On Thursday, November 2, 2023 Wavemaker Eva den Boer was appointed deputy mayor of Jouw
Noordzee. Alongside her, TNO researcher Joris Koornneef has been appointed mayor of Jouw
Noordzee. He succeeds former Olympic sailor and Wavemaker Marcelien Bos-De Koning who has worn the special chain of office for the past three years. HRH Prince Carlos de Bourbon de Parme installed the new mayors during Ecology Day 2023 at Huis ter Duin in Noordwijk.
The purpose of the Mayor of Your North Sea is to share knowledge about current developments in and around the North Sea with the Dutch public, as the North Sea is of great importance to the Netherlands for biodiversity, energy transition, shipping and fisheries.
During her appointment, Eva expressed her desire to bring in both the youth perspective and a ‘Zeeland’ perspective and to ensure that more young people become part of the solutions to the many challenges in the North Sea. From her study background in Governance of Sustainability, Eva wants to connect both the technical and governance aspects in order to ensure a safer and cleaner North Sea.
The Mayor of Your North Sea initiative was started in 2018 by TNO, Energie Beheer Nederland, Gasunie, Municipality of The Hague and the Summerlab Foundation, among others. The Mayor of Your North Sea is an important pillar of the national Your North Sea campaign, which was also presented in Noordwijk. HRH Prince Carlos de Bourbon is official ambassador of that campaign and has been involved in the Mayor of Your North Sea project from its inception.
“In recent years I have been able to experience firsthand the added value of the Mayor of Your North Sea. The North Sea is of vital importance to every Dutch person and the Mayor can be the connecting factor between the North Sea and the public through his presence at events or visiting companies and projects, for example. Given their expertise and passion for the North Sea, with Joris Koornneef and Eva den Boer we have a great new mayor and deputy mayor.”
