Chatham Township Committee Holds 2026 Reorganization Meeting, Remarks by Mayor Jennifer Rowland
On January 6, 2026, the Chatham Township Committee convened its annual Reorganization Meeting, as required by state law.
During the meeting, Committeewoman Jennifer Rowland and Committeeman Marty McHugh were sworn in as Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson, respectively. As Chair and Deputy Chair of the Committee, they will serve as Chatham Township’s Mayor and Deputy Mayor for the 2026 calendar year. As part of her appointment, Mayor Rowland offered her remarks to the public, a transcript of which can be read at the end of this post.
Also at the meeting, Committeeman Michael Choi and Committeewoman Stacey Ewald were both administered their oaths of office, officially beginning new three-year terms following their reelections this past November.
Once the Committee completed their officiations, they proceeded to approving annual appointments to various Township boards, committees, and commissions. The Township of Chatham extends its sincere gratitude to all volunteers who generously contribute their time and expertise to enhance the community.
Click here to view/download a copy of the Township Committee Reorganization Agenda.
Click here to view a recording of the meeting.
Remarks by Mayor Jennifer Rowland at the January 6, 2026 Reorganization Meeting
Thank you everyone for attending tonight. I am grateful for all of my family, friends, and neighbors who came to support me, even from out of state. Thank you to my husband: Kevin Boisvert, who is always by my side, and my kids, Lily, Patrick, Shawn, Susy, and Nikki, who each inspire me in a different way.
I am honored to serve as your Mayor for 2026. There is no better team of people to serve Chatham Township than the people sitting beside me: the Administrator, the Clerk, all of the staff, law enforcement, DPW, our partners and consultants, and our incredible volunteers. Every person that puts in the time to keep us running smoothly, to keep us safe, to keep our roads clear, all of the residents that volunteer their time and energy on various Boards and Committees and our volunteer EMS and fire departments.
There is plenty of official business to get to, it will be a busy year, but I want to share a few thoughts. Today is January 6, but instead I would like to focus on Happiness.
I had the privilege of spending time in Copenhagen, Denmark a few weeks ago, which according to studies is the 2nd happiest country in the world, second to Finland. The sun set at 3:30 pm and rose at 8:30 am, but generally happy, temps in the 30’s, but tons of people were out – walking, cold plunging in the canal, at the outdoor market, smiling, happy. We went to a Radiohead concert, and while there seemed to be a difference in opinion in our section about standing vs sitting during a show, we worked around it and were all pretty happy. We even made it to the Happiness Museum, which compiles data and trends related to measuring happiness. They found that six factors explain most of the difference in happiness levels across countries: togetherness, money, health, freedom, trust, and kindness.
My point is, at the end of the day, a lot of our happiness comes from people, and community. So keep the stories coming of neighbors showing up for neighbors, taking care of a sick friend, shoveling a walk, cheering someone on, donating to the food pantry or other charity, or just lending an ear.
I’m looking forward to this year to continue all of the good work that has been done for Chatham Township (we always get the work done), and for creating some happiness.
Thank you.
