Awards of the Forum of Local and Regional Authorities
The culmination of the first day of the Forum of Local and Regional Authorities was a ceremonial awards gala, during which awards were presented for extraordinary contributions to the development of local homelands, cities, regions, culture, and science.
The first to welcome guests at the gala was Marek Smółka, Marshal of the Małopolskie Voivodeship, who thanked everyone for attending the Forum in such large numbers and wished them successful discussions about new challenges facing local governments. The Mayor of Zakopane, Łukasz Filipowicz, welcomed conference participants, saying he hoped that such a large representation of central administration officials and parliamentarians offered a chance for effectively hearing local governments’ aspirations and plans. Minister Marcin Przydacz, Head of the Bureau of International Policy in the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland, conveyed greetings from President Karol Nawrocki and wished everyone that their hard work in local government bring increasingly better results. Jan Szyszko, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy, said that Poland is a phenomenon on a European scale, as in our country in recent years all counties have achieved development. We are also a country in which European funds are distributed largely through local governments, because they know best what their residents need.
The Awards of the Forum of Local and Regional Authorities in Zakopane were presented to: Mateusz Nędza-Kubiniec, village head of Kościelisko; Radosław Włoszek, President of the Management Board of “Koleje Małopolskie”; and Jan Gancarski, former Director of the Subcarpathian Museum in Krosno.
The final awards presented were those of the Polish Promotional Emblem Foundation TERAZ POLSKA. The Promoter of Poland statuette was received by the distinguished scientist, Professor Jerzy Lis – Rector of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków. The special Teraz Polska award was received by Professor Mateusz Hołda, Head of the Department of Anatomy at Jagiellonian University. The awards were presented by Łukasz Smółka, Marshal of the Małopolskie Voivodeship, and Krzysztof Przybył, President of the Management Board of the Polish Promotional Emblem Foundation TERAZ POLSKA.
The gala was hosted by Joanna Kwiatkowska from Radio Leliwa and Bogusław Chrabota, Editor-in-Chief of the Gremi Media Group. The gala was musically enriched by a performance of the Orchestra of the National Education Commission University in Kraków under the direction of Małgorzata Tęczyńska-Kęska.
