The firm of Laszlo Bodak Engineer, PC is a leader recognized throughout the industry in sustainable design for the built environment in the design of low-energy, high performance buildings and systems. The firm founded in 1985 by Laszlo Bodak, PE provides innovative design solutions that embrace the latest technologies of energy modeling technique, energy-saving facades, innovative waste water technologies, water use reduction, solar water heating, commissioning of building energy systems, on-site renewable energy, enhanced refrigerant management and indoor air quality management to improve the building’s performance and sustainability.

Some of Laszlo Bodak Engineer’s recent notable projects include the EMPAC Building at RPI; Genzyme Headquarters building, Cambridge, MA; The Central European University Campus in Budapest; The Intercontinental Hotel in Budapest and Vienna; Pratt Building at Long Island University; and B & H Photos Warehouse at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Laszlo Bodak was born in Hungary and completed his BEE degree studies in electrical engineering at City College of New York in 1966, which has included the Graduate Program also. He is licensed in professional engineering in thirteen states of the United States of America. He began his work with Western Electric Co. in 1963-1965. Then as a communication systems engineer with Grumman Aerospace Corp. he was responsible for the integration of the communications subsystem of the Lunar module and participated in the mission support for the first Lunar Landing in July, 1969. Thereafter from 1970-1985, he was Vice President of the firm Syska and Hennessy.

In the field of engineering he has charted new courses and paved the way for creative, advance building technologies to apply energy conservation measures along with the use of sustainable techniques to maintain an environmentally healthy building for occupants.

The Board of Directors of the American Hungarian Foundation in grateful recognition presents the George Washington Award Medallion and the accompanying citation on the nineteenth day of November, two thousand eight in New York City.

He is Vice Chairman of Perseus, a leading private equity firm, and most recently, he served as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, where he was also a member of President Clinton’s cabinet (1999-2001). As Assistant Secretary of State for Europe (1994-1996), he was the chief architect of the 1995 Dayton peace agreement that ended the war in Bosnia. He later served as President Clinton’s Special Envoy to Bosnia and Kosovo and Special Envoy to Cyprus on a pro-bono basis while a private citizen. From 1993-1994, he was the U.S. Ambassador to Germany. During the Carter Administration (1977-1981), he served as the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and was in charge of U.S. relations with China at the time  Sino-American relations were normalized in December, 1978. After joining the Foreign Service in 1962, he served in Vietnam including a tour of duty in the Mekong Delta for AID. He worked on Vietnam at the Johnson White House (1966-68), wrote one volume of the Pentagon Papers, and was a member of the American delegation to the Vietnam Peace Talks in Paris (1968-69).

He has written two best-selling books: To End a War, and co-authored Counsel to the President, Clark Clifford’s memoir. For The Washington Post he writes a monthly column. He has received over twenty honorary degrees and numerous awards, including several Nobel Peace Prize nominations. He serves in leaderships positions in numerous organizations including NGO board memberships. He is Founding Chairman of the American Academy in Berlin, a center for U.S. German cultural exchange; President and CEO of the Global Business Coalition, and he is Professor-at-Large at Brown University.

He is recognized here for his creative contributions to understanding among men and nations and honored as a dedicated, eminent diplomat, leader in business and commerce, and as an author, who has charted new paths in service for the United States of America.

The Board of Directors presents in grateful recognition the George Washington Award Medallion and the accompanying citation on the nineteenth day of November, two thousand eight in New York City.

The eminent, internationally honored filmmaker was born in Budapest in 1938. He graduated as a film director in 1961 from the Academy of the Art of Theatre and Film in Budapest. His graduation film was his first short that was shown in numerous countries around the world. He was an assistant film director and later film director in MAFILM Hungarian Film Studios. At the age of 26, in 1964 as a member the young filmmakers’ Béla Balázs Studio, he directed his first feature film and thereby became a leading figure of the new generation of Hungarian filmmakers in the Sixties.

He has won numerous international awards, including the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film (Mephisto, 1981), the British Academy Award (Colonel Redl), the David di Donatello Award (Mephisto),the Visconti Award, Silver Bear in Berlin (Confidence and Sweet Emma, Dear Böbe) and the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival (Colonel Redl and Hanussen). The Day of Daydreaming and 25 Fireman’s Street won the prizes of the Locarno film Festival and Father won the Grand Prix of Moscow Film Festival. His films were nominated four times for Academy Awards as well as for Golden Globe. Many of these listed films won prizes of the Hungarian Film Critics and Hungarian Film Week.

He also has directed several operas and theatre plays: “Tannhäuser” in Opera Paris; “Boris Godunov”, 1993 Opera Leipzig; “Il Trovatore”, 1993 Vienna State Opera; Chekov’s Three Sisters in the Staatstheater Kassel and the opera version by Péter Eötvös in Kassel Opera House, both in 2002.

With creative talent and insight István Szabó has charted new paths in the art of filmmaking in Hungary and abroad. As a university professor, D.L.A., he continues to inspire his students and his audience.

The Board of Directors of the American Hungarian Foundation in grateful recognition presents the George Washington Award Medallion and the accompanying citation on the nineteenth day of November, two thousand eight in New York City.