F.O.S. Award to Branislav Lichardus

Friends of Slovakia (F.O.S.), a non-profit organization formed in 2001, seek to foster a closer relationship between the Slovak Republic and the United States of America as two countries that share common values and principles. Its mission is to deepen the relationship between the people of these two countries in the area of arts and culture, education/sports, business/economics, politics/diplomacy and security. The founding President of F.O.S. has been the first U.S. Ambassador to Slovakia, Theodore E. Russel. Members of The Board of Directors and The Board of Advisors are several world- wide known personalities e.g. politologist Zbigniew Brzezinskij, philosopher, teologist and politologist of the Slovak descent Michael Novak, later the first president of the Slovak Republic Michal Kováč and his former advisor Thomas W. Skladony, U.S.Congressman of the Slovak descent John L.Mica, former U.S.ambassadors to the Czecho-Slovakia and to Slovakia, former Slovak Ambassadors and the present Ambassador to the USA Rastislav Káčer and others. F.O.S. held a Third Gala Dinner at Radisson SAS Carlton Hotel in Bratislava on December 10th 2007 (previous Gala Dinners took place in 2002 and 2005) and traditionally included F.O.S award ceremony. Recipients of Awards in three categories were: Milan Filo, CEO and Chairman of Board of Directors, ECO Invest. a.s. and David H. Lohr, President U.S.Steel Košice in Business/ Economics; Ján Kubiš, Minister of the Foreign Affairs of the SR in Politics/ Diplomacy; Branislav Lichardus, Rector of the School of Management-CityU of Seattle Programs in Education/ Sports. Former recipients in this category were Koloman Sokol, Graphic Artist (2002) and Peter Bondra, legendary Hockey Player (2005). 



Photo: Recipients of Awards and Officers of F.O.S.
(From left to right) Rastislav Káčer, Ambassador of SR to the USA and Member of the Board of Directors, Scott Salmon, Member of the Board of Directors; Joseph T. Senko, Treasurer; David H. Lohr, President of the U.S. Steel, Košice; Ján Kubiš, Minister of Foreign Affairs of SR; William F. Tucker, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors; Milan Filo, CEO and Chairman of Board of Directors , ECO Invest.a.s., Branislav Lichardus, Rector, School of Management, CityU of Seattle Programs, Peter Muzila, Member of the Board of Directors.