By James Hanlon
Leader Staff Writer
Oxford Village’s first ever all-women council has selected Kelsey Cooke to be its new president and Allison Kemp, president pro tem. At the beginning of the regular (virtual) Nov. 10 meeting, Councilmember Kemp nominated Cooke to be president, and Councilmember Maureen Helmuth nominated Kemp to be president pro tem. The motions passed unanimously, in 5-0 votes. Both two-year terms end in November 2022.
“Thank you for nominating me and trusting me to lead our meetings, and I will do my best,” Cooke said at the end of the meeting.
Cooke, 36, was appointed to the village council in February. Last month she was re-appointed to fill a vacancy left by the resignation of former president Joe Frost. The seat expires in November 2022. In her day job, she is the Drainage District Legal Counsel for the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner. Prior to joining the village council, she also served on the village planning commission.

Kemp, 28, was appointed to the council in January 2019. She was just elected to fill a partial two-year term in the Nov. 3 election.
Per the village charter, the village president presides over council meetings, but has an equal voice and vote in the proceedings of the council, and has no veto power. The president pro tem is responsible for performing the duties of the president, when the village president is temporarily unable to perform the duties of her office, and in case of vacancy in the office of president, until such vacancy is filled by the council.
Cooke and Kemp welcomed the newly elected members Ashley Ross and Lori Bourgeau to the council. “I think we’re going to accomplish a lot with our all-women council,” Cooke said. “It’s pretty cool, part of history for the Village of Oxford.”
Kemp said, “I think we have a good, well-rounded group here . . . Welcome, I am excited to see what we can accomplish.”