THE BOTTOM – Thom de Graaf has begun his farewell tour of the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom, starting on Saba as he prepares to step down from his role as Vice President of the Council of State of the Kingdom on July 1.
During his visit to Saba, De Graaf was welcomed by Island Governor Jonathan Johnson and toured several major development projects across the island.
Tom de Graaf (second from left) in Saba
His program included visits to schools in St. John’s, where he also viewed the Enrichment Center currently under construction, as well as the new building of the Saba Cares Hospital in The Bottom.
The farewell tour also highlighted Saba’s infrastructure and sustainability initiatives.
De Graaf visited the planned site for a new solar energy park, the Black Rocks Harbour project currently under construction, the waste processing facility in Fort Bay and the social housing development in The Promise Land.
Following the visit, the Public Entity Saba issued a statement expressing gratitude for De Graaf’s years of service and support.
Local authorities credited him with helping advance important projects and strengthening institutional cooperation between Saba and the Kingdom government.
The farewell tour continued on Sunday in Sint Eustatius, where De Graaf, accompanied by Council advisor Ron van der Veer, was welcomed by acting governor Sharon Hassell.
In Statia, the delegation visited several key projects, including the Cliff project, the harbor renovation works, the historic Fort Oranje and the Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
Meetings were also held with the Island Council and Executive Council to discuss ongoing governance and development matters.
At the conclusion of the visit, De Graaf was honored during an official reception, where Commissioner Rechelline Leerdam reflected on his longstanding relationship with the island and thanked him for his commitment to Statia’s progress.
De Graaf has served as Vice President of the Council of State since November 1, 2018.
Before taking on that role, he had a long political career in the Netherlands, serving as a member of the Dutch Parliament for D66, Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, and later as a member of the Dutch Senate.
Throughout his political and institutional career, he maintained close ties with the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom.
He will be succeeded by Sybrand Buma, the current mayor of Leeuwarden and former leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal.