Board
Here you can find more information on the current board of Okawa and their predecessors. The board currently consists of five people: chairman, secretary, treasurer, vice-chairman and external affairs.
2019-2020
When?
This administration was inaugurated on November the 27th, during the 28th GMM in Eindhoven.
Who?
Chairman –Auke Sijbesma
Auke has started kayaking since 2017. During his semester abroad in Norway, he started this crazy sport. Even though his kayaking adventure had already started with an injury, he was not put off and registered with Okawa. Within Okawa he is also known as Flauwke because of his great humor and word jokes. Auke has a Masters in Operations Management & Logistics at the TU / e. Unfortunately for Auke, student time is already over and he has been working as a logistic engineer at VDL since November. Despite his civilian life, he will often be present at trips, training sessions and other activities!
Secretary – Rens Jan van der Linden
You could say that Rens Jan grew up in a kayak. He started back when he was 8 years old. Even though he had always kayaked on flatwater he immediately fell in love with whitewater during the summer intro of 2018 and he joined Okawa. Even with his busy life as an active student, bartender and dj he still had some time left for a board year at okawa.
Treasurer – Thomas Klokgieters
As new treasurer of Okawa I am very curious what this year will bring. Also because off my study switch from mathematics to physics.
I started my canoeing career with slalom canoeing in group 7 at the HKC, after a “jeugdactief” introduction to my brother. After a few years and a 5th place at the Dutch youth championship😊 it turned out that slalom canoeing was not my thing. So, then I spent a few years floating between recreational and serious kayakers. I took a short stop after my final high school exams. However, after a year break, the canoe virus struck again and I went to Okawa in March last (2019) year.
Now, enjoying the more (more serious) paddling and the “gezellighed”, I joined the board this year. And treasurer was quickly chosen after almost being drugged and under light pressure😉. Next year I hope to automate the accounting. To have to do as little as possible directly (paying on time is always possible!). So that I have a lot of free time to paddle with you in my new cozy pyranha jed.
Vice-chairman – Chaneequa Kocken
After a short break, Chaneequa is back on the board. After having happily tried out all the committees for 2 years, she couldn't really take distance of being a board member. As a result, she will still interfere with all committees. Fortunately, that is also her main task in the board. But not only that, she will also take care of the female note within the board. In addition to being a board member at Okawa, she is still (or actually again) a student. She studies physiotherapy in Nijmegen, which is super handy if you have any pains. Pay attention, according to her teachers you have to be a bit sadistic for this profession!
External Affairs – Loek Trimbach
Loek is quite new to the game, he joined Okawa after the introduction weekend of last year, just as Rens Jan did. Although he was mostly abroad during that year, the white waters have brought him back to be an active member again. With his love for venturing out into nature, with or without his motorcycle, kayaking is one passion that will stick.
Next to the sport, Loek is especially font of social activities within the association, as well as outside. That’s why the role of external affairs fits him like a glove. As the successor of Elisa, he strives to make name of Okawa within study community of Eindhoven, by connecting with other sports-associations, and offering exiting kayaking-activities to the general public. Building a broader network will definitely do no harm to Okawa, or to Loek.