1

Mayor

MAYOR

DRAGANA SOTIROVSKI

Dragana Sotirovski was born in Aleksinac, where she graduated from the Music School and the Pedagogical Academy. She graduated from the Faculty of Geography, University of Belgrade, and completed master studies in tourism at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in Niš.

She started working as a journalist in 1992 at Third Channel of the Television Belgrade.

Since 1993, as a journalist reporter, she moved to the Editorial Board of the Morning Program and the Belgrade Chronicle, when she became part of the team of the doyen of TV journalism, Branislav Vukašinović.

In 1997 she became a correspondent for Radio Television Serbia – RTS from Niš, and she managed the editorial office as the editor of the TV Center in Niš from 2011 to December 2017.

She is the author of numerous informative features, documentaries and travel reports and films from the country and abroad (Greece, Bulgaria, Italy, Spain, North America, India, Russia, the South China Sea). As one of the few journalists she filmed the work of scientists at the Royal Institute of Regenerative Medicine “Prince Philip” in Valencia, as well as American scientists at the Research Center in Irvine, California. She has been a reporter in crisis situations throughout Serbia, Macedonia, Greece and Bulgaria.

She confirmed her twenty-five years of work in journalism as the author of numerous informative miniatures and documentary features that were permanently recorded and kept in RTS Program Archives.

She reported about the activities of the highest state leadership of Serbia and statesmen from the region, not only in the area of southern and southeastern Serbia, but also during the visits of Serbian officials to countries in the region, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

For her long-term work she has been awarded numerous recognitions in the country and abroad:

  • Winner of the Award for Journalistic Courage “Milan Pantić” (2017).
  • Winner of the Grand Prix of the International Festival of TV Miniatures “Press Knight” (2015).
  • Winner of the Grand Prix of the International Festival of the Danube Region “Profest” (2013).
  • Winner of the golden medal at the International Festival “Interfer” (2015).
  • Winner of the silver medal at the International Festival “Interfer” (2009).
  • Winner of two silver medals at the International Festival of TV Miniatures “Press Knight” (2009 and 2012).
  • Winner of the bronze medal (2012), special recognition (2011) and special recognition for the affirmation and development of the Festival of Author’s Film of the countries of the Danube region “Profest” (2016).
  • Winner of a special award at the International Festival “Bratina” in Moscow.
  • Winner of the Annual Award of the Local Anti-Corruption Forum Niš for a series of features on corruption in health and education (2015).
  • Winner of the award for civic activism “Walker” (2014).
  • Winner of the charter “Captain Miša Anastasijević” for creative and engaged contribution to information (2015).
  • Winner of the annual award of the Anti-Corruption Agency for a series of features on corruption (2015).
  • Winner of the recognition of the Serbian Armed Forces for the contribution to the preservation of the tradition of the Serbian army.
  • Winner of the multiple awards for contribution and cooperation with the Serbian Armed Forces, the Ministry of the Interior of Serbia, numerous local governments.
  • Nominated – three times for Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia Award for Investigative Journalism.
  • She was awarded Golden Medal of the Hunting Association of Serbia for the action of rescuing wild horses on Vlasina.

She was a member of the Local Anti-Corruption Forum Niš from 2015 to 2017.

She was the President of the Commission for Information of the Bulgarian National Council in Serbia until the end of 2018.

She is certified media coach by Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia.

She was a member of the Association of Lobbyists of Serbia.

By the decision of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Serbia, Mrs. Sotirovski is registered in the Register of Mediators of the Republic of Serbia with license No 740-09- 0415/2018-22.

She passed the state exam for working in the state public administration and local self-governments.

The Government of the Republic of Serbia has appointed Mrs. Dragana Sotirovski as the Head of the Nišava Administrative District with its headquarters in Niš (12/27/2017).

She was the sixth Head of the Nišava Administrative District and the second woman in that position.

As the Head of Nišava Administrative District Mrs. Sotirovski received several awards:

  • Winner of “Mediana Golden Coin”, a recognition by Niš City Municipality Mediana for outstanding contribution to the development and improvement of civic initiative (2018).
  • Winner of the recognition “Letter of Thanks” of the Municipality of Bosilegrad for cooperation (2019).
  • Winner of the plaque of the Public Library Doljevac for contribution and cooperation with the Municipality of Doljevac (2019).
  • Winner of the October Charter of the Municipality of Gadžin Han for the affirmation of the municipality (2019).
  • Winner of the “Golden Grand Prix”, the recognition of the Association of Restaurant and Hotel Owners and Tourism Representatives of Niš (2018).
  • Winner of the “Recognition of the Association of Chefs of Montenegro” for the promotion of tourism in the region (2018).
  • Winner of the recognition of the Union of Bakers Niš for support and promotion of numerous events (2018, 2019).
  • Winner of the award “The most successful woman in business” of the Union of Craftsmen and Entrepreneurs for outstanding contribution to the development and affirmation of crafts and entrepreneurship in Southern Serbia (2019).
  • Winner of the plaque of the Union of Craftsmen and Entrepreneurs for the promotion of old crafts (2018).
  • Winner of the recognition of the Center of Traditional Culture and Spirituality for cooperation with the diaspora (2019).

On August 21, 2020 the Assembly of the City of Niš elected Mrs. Dragana Sotirovski as the first woman Mayor in the history of Niš.

She is married, a mother of three children and a grandmother of one grandson.