DARLINGTON – For the first time in Lafayette County history, there have been seven women elected to the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors.
Nancy Fisker (District 10), Donna Flannery (District 11), Carmen McDonald (District 12) and Lee Gill (District 13) join Kriss Marion (District 8), Carol Korn (District 14) and Rita Buchholz (District 16) on the board after winning their seats during the April 7 election. The first woman on the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors was Bev Anderson in 1984.
“It’s pretty awesome,” Marion said. “Making history like this feels amazing!”
“If we can all embrace such an historic change of electing more women, just think of the possibilities,” Fisker said. “As women, we bring diversity to the business of operating a successful local government. As new members to the board we also bring variation of life experiences to the table.”
“First time in history seven females will serve on Lafayette County Board at the same time,” Gill stated. “As my father once quoted, ‘If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. Your choice.’ The world is changing.”
Korn and Buchholz were the only two women who did not have an opponent during the election.
Marion stated, “I think it’s important to know that a lot of the candidates worked really hard to win these seats, especially from long-term incumbents. I think that’s indicative of the sort of work we can expect from them on the board, and I am excited about the amount of progress we can make with that kind of effort. In industry, it’s a broadly accepted fact that more diverse boards are stronger boards that make better, more well informed decisions. I think Lafayette County is really blessed to have this sort of representation.”
“To me it is not about seven women being on the county board but about the 16 county board members working together for the betterment of Lafayette County. 2020 did not start out how we would have liked it to but once this has passed, we will all come together and work harder than ever. We live in a fantastic county that all 16 of us are proud to serve,” Korn said.
Carmen McDonald of Gratiot, run unopposed after Gerald Heimann stepped down. She wanted to join local government after her long career in the health care field.
“I feel my life experiences will help guide my decision-making skills that will benefit District 12 and the county.” McDonald became a registered nurse and worked at Lafayette Manor and Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County for several years before transitioning to Monroe hospital and retiring in 2011. Her and her husband, John, own and operate a farm outside of Gratiot.
One of McDonald’s goals is to help Lafayette County obtain and retain more businesses for the people of Lafayette County.
“I look forward to the exciting opportunity that the people of District 12 have given me and will represent it to my best ability,” McDonald said.
The entire county board met on Tuesday night, April 21, where all the members of the board were sworn in.
