Ambassador William and Wendy Luers to Receive BBLA Award

BBLA is thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2020 BBLA Award for Unparalleled Service to the Czech and Slovak Communities—Ambassador William and Wendy Luers. They will be honored on September 24 at the 2020 Annual Gala Celebrating Cultural Diplomacy organized by BBLA and the Vaclav Havel Library Foundation. Please join us for the event.

During the Luers posting in Czechoslovakia from 1983 until 1986, they befriended the dissidents, including and especially Vaclav Havel, while fostering Czech American relations at a very difficult time. They have consistently demonstrated support for the Czech Republic and Slovakia in all spheres of their broad interests.

Vaclav Havel’s inauguration Eve, December 1989: Wendy Luers, Vaclav Havel, and William Luers

William Luers (right), Vaclav Havel, and Wendy Luers during Havel’s first presidential trip to New York City, February 1990

William and Wendy Luers addressing the crowd at the Concert for the Future (Koncert pro budoucnost), Prague, November 17, 2019

This is the third annual Award—a tricolored blue-white-red glass cube designed for BBLA by the renowned Czech glass artist Zdenek Lhotsky.

Previous recipients include the former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright (2018), and Ambassador Craig Stapleton and Mrs. Dorothy Stapleton (2019).

BBLA President Joseph Balaz (left) presenting the 2018 BBLA Award to the former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

Recipients of the 2019 BBLA Award, Ambassador Craig Stapleton (right) and Mrs. Dorothy Stapleton, presented with the award at the 30 Years of Freedom Gala.