Aline Hanson

Aline Hanson
2013 inauguration
Born	(1949-10-09)9 October 1949 Saint Martin, overseas région and département of Guadeloupe of France
Died	29 June 2017(2017-06-29) (aged 67) Pic Paradis, Saint Martin
Nationality	French
Occupation(s)	educator, politician
Years active	1974–2017
Known for	1st woman president of the Overseas Collectivity of St. Martin

Aline Hanson (9 October 1949 – 29 June 2017) was a native of Saint Martin, who was noted as a teacher and then became the first woman elected president of the Collectivity of Saint Martin. Hanson began her career in education, working as a teacher, advisor to the French government on developing programs for disadvantaged children and principal of Sandy Ground Elementary School. She entered politics, simultaneously working as a teacher, in the mayoral office of Marigot. Serving on numerous island boards and government entities, in 2007 she ran for a seat on the Territorial Council and was elected as a council member. Two years later, she was promoted to the executive council. In 2012, after winning a seat on the council, she was selected as first vice president. When Richardson was forced from office in 2013, Hanson was elected as the first woman to serve as president of the Overseas Collectivity of St. Martin.

Early life

Aline Hanson was born on 9 October 1949 on the island of Saint Martin, an overseas collectivity of France. Raised on the island, she attended her primary schooling in St. Martin and then moved to Guadeloupe to attend Baimbridge High School. Completing her studies, she went to Paris, and earned a degree from École Normale Supérieure.

Career

After completing her studies, Hanson returned to St. Martin and began a teaching career at the Seaside School (French: l'école du Bord de Mer) in 1974. In 1977, she began her political involvement, working with Marigot's Mayor Elie Fleming. After 1982, also worked for the Priority Education Zone (French: Zone d'éducation prioritaire (ZEP)), a French educational program focused on improving graduation rates in schools located in disadvantaged areas. After participating in the creation and establishment of the local center of educational documentation, Hanson worked as a coordinator of various projects for the program and as a documentalist for research about the ZEP. In 1991, she became the principal of Sandy Ground Elementary School, also serving as the director of the Institut Universitaire de Formation des Maîtres (IUFM), a type of normal school to train teachers.

Hoping to improve conditions on the island, Hanson was politically active, joining several organizations. She chaired the Cultural Association of Saint Martin and was the director of the port at Galisbay. In addition, she became a board member of Semsamar, a planned community development company in which the owners who buy the firm's properties own shares in the developed projects. In 2001, Hanson decided to leave the political arena for six years, but returned to politics in 2007 when the Overseas Collectivity of St. Martin was created. She was elected as a councilor for the Rassemblement Responsabilité Réussite (RRR) party. Interested in creating new legislation for collective, she visited Andorra and Saint Pierre and Miquelon to study their laws. In 2009, she was elected to serve on the executive council of the Territorial Council.

In the 2012 elections Hanson was elected as first vice president of the Territorial Council. President Alain Richardson, with three other vice presidents, and two at-large members served as the executive council of the 23-member body. In 2013, President Richardson was removed from office and Hanson was elected as the president of the Overseas Collectivity of St. Martin. She was the first woman to serve in the position and made a goal of her administration the improvement of relations and cooperation between St. Martin and Sint Maarten, the Dutch side of the island. She worked toward a joint operational agreement, which was signed in 2014 to utilize funds from the European Union for development projects, such as a waste management plant, an employment license exchange program, and how those employment benefits effect later pension applications. Hanson was succeeded by Daniel Gibbs in the 2017 election.

Death and legacy

Hanson died on 29 June 2017 from cancer at her home in Pic Paradis.

References

Bibliography

• Bénabou, Roland; Kramarz, Francis; Prost, Corinne (June 2009). "The French zones d'éducation prioritaire: Much ado about nothing?". Economics of Education Review. 28 (3). Amsterdam, the Netherlands: Elsevier: 345–356. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.404.4203. doi:10.1016/j.econedurev.2008.04.005. ISSN 0272-7757. S2CID 17240563.
• Bidonot, Christian (2013). "Aline Hanson presidente de St Martin" [Aline Hanson President of St. Martin]. Top Outre-Mer (in French). Melun, France. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
• "Aline Hanson, ancienne présidente de la collectivité de Saint-Martin est décédée" [Aline Hanson, former president of the community of Saint-Martin passed away] (in French). French West Indies: RCI Radio News. 29 June 2017. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
• "Aline Hanson est décédée" [Aline Hanson is deceased] (in French). Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe: Guadeloupe 1 Radio News. 29 June 2017. Archived from the original on 30 June 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
• "Aline Hanson, nouvelle présidente du conseil territorial de Saint-Martin" [Aline Hanson, new president of the territorial council of Saint-Martin] (in French). France: Outre-Mer 1. Agence France-Presse. 18 April 2013. Archived from the original on 3 November 2017.
• "EU Funding Available to Construct Waste Management Plant at Bellevue Border --- Deadline to Obtain EU Funds has to be completed by December 2015". Marigot, St. Martin: St. Martin News. 23 June 2015. Archived from the original on 27 July 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
• "Former President Aline Hanson passed away at her home --- Relatives confirmed". Marigot, St. Martin: St. Martin News. 29 June 2017. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
• "French and Dutch Authorities Sign Operational Agreement". Marigot, St. Martin: St. Martin News. 18 August 2014. Archived from the original on 3 November 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
• "Gumbs Re-Elected as President of Com --- Ogoundele Tessi Lost Seat in Exco". Marigot, St. Martin: St. Martin News. 5 May 2009. Archived from the original on 3 November 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
• "Low voter's turnout in first round of Territorial Election --- Team Gibbs 2017 whipped his seven opponents". Marigot, St. Martin: St. Martin News. 19 March 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-03-23. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
• "Members of Territorial Council Installed --- Alain Richardson elected President Unanimously --- Roll Up Your Sleeves to Work for St. Martin --- President Richardson". Marigot, St. Martin: St. Martin News. 1 April 2012. Archived from the original on 3 November 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
• "Prime Minister Meets with President of the Collectivite Madame Aline Hanson". Marigot, St. Martin: St. Martin News. 29 May 2013. Archived from the original on 3 November 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
• "RRR Majority Elected First Female President on Wednesday --- Aline Hanson President of the Collectivity --- President Elect Vowed to work in the interest of St. Martin". Marigot, St. Martin: St. Martin News. 17 April 2013. Archived from the original on 18 October 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2017.