The Ingham County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the appointment of a new member Tuesday.
Simar Pawar is the newest member of the board after being sworn in during a board meeting on Jan. 24.
She’s filling a vacancy left by Democrat Amy Salisbury who won last year’s general election but opted out of the position in December for personal reasons.
Commissioner Pawar is from Haslett and represents the 13th District which includes portions of Meridian Township.
In a release, Pawar said she’s thankful for the opportunity to serve on the board.
"Although I was appointed to the position and not elected, I will work hard to represent the residents of District 13 and will strive to continue the high quality services provided by the County in the areas of public safety, healthcare, and the parks and trails system,” she said.
Board Chairperson Ryan Sebolt said the interview process to fill the vacancy went seamlessly. He said there were six candidates who applied for the position and ultimately the Democratic caucus nominated Pawar.
He said for him Pawar stood out among the rest for her first hand experience with county government. Pawar serves on the Ingham County Parks and Recreation Board.
“Having an understanding of how local government works at least for one of our departments helped me feel confident that she would be able to come in and kind of expand on that base of knowledge to all the county departments,” Sebolt said.
Pawar will serve on the board’s Law and Court Committee and the Human Services Committee.