{"id":6242,"date":"2025-08-05T14:12:40","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T12:12:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/?p=6242"},"modified":"2025-08-05T14:12:42","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T12:12:42","slug":"passion-and-vision-professionalism-commitment-and-social-sensitivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/passion-and-vision-professionalism-commitment-and-social-sensitivity\/","title":{"rendered":"Passion and vision. Professionalism, commitment and social sensitivity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Iwona Gibas, a member of the Management Board of Ma\u0142opolska Region in her second term now, responsible for the development of culture, tourism, cooperation and labour market policy in the region. Iwona Gibas, a woman who builds bridges between institutions and residents, between heritage and modernity, between local government and civil society. Her work for\u00a0the development of Ma\u0142opolska makes an example of local government unafraid of\u00a0challenges and, at the same time, remaining close to the people. Leaders like her make the region economically strong, but\u00a0also put a soul into its body. In\u00a0recognition of \u00a0her numerous achievements and exceptional social sensitivity, she has just been awarded the title of Charismatic Woman<\/em>.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Have you always dreamed of a\u00a0career in local government?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Well, if someone had told me 30 years ago that I would become a local government official, I would probably have laughed out loud. But we cannot predict the scenarios life writes for us. I started my professional career years ago as a medical analyst. Then, a truly charismatic woman, the youngest mayor in Poland at the time, Beata Szyd\u0142o, came into my life, and I had the honour of managing her parliamentary office for over a dozen years, including the prime minister period. It was an extraordinary school of social work, a practical one, because its theoretical foundations were built during my studies in management and marketing at the AGH University of Science and Technology. Later, I worked as one of the directors of the Ziemowit hotel in Ustro\u0144, and throughout this time, my interest in local government, as a recurring theme in my professional life, grew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does being a\u00a0woman help or hinder you in performing managerial roles in local government?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m against linking professional roles with gender. Women have often proven their outstanding skills in professions considered typically masculine. As I mentioned, I know a great example of a female prime minister. We have excellent female ministers, strength athletes, drivers and actresses playing manly roles. Just think of Krystyna Feldman\u2019s fantastic performance as Nikifor Krynicki in the film \u2018M\u00f3j Nikifor\u2019 from 20 years ago. I could go on and on, arguing that women are better suited to local government than men, but I don\u2019t think gender is the key criterion here. Certain personality traits are of the utmost importance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What are these traits?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

First and foremost empathy and the ability to listen. Indeed, these are probably more feminine than masculine, but without these qualities, there can be no good local government official, because a local government official must listen to the needs of the community and respond to them. This means being close to people and with people. I cannot imagine managing local government affairs from behind a desk. A local government official must get to know their region, visit and insightfully observe it. This is another characteristic. You can\u2019t sit in your office and wait for people to come to you and share their problems. You have to leave Krak\u00f3w, visit those people and see what the residents are proud of and what they would like to change. Only then you\u2019re capable of strengthening the former and finding remedy for the latter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is this your approach?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I do my best. Of course, deliberations of the board, council and its committees are an important part of my work, as well as analysis, edition and signing documents, solving current problems, but whenever I can, I travel around Ma\u0142opolska and familiarise myself with the issues of the residents on the spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I can’t imagine managing local government affairs from behind a desk. A local government official has to get to\u00a0know his region, visit it and observe it \u2013 says Iwona Gibas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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You are primarily responsible for culture, tourism and the labour market. Are these difficult areas?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I see this question as a certain, but pleasant trap. Indeed, it\u2019s often believed that culture and tourism are areas where nothing can go wrong, so everyone wants to be involved in. However, please remember that Ma\u0142opolska is the undisputed national leader in the field of culture and tourism. It\u2019s not without reason that Krak\u00f3w is called the cultural capital of Poland, and Ma\u0142opolska leads the tourism rankings ahead of other regions, except for two holiday months, when we sometimes find ourselves on the podium with our friends from the seaside, but for most of the year, Ma\u0142opolska is the number one destination for tourists. This fills us, the people of Ma\u0142opolska, with pride, but it\u2019s also a huge challenge, and I\u2019m honoured that the Management Board of Ma\u0142opolska Region has entrusted me with work in these areas. The same is true as far as the labour market is concerned, as the area requires special attention in today\u2019s unstable times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are Ma\u0142opolska\u2019s achievements within these areas in recent years?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s difficult to choose from so many and not to leave anything out. There are many people standing behind these achievements, whom I would love to sincerely thank for commitment and effort. Each of our projects and institutions tells an individual story of passion and values. The strength of these lies in human resources \u2013 creators, animators, managers able to materialise beautiful and important things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I am against strictly linking professional roles with gender. Women have often proven their\u00a0outstanding skills in\u00a0professions considered to\u00a0be typically male \u2013 says Iwona Gibas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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So maybe let\u2019s focus on the most important ones.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

As I\u2019ve already said, culture is an integral and enormous part of the Ma\u0142opolska genotype. I have the honour of supervising 25 cultural institutions throughout Ma\u0142opolska, 12 of which seated in Krak\u00f3w. These are institutions of various types \u2013 museums, theatres, but also the opera and philharmonic. Preparations are currently underway for the construction of a new concert hall in Krak\u00f3w, which is one of the largest investments in the cultural sphere in the region. It will be an international-level facility, designed in a prestigious architectural competition, with a capacity of nearly 1,800 people. Ma\u0142opolska is the only Polish region without a representative concert hall in its capital. We will change this, and I hope that in a few years\u2019 time, a true architectural gem will be built in the centre of Krak\u00f3w, at Rondo Grzeg\u00f3rzeckie, which will also be a space for multimedia education and international cooperation. We\u2019ve allocated approximately PLN 450 million for this long-term purpose.
The new institution we\u2019re planning to establish is the Museum of Mountaineering and Skiing in Zakopane \u2013 the winter capital of Poland. The project will cost PLN 12.2 million. Last year, we opened the Firefighting Museum in Alwernia. We\u2019re also preparing to modernise our magnificent facilities in other parts of the region, such as the Castle in D\u0119bno, Lipowiec Castle and the Karwacjan and G\u0142adysz Manor in Gorlice. These activities are not only about protecting our heritage, but also a real opportunity for the development of local communities.
In general, in 2024 alone, the local government of Ma\u0142opolska Region undertook 60 investments worth almost PLN 25 million. This is not only the province\u2019s money, as cultural institutions also obtain funds themselves. For example, the Juliusz S\u0142owacki Theatre in Krak\u00f3w and the Archaeological Museum in Krak\u00f3w have obtained over PLN 60 million from the FEnIKS programme, which they will use for creation of modern cultural spaces and monument revitalisation. There are 14,000 non-governmental organisations in Ma\u0142opolska. We also try to support their cultural activities. In 2025, as many as 380 organisations received support as part of the \u2018Mecenat Ma\u0142opolski\u2019 competition. These include choirs, jazz bands, folk bands, rural housewives\u2019 clubs, but also modern cultural and educational initiatives. As local government officials, we also want our cultural projects to be visible internationally. Ma\u0142opolska actively cooperates with foreign partners \u2013 Slovakia, Ukraine, Germany, Italy and Romania. Cultural institutions from the region regularly present their achievements on the international stage, building the image of Ma\u0142opolska as an open, creative and innovative region. Thanks to cooperation with the Consul General of Slovakia in Krak\u00f3w, we managed to organise the Andy Warhol exhibition \u2013 an extraordinary display of art that transcends national and cultural boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This is a\u00a0cultural field, but what about investments in tourism?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Culture and tourism are interconnected. Culture creates the identity of a place, and tourism allows it to be shown to the world. Some may be surprised by the fact that, from the point of view of local government, tourism is treated as a branch of the economy. This is particularly true in Ma\u0142opolska. In 2024 alone, we were visited by over 26 million tourists, which is roughly the same as the total population of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia combined. Last year, 11 million passengers landed at the International Airport in Krak\u00f3w-Balice. We have the largest number of hotels in Poland – almost 600. As far as mountain guides are concerned, there are over 2,500 people from Ma\u0142opolska registered. Last year, our guests spent almost PLN 20 billion in the region. This is money kept in the pockets of the people of Ma\u0142opolska, which we, as local government officials, are happy about, but at the same time, it\u2019s a great commitment for us to maintain this level of tourist traffic and, even better, to develop it further. Ma\u0142opolska, as a local government, is doing everything it can to increase the region\u2019s tourist appeal. Last year, we supported the tourist activities of non-governmental organisations with over PLN 12 million. We also care about the development of cycling tourism as the first region in Poland to start creating our own network of cycling routes on a large scale. Today, our VeloMa\u0142opolska network is an increasingly recognisable brand, which already consists of 700 km of perfectly constructed and maintained routes in the diverse and beautiful landscape of Ma\u0142opolska. The COVID-19 pandemic, which shook the tourism industry to its core, was a great challenge for us. During the pandemic, the local government allocated PLN 24 million to save jobs in the tourism industry and to fund active promotional campaigns, including in New York and Chicago. Thanks to cooperation with consulates, participation in trade fairs and a wide-ranging information campaign, Ma\u0142opolska maintained its reputation and attracted tourists from all over the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Culture and tourism are interconnected. Culture creates a place’s identity, and tourism allows it to be showcased to the world, says Iwona Gibas.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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This indeed is a\u00a0huge undertaking you\u2019re supervising. How do\u00a0you find time for yourself and your family?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, there is little time, and certainly less than my loved ones and I would like to share. Fortunately, I somehow manage to find time for my husband, son, daughter-in-law and granddaughters. My great passions are music and fashion. I love the classics in both of these areas. I love going to the opera, which inspires me and calms me down after daily struggles in local government. Culture is a space where you can stop, listen and be moved. It\u2019s also a space for strong, creative women, beautiful on the inside. I\u2019m fond of interior design, so I decorated my office at the Marshal\u2019s Office. Before I demand from others, I set an example myself. I start building space from the interior. I want all guests to feel comfortable in my Krak\u00f3w office at Basztowa Street. Besides, you can\u2019t do social work if you don\u2019t like it. And I truly like it. For some time now, I\u2019ve been participating in Beata Bojda\u2019s project, which involves supporting women with cancer through art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are your dreams?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A\u00a0little more time for myself and even more for my family. I\u00a0want to learn how to write icons. I\u00a0don\u2019t know when the time for it comes, but it\u2019s my dream. We all know that dreams are important in life. And the same goes for the work of a\u00a0local government official. Without dreams, we wouldn\u2019t be able to create anything inspiring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Katarzyna Raszka
Izabela Cekiera<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Iwona Gibas, a member of the Management Board of Ma\u0142opolska Region in her second term now, responsible for the development of culture, tourism, cooperation and labour market policy in the region. Iwona Gibas, a woman who builds bridges between institutions and residents, between heritage and modernity, between local government and civil society. Her work for\u00a0the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6248,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1133],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6242"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6242"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6242\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6254,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6242\/revisions\/6254"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6248"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}