Minister for Agriculture of the Netherlands Mrs Sharon Dijksma Personal details Full name: Sharon Dijksma Place and date of birth: Groningen, 16 April 1971 Place of residence: Enschede Civil status: married, two children Education 1983-1989: Secondary school, Groningen Tertiary Education: Law (did not complete degree course), University of Groningen; public administration (did not complete degree course), University of Twente Career Sharon Dijksma was a member of the House of Representatives of the States General for the Labour Party (PvdA) from 1994 to 2007. Her portfolio included education, transport, public works & water management and development cooperation. On 22 February 2007 she was appointed State Secretary for Education, Culture & Science in the fourth Balkenende government. From 17 June 2010 to 20 September 2012 Ms Dijksma was a member of the House of Representatives for the PvdA, with responsibility for general economic policy and spatial planning & infrastructure. On 17 December 2012, she was appointed Minister for Agriculture in the Rutte-Asscher government. Party-political appointments In 1991 Ms Dijksma served as general secretary of the Young Socialists and became its chair in 1992. From 1996 to 1999 she sat on the board of the Evert Vermeer Foundation, an organisation promoting international coo- peration. She was also vice-president of the Socialist International Women in this period. In 1991 and 1992 Ms Dijksma was a youth representative in the Dutch government’s delegation to the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York. She also served on several boards, notably that of the BNN media group and of the joint venture between Expertis Education Consultants and the Edith Stein Primary Teacher Training College/Twente Education Centre. In 2010 Sharon Dijksma became a member of the supervisory board of Rijksmuseum Twenthe..