Valdas Adamkus

Valdas V. Adamkus (born 3 November 1926) is the current president of the Republic of Lithuania. In 1998, he was elected as the second President of Lithuania (1998-2003) after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In June 2004, V. Adamkus was reelected in an early election after the impeachment of President Rolandas Paksas.

Early Life

Born in Lithuania, as a young man Adamkus joined the underground against both the Soviets and the Nazis. In 1948, he won the Gold and Silver Medals in track and field during the 1948 Olympic Games of the Enslaved Nations. He attended the University of Munich before emigrating to the United States in 1949. Fluent in five languages, in the 1950s he served as senior NCO with the 5th Army Reserve Military Intelligence.

Adamkus graduated as a civil engineer from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1960.

Career with EPA

Adamkus joined the United States Environmental Protection Agency on its inception in 1970 and was appointed regional administrator by President Ronald Reagan in 1981. He was responsible for all Federal air, water, hazardous waste, and other pollution control programs in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. In 1985, President Reagan presented him the Distinguished Executive Presidential Rank Award -- the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a civil servant. He served as regional administrator for 16 years and retired in 1997 after 29 years of federal service. He was a member of the Republican Party.

Lithuanian Presidency

Shortly after leaving the EPA, Adamkus moved back to Lithuania. He was elected as president of Lithuania in 1998. He served as president from 1998 until 2003, when he ran for reelection but was defeated by Rolandas Paksas. His political career revived in 2004, however, when Paksas was impeached and removed from office, resulting in a new election.

The first round of that election was held on June 13, 2004, with Adamkus received 30% of the vote, more than any other candidate. A runoff was held on June 27, 2004 and Adamkus won with about 52% of the votes. Since 12th of July he is in office as President of the Republic of Lithuania.

Related Link

• List of Presidents of Lithuania