John Jorritsma
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“The industry, the economy, the vitality: Eindhoven is really the engine of the Netherlands”, according to Commissioner of the King John Jorritsma in Friesland. He said this last Monday on NPO Radio1. Jorritsma will succeed Rob Gijzel as mayor of Eindhoven in September.

John Jorritsma was Commissioner in Friesland for the last eight years and said that there was no reason to leave the northern province. “Today, when I was sailing on the Frisian lakes people from all sides were yelling at me ‘do not do it, do not go away, you’re our Commissioner’. I am 59 but my heart is still 49, I want to do one last trick before my retirement. So when a boat called Eindhoven came sailing by, I jumped on it. Next year the boat will certainly not come again.”

Jorritsma has roots in the Eindhoven region. Prior to his role as commissioner he worked as director of the Brabant Development Agency, as mayor of Cranendonck and gemeentesecretaris of Sint Oedenrode.