Konstantina Beqari Lukes

As the first Albanian Mayor of Worchester, Massachusetts, Lukes found inspiration in her family’s struggles. Konstantina Beqari Lukes has impressively dedicated her life to legal service. She first worked as a legal services attorney, then Director of the Worcester chapter of the Civil Liberties Union in Massachusetts. She’s served as a Commissioner of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, an elected member of the Worcester School Committee, and an elected member of the Worcester City Council. She’s now the first popularly elected woman and first Albanian Mayor of Worcester.

When asked what inspired her to strive so high, her answer was simple: “I am an attorney who practices what I learned about and witnessed firsthand while growing up: That government cannot serve the needs of its citizens if it does not  respect and protect the rights of its citizens.”