People

The Hague Academy for Local Governance was established as a foundation in The Hague in 2006. The people involved in the Academy are:

Chair
Peter Knip

Peter Knip is a leading expert in developing local governance and municipal international cooperation. Since 1989 he has been head of the International Project Unit of the Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG) and director of VNG International respectively. In this capacity, Peter Knip has developed and implemented several national and international programmes and projects in the field of local public administration reform and decentralised international cooperation. Peter Knip has a MA in History (Rotterdam) and a degree in International Relations (Hull). His present ancillary functions are Chairman of the Foundation for European Cooperation and Chairman of the Capacity and Institution Building Platform of United Cities and Local Government (UCLG).

 

Secretary
Zdeñek Husek

Zdeñek Husek is the director of MEPCO, the Czech consultancy company founded by the Dutch and Czech Associations of Municipalities jointly. In this position he has been managing large projects in the field of local government in various countries. Zdeñek Husek holds a MA at the Czech Technical University and several diplomas in strategy management and economic development (Rotterdam and Antwerp). He has worked on  several short assignments for the Simmeringer Innovation Zentrum in Vienna.

 

Treasurer
Frank Burgers

Frank Burgers, director of the Centre for Municipal Research and Advice (CMRA) in South Africa, has a background in economics and public administration (Rotterdam, Syracuse and Harvard). He worked a.o. for the World Bank in Washington and since 2000 has shifted his focus to local government. He worked as a project manager at VNG International and was councillor for the Old South District in Amsterdam. Since 2004 Frank Burgers has been responsible for establishing and developing CMRA, an organisation which offers paid consultancy services to South African Municipalities.

 

General Manager
Cecile Meijs

Cecile Meijs is an international expert in communication management and training. She has been working in a.o. the Sudan, Albania, Ukraine and Serbia on developing local services, communication policy and citizen participation. Before that, she was head of the public relations department in the Dutch municipality of Den Helder, communication advisor to the municipal executive of The Hague and head of the press information department in The Hague. Cecile Meijs holds a MA in Communication Sciences and Public Administration (Amsterdam) and has published several articles on government communication.