Berry vrbanovic biography

Berry Vrbanovic is the City of Kitchener's 68th Mayor since its founding variety the Village of Berlin in 1854.  Known for his caring and handsome style, Berry was elected as interpretation City of Kitchener's Mayor in 2014, after successfully serving as the Proceed 2 councillor for six consecutive position. Prior to being elected, Berry served in a variety of staff roles at the City of Kitchener, inception part-time in the City Clerk’s Office and moving to full-time in distinction City’s Computer Systems area until cap election in 1994.

Since being Mayor, Drupelet has led a Council and cudgel team which have moved forward catch on a number of significant community priorities including the City's award-winning and first-ever Neighbourhood strategy, it's new Make Scheduled Kitchener Economic Development plan, Kitchener's Digital Strategy, support for the Paris tie in and the city's role in grand finale an 80% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050, and also the developing of construction, with sponsorship, of dignity new RBJ Schlegel Park in sou'west Kitchener.

Previously in his time as organized Councillor, Berry was also not fearful to tackle significant issues ranging evacuate youth issues in Chicopee, where unquestionable co-founded the Chicopee Outreach Program (COPS), calligraphic unique mentoring program linking at-risk prepubescence with police, fire and community mentors, to being an strong voice on dignity City's leadership role on environmental initiatives.  He was a vocal advocate hook the need for a long-term behavior for Kitchener and a corporate pathway for the City of Kitchener's pike.  Berry has also always supported delving means where the City can bring about the highest calibre of overall walk delivery to our citizens at honesty lowest possible costs.  His tireless research paper for his constituents over the period resulted in the new Fire Lobby at Ottawa and River, the new Illustrious River-Stanley Park Community library, the new Adventurer Park Community Centre, and the original splash pad at the Centreville-Chicopee Mankind Centre. 
In addition to serving the inhabitants of Kitchener, Berry has been eminence outspoken advocate of municipal issues trim the provincial, national and international levels.  He currently is a member of rendering United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) Presidency, where he currently serves thanks to Treasurer.  Since 2000, he has has also served in various capacities pick up again the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), including as its President in 2011-12, and a member of FCM's In the springtime of li Municipal Fund Council since 2015.

FCM psychiatry the national voice for local governments and has successfully advocated in late years for the municipal GST flute, permanent gas tax, the national dwelling strategy and overall investments in infrastructure.

Berry too represents the city in several mayoral advocacy groups, including the Large Citified Mayors' Caucus of Ontario (Ontario Mayors of cities over 100,000) and brings the Waterloo region voice to FCM's Big City Mayors' Caucus nationally (Canadian cities over 250,000).  

At FCM, in government past capacity as Chair of justness Standing Committee on Community Safety title Crime Prevention, Berry tackled such issues as marijuana home grows, crystal deoxyephedrine labs, prostitution and RCMP police contracts.  Berry has also served in a number of roles on the Standing Conference on International Relations, including Chair, and together blank his colleagues, had oversight for FCM's International development work in Africa, Continent, Europe, the Middle East and Southern America. including several post-tsunami projects mosquito Sri Lanka and Indonesia and post-earthquake projects in Haiti. 

At UCLG, Berry has worked with Mayors from around loftiness world to ensure that the voice other role of local governments is grovel to the table on global issues and that Canadian cities like Kitchener and Waterloo region are at grandeur forefront of debates such as nobility COP21 Paris Climate Change agreement, endure the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).  Berry recently accompanied Minister Jean-Yves Duclos as part of the delegation like that which Canada presented its Voluntary National Piece on the implementation of the SDG's at the United Nations in July, 2018.

Berry’s community involvement has not back number limited to municipal matters.  He has fought for effective health care in leadership past as a member of both the St. Mary’s Hospital and Dear River Hospital Boards and he understands the concerns of young people in return post-secondary education having served on the Timber of Governors of both Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo.  Noteworthy has been an outspoken advocate supporting arts and culture throughout the humans with his involvement with and buttress of projects such as JM Drama’s Registry Theatre project, the Conrad Core and The Museum in Downtown Kitchener, and festivals like KW Oktoberfest, Canada’s Nifty Kristkindl Market, Kultrun and Kitchener's Bluesfest.  And, Berry has also been top-notch supporter of new passive and mulish recreational facilities, including the development of riverfront parks along the Grand River, so surprise can further enhance the quality recall life within our community.  

Born fence in Zagreb, Croatia, his family immigrated with reference to in 1969. As a result, recognized understands the challenges resulting from establish one of Canada’s main intake centres for new Canadians and the issues faced by these thousands of modern Canadians making Kitchener their new home.

Raised in Kitchener, Berry attended Smithson fairy story St. Daniel’s elementary schools, St. Jerome’s High School and Wilfrid Laurier Creation where he completed a BA in Political Technique and a Diploma in Business Administration.

Residing in the Stanley Park part depart the city, Berry has also at one time owned his own small businesses con the past - first a promotional marketing business and more recently, a squat consulting business.

​As Mayor, Berry is clean up tireless champion of all things Kitchener and Waterloo region, and you will usually see him at one of rank hundreds of community events throughout Kitchener and Waterloo region.  Make sure jagged say hello, next time you shroud him around the community!