Andrea Kaufmann

Mayor of Dornbirn is Andrea Kaufmann. She was born on 19 March 1969 in Dornbirn. Kaufmann graduated the Higher Commercial School in Rankweil. She then began, in 1988, to study international business at the Vienna University of Economics and in 1989 a study of economics at the University of Konstanz. Kaufmann also attended university courses for Civic Education in Schloss Hofen from 2000 to 2002.  Currently, she is an economist with a diploma working on her doctoral studies in political science at the University of Innsbruck. Kaufmann was professionally employed from 1994 to 1998 at the Raiffeisenbank in Bludenz.

Kaufmann's political career began in the 90s in the youth branch of the ÖVP in Dornbirn. Subsequently, she was elected to the regional and federal executive board in the youth branch. Since 2003, Kaufmann has been a merchant in the Austrian Workers and Employees Federation State as well as Chairman Deputy. Before immersing herself in the country's politics, Kaufmann was active as a councillor for culture, family and education in her hometown. After the Vorarlberg State Election in 2009, which resulted in an ÖVP majority government, on 14 October 2009 she was elected into the Vorarlberg Landtag as Regional Minister for governor Herbert Sausgruber. She subsequently held the departments of culture, science and the promotion of studies, further education, archives, and librarianship as well as music schools.

Kaufmann was selected as a deputy in Innsbruck by former ÖVP Federal Party chairman Michael Spindelegger on 20 May 2011. Following the resignation of Rainer Gogele as councillor, she took over on 6 June 2012 and took over most of the departments previously conducted by Gögele: construction, mechanical, electrical, cable cars and lift technology, while the two previously also ran by Gögele - health and disability assistance - were transferred to Christian Bernhard. In May 2013, she resigned as a provincial minister in order to become the first woman mayor of her home town of Dornbirn. Subsequently, she was elected on 29 May 2013 by the town council of Dornbirn. In the first election as incumbent mayor in her tenure, Kaufmann was reelected mayor of Dornbirn on 15 March 2015 with 51.29% of the vote.