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Assembly and Executive Committee

The general governing body or general assembly of the adhering members is the sovereign power of the association. Airport Regions Council's assembly gathers twice per year. The members of the assembly are all the members of the ARC. All members have an equal vote in ARC matters.

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General meetings are usually taking place four times a year and are chaired by the President of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee is appointed by the general assembly for a period of three years; members of the Executive Committee are eligible for re-election.  The members of the Executive Committee do not receive any remuneration during their term of office.

Erich Valentin is a member of the Vienna City Council and Provincial Parliament, where he acts as chairman of the Committee for Innovation, Urban planning and Mobility. He is also responsible for environmental issues and public transport in Vienna and the Centrope region. Based on this function, he takes care of the mediation process at Vienna Airport in cooperation with Vienna International Airport. Mr Valentin has been active in the ARC affairs for many years. He was elected ARC President in 2018.

Erich Valentin

President

Erich Valentin is a member of the Vienna City Council and Provincial Parliament, where he acts as chairman of the Committee for Innovation, Urban planning and Mobility. He is also responsible for environmental issues and public transport in Vienna and the Centrope region. Based on this function, he takes care of the mediation process at Vienna Airport in cooperation with Vienna International Airport. Mr Valentin has been active in the ARC affairs for many years. He was elected ARC President in 2018.

Pekka Timonen is mayor of Vantaa. Vantaa is the 4th largest city in Finland with 250,000 inhabitants. Vantaa is part of the Greater Helsinki Metropolitan area and home of Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport. Developing better cities has been his passion and profession for over 20 years. During his career Timonen has been mayor of Lahti, secretary general at the Prime Minister´s Office, and cultural director of the city of Helsinki. He has also worked as a business leader. Timonen holds an MA in history. He is a regular speaker at international conferences on sustainable city development, placemaking, and urban change management. In 2018 he was awarded as the Spokesperson of the Year in Finland.

Pekka Timonen

Vice-President

Pekka Timonen is mayor of Vantaa. Vantaa is the 4th largest city in Finland with 250,000 inhabitants. Vantaa is part of the Greater Helsinki Metropolitan area and home of Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport.
Developing better cities has been his passion and profession for over 20 years. During his career Timonen has been mayor of Lahti, secretary general at the Prime Minister´s Office, and cultural director of the city of Helsinki. He has also worked as a business leader.
Timonen holds an MA in history. He is a regular speaker at international conferences on sustainable city development, placemaking, and urban change management. In 2018 he was awarded as the Spokesperson of the Year in Finland.

Vladimír Vytiska is the Mayor of Únetice, Czech Republic. Mr Vytiska, with a diploma in economics, has been the elected Mayor of Únetice for the last twenty years. He has also studied music and is an active musician. Mr Vytiska represents Prague Airport Region (association of municipalities around Prague Airport) in ARC and has been a member of the Executive Committee since 2010.

Vladimír Vytiska

Vice-President

Vladimír Vytiska is the Mayor of Únetice, Czech Republic. Mr Vytiska, with a diploma in economics, has been the elected Mayor of Únetice for the last twenty years. He has also studied music and is an active musician. Mr Vytiska represents Prague Airport Region (association of municipalities around Prague Airport) in ARC and has been a member of the Executive Committee since 2010.

Rouven Kötter is Deputy Director of Regionalverband FrankfurtRheinMain, a regional authority responsible for land use planning and regional development in the Frankfurt Rhine-Main area. Mr Kötter also is Chairman of the European Office of the Metropolitan Region FrankfurtRheinMain and non-executive director of different regional corporations for business development and culture. Rouven Kötter holds a Master of Business Administration and a Master in Public Administration. He served as mayor of Wölfersheim – a town near Frankfurt – for ten years. Mr Kötter was elected member of ARC’s Executive Committee in April 2018.

Rouven Kötter

Vice-President

Rouven Kötter is Deputy Director of Regionalverband FrankfurtRheinMain, a regional authority responsible for land use planning and regional development in the Frankfurt Rhine-Main area. Mr Kötter also is Chairman of the European Office of the Metropolitan Region FrankfurtRheinMain and non-executive director of different regional corporations for business development and culture. Rouven Kötter holds a Master of Business Administration and a Master in Public Administration. He served as mayor of Wölfersheim – a town near Frankfurt – for ten years. Mr Kötter was elected member of ARC’s Executive Committee in April 2018.

Gemma Badia has become mayor of Gavà (Barcelona) in 2021. The new mayor has a diploma in Business Sciences, a technical in Marketing and a technical in Business Management from the Open University of Catalonia (UOC), as well as a postgraduate degree in Advertising from EAE Business School, and has been a councillor in Gavà since 2015 and since July 2019 she held the post of deputy mayor of the Area of ​​Public Space, Security and Coexistence.

Gemma Badia

Vice-President

Gemma Badia has become mayor of Gavà (Barcelona) in 2021. The new mayor has a diploma in Business Sciences, a technical in Marketing and a technical in Business Management from the Open University of Catalonia (UOC), as well as a postgraduate degree in Advertising from EAE Business School, and has been a councillor in Gavà since 2015 and since July 2019 she held the post of deputy mayor of the Area of ​​Public Space, Security and Coexistence.

Jordi Candela Garriga has been the Managing Director of Aeroports de Catalunya, Airport operator of the airports belonging to the Generalitat of Catalonia, since 2010. Mr Candela holds a Master of Science in Transport Engineering, Degree in Management & Business Administration and Degree in Law. Previous professional experience include Ifercat (regional railway operator of Catalonia), Abertis Infraestructuras, and Everis consulting. In the airport sector, he was involved in the acquisition and management of the airport group TBIplc by Abertis, the development of Abertis Airports, as well as many airport tender processes. Additionally, he works as a teacher in various masters and postgraduates programmes in infrastructure management and is the author of several articles and studies in aviation.

Jordi Candela Garriga

Vice-President

Jordi Candela Garriga has been the Managing Director of Aeroports de Catalunya, Airport operator of the airports belonging to the Generalitat of Catalonia, since 2010. Mr Candela holds a Master of Science in Transport Engineering, Degree in Management & Business Administration and Degree in Law. Previous professional experience include Ifercat (regional railway operator of Catalonia), Abertis Infraestructuras, and Everis consulting. In the airport sector, he was involved in the acquisition and management of the airport group TBIplc by Abertis, the development of Abertis Airports, as well as many airport tender processes. Additionally, he works as a teacher in various masters and postgraduates programmes in infrastructure management and is the author of several articles and studies in aviation.

Member of Fingal County Council with more than twenty-four years of service in Local Government. Dublin Airport is within the Area Committee of which Mr Boland is a member and past Chairman.

Cathal Boland

Vice-President

Member of Fingal County Council with more than twenty-four years of service in Local Government. Dublin Airport is within the Area Committee of which Mr Boland is a member and past Chairman.

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