Swiss Award Winner

Michael Stanek, a member of the Wettingen Ward, Zurich Switzerland Stake, was honored in September 1998 with the Innovation Award from the Power Engineering Society of the Swiss Electrotechnical Association. The award is given annually for outstanding contributions to the field of power engineering and may be shared each year by a number of distinguished contributors. Brother Stanek, who shared the 1998 award with another individual, was honored for his work on synchronous control devices for high-voltage circuit breakers.

Michael was born in Vienna, Austria. His parents, first-generation members of the Church in Vienna, learned of the gospel as young adults. At age 21 Michael received a call to serve in the England London South Mission, which gave him an opportunity to become fluent in English, then returned to Vienna to pursue his education. He studied electrical engineering at the Vienna University of Technology, and during his final year he transferred to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich.

While preparing to move to Switzerland, he decided to attend a young single adult conference held at the Frankfurt Germany Temple, where he hoped to meet new friends among the Swiss Latter-day Saints in attendance. As he began associating with his new friends, he met Ilse Barbara Horwath, and the two began dating. They were married in January 1999.

While Michael was finishing his thesis, a large electrical engineering company offered him a job. “I feel the Lord has guided me to serve a mission, then to pursue this particular field of engineering that eventually brought me to Switzerland, where I was able to meet my wife,” says Brother Stanek.

He serves as ward clerk in the Wettingen Ward, Zurich Switzerland Stake.

Michael and Ilse Stanek