Piotr P. Chmielinski

Environmental engineer, explorer

Born Jul. 17, 1952, Slocina, Poland; came to U.S., 1986; son of Walenty and Weronika (Kozak); married Joanna (Sitarz);

Education: Master of Science (M.S.), Academy of Mining and Metallurgy, Cracow (Poland), 1978.

Career: explorer, "CanoAndes 79" Polish students' expedition, discovered and canoed down Colca Canyon (Peru), 1979-81, kayaking the Amazon River, 1985-86; project manager, Washington Analytical Laboratories, Inc., Chantilly (VA), 1986-90; director, Environment International, Inc., Washington (DC), 1990-91; president, HP Environment, Inc., Reston (VA), 1991 -.

Author: contributor to National Geographic Magazine, and to A. Knopf, Running the Amazon, 1987.

Honors: mentioned in Guinness Book of World Records as first to run Colca Canyon, the deepest canyon in the world, 1986, and as first to kayak entire Amazon River, 1987.

Affiliation: Republican. Catholic.

Languages: Polish, English, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese.

Hobbies: expeditions - white water rivers.

Home: 2033 Royal Fern Court, Reston, VA 22091.

From: "Who's Who in Polish America" 1st Edition 1996-1997, Boleslaw Wierzbianski editor; Bicentennial Publishing Corporation, New York, NY, 1996