Piotr Uszok
Mayor of Katowice in 1998-2014, President, Eko-Bryza Sp. z o.o.
Born on 9 October 1955 in Mikołów. He spent his childhood in Katowice. In 1975 he enrolled at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Automatics and Electronics of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków. After graduating in 1980, he began working at the Murcki coalmine in Katowice. He worked at the mine until 1994 in managerial positions.
In 1994, he became Deputy Mayor of the city. In 1998 he was elected Mayor of Katowice, a post he held continuously until 2014. While serving as Mayor of Katowice, he also served as President of the Association of Polish Cities and then as Chairman of the Board of the Union of Polish Metropolises. From 2003 to 2011, he was co-chairman of the Joint Commission of the Government and Local Self-Government.
While serving as Mayor, he implemented many development projects, including the Drogowa Trasa Średnicowa.
The biggest project, however, was the revitalisation of the area of the closed-down Katowice Coal Mine, where facilities of the International Congress Centre, the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Silesian Museum were built. During his presidency, the city centre was redeveloped.
He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of Rebirth of Poland, the Officer's Cross of the Order of Rebirth of Poland and the Commander's Cross of the Order of Rebirth of Poland for his work as a local government leader.