Jacek Popiel was born in Poland and educated in Africa, Canada, and the United States. After college he worked as a teacher in the newly independent Republic of the Congo before joining the Belgian armed forces.

On the strength of an analytical paper written in Officer’s School, Popiel was hired by the US Army as a consultant and spent two years in the US working in strategic analysis and planning. In the course of this assignment he met Joanna, a US Peace Corps volunteer. They were married two years later, and now have four grown children and reside in Colorado Springs.

After leaving the service Jacek started a business career and worked for a succession of US and European companies, specializing in international business development. He has traveled extensively, doing business in the Soviet Union, Eastern and Western Europe, North America, and Japan. His last position involved advanced automotive technology and led to extensive contacts with world-class automotive and engineering companies, as well as the US Departments of Energy and Defense.

Jacek speaks five languages and has been a US citizen since 1989. The book, Viable Energy Now, has grown out of his military and international business experience as well as his professional involvement with energy issues.