Cees van der Knaap explained

Cees van der Knaap
Birth Date:27 January 1951
Birth Place:Bennekom, Netherlands
Office:Mayor of Ede
Term Start:21 January 2008
Term End:1 September 2017
Predecessor:Tineke Netelenbos
Successor:René Verhulst
Office1:State Secretary for Defence
Term Start1:22 July 2002
Term End1:18 December 2007
Predecessor1:Henk van Hoof
Successor1:Jack de Vries
Office2:Member of the House of Representatives
Term Start2:30 November 2006
Term End2:22 February 2007
Term Start3:30 January 2003
Term End3:27 May 2003
Term Start4:19 May 1998
Term End4:22 July 2002
Birthname:Cornelis van der Knaap
Nationality:Dutch
Party:Christian Democratic Appeal

Cornelis (Cees) van der Knaap (born 27 January 1951) is a Dutch politician. He was State Secretary for Defence for the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA).

Biography

After attending a MULO school, Van der Knaap worked for Vroom & Dreesmann. Between 1970 and 1975 he served as an enlisted soldier in the Royal Netherlands Army. After that he worked for the customs service. Since 1978 he has worked for the National Federation of Christian Trade Unions in the Netherlands, first as district board member, later as a member of the national board of the transport union. In 1992 he became a member of the national board of the federal trade union, first as coordinator working conditions, later as general secretary.

In 1998 Van der Knaap became a member of the House of Representatives for the Christian Democratic Appeal. In 2002 he became State Secretary for Defence in the First Balkenende cabinet, a post he has held until 2008, even though there were considerable mutations between the second Balkenende cabinet, the third cabinet Balkenende and the Fourth Balkenende cabinet. Van der Knaap is a trustee of Jan Peter Balkenende, and has been an important contact between the cabinet and the trade unions in times of crisis.

Van der Knaap has become mayor of Ede in 2008,[1] his successor as State Secretary was Jack de Vries.

References

Notes and References

  1. News: Probleemjongeren op gesprek bij burgemeester. De Gelderlander. nl. 31 December 2010.