Gerardo Mario Oliverio

Gerardo Mario Oliverio was born in San Giovanni in Fiore, Cosenza, on January 4, 1953.
In June 2004 he was elected President of the Province of Cosenza for the centre-left coalition. He was then re-elected on a second-round ballot on June 21-22, 2009 (percentage of votes: 56,72%).
He is married with four children, Antonella, Mara, Laura and Tomas. He has been on the front line in student movements and political struggles for work and the development of Calabria since he was very young.
In 1980, when he was only 27 years old, he was elected regional councillor in the Italian Communist Party's lists.
In 1985 he obtained the highest number of votes in the Regional Council and he was appointed one year later assessor for Agriculture in the first left Executive of the Region of Calabria.
Under his direction, Calabria's agriculture sector grew up strongly and local productions were promoted on national and European markets.
The agricultural sector gained a pivotal role and was involved in very important decisions concerning the food processing sector.
On his initiative major programmes and legislative measures (sector programmes, a law to simplify procedures, on agritourism, to support young farmers, to modernize rural infrastructures, to recapitalize farms, and much more) were adopted.
In 1990 he was elected Mayor of San Giovanni in Fiore.
He was elected deputy of the Parliament for four consecutive legislatures (from 1992 to 2006), always with high percentages of approval.
He distinguished himself by struggling for the development of Calabria; in the Parliament he promoted the first "Law on the Mountain" (Law 97/94), he was the first one to sign the law that established the Sila National Park and, moreover, he was very much involved, together with other Southern Italian deputies, in several measures in favour of the South (supporting enterprises  and entrepreneurship, area contracts, tax credit etc).
He was also a member of the European Council.
In addition, he became Secretary of the Provincial Federation of the Italian Democratic Left (DS) party. While being in office and after a period of troubled relationships between the socialist leader and the centre-left parties, he rebuilt the centre-left coalition by supporting Giacomo Mancini again as Mayor of the town of Cosenza.
During that period, the town and the province of Cosenza hosted a real political workshop with the participation of many Italian leaders.
Gerardo Mario Oliverio is well-known for his strict morality, remarkable administrative ability, great dedication to the institution and good human skills; therefore, he counts on a widespread popular consensus.

From his first term of office (2004-2009) he has always leaded in Italian polls showing citizens' satisfaction towards administrators; according to the reliable surveys called EKMA Monitor Province or the Governance Poll carried out by IPR Marketing for the Italian newspaper "il Sole 24 Ore", he is the third most appreciated among the Presidents of Italian Provinces.
 

email: mario.oliverio@provincia.cs.it