Melis van de Groep was born in Bunschoten and grew up in the village. Before he became mayor, he worked for the municipality. He has always been interested in politics. In 1979, it was his wife who pointed him to his first job for the municipality of Bunschoten. “Your new job is in the newspaper,” she had said when there was an advertisement in the newspaper for ‘apprentice civil servant’.
He got that job and worked for the municipality for 12 years. In 1994 he became a council member for the Christian Union and three years later an alderman. When he thinks back on his career he beams. He is grateful that he was allowed to do the work.