West Michigan Honorary Dutch Consul Paulus C. Heule of Eenhoorn will be recognized at the annual Dutch American Heritage Day for his service to the community by promoting economic and trade relations with the Netherlands.
DAHD will be held on Tues., Nov. 16, at Pinnacle Center at 3330 Highland Drive in Hudsonville. U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands Pete Hoekstra will be the keynote speaker for the celebration, which will include a reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by a dinner and program at 6:30 p.m.
The DAHD celebration honors the ties between the Netherlands and the U.S. and looks to raise awareness of Dutch history and culture for future generations in West Michigan.
As co-founder and CEO of multinational real estate investment and management company Eenhoorn, Heule acquired, renovated and managed a portfolio of properties throughout the U.S. and the Netherlands for the past 30 years. He emigrated from the Netherlands as a young adult and later was recognized in 2010 when he was appointed honorary consul to the Kingdom of the Netherlands for Western Michigan. He co-founded the West Michigan Global Initiative nonprofit in 2011, bringing together high-ranking government and business officials from Michigan and the Netherlands to facilitate conversations and collaborations.
Hoekstra also moved to the U.S. from the Netherlands as a toddler and later worked for Herman Miller in Zeeland. He was granted a royal honor from the Dutch government in 2008 when he was appointed as an officer in the order of the Orange-Nassau. He later served as a member of Congress for 18 years as part of the “Gang of Eight,” a group who received the most highly confidential information available in the U.S. government. The CIA also awarded Hoekstra with its Agency Seal Medal, and he also received a National Intelligence Distinguished Public Service Medal from the director of national intelligence.
Hoekstra served as the U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands from 2018 to 2021 and still works to promote U.S. foreign policy goals and objectives.
Tickets and more information on the Dutch American Heritage Day Celebration is at wmdutch-americanheritage.com.
Facebook Comments