Gabi Burgstaller

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Gabi Burgstaller is the current governor (Landeshauptfrau) of the State of Salzburg.

She was born in Penetzdorf/Niederthalheim near Schwanenstadt in Upper Austria on May 23, 1963. After matriculation at a high school in Gmunden and one year abroad in England, she studied Law at the University of Salzburg. From 1987 until 1989 she worked as an assistant at the Institutes for Constitutional and Administrative Law, and Sociology of Law respectively at the same university. From 1989, Mrs. Burgstaller worked as a consumer consultant at the Salzburg Chamber of Labour. There, specializing in residential rights and tenancy law, she earned an excellent reputation acting on behalf of 25.000 investors defrauded by the WEB-IMMAG building trust company.

In 1994, she started her political career as a Member of the State Government, whereas she acted as chairperson of the Austrian Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) right from the beginning. On April 27, 1999, Burgstaller was elected State Councillor in Salzburg's State Government . In the Government Burgstaller was responsible for female concerns, construction, trade, consumerism, and traffic.

On March 31, 2001, Burgstaller was elected as the first woman to head Salzburg's Social Democractic Party with an approval of 98% of delegates. On April 25, she was appointed as first governor of the State of Salzburg. Her agendas included the purviews of communities, health and youth issues, and again female concerns and consumerism.

Following an election victory for the social democrats, Gabi Burgstaller went on to become Salzburg's first female governor. She has held that position since April 28, 2004.