Marcia Bouterse was sworn in as perma­nent civil law notary for St. Eustatius and Saba on Tuesday, August 15. She had been working as a notary on these two islands for the past year, but only in an acting capacity.

“I am happy to be appointed as the permanent civil law no­tary for the public entities [of St. Eustatius and Saba — Ed.] and I feel fortunate to serve the people of both public enti­ties,” Bouterse said.

Speaking with The Daily Herald earlier this week, Bouterse said that when she learned about St. Eustatius and Saba be­ing without notarial services she had decided to apply for the open position. She was accepted and was appointed in an acting capacity on July 7, 2022.

The first eight months were the hardest, explained Bout­erse. Since she took the post, she has been living part-time on both islands, spending at least two weeks in each location.

“My partner Derk-Jan Duinkerken and I jumped on a speeding train and were working 7 days a week, 24 hours,” she said. “By working hard and always keeping faith, we got a lot done and I am very proud of that.”

A graduate of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Bouterse pre­viously worked as a candidate notary in the Netherlands and the Dutch Caribbean.

Before starting as acting notary for St. Eustatius and Saba, she had been a candidate notary for almost seven years at Tjon Ajong and Associates, which is based in St. Maarten. In this function, Bouterse would travel to St. Eustatius and Saba to meet clients and discuss their cases.

The Daily Herald.