Biography
Mayor Berry Vrbanovic was elected in 2014 as the 68th Mayor of the City of Kitchener since its founding as the Village of Berlin in 1854. As Mayor, he also sits as a member of the council of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. Prior to being elected Mayor, he served as a City Councillor from 1994-2014.
Born in Zagreb, Croatia, Mayor Vrbanovic moved to Canada as a young child. He is a graduate of the Waterloo Catholic District School Board, Wilfrid Laurier University and the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative. Coming from an immigrant family himself, he understands the challenges and issues facing the thousands of Canadians who have made Kitchener their new home.
Mayor Vrbanovic was recently re-elected Co-President of United Cities and Local Governments and in April 2026 was appointed as the Chair of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Green Municipal Fund Council. He also serves on FCM committees including its Big Cities Mayors’ Caucus, as well as with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario Big City Mayors.
Land acknowledgement
The City of Kitchener is situated on the traditional territory of the Chonnonton, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee Peoples. We recognize our responsibility to act as stewards for the land and honour the original caretakers who came before us. Our community is enriched by the enduring knowledge and deep-rooted traditions of the diverse First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples who live in Kitchener today.