Harmke Vlieg, who was alderman in Assen until last year’s elections, will start as director of the Region Groningen-Assen partnership on 1 June. There she is the successor of Betty de Boer.
But what exactly does her new employer do? And what will her role be? Harmke Vlieg explains it to us.
How did you get to this job?
“I applied! Because of my previous position as alderman in the municipality of Assen, I already knew what the organization was doing and I am enthusiastic about that.”
Could you tell us in a nutshell what the Region Groningen-Assen partnership does?
“It is a voluntary partnership between seven municipalities and the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe. They work together in the Groningen and Assen region, where many people live and work. Many of these municipalities have challenges that do not stop at the municipal border. The cooperation We try to make things as smooth as possible between the governments.”
“We come up with solutions in the field of mobility, infrastructure, economy and the housing market, among other things. Besides all that, we want to ensure that it remains attractive to live in this region. So we also ensure that the living environment remains attractive, nature and greenery are qualities of the region.”
What are the advantages of such a partnership?
“It helps in obtaining subsidies by working together. In politicians in The Hague, they like to consult with regions, joint plans from municipalities and provinces receive support sooner than if everyone knocks on the door of the government individually. further!”
What will you add to the organization?
“I was no stranger to it, I myself was involved in the collaboration as an alderman. I already know many of the people I will be working with. I like that and I look forward to the renewed collaboration. The work is already very close to what I have done, and in that sense I already bring that experience with me. After eight years of being an alderman, it is also healthy to hand over the baton, but secretly I really enjoy being able to continue building on things now which I was already working on as an alderman. Building a strong region!”
What assignments will you and the organization face in the near future?
“The cooperation between the various parties must be evaluated. I would like to know what went well and where we could have done things differently.”
“Then plans are made to develop a vision in the long term towards which we are moving as a region. An example that we then stand for is how we deal with sustainable energy. How are you going to fit that into the landscape, in addition to the space that is needed for homes and businesses? That will be a task in the future.”