The Allegan County Board of Commissioners elected Commissioner Jim Storey of Holland its chairperson and Commissioner Dean Kapenga of Hamilton vice chair at its reorganizational meeting Thursday.

The new five commissioners were sworn into office by Chief Circuit Court Judge Roberts Kengis. The new board has two fewer members than the previous board which featured seven. Under the reapportionment regimen, the once-in-ten-years apportionment commission reduced the size of the board.

The board also elected former county commissioner Rick Cain of Shelbyville as one of three road commissioners. Cain succeeds Jim Rybicki who served one six-year term. County boards of commissioners elect road commissioners who have jurisdiction over the construction, maintenance and operation of the county’s roads.

Cain served as a commissioner representing Martin and Wayland Township in four previous years. He also may be familiar to area readers as a Wayland Union Board of Education and lieutenant in the Allegan County Sheriff’s Department.

The two other members of the road commission are John Kleinheksel of Hamilton and Larry Brown of Allegan.

Commissioners also adopted their 2023 meeting schedule, which calls for sessions on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month, generally at 9 a.m. for planning sessions and 1 p.m. for regular meetings, unless otherwise noticed.

All sessions of the board are live-streamed on YouTube and available on zoom.