Amherst swears in council, selects new leadership team

AMHERST — At-Large Councilor Mandi Jo Hanneke is the new president of the Amherst Town Council, taking the gavel with a pledge to have a shared leadership model where power will be delegated among the 13 members.

With District 2 Councilor Lynn Griesemer opting against returning to the role she has held continuously since the first council was seated in December 2018, Hanneke narrowly edged fellow At-Large Councilor Ellisha Walker for the position at Monday’s meeting, the first with four new councilors elected in November.

Shortly after the 7-6 vote, Walker, as the sole nominee to be the council’s vice president, was unanimously voted to that position.

“Experience matters when the council must hit the ground running,” said Hanneke, who has previously served as vice president, and unsuccessfully challenged Griesemer for the presidency in 2024.

Hanneke thanked her colleagues for entrusting her with the presidency during what could be challenging times, and praised Griesemer for her stalwart and dedicated leadership, including having streamlined meetings.

In the ballot vote, Hanneke earned support from herself, District 5 Councilor Ana Devlin Gauthier, who made the nomination, Griesemer, At-Large Councilor Andy Churchill, District 1 Councilor Cathy Schoen, District 3 Councilor George Ryan and District 5 Councilor Sam MacLeod.

Walker earned support from herself, District 3 Councilor Heather Hala Lord, who made the nomination, District 1 Councilor Jill Brevik, District 2 Councilor Amber Cano-Martin, and District 4 Councilors Pam Rooney and Jennifer Taub.

“Let’s share the opportunity together,” Hanneke said.

Walker, too, pledged to have a leadership involving power sharing, inclusion and collaboration. “I believe the council would benefit from a fresh set of eyes,” Walker said.

She also said being president would align with her professional goals, as a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in public policy, and a commitment to learning an administrative role.

In nominating Hanneke, Devlin Gauthier said she has deep knowledge of the council’s work and spends significant time at it.

Lord and others, Brevik and Cano-Martin, advocated for Walker, both for her dedication to the work and being the top vote-getter at the town election.

Hanneke has successfully won townwide in 2018, 2021, 2023 and 2025, and, along with Griesemer and Schoen, is one of three councilors who have been on the council throughout the entirety of its existence. Prior to being a councilor, Hanneke was on the Charter Commission, serving as its vice president, and also served as a member of representative Town Meeting until it was dissolved eight years ago.

The decision on leadership came in a Town Room filled with family members and supporters, with both applause and people using their cellphones to take photos of the moment, followed by many congratulatory hugs. Town Clerk Amber Martin was on hand to lead the swearing-in ceremonies.

Prior to the meeting beginning, town photographer Dennis Vandal accompanied each councilor to a small coat room at the edge of the Town Room, taking official professional portraits of them before getting pictures of the full council.

A handful of other elected officials also participated in the swearing in, including three members of the Jones Library trustees, Farah Ameen, Eugene Goffredo and Austin Sarat, and Dakota Costa, a member of the Amherst Housing Authority. Sarat used the opportunity to greet each of the councilors.

Once the ceremonial actions ended, Clerk to the Council Athena O’Keeffe called the meeting to order for the business of the night to proceed, first with the election of the president and vice president. O’Keeffe then swore in both Hanneke and Walker to their new roles.

The meeting continued with a presentation of the final report from the Charter Review Committee.

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