Alderman Jaimi van Essen nominated as minister

Alderman Jaimi van Essen (D66) is the nominated Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature. 

In a letter to the municipal council, Alderman Van Essen states: “I have been asked to become minister. An incredibly beautiful request to which I said ‘yes’. […] Your council gave me the confidence to start as alderman in Deventer. A task I have fulfilled with full energy and attention. I have greatly enjoyed working as alderman in the most beautiful Hanseatic city.”

In the same letter, he also announced his resignation, which takes effect on the day of his appointment as minister. What these developments mean for the current college will be announced in due course.

On behalf of the municipal government of Deventer, Mayor Ron König says in a first reaction: “We warmly congratulate Jaimi van Essen on this great news. Deventer has come to know and appreciate him in a short time as a talented administrator, smooth in debate and convincing through his knowledge and experience. We will continue to follow him with special interest in the coming period.”

Jaimi van Essen was born in 1991 in Enschede and grew up in Losser. He studied political science in Nijmegen and European Studies in Twente. After his studies, he worked as an advisor at the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. In 2014, he became a council member in Losser for D66 and subsequently alderman from 2019 to 2024. At the beginning of 2024, Van Essen succeeded Thomas Walder as alderman in Deventer with portfolios including Energy, Sustainability and Environment, Economy, Port and Business Parks, City Center, International Policy, Recreation and Tourism, and Deventer Marketing. He has been living with his family in Deventer for some time.