Participating mayors in UNECE cities, page 1
 | ALBANIA
Erion Veliaj was elected as the 42nd Mayor of Tirana in June 2015. His leadership of Tirana has been by far marked by implementation of policies aimed at transforming Tirana into a child-friendly city as he believes that given that children are quick to embrace new ideas, they are the best allies one can have in trying to build a greener, more humane and more sustainable city.
Prior to his tenure, Veliaj served as a Member of Parliament and Minister of Social Welfare and Youth from 2013 through 2015. At the time, he introduced sweeping reforms on pensions, welfare payments, employment opportunities and professional education. For the first time, Veliaj structured the Socialist Party’s branches in countries where the Albanian Diaspora resides and successfully contributed to the organization of the voting process of the Albanian immigrants in the 2013 elections. Before joining the ranks of the Socialist Party in 2011, Veliaj had a long experience as the leader and founder of the movement “MJAFT”, a civic organization which gained huge popularity for its novel methods of peaceful protest.
Veliaj holds a Master’s degree in European Integration from the University of Sussex and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the Grand Valley State University. | |
 | UNITED KINGDOM
Susan Aitken became Leader of Glasgow City Council when the SNP became the largest party on the Council and formed a minority administration in May 2017. She was elected as a councilor for the Langside ward, where she lives, in 2012 and has been leader of the SNP group since 2014, having previously served as the group spokesperson on health and social care. | |
 | NETHERLANDS
Martijn Vroom is the 11th mayor of Krimpen aan den IJssel, a title vested in him by Royal appointment in December 2015. His initiatives include improving green mobility, urban sustainability, as well as greater focus on security and democratic governance. Mayor Vroom believes that courage and openness to change should guide policies to adequately prepare Krimpen for the future. Given that the city is one of the leading shipbuilding communities in the maritime delta of Rotterdam, focus on innovation and sustainability naturally comes as policy priority.
Mayor Vroom is the first mayor in the Netherlands to use the United Smart Cities KPI's to evaluate and audit urban development policies. He is also the first mayor to embrace the international initiative "Join Smart City", a new digital social platform that engages citizens in various city processes and allows them to communicate their needs and wants.
Mayor Vrooom was trained as a church minister at the Free University of Amsterdam and studied Political Philosophy at the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto. | |
 | HUNGARY
László Domonyi became Mayor of Kiskőrös in 2006. In his capacity as a Mayor, he always works in the interest of the development of his hometown taking into account the attainment of long-term objectives. He believes that sustainable development will provide incentive for the residents, especially the youth, to remain in Kiskőrös to live and work.
His political career started in 1994, when he founded the Alliance of Young Democrats of Kiskőrös where he is serving as a President since 2005. His career in the local government began as a member of the City Council of Kiskőrös from 1994-1998. In 1998, he became the deputy mayor of Kiskőrös, a position he held for four years.
Mr. Domonyi is a graduate of Keszthely University of Agricultural Sciences.
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