Four long-serving local politicians in Veldhoven have been appointed Members of the Order of Orange-Nassau. Karin Gielis, Hans van de Looij, Wim Peters, and Peter Saris all received the royal honour after serving on the city council for 12 years or more.
Karin Gielis, aged 58, is leaving the council after 12 years of service. She joined the council in 2014, representing Veldhoven Samen Anders (VSA) for two terms before moving to Hart voor Veldhoven (HvV) in 2022. Outside of politics, she works as an independent entrepreneur and therapist. She also served on the supervisory board of the welfare organisation Cordaad Welzijn between 2017 and 2023.
Hans van de Looij, aged 66, is retiring as one of the most experienced figures in Veldhoven politics. He served as an alderperson for 14 years, setting a 100-year record for the longest-serving person in that role from a non-religious party. Representing Gemeentebelangen Veldhoven (GBV), he previously worked as a history teacher and ran his own driving school.
Wim Peters, aged 69, has been a councillor since 2010. He initially joined Veldhoven Samen Anders as a support group member in 2009 before becoming a councillor for Hart voor Veldhoven in 2022. Known locally as a prominent figure in the village of Oerle, he also works for a poultry solutions company, where he earned the nickname “the chicken whisperer”.
Peter Saris, aged 55, served as a continuous member of the council from March 2010. He held the position of faction chair for the VVD party during two separate periods. Saris is regarded as a strategic politician who draws on his background as an economics teacher to encourage young people to take an interest in politics. He currently teaches at Rythovius College in Eersel.
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