The Cass County Board of Commissioners have unanimously selected Jeremiah Jones to continue serving as chair and James Lawrence to continue serving as vice chair for the coming year.
At the board’s Organizational Meeting Jan. 8, Commissioner Tom Langley moved to maintain the status quo rather than taking new nominations for chair.
Jones, who represents most of Howard Township and the southern half of Pokagon Township, was first elected to the Board of Commissioners in 2020. Thursday’s appointment begins his fourth consecutive year as chair.
“I appreciate the trust my colleagues have placed in me to continue serving as chair,” Jones said. “Our board has a strong track record of working together, and I look forward to another year of collaboration focused on transparency, accountability, and service to our community.”
Lawrence was first elected to the board in 2022. He represents the City of Dowagiac and southern Wayne Township.
“I am honored to continue serving as vice chair,” Lawrence said. “I look forward to supporting the chair and working alongside my fellow commissioners to ensure effective, transparent governance for Cass County.”
The Chair of the Board of Commissioners finalizes agendas and presides over meetings, assigns board member appointments to committees, signs official documents, serves as an ex officio member of all committees of the board, and makes decisions in major events such as weather closures and emergencies. The Vice Chair takes on the duties of the Chair in his absence.
As part of the Organizational Meeting, the Board also approved the 2026 meeting schedule. Regular meetings will begin at 5 p.m. in Commissioners Chambers on the third floor of the Cass County Building, 120 N. Broadway, Cassopolis, on the following dates:
- Thursday, January 22
- Thursday, February 5
- Thursday, February 19
- Thursday, March 5
- Thursday, March 19
- Thursday, April 9
- Thursday, April 23
- Thursday, May 7
- Thursday, May 21
- Thursday, June 4
- Thursday, June 18
- Thursday, July 2
- Thursday, July 16
- Thursday, August 13
- Thursday, August 20
- Thursday, September 3
- Thursday, September 17
- Thursday, October 1
- Thursday, October 15
- Thursday, November 5
- Thursday, November 19
- Thursday, December 3
- Thursday, December 17
Any changes to the meeting schedule will be posted in accordance with the Open Meetings Act.