| Dear Members and Friends of the NAF,
In 2018 the Netherlands America Chamber of Commerce transformed itself into the NAF Houston Chapter, expanding from business networking to three focus areas; Cultural Exchange, Business Exchange and Education, while becoming part of an organization with a long and rich history.
The Chapter
The purpose of the NAF Houston is to encourage and facilitate the growth of bilateral trade, business, education and cultural relationships between the Netherlands and Texas.
The Team
Around the middle of last year, I was asked to lead the new chapter. With Henk Jelsma as Secretary and Nadia Sant as Treasurer, we embrace the opportunity to create a vibrant and fun organization. As a volunteer organization, we need to spread the load and retain the experience; having Nadia, Robbie and Ralf as board members preserves the historic knowledge. The creation of three sub-committees was the second step to broaden the team. The sub-committees are developing their programs for 2019, and each committee has a champion for their team on the board. Having Saskia Pardaans of the NBSO on the board and championing for the Business Exchange committee, has been a real benefit for the chapter.
Van Gogh in Houston
The Cultural Exchange committee under Rutger Beelaerts' championship has been involved with the Van Gogh exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, of which the NAF is one of the sponsors. Through June 27th, the exhibition brings together more than 50 masterworks by one of the most iconic artists in the history of Western art. Vincent van Gogh: His Life in Art displays four key stages in Van Gogh's (1853–1890) career, from early sketches to final paintings. We highly recommend this exhibition; for more information visit MFAH. Another example of special events is MFAH Mixed Media, a late-night party at the Museum on April 26th, that includes cocktails, dancing and DJs.
Education
The Education committee with Ralf van der Ven as Champion is looking to support the goals of the NAF organization, through Fulbright Fellowships, interest-free study loans, internship opportunities and other programs.
Going Forward
The next critical step is engagement and growth of membership. A lively and well-attended New-Years' reception was the first push. Robbie Hermsen will be looking for ways to create that engagement and participation. We continue to look for volunteers to help organize, and for members to enjoy what we organize. We ask for your participation, so click the button to become a NAF sponsor, select the Houston chapter, or reach out to anyone on the team. See you at the Vincent van Gogh exhibition, the mixed media event, and/or King's Day. I plan to come from La Grange in the middle of the MS150 charity ride from Houston to Austin that weekend, so don't let me down...
Sjoerd Hoekstra
Chairman Houston NAF Chapter | 
