Fred de Graaf
Fred de Graaf was born on the on the 28th of February 1950 in Roosendaal. He has been a member of the Dutch Senate for the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) since 2003.
Political career[edit]
He was a student assistant of constitutional law at the University of Groningen between 1973 and 1975. Subsequently, from 1973 to 1981, he worked for the Ministry of the Interior. He was the mayor of Leersum between 1981 and 1989 and the mayor of Vught between 1989 and 1999. Subsequently, he was the acting mayor of Helvoirt (1995-1996) and Udenhout (1996-1997). He was the mayor of Apeldoorn from 1999 to 2011. Between 2011 and 2013 he was the chairman of the Dutch Senate. As well as his membership of the Senate, he was the acting mayor of Bronckhorst (2013-2014) and Amstelveen (2014). Besides, he was active in various different commissions of the VVD.
Education[edit]
De Graaf studied law at the University of Groningen from 1968 to 1975.
Interesting facts[edit]
De Graaf received several domestic and foreign awards. In 1997, de Graaf became a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau and in 2011 an Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau. This order is a Dutch chivalric order open to everyone who has earned special merits for society. In 2000 he was bestowed the Third Order of the Sacred Treasure. This is a Japanese Order, awarded to those who have made distinguished achievements in research fields, business industries, healthcare, social work, state/local government fields or the improvement of life for handicapped/impaired persons.[1]
He is also an honorary citizen of Apeldoorn and Vught and he received two different medals of the Dutch Red Cross.
