PRESS RELEASE
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New Board Installation Dominates First Polish American Chamber
In-Person Meeting of 2021

Chicago, IL (March 29, 2021) - The Polish American Chamber of Commerce (PACC) Business After Hours gathering on Tuesday, March 23, 2021, was a remarkable occasion. It was the Chamber's first in-person networking-style event in more than a year, and it doubled as the PACC's annual meeting. The event was held at and sponsored by The Boundary at Comfort Suites O'Hare Airport, 4200 N. River Rd., Schiller Park, IL.

The relatively large group of more than 40 PACC members and guests included, among others, Chicago Bureau Chief of the Polish Investment & Trade Agency (PAIH) Michal Rzeznik; Cook County Commissioner Bridget Degnen (12th District), and Schiller Park Mayor Nick Caiafa. All three offered brief welcoming and congratulatory remarks.
 
The official program of the event also featured a review of recent accomplishments and plans of the Chamber for the remainder of 2021 by PACC Executive Director Bogdan Pukszta. His presentation concluded with the introduction and installation of the PACC’s 2021-2022 Board of Directors, including its Executive Committee.

As a result of the recent election process, the 2021-2022 Board of the association will include the following Officers:

  • President - Iwona Filipiak, BHHS Chicago
  • Vice President/Internal - Agnes Bastrzyk, PRCUAlife
  • Vice President/External/Local - Jola Santocka, Polamer, Inc.
  • Vice President/External/International - Aneta Szulakiewicz, General Masonry Supply Venture LLC
  • Treasurer - Margaret Borla, Porte Brown LLC
  • Secretary - Lukasz Dudka, PNA/Dziennik Zwiazkowy
And Directors:
  • Gregory Handzel, Handzel & Associates Ltd.
  • Stanley Skoczen, Omega Structures, Inc. (Chair of Advisory Council)
  • Kamila Sumelka, Copernicus Center
  • Anna Tukiendorf-Wilhite, TTI Medical Training School

Head of PAIH Chicago Bureau Michal Rzeznik helped administer the traditional charge & oath of office. The new Board of Directors will serve the PACC for the next two years.

One of the highlights of the PACC gathering at The Boundary was the introduction of and remarks by Iwona Filipiak who was re-elected as President of the Board.
 
"I am honored to be entrusted with the position of President of the PACC," said Filipiak. "In 2021, as we hopefully return to normal, we will continue to highlight the PACC's dual role of promoting local Polish American businesses focused on Chicago and, at the same time, we will continue to build and strengthen the bridge between the US and Poland."
 
According to Executive Director Bogdan Pukszta, "The leadership skills and organizational experience that Members of the 2021-2022 Board possess are superb and are the right combination at the right time for the PACC. I look forward to working with all of them, as we continue to serve the interests of our members and strive to contribute to Chicago area's economic development and enhanced US-Poland business and trade."

Please click here for a gallery of event photos.
Additional photos and media coverage can be found by visiting PACC's FB site, Polvision, and Dziennik Zwiazkowy (Zaprzysiężenie zarządu Polsko Amerykańskiej Izby Handlowej).

Photo by Darek Pilka. (L to R) front row: Margaret Borla, Aneta Szulakiewicz, Iwona Filipiak, Anna Tukiendorf-Wilhite; back row: Bogdan Pukszta, Lukasz Dudka, Kamila Sumelka, Jola Santocka, Stanley Skoczen, Agnes Bastrzyk, Greg Handzel.
Established in 1994, the Polish American Chamber of Commerce (PACC) is a not-for-profit organization incorporated in the State of Illinois as a business association. The Chamber is dedicated to supporting the business interests of its members, educating, and facilitating commercial contacts in the US and abroad. As the voice of Polish American business men and women in the Chicagoland metropolitan area, the Chamber’s goal is to serve their best interests and help influence decisions and actions, which improve their economic vitality.