NALED announced Top Members for 2023

Executive Vice President of Hisense Europe Stanka Pejanović, Mayor of Smederevska Palanka Nikola Vučen and the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture in Novi Sad Nedeljko Tica won the titles of NALED's Top Members for 2023, in competition of more than 330 companies, local governments and civil society organizations, it was announced at the September Gathering at the White Palace.

The awards were presented by Executive Director Violeta Jovanović and President of NALED Managing Board Vladislav Cvetković, in the presence of all employees of the Executive Office.

- The decision about who will receive this recognition is never easy, and it seems that every year it becomes more and more difficult. Our network is constantly expanding and there are more and more exceptional individuals. I am very happy about that, because the strength of unity is key to the reforms we are striving for. We know that only united can we provide the best solutions for our society, because together we make a difference - NALED Executive Director Violeta Jovanović concluded.

Long-time member of NALED Managing Board, Stanka Pejanović, earned the award primarily for her support in obtaining the first green project in cooperation with the German government, which opened the door for dozens of new initiatives in NALED that balance private and public interest. For several years now, Pejanović has been leading the Hisense Europa company as Executive Vice President, which has been a member of NALED since 2015. She has often and selflessly represented NALED's ideas and initiatives in dialogue with the state.

In the category of local governments, the recognition went to the Mayor of Smederevska Palanka, Nikola Vučen, who proactively advocates for the strengthening of NALED's reputation among other local governments and state authorities. Smederevska Palanka has been a member of NALED since 2019 and since then has been a frequent and well-proven host of Managing Board sessions and member meetings.

The third award, which is awarded to representatives of the civil sector, went to the academic community for the first time, to the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture in Novi Sad, Nedeljko Tica.

The Faculty of Agriculture in Novi Sad joined NALED's network of members in 2022, but even in such a short time it managed to position itself as an influential member. They are involved in the work of the NALED's Food and Agriculture Alliance and have opened discussions with the Center for the IV Industrial Revolution regarding the protection of genetic data and cooperation with the BIO4 campus.