It is with profound sorrow that the UCLG World Secretariat shares the passing of our dear colleague, Sara Hoeflich, Assistant Secretary General and long-standing Director of Learning.
Over the past months, Sara faced an incurable illness with remarkable grace and serenity. It took her from us far too soon.
Sara illuminated our movement with her creativity, generosity, and unwavering belief in humanity’s capacity to learn, to care, and to build a better present and future together. She joined the municipal movement in the early 2000s after a distinguished career in international development that had connected her with communities across continents. Wherever she went, she brought curiosity, compassion, and an extraordinary ability to bring people together.
Sara was a key person in the life of the UCLG Culture Committee: we enjoyed her generous company in the development of the Seven Keys, the Online Courses, the most recent reports and studies and, in general, the daily work of our programme. We will continue to love her by carrying forward the values she embodied. We will honor her work and her unwavering dedication by continuing to learn through collaboration, by nurturing peer-to-peer exchange and mutual learning, and, above all, by never losing faith that together we can make the world a better place.
Her beloved family has kindly allowed us to share this beautiful photograph, which captures the extraordinary light she brought into every room and every life she touched.
Today, the World Secretariat and the entire UCLG movement mourn the loss of a remarkable colleague, mentor, and friend. In the days and years ahead, we will continue to celebrate Sara’s life by strengthening cooperation, advancing learning, and fostering solidarity wherever we can. In doing so, her light will continue to guide us.
