Mayor Eric Genrich has signed an official proclamation to reactivate Green Bay’s sister city relationship with Irapuato, Mexico. Green Bay and Irapuato formally began their sister city relationship with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on August 25, 2005. The relationship was active in multiple sectors, including: healthcare, waste water treatment, city planning, security, K-12 education, technical college and university exchange, business incubation, and the arts. This collaboration was most active between the years 2005 and 2014. 

“I am honored to be able to rekindle Green Bay’s only existing sister city relationship with the City of Irapuato, Mexico,” said Mayor Eric Genrich. “I have had the honor of meeting and congratulating Mayor Alfaro on her historic election as Irapuato’s first woman to serve in her role, and I look forward to continuing the exchange of knowledge and culture between our two communities.”

A new post-pandemic administration in Irapuato, with the historic election of the first female Mayor in the city’s 476-year history, the Honorable Lorena Alfaro, recently expressed interest in reactivating the relationship with Green Bay. Groups were formed in both communities and four refined themes of interaction were established under the two new administrations: Arts and Culture, Public Safety, International Business Development, and Sports and Tourism. 

The signing and presentation of Mayor Genrich’s proclamation arrives in tandem with the first joint Green Bay/Irapuato collaboration in nine years, which features one of Green Bay’s former residents and a current Sister Cities Ambassador for the Green Bay/Irapuato relationship, Mr. Matthew Hollenbeck. Matthew has been invited to show thirty architectural photographs from a recent trip to Spain at the Museo Salvador Almaraz in Irapuato from March 4 to April 1, 2023. Mr. Alex Zacarias, local educator, artist, documentary filmmaker and current member of the Green Bay/Irapuato working-group, will represent the City of Green Bay at the ribbon-cutting ceremony and reception in Irapuato on March 4th. 

“I want to congratulate and thank Matthew Hollenbeck on the opening of his photography exhibit in Irapuato,” said Mayor Genrich. “It is my hope that this event will be the first of many to come that celebrate the shared ideals and capabilities of our two communities.”

Contact: 
Mayor Eric Genrich
920-448-3005