Farewell to Barbara Oomen as Chair of the Executive Board

Barbara Oomen said farewell on Tuesday as Chair of the Executive Board of HZ University of Applied Sciences.

Several guests thanked her for her tireless efforts over the past three years. Barbara’s farewell was linked to the HZ Discovery Café, where she briefly spoke about the value of practice-based research for HZ and Zeeland.

Speeches

This was followed by the official farewell in the atrium of the school building on Edisonweg, where colleagues, students, external guests, family, and friends had gathered. Provincial Executive member Harry van der Maas, Scalda’s Executive Board Chair Hendrik-Jan van Arenthals, Susana Menendez from the HZ Supervisory Board, and student Luna Dijkens all gave speeches.

In their remarks, they praised her humanity, enthusiasm, passion for education, and tireless dedication—highlighting, for example, her advocacy against the Internationalisation in Balance Act, and her support for the JRCZ, the Delta Climate Center, and the Energy Campus project.

Collaboration

Barbara has decided to step down from her role as Chair effective June 1. In the coming months, she will explore how knowledge institutions in Zeeland can collaborate even more effectively—something she strongly championed during her tenure. HZ is now searching for a new, two-person Executive Board.