The American Council on Germany cordially invites you to a
[virtual] Transatlantic Town Hall:
German-American Mayors Forum
A Conversation between San Antonio and Darmstadt with Ron Nirenberg, Mayor of San Antonio
and Jochen Partsch, Lord Mayor of Darmstadt
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Wednesday, November 18, 2020
8:30 – 9:30 am US Central Time
9:30 – 10:30 am US Eastern Time
15:30 – 16:30 Central European Time
In 2017, San Antonio and Darmstadt established a sister city partnership to promote economic collaboration and to strengthen cooperation on a host of issues including innovative urban development, sustainable and renewable energy, and start-ups and entrepreneurial development. These two cities have promoted the exchange of ideas and best practices in these areas – and they have developed a vibrant relationship with youth initiatives that help create relationships among the members of the next generation, as well as university cooperation and exchanges of delegations, specifically in the areas of cybersecurity, urban development, and smart cities. Join us for a conversation about the sister city partnership. What are the current challenges facing each city? How are they learning from each other and expanding cooperation?
This virtual event is part of the American Council on Germany’s series titled [virtual] Transatlantic Town Halls: German-American Mayors Forum, held under the auspices of WunderbarTogether USA 2020, a comprehensive and collaborative initiative funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and implemented by the Goethe-Institut.
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Bios
Ron Nirenberg, Mayor of San Antonio
First elected in 2017, Ron Nirenberg is in his second term as the mayor of San Antonio, one of the nation’s fastest growing cities in the United States. Prior to becoming mayor, he served on the San Antonio City Council beginning in 2013. Mr. Nirenberg has focused his public service on smart city and regional planning, inclusive economic development, environmental stewardship, fiscal responsibility and governmental accountability. He is a member of the Climate Mayors Steering Committee, a group of 24 mayors who will serve as a leading voice in efforts to further climate action in the more than 400 cities across the U.S. and serves as the Chairman of Sister Cities International. Prior to his public service, Mr. Nirenberg was the founder of two small-businesses, worked as the general manager of KRTU-FM radio in San Antonio, and as a program director for the Annenberg Public Policy Center. He graduated summa cum laude from Trinity University and received a Master’s Degree in Communication magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania.
Jochen Partsch, Lord Mayor of Darmstadt
Jochen Partsch has been Lord Mayor of Darmstadt since 2011 and is a member of the Alliance '90/The Greens. After winning a "Digital City" competition in 2017, his administration has focused on implementing digital smart city technologies to build an urban digital ecosystem with tangible benefits for citizens together with the city’s partners from science, politics and business. Prior to his election as Lord Mayor, Mr. Partsch served on Darmstadt’s city council beginning in 1997, was the parliamentary party leader from 2003 to 2006 and led Darmstadt’s department for social affairs, youth, housing, labor market policy, women's policy and intercultural affairs from 2006 until 2011. Outside of politics, Mr. Partsch he has worked as a consultant and lecturer at the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences focusing on community-oriented employment promotion in economically-disadvantaged regions. He graduated with a degree in social economics from the Georg-August-University of Göttingen.
