(Photo courtesy of Oakland County)
On Wednesday night, incoming members of the 2021-2022 Oakland County Board of Commissioners were sworn in during the first full board meeting of the new term.
Commissioner David T. Woodward (D-Royal Oak) was elected chairman and Marcia Gershenson (D-Bloomfield Township) was elected vice chairwoman. The board also welcomed four new commissioners.
“Working together, this board will do everything possible to get us all through this pandemic, and help our local small businesses recover,” Woodward said. “With this new term, we will take all necessary steps to protect the most vulnerable, keep our residents safe and lead Oakland County’s governing body to ensure future prosperity for everyone.”
Commissioners Charlie Cavell (D-Ferndale), Yolanda Charles (D-Southfield) and Karen Joliat (R-Waterford Township) are new commissioners, and Chuck Moss (R-Birmingham) returns to the board after serving on the board from 2000-2006. The other members of the county commission are returning incumbents.
Commissioner Christine Long (R-Commerce Township) gave the meeting’s invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds Lisa Brown gave the oath of office.
“Each new term is exciting, as we meet and greet the new faces that we will be working closely with over the next two years,” Commissioner Michael Spisz (R-Oxford) said.
“I welcome our new colleagues and look forward to working together with each of them as we come out of this pandemic and revitalize our county.”
Each caucus has also elected its respective leadership. For the majority caucus, Commissioner Kristen Nelson (D-Waterford Township) was appointed chairperson, and Commissioner Janet Jackson (D-Southfield) was appointed vice chairperson. For the minority caucus, Commissioner Spisz was appointed chairperson, and Commissioner Michael J. Gingell (R-Lake Orion) was appointed vice chairperson.
“I am honored to have been selected by colleagues to be a part of our leadership team, and I am committed to building a stronger, more resilient team as a Democratic majority,” Nelson said. “Our county executive has set a tone of civility and unity, and I plan to follow his lead in this new position. The Democratic Caucus and Republican Caucus will inevitably have differences, but the door must always be open to seek common ground and solve problems.”
The following commissioners were sworn in to serve for the 2021-2022 term:
• District 1: Michael J. Gingell (R-Lake Orion)
• District 2: Bob Hoffman (R-Highland Township)
• District 3: Michael Spisz (R-Oxford)
• District 4: Karen Joliat (R-Waterford Township)
• District 5: Kristen Nelson (D-Waterford Township)
• District 6: Eileen T. Kowall (R-White Lake)
• District 7: Christine Long (R-Commerce Township)
• District 8: Philip J. Weipert (R-South Lyon)
• District 9: Gwen Markham (D-Novi)
• District 10: Angela Powell (D-Pontiac)
• District 11: Tom Kuhn (R-Troy)
• District 12: Chuck Moss (R-Birmingham)
• District 13: Marcia Gershenson (D-Bloomfield Township)
• District 14: William Miller (D-Farmington)
• District 15: Adam Kochenderfer (R-Rochester)
• District 16: Penny Luebs (D-Clawson)
• District 17: Yolanda Charles (D-Southfield)
• District 18: Charlie Cavell (D-Ferndale)
• District 19: David T. Woodward (D-Royal Oak)
• District 20: Gary R. McGillivray (D-Madison Heights)
• District 21: Janet Jackson (D-Southfield)
At the meeting, the board also established the committees for the term. They are Economic Development and Infrastructure; Public Health and Safety; Finance; and Legislative Affairs and Government Operations.
Additional information about the Board of Commissioners is available at www.oakgov.com/boc or by calling 248-858-0100.
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