| Tamara van Ark | |
| Office: | Minister of Health |
| Term Start: | 9 July 2020 |
| Term End: | 3 September 2021 |
| Primeminister: | Mark Rutte |
| Predecessor: | Martin van Rijn |
| Successor: | Conny Helder |
| Office1: | State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment |
| Term Start1: | 26 October 2017 |
| Term End1: | 9 July 2020 |
| Primeminister1: | Mark Rutte |
| Predecessor1: | Jetta Klijnsma |
| Successor1: | Bas van 't Wout |
| Office2: | Member of the House of Representatives |
| Term Start2: | 31 March 2021 |
| Term End2: | 3 September 2021 |
| Term Start3: | 17 June 2010 |
| Term End3: | 26 October 2017 |
| Birth Date: | 1974 8, df=y |
| Birth Place: | The Hague, Netherlands |
| Nationality: | Dutch |
| Party: | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy |
| Children: | 2 |
| Alma Mater: | Erasmus University Rotterdam (Bachelor of Public Administration, Master of Public Administration) |
| Occupation: | Politician · Civil servant · Management consultant · Social worker |
Tamara van Ark (born 11 August 1974) is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). She served as Minister of Health from 9 July 2020 until 3 September 2021 and as State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment from 26 October 2017 until 9 July 2020 in the Cabinet Rutte III.
Van Ark received a propaedeutic diploma from the Rotterdam Hogeschool voor Economische Studies (now named the Rotterdam Business School) of the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences in 1994. She went subsequently to the Erasmus University Rotterdam where she obtained an MSc degree in Public Administration in 1998.[1]
As a member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Van Ark was an alderwoman of the former municipality of Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel from 2004 to 2010 and of its successor, the Zuidplas municipality in 2010.
In the 2010 Dutch general election, Van Ark was elected to the House of Representatives (or Second Chamber). As a parliamentarian from 17 June 2010, she focused on matters of long-term care. She was also involved, with other officeholders, with a law proposal against labour discrimination of homosexuals.
Van Ark was reelected to the House of Representatives in 2012 and 2017. She remaine a member of the House of Representatives until her appointment as State Secretary on 26 October 2017.
On 9 July 2020, Van Ark succeeded Martin van Rijn as Minister of Health.[2] Since 2020, she has also been a member of the Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance, co-chaired by Sheikh Hasina and Mia Mottley.[3]
Following the 2021 national elections, Van Ark and Wouter Koolmees of the Democrats 66 party were chosen to lead their parties' negotiations on a coalition agreement.[4]