Kathy Gaylor was named the new Rudyard Township supervisor, effective until November 2012, at an August 17 township board meeting. The vote to appoint her into this role was 2-0, with township treasurer Bruce Berkompas and trustee Pat Van Sloten voting yes. Mrs. Gaylor did not vote and township clerk Donna Hall was absent. Another vote had to be taken at a special meeting August 30, however, with the clerk present, to reach the three votes required of a quorum.

Mrs. Gaylor moves into this position after fours years as a trustee and 20 years as the township clerk.

She was in the latter position from 1978 to 1998, and has served on the board as a trustee since 2006. As a supervisor, she is finishing the remainder of the late Sharon Thompson's term.

The day before the August 17 meeting, Mrs. Gaylor made her intent clear to every member of the township board.

“It was something I had talked about with Sharon over the past couple of months,” she said. “We've got a variety of different things that the board has been working on, including windmills and road projects. I felt it was certainly much better to have continuity going into these issues. I know more background, am more aware of these current projects, and have a working relationship with the current board.”

Also applying for the supervisor position was Rudyard Township resident Allen Allen.

Part of the thought process behind the board's selection was that Mrs. Gaylor was the more involved of the two candidates, said Mr. Berkompas.

“She's served many, many years and is aware of what's going on,” Mr. Berkompas said. “This manifests as leadership in that she knows what's been happening and what has happened in the past.”

Serving alongside Mrs. Thompson on the township board offered valuable insight into how to handle the supervisor role, Mrs. Gaylor said.

“Sharon handled things in a very timely manner,” she said. “She was disciplined in her agendas and the way she conducted her meetings. She could move through lengthy agendas in a short amount of time because she kept the board well-informed ahead of time and focused on the task at hand.”

An even temper and an open mind, as evidenced during the handling of divisive issues, were other qualities Mrs. Gaylor will attempt to emulate. Lately, the township board has been tasked with creating a windmill ordinance to govern the construction of wind farms in Rudyard, an issue about which residents have expressed strong opinions.

“We've always believed that the opposition to the windmills was a small group,” Mrs. Gaylor said. “We didn't see those numbers grow as we conducted additional public meetings; instead, we saw the numbers for those in favor of the project grow.”

Even so, everyone's voice must be considered, she said.

“We have one of the most restrictive ordinances moving forward,” Mrs. Gaylor said. “We listened to the opposition and incorporated a lot of what they asked for.”

Balancing both sides during the decision-making process is something Mrs. Gaylor believes the board has done well.

“The board has made some good decisions,” she said. “There's going to be work ahead in implementing those decisions.”

Being able to tackle sensitive issues was another reason Mr. Berkompas voted to install Mrs. Gaylor as the new supervisor.

“We need someone who's able to handle confrontation without cowering in the corner or without getting hot-headed and making a small situation larger than it has to be,” he said.

During her original township board experience, Mrs. Gaylor played an instrumental role in large undertakings as the sewer and water projects which provides the majority of Rudyard residents with sewer and water, were implemented.

Coming into her new role, she said she will be pro-business, making efforts to promote and develop Rudyard, including an increased online presence via Facebook and an improved township Web site.

Mrs. Gaylor came back into local politics when she was appointed to fill out the remainder of a trustee's term in 2006. At the end of that term, in 2008, she petitioned the board for another term, which was granted. Mrs. Gaylor was just halfway into this term when she was named supervisor, and a new trustee must be selected to fill her remaining time.

A letter of interest for this position may be submitted to the Rudyard Township Hall, P.O. Box 277, Rudyard, MI 49780. The board will review these letters and make a selection at its Tuesday, September 21, meeting at 7:30 p.m.