Jerzy Kozminski
Jerzy Kozminski
Jerzy Kozminski serves as President and CEO of the Polish-American Freedom Foundation that began its activity in 2000. The Foundation was established with a double mission: to help consolidate the results of the Polish transformation launched in 1989 and to share the Polish experience with other countries of Central and Eastern Europe. From 1994 until 2000 he was Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the United States, nominated by President Lech Wałęsa. During that time his primary efforts were aimed at enlarging NATO and including Poland in the Alliance as well as establishing an allied relationship between Poland and the US. Prior to that nomination Jerzy Kozminski served as Secretary of State in the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since 1989, he held other governmental positions. As Director General in the Office of the Council of Ministers, and later in the rank of Undersecretary of State (1991), he was a close associate of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Leszek Balcerowicz, the author of Poland’s radical and comprehensive economic reforms. Between 1992 and 1993, as Undersecretary of State, he worked closely with Prime Minister Hanna Suchocka, organizing and directing the Prime Minister’s advisory teams for socio-political and economic matters. In 1998 he received the Andrzej Bączkowski Award for Achievements in Public Service. In 2000 he was honored by the President of the Republic of Poland with the Commander’s Cross with Star of the Order of “Polonia Restituta”, as well as with the US Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service, for his contribution to the strengthening of Polish-American relations. In 2002 the President of Lithuania presented him with the Great Duke Giedymin’s Order, for his support of Lithuanian efforts to join NATO. His other distinctions include the Jan Nowak-Jezioranski Award (2011), the Atlantic Council Freedom Award (jointly with PAFF, 2014), and the Wladyslaw Grabski Award of the Lewiatan Confederation (2016). In 2004 he was Chairman of the Polish Preparatory Committee for the European Economic Summit, held in Warsaw. He sits on boards and councils of several organizations, including the Polish Institute for International Affairs, the Information Society Development Foundation (as Chairman), and the Foundation for Quality Education (as Chairman). He also serves as Chairman of the EY “Entrepreneur of the Year” Competition’s Jury. An economist by profession, he graduated from the Central School of Planning and Statistic (now the Central School of Economics – SGH) in Warsaw.
