Department will include a panel discussion on the importance of the ethnic vote in the US presidential elections and on the potential implications of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership on trade, jobs and energy independence. The conference will be opened by the Honorable Ryszard Schnepf, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the United States.
This year’s panelists will include James Zogby, President of the National Democratic Ethnic Coordinating Council, Mike Wild, Deputy Director on Redistricting for the Republican National Committee, Adam Wilczewski, political strategist and consultant, Katarzyna Kilimasinska, energy expert at Bloomberg TV, Ted Bormund from the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation, Dr. Jeffrey Mankoff, Deputy Director of the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Eric Stewart, President of the US – Poland Business Council.
Participants will also be updated on efforts to secure Poland’s membership in the US Visa Waiver Program as well as the Polish American Agenda, a document that is drafted every four years and presented to presidential candidates ahead of the presidential elections.
“We are pleased to have such an exciting speaker lineup for this year’s event,” said General Ed Rowny, APAC’s President. “Because of its geographic location, Poland is on the forefront of strategic plans for deployment of NATO troops and military equipment in response to the conflict in Ukraine and Russia’s escalating aggression. Mr. Hagel will be able to shed light not only on Poland’s role in addressing the crisis but on how that role will impact the US – Poland partnership,” added Rowny.
“With just 13 months separating our conference and the next presidential election, a large portion of the day will be dedicated to the discussion of how Polish Americans can play an active role in electing the next President of the United States not only as voters but as participants in the numerous campaigns.
At 10 million member-strong, Polish Americans represent one of the largest ethnic groups in the nation,” said Agnes Marczak, APAC’s Political Director. According to Marczak, Polish Americans represent one of the largest ethnic blocks in the country and make up one of the largest ethnic communities in key swing states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania or Florida.
Registration for the conference will open at 9:30 am and the program will last from 10:15 am until 4:00 pm with a break for lunch and will be followed by a reception at the Washington Plaza Hotel. The cost to participate in this year’s conference is $55 for adults and $35 for students and pre-registration is required. More information about the conference can be found at :
www.americanpolishadvisorycouncil.org/annual-conference
The 2015 conference is sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland, the Kosciuszko Foundation, the Trade & Investment Section of the Polish Embassy in Washington and the Andrew Kaminski Law Office PC.
AM