Two Heemstede councillors awarded Royal Honours for decades of public service
Two outgoing councillors in Heemstede, Thera van der Heijden and Remco Ates, have been honored with Royal distinctions for their 12 years of dedication to local governance. Their contributions in social policy and spatial planning have left a lasting impact on the community.
| Key Data Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Recipients | Thera van der Heijden, Remco Ates |
| Honour Awarded | Member of the Order of Orange-Nassau |
| Years of Service | 12 years each |
| Political Affiliations | GroenLinks (Van der Heijden), HBB/VVD (Ates) |
| Roles | Councillor, Parliamentary Leader (Van der Heijden), Alderman (Ates) |
| Key Contributions | Social domain (Van der Heijden), Spatial Planning Committee (Ates) |
| Location | Heemstede, Noord-Holland |
| Award Presented By | Mayor Falgun Binnendijk |
The municipality of Heemstede, like other Dutch local governments, is responsible for recognizing the contributions of long-serving councillors through awards such as Royal Honours. These honours highlight the importance of local governance and civic engagement in shaping community policies.
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Royal honours for outgoing councillors Van der Heijden and Ates
During the final council meeting of the ‘old’ municipal council, Mayor Falgun Binnendijk presented Royal Honours to Thera van der Heijden and Remco Ates. Both councillors received this recognition for their long-standing and meaningful contributions to the Heemstede community.
Thera van der Heijden served as a councillor for 12 years and as parliamentary leader for GroenLinks. She was known for her sharp analyses, extensive knowledge of dossiers, and dedication to the social domain.
Remco Ates served as a councillor for 12 years, first for HBB and later for the VVD. Additionally, he held the position of alderman for HBB for two years. In the council, he was known for his calm and authoritative chairmanship of the Spatial Planning Committee and his broad commitment to local governance.
Mayor Falgun Binnendijk spoke at length about their merits before pinning the Royal Honour of Member of the Order of Orange-Nassau onto them.