WILLEMSTAD - Marcel van der Plank has stepped down as chairman of the Supervisory Board of Stichting Monumentenzorg Curaçao (Monument Care Foundation). The reason that Van der Plank is leaving after 10 years is that he has reached the maximum age that the statutes of the foundation attach to that position.

Herbert van der Woude will be the new chairman.

Until recently, Van der Woude was CEO of Kooyman B.V. where he retired. He has been a commissioner of the foundation for some time now.

Supervisory directors, board and employees of the foundation say that they are very grateful to Van der Plank for his unremitting and disinterested commitment to the organization and its objective, namely the preservation of the built-up cultural heritage of Curaçao.

In the years that Van der Plank was chairman, a number of monuments were restored, such as Landhuis Klein Santa Martha and Stupi Haltu on the Roodeweg (next to Kranshi), Bonairestraat 27, Molenplein 7-11, L.B. Smithplein 12-14 and Huize Sebastopol at Sebastopolstraat (all in Otrobanda). A number of buildings were also purchased on Gasthuisstraat and Pietermaai, the restoration of which is in preparation.

Stichting Monumentenzorg Curaçao has existed since 1954 and is a private foundation, without any involvement from the government, which main goal is to preserve the built-up cultural heritage, so the monuments, of the island for posterity.

In total, the foundation has acquired more than 125 properties in the course of its existence, which it maintains, leases and manages.

The foundation also promotes the awareness of the population on the importance of the monuments as part of the island’s history. This is done through publications of books, folders and short films. The foundation recently even won two cultural prizes for the publication of the digital children's book “Kucho den hanchinan di Otrobanda”.