Eliška Hašková Coolidge

She was born into an influential Czech banking family in Prague. In 1949 she fled accross the border with her mother and brother and in 1950 flew over to her father, who was forced to stay in the USA, where he was on a business trip in February 1948.  That´s where Mrs. Eliška began her life´s journey of education and success. She started her career by entering the prestigious Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in 1959. She graduated in diplomacy with first-class honours. She began her career at the White House, where she was working for 18 years as an Assistant to five U.S. Presidents and was managing the PR office. The next 9 years she spent working at the Ministry of foreign Affairs: in the personal  staff of the Minister; as  a special assistent for the Congress relations in the Inter-American Bureau; In 1980 she became the Assistant Chief of Protocol of the USA and later worked as Deputy US Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS). During this time she founded and managed the Office of the Presidential Messages. Even in America she kept her Czech nature, though she could return to her homeland not sooner than after forty long years.  In Prague she founded the Coolidge Consulting Services, which offer guidance in the areas of protocol, etiquette, HR, PR, gastronomy and tourism, and promotes social and business contacts between the Czech Republic and the U.S. And last but not least, Mrs. Coolidge conducts courses of  art, management of social manners and diplomatic and business protocol. She is devoted to charity and provides consulting in many other fields. In 2003, she was awarded by the Senate of the Czech Republic as being the  Significant Czech-woman Living Abroad. She speaks five languages. In 2005, she published her Memoirs and in 2006 she candidated to the Czech Senate. She is a co-author of a successful book of Etiquette for children.

Personal decision for being part of the jury and the benefactress:

"Every attention paid to the success of a Czech woman in business is a valuable contribution for the future and power of the Czech society. I haven´t been hiding my full admiration and respect for the Czech women since the return to my homeland. For all that she is able to perfectly manage, though she is often lacking the recognition and compliments she deserves. That´s why I´d like to congratulate the Helas Agency and its long-sighted founder, Helena Kohoutová and Mrs. Jana Švenková, for their effort to high-light the commonly beneficial image of the Czech Woman by pointing at the outstanding examples of female know-how in all fields across our society. I hope that this will remove fear and doubt and empower courage and sedulity among those, who haven´t taken their chance yet. It is my great honour and pleasure to serve as the benefactress of this competition, which is precious and beneficial for the society.“