View source for Loekie van Maaren-van Balen

{{Short description|Dutch politician}}
[[File:Burgemeester Maaren-van Baalen.jpg|thumb|Maaren-van Baalen, Mayor of Weert in the period 1991-1999|250px|right]]
'''Louise Bernardina Maria (Loekie) van Maaren-van Balen''' (born 9 March 1946 in [[Wormerveer]]) is a former [[The Netherlands|Dutch]] [[politics|politician]]. She became known nationwide during her term of office as the [[burgemeester|mayor]] of [[Leeuwarden]].
==Biography==
Van Maaren was born in Wormerveer, now part of the [[North Holland]] municipality of [[Zaanstad]].
In the 70s she worked as a teacher of [[social science]] and [[Community development|community work]] at the ''Social Academy'' of [[The Hague]]. She did community work in [[Haarlem]] as an [[employee]] of "Provinciaal Opbouworgaan Haarlem". Because of her work she became interested in politics and decided to join the [[Dutch Labour Party|PvdA]] in 1975.
Three year later she was sworn in as [[councillor]] for [[municipality]] of [[Haarlem]]. In 1983 she became an [[alderman]] in Haarlem. Eight years later, in 1991, she applied for the job of [[burgomaster]] of [[Weert]], a municipality in the province of [[Limburg (Netherlands)|Limburg]].
She is praised for her good [[presentation]], [[compassion]] and [[firmness]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Inleiding - Terug in de tijd|url=http://www.loekiemutterug.plein058.nl/loekiemutterug/inleiding/index.htm|publisher=Loekie mut terug|language=Dutch|accessdate=2007-11-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060330140301/http://www.loekiemutterug.plein058.nl/loekiemutterug/inleiding/index.htm|archive-date=2006-03-30|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===Mayor of Leeuwarden===
The post of [[mayor of Leeuwarden]] became available after the departure of [[Haijo Apotheker]], who became [[minister (Christianity)|minister]]. Loekie received a call and expressed her interest. She felt she needed the challenge after being the mayor of Weert for eight years. The high [[unemployment rate]], a dated housing file and internal difficulties after a huge reorganisation. Enough reason for her to apply for the job.<ref name="loeklwd">{{cite web|title=Inleiding - Leeuwarden|url=http://www.loekiemutterug.plein058.nl/loekiemutterug/inleiding/index.htm|publisher=Loekie mut terug|language=Dutch|accessdate=2007-11-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060330140301/http://www.loekiemutterug.plein058.nl/loekiemutterug/inleiding/index.htm|archive-date=2006-03-30|url-status=dead}}</ref>
The confidence commission in Leeuwarden led by [[Peter den Oudsten]], who is currently mayor of [[Enschede]], decided unanimously she would make the finest mayor.<ref name="loeklwd"/>
==Published work==
* {{cite book | last=van Maaren-van Baalen | first=Loekie | title=HOEZO BURGEMEESTER, de ervaringen van de burgemeester van Leeuwarden 1999-2001 | location=[[The Hague|'s-Gravenhage]] | publisher=Uitgeverij BzztôH BV | year=2003 | isbn=90-453-0143-1}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060619104853/http://www.loekiemutterug.plein058.nl/loekiemutterug/ Loekie van Maaren-van Balen fan site]
* [https://archive.today/20001018204556/http://www.bzztoh.nl/ Uitgeverij BzztôH]
{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Jo Matti]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of mayors of Weert|Mayor of Weert]]|years=1991–1999}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Karel Majoor]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Haijo Apotheker]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of mayors of Leeuwarden|Mayor of Leeuwarden]]|years=1999–2001}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Margreeth de Boer]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Mayors of Leeuwarden}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maaren-van Balen, Loekie van}}
[[Category:1946 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century Dutch politicians]]
[[Category:20th-century Dutch women politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century Dutch politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century Dutch women politicians]]
[[Category:Aldermen in North Holland]]
[[Category:Dutch civil servants]]
[[Category:Dutch women civil servants]]
[[Category:Dutch educators]]
[[Category:21st-century Dutch women educators]]
[[Category:21st-century Dutch educators]]
[[Category:Labour Party (Netherlands) politicians]]
[[Category:Mayors of Leeuwarden]]
[[Category:Mayors in Limburg (Netherlands)]]
[[Category:Municipal councillors of Haarlem]]
[[Category:People from Weert]]
[[Category:People from Zaanstad]]
[[Category:Women mayors of places in the Netherlands]]