Marshal of the Wielkopolska Region

MAREK WOŹNIAK

Born on March 5, 1960 in Kalisz.

Education
He is a graduate of the Jan Kanty 3rd General Secondary School in Poznan. He graduated in archaeology from the Faculty of History at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, as well as Postgraduate Studies in Local Government at the Faculty of Law at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, and Postgraduate Studies in Politics and Local Management at the Faculty of Sociology of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan.

Professional career
In 1990-1994 he was the Secretary of the Suchy Las Commune, and since December 1994 he was the representative of the Poznan Voivode for the public procurement system and the editor-in-chief of the Wielkopolska Public Procurement Bulletin. At that time, he was also a lecturer, he cooperated with the Public Procurement Office in Warsaw. Since July 1998, he headed the Regional Office in Poznan, as a representative for the creation of the Poznan district. At the same time, in 1994 - 1998, he was a councillor of the Suchy Las Commune. In 1998, he was elected to the Poznan Poviat Council and the Poznan Poviat Board. From 2002 to October 2005, he was the Deputy Staroste of Poznan Poviat.

In October 2005, he took up the position of the Marshal of the Wielkopolska Region, he has held the position continuously for six terms. In the local elections in April 2024, he became a councillor of the Wielkopolska Region from the Civic Coalition list, winning the largest number of votes among councilors (47,492).

Since February 2011, he has been a member of the management board of the Association of Voivodeships of the Republic of Poland, currently serving as a Vice-President.

Activities in the European Committee of the Regions
Since February 2006, he has been a member of the European Committee of the Regions in Brussels. In 2010-2012 he was a Vice-Chairman of the COTER Commission, and in September 2012 he was elected - by acclamation - the chairman of the commission. He held the position until December 2014.

In April 2008, he took up the position of Chairman of the Polish delegation to the European Committee of the Regions, and was also elected a Vice-Chairman and member of the Presidium of the European Committee of the Regions, a position he still holds.

In 2010-2020 he was a Vice-Chairman of the European People's Party (EPP) Group in the European Committee of the Regions, and is currently a member of the Group's Bureau.

Awarded for public activities, among others, with:

• ”Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta” by the President of the Republic of Poland - for outstanding contributions to the local community, for achievements in work for local government in Poland,
• ”Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta” by the President of the Republic of Poland - for outstanding contributions to the development of local government, for activities for the benefit of the local community,
• ”Golden Cross of Merit” by the President of the Republic of Poland,
• ”Ad Perpetuam Rei Memoriam” Medal by the Voivode of the Wielkopolska Region,
• ”The Grzegorz Palka award” in the field of national activities, for achievements at the regional, national and international level,
• ”Franciszka Cegielska's Rose” for the most outstanding personalities of the local government environment,
• ”The Most Admired Marshal of the Voivodeship 2009” Title by the Adam Smith Foundation,
• Badge of Honor for Services to Local Government by the Minister of Administration and Digitization,
• Honorary Badge ”Faithful to Tradition” and Honorary Award ”Dummer of the Wielkopolska Uprising” by the Wielkopolska Uprising Remembrance Society,
• Gold Badge of Merit for Fire Protection by the Minister of Internal Affairs,
• Silver Medal ”For Merit to National Defence” by the Minister of National Defence,
• Silver Medal “For services to the Police” by the Minister of Internal Affairs.