ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – The Delta County Board of Commissioners is heading into 2025 with two new members.
Thursday afternoon, the elected officials of Delta County took their oaths of office. County Commissioners John Malnar and Matt Jensen, of Districts 1 and 5, secured their upcoming terms in the August primary. District 4 Commissioner Kelli Van Ginhoven retained her seat in the general election.
Joining them on the County Board is Patrick Johnson, who replaces fellow Republican Steven Viau in the District 2 seat.
“It’s a great board, very intelligent people,” said Johnson. “I look forward to working with them. I think we’re going to get a lot accomplished.”
Although his presence is a change to the board’s lineup, Johnson is a familiar face. He previously served as a commissioner for eight years, acting as board chair for three. He says he is prepared to hold the title of commissioner once again.
“The biggest goal is just keep the County running efficiently—and stay out of the news!” Johnson said. “This has been a great experience and I can’t wait to get back to work.”
Republican Christine Williams was sworn in to represent District 3, taking the seat from former no-party commissioner Myra Croasdell. A former member of the Escanaba Planning Commission, Williams says her top priorities are accountability and transparency.
“I am really looking forward to looking into some of the issues that we faced over the last couple of years and really diving deep into what we found out and how we can not repeat those issues,” she said. “I’m also looking forward to moving forward. I think I offer a new set of skills that we’ve not seen before.”
Williams is glad to continue the recent trend of female representation. Having collaborated with some of her fellow commissioners in the past, she is optimistic about the future of the County Board.
“I’ve worked with Patrick Johnson before, minimally,” said Williams. “I worked with John Malnar on the Planning Commission, and I worked a little bit with Matt Jensen on a veterans project at Bay College when I worked there, so I look forward to continuing to work with them.”
Williams and Johnson will attend the first Delta County Board meeting of their terms on January 7.
