Village of Jackson president administers oaths, board ratifies committee appointments

Village President Brian Heckendorf administered the oath of office to newly elected trustees and the Village of Jackson Board held its organizational meeting Tuesday evening, April 15, 2025, at Village Hall. The board then approved a series of committee and commission appointments that set leadership and citizen-member terms for the coming year.

Heckendorf, who was sworn in as village president for a two-year term, told the board it was "an honor for me to serve the Village of Jackson." He thanked staff and volunteers and specifically praised Village Administrator Jen Heitke, saying she is "the glue that keeps everything together." Several longtime directors were also acknowledged as having recently retired, and the board welcomed new department directors for public works and parks and recreation.

The organizational votes were procedural and carried by voice vote, with motions typically introduced by Heckendorf and seconded by board members. Key appointments approved included trustee and citizen members for the Budget and Finance Committee, Personnel Committee, Board of Public Works, Plan Commission, Police and Fire Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Tourism Commission, Residents Board, Community Development Authority (CDA), Ethics Committee, Mid-Marine Legislative Committee, and the Zoning Board of Appeals. The board also reappointed Tracy Wells as the school district liaison.

Notable personnel and appointment details approved at the meeting: - Oath of office: Brian Heckendorf was administered the oath as village president; trustees Brian Emerick, Tim Engelhart and Deborah (Debbie) Kurtz were administered oaths for two-year trustee terms. - Budget & Finance Committee: Trustee Don Olson and Trustee Tracy Wells were appointed for one-year terms expiring in April 2026. - Personnel Committee: Trustee Brian Emerick and Trustee John Kripke were appointed for one-year terms expiring in April 2026. - Board of Public Works: President Heckendorf appointed himself as chair; Trustees Tim Engelhart and John Kripke were appointed as board members (one-year terms expiring April 2026). Ryan Gancho was appointed as a citizen member for a three-year term expiring April 2028. Other citizen members acknowledged: Stephanie Egnor, Jeff Mitchell, and Josh Sandebeck. - Plan Commission: Trustees Brian Emerick and John Kripke were appointed for one-year terms expiring April 2026. Citizen members John Molkentin and Dan Reich were appointed to three-year terms expiring April 2028. Other plan commission members include Dwayne Hoffmeister and Matt Van Epperen. - Police and Fire Commission: Doug Elske was appointed to a new five-year term expiring April 2030. Other commission members named were Joe Washburn, David Wintland, Jim Myers and Jeffrey Lats. - Parks and Recreation Commission: Trustee Tracy Wells was named as the trustee representative for a one-year term expiring April 2026. Casey Lats was appointed as a citizen chair for a three-year term expiring 2028. Other members listed include Britney Rafke, Brian Mecha and Kim Powers. The board also welcomed Tyler Menzel as the new parks and recreation director. - Tourism Commission: Larry Hamlin was reappointed for a one-year term expiring April 2026; Bernadette Buser was appointed as a citizen member for a one-year term expiring 2026. - Residents Board: Michelle Zach was appointed to a new five-year term expiring April 2030. Other members named: Michelle Klempe and Patrick Pryor. - Community Development Authority (CDA): Trustee Tim Engelhart was appointed with a term expiring April 2026. Citizen members Tracy Keyes and Richard Toye were appointed to three-year terms expiring April 2028. Other CDA members referenced included Tim Klempp and Doug Elske. - Ethics Committee: Larry Hadke and Mark Nolte were appointed to two-year terms expiring April 2027. Other ethics committee members include Christy Stem, Jack Lippold and Jackie Bradway. - Mid-Marine Legislative Committee: Trustee Don Olson was appointed as the representative and Trustee Debbie Kurtz as the alternate. - School district liaison: Trustee Tracy Wells was reappointed as the village's school district liaison. - Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA): John Vinsfield was appointed chair and John Schoenick was appointed as a member for three-year terms expiring April 2028. Ethan Hollenberger was appointed to fill the remaining term (expiring April 2026) vacated by Jason Marquardt. Other ZBA members cited were Dave Schleif and Steve Claybor.

All procedural motions reported in the transcript were approved by voice vote with the board chair calling for "aye" and stating "motion carries." Several committee members who were not present at the meeting were noted as to be sworn in later by Village Clerk Jackie Bradway before their first meetings or "as soon as possible."

The meeting also included acknowledgements of two recent retirements—Brian Kolber and Kelly Valentino—and a welcome to new department directors Jack Strahler (public works) and Tyler Menzel (parks and recreation). Heckendorf said he looks forward to working with the new board and staff throughout 2025.

The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn that carried by voice vote.