Rusette Croes elected new Carnival foundation SMAC president

ORANJESTAD — Rusette Croes has been elected the new president of Stichting Maneho di Aruba su Carnaval (SMAC), the organization officially responsible for organizing Aruba’s Carnival. Croes and the complete new board are expected to be publicly presented today, Friday.

Her election marks the beginning of a new leadership period following Darren van Ommeren, who headed SMAC for the past four Carnival seasons. Carnival 72 in 2026 was Van Ommeren’s final season as president, and he had previously indicated that the incoming president and board would be expected to take over ongoing projects and ensure organizational continuity.

Croes is not new to SMAC. In February 2024, she appeared publicly as a SMAC board member during a discussion about Carnival 70 alongside then-president Darren van Ommeren and secretary Edelysse Nicolaas. The discussion addressed organizational challenges, changes introduced by SMAC and the responsibility involved in managing Aruba’s Carnival.

SMAC has been responsible for organizing Aruba’s Carnival since 2014, but the island’s centralized Carnival organization dates back much further.

A central Carnival committee was created in 1954 as Aruba began coordinating Carnival activities island-wide. On November 11, 1966, Stichting Arubaanse Carnaval (SAC) was established and remained the main Carnival organization for nearly five decades. SAC ceased organizing Carnival in 2014, when SMAC took over the role.

SMAC’s first president was Randy Thiel. Subsequent presidents included Shannon Henriquez and Jason Brown, followed by Darren van Ommeren, who was elected president in July 2022 with the task of further structuring and developing the organization of Aruba’s Carnival.

Today, SMAC operates year-round with Carnival groups, musicians, sponsors, volunteers and other stakeholders. Its stated mission is to position Aruba as a leading Carnival destination while preserving its history and expanding the celebration’s cultural, social and economic impact.

One of the matters awaiting the new leadership is the future of Aruba’s Carnival Museum. SMAC previously said it hoped the incoming president and board would continue efforts to reactivate the project in cooperation with the Government.

With Croes now at the helm, attention will turn to the direction the new board intends to take on organization, relations with Carnival groups and musicians, financing, infrastructure, safety and international promotion.

More details about the composition of the board, individual responsibilities and Croes’ priorities are expected when SMAC formally presents its new leadership today.