The World Council of Credit Unions' Board has unanimously votedto award Poland's Lech Kaczynski the 2010 Distinguished ServiceAward. The former president died with 95 other government officialsand their spouses in an airplane crash April 10.

The honor, conferred during WOCCU April board meeting,recognizes the significant contributions the late statesman made toPoland's credit unions, which WOCCU President/CEO Peter Crearcalled “one of the world's most successful and progressive”systems.

“Lech Kaczynski was one of the founders of our movement, but hisinterest in credit union development was not limited to Poland,”said Grzegorz Bierecki, second vice chair of the WOCCU board andCEO of the National Association of Co-Operative Savings and CreditUnions. “His encouragement resulted in the development of creditunions throughout Central and Eastern Europe.”

Kaczynski's relationship with credit unions first began in 1989when he was a direct report to Lech Walesa, the former leader ofPoland's Solidarity movement that helped secure the country'sfreedom from Soviet rule. Kaczynski charged WOCCU's Bierecki, oneof his staff members at that time, to find U.S. banks that wouldhelp Poland stabilize its financial services sector.

No bank was interested, but several suggested Bierecki meet withcredit unions.

In 1991, WOCCU officials met with members of Solidarity,including Walesa and Kaczynski, the Ministry of Finance and theCatholic Church to examine the role that credit unions could playin helping Poland's financial services development. WOCCU conductedcredit union development programs in Poland from 1992-1999, whichplayed a large role in the formation of the vibrant Polish creditunion system of today.

Between 1990 and 1991, Kaczynski was supervisory board presidentof the Foundation for Polish Cooperative Savings and Credit Unionscreated by WOCCU at the request of the Solidarity movement. Sincethen Kaczynski, who was a professor of law prior to his politicalinvolvement, had been committed to developing and strengtheningPoland's financial cooperative movement. He was elected Poland'spresident in 2005 and continued his vigorous support for Poland'scredit unions while in office.

WOCCU's Distinguished Service Award, the international creditunion system's highest honor, will be awarded to Kaczynskiposthumously in a special presentation at The 1 Credit UnionConference, the jointly hosted conference of WOCCU and CUNA, itsU.S. member. The conference will convene July 11-14 at the MGMGrand Hotel in Las Vegas.

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