At the Jan. 13 business meeting the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners formally passed the gavel to George Teal, who will serve as chair. The outgoing chair reflected on stewardship, collaboration and the board’s rotating‑chair tradition before making the motion to transfer the chairmanship.

George Teal accepted the gavel; commissioners thanked the outgoing chair for the past year’s leadership, citing initiatives such as the homeless initiative, wildfire initiative, and HEART partnerships. Teal then nominated Commissioner Kevin Van Winkle to serve as vice chair; the nomination was seconded and approved by unanimous voice vote.

Commissioners used the opportunity to reiterate priorities for the year and noted upcoming items on county initiatives. No separate compensation or policy changes were reported as part of the leadership transition.