Alumni Public Administration now mayor of Almere
Franc Weerwind studied Public Administration at Leiden University from 1986 to 1992. Right now, mr. Weerwind is the mayor of the municipality of Almere. The editors of Leidraad, the alumni magazine of the university, had a talk with him in context of the recurring ‘workplace’ section in the magazine.
The workplace of Franc Weerwind
Once every two weeks, mayor Franc Weerwind joins random citizens for dinner – he is already fully booked until the end of this year and he never hears complaints. The large windows of his modern office on the fifth floor of the town hall represent his views on the post of the mayor. Franc Weerwind (52 years old, member of D66) loves going outdoors, to see society and its diversity. During his study Public Administration, when as a member of student association Minerva he organized bingo for seniors, he already knew he wanted to do something for society. He looks young and fit, just like the city that is now his city. The successor of Annemarie Jorritsma talks proudly of all the green scenery, the water, the bus lanes, the 186 different nationalities, the college, the Japanese companies, the Syrian women who makes mosaics for neighbours and the beautiful architecture. A photo of the ‘Rode Donders’ has been prominently hung on his wall: three fiery red apartment blocks, which Weerwind calls grain silos. They are icons of the varied landscape that is Almere, and the view from there is just as amazing.
Source: Leidraad - Alumni magazine no. 2 2017
Text by: Janet van Dijk Photo: Taco van der Eb