Kerri Bosma, right, takes the oath of office from Ottawa County Clerk Justin Roebuck on Jan. 8, two days after she was chosen to be the new Zeeland Township supervisor. Bosma succeeds Tom Oonk, who resigned at the end of last year after five years as supervisor.
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
Kerri Bosma says Zeeland Township is at a crossroads in its history.
With development pressure coming to the township from both the west and the east, and facing a hot-button issue on a proposed $300 million solar energy facility, Bosma has stepped into the role of township supervisor.
The Township Board voted 4-1 on Jan. 6 to elect Bosma, a board trustee for the last five years, to be the new supervisor. She becomes the first woman ever to hold the office in the township’s history.
“This next year, we are set up as a board to work through a lot of plans, (not only) to set up our future for success, but then also for our daily and monthly tasks,” Bosma said after the meeting. “That’s something that’s been near and dear to my heart – how do we work efficiently for our township, for our daily needs that our constituents have, but then also making sure that plans are in place for our future. I think 2026 is a crossroads (year) to be able to do those things.”
Bosma’s selection came a full week after the board deadlocked at 3-3 on trying to determine a replacement for former Supervisor Tom Oonk, whose resignation after five years as supervisor took effect Dec. 31. Board members were split between Bosma, who had run against Oonk in the Republican primary election in August 2024, and Trustee Dave Barry, a former Zeeland Public Schools superintendent.
However, a few hours before the Jan. 6 meeting, Barry sent an email to his colleagues on the board, saying that he would not seek nomination for the supervisor’s job.
“I just felt that it’s important to provide unity to the community,” Barry said after the meeting. “Rather than be divisive and have a split vote, regardless of who got (voted in), I just thought it was more important to have (a unified front).”
One of the three board members who supported Barry at the Dec. 30 special meeting was former Clerk Kate Kraak, whose resignation from that office took
effect Dec. 31. Trustee Jeff Salisbury, who also supported Barry, cast the lone no vote on Bosma’s selection as supervisor.
Barry called 2026 “a pivotal year for Zeeland Township,” noting that the township will update its master plan and also pursue a strategic plan.
“The strategic plan, I think big picture, is how are we going to operate – what’s the priorities of the township, what’s our protocols as a board,” Barry said.
“We’re going to have two new board members, so we’ve got some turnover at the board level. We’ve lost a lot of history and historical stability, and so with that will come some challenges of bringing people up to speed,” Barry added.
Bosma, 43, has lived in the Zeeland area nearly all her life, including the last 25-plus years in the township. She is currently a realtor with City2Shore Real Estate, and also has past professional experience in the agricultural and automotive industries.
“I know that we’re in a time of change. I’ll have an open-door policy. We want to continue our conversation on how to best move forward together,” Bosma said.
In the 2024 primary election, Bosma received 1,172 votes in the supervisor’s race, 131 shy of the votes Oonk received. Because she initially ran for supervisor, she had to wage a write-in campaign in the November election to regain her trustee seat. Because there were fewer candidates on the ballot than open seats, she was able to get voted back on as a write-in.
Bosma would be able to run for a two-year term as supervisor later this year, then again in 2028 for a full four-year term.
The supervisor’s position pays an annual salary of $15,450. The board in October 2024 voted to reduce the position’s salary when many of its responsibilities were transferred over to Township Manager Josh Eggleston.
Because of Bosma’s election as supervisor, she had to give up her position as the board’s representative on the Planning Commission. The board unanimously chose Trustee Scott Beute, who was elected to the board in 2024, to be its new liaison to Planning Commission.
Bosma is a graduate of Zeeland High School and attended Grand Valley State University. She is married and has two children, one of whom is currently enrolled in an apprentice program to become an electrician, and one who is in high school.
Bosma’s appointment as supervisor now opens up a trustee seat on the board. The board will now pick a successor to fill that seat through November, with that person being able to run for a two-year term in this year’s election and again in 2028 when township offices reset to their normal schedule.
The compensation for trustee this year is $4,940. Applicants must be township residents. Anyone interested is asked to submit a complete board and commission application (available online at zeeland twp.org) and if desired, a resume to Eggleston’s attention at the Township Hall, 6582 Byron Rd., Zeeland MI 49464 or via email at josh.eggleston@zeelandtwp.org.
In addition, the search continues for a new township clerk. The township received its first application for the position on Jan. 6, Eggleston said.
The clerk’s primary role will be to serve as a voting member of the township board, administer oaths of office, sign off on checks issued by the township and prepare and maintain board meeting minutes. The clerk also expected to serve township staff in a support role for such statutory duties as elections, records management and maintenance of general ledger, payroll and accounts payable.
Under state law, the township has 45 days from when Kraak resigned, Dec. 31, to appoint a new clerk, which would put mid-February as the deadline for filling the position.
Zeeland Record
Kerri Bosma says Zeeland Township is at a crossroads in its history.
With development pressure coming to the township from both the west and the east, and facing a hot-button issue on a proposed $300 million solar energy facility, Bosma has stepped into the role of township supervisor.
The Township Board voted 4-1 on Jan. 6 to elect Bosma, a board trustee for the last five years, to be the new supervisor. She becomes the first woman ever to hold the office in the township’s history.
“This next year, we are set up as a board to work through a lot of plans, (not only) to set up our future for success, but then also for our daily and monthly tasks,” Bosma said after the meeting. “That’s something that’s been near and dear to my heart – how do we work efficiently for our township, for our daily needs that our constituents have, but then also making sure that plans are in place for our future. I think 2026 is a crossroads (year) to be able to do those things.”
Bosma’s selection came a full week after the board deadlocked at 3-3 on trying to determine a replacement for former Supervisor Tom Oonk, whose resignation after five years as supervisor took effect Dec. 31. Board members were split between Bosma, who had run against Oonk in the Republican primary election in August 2024, and Trustee Dave Barry, a former Zeeland Public Schools superintendent.
However, a few hours before the Jan. 6 meeting, Barry sent an email to his colleagues on the board, saying that he would not seek nomination for the supervisor’s job.
“I just felt that it’s important to provide unity to the community,” Barry said after the meeting. “Rather than be divisive and have a split vote, regardless of who got (voted in), I just thought it was more important to have (a unified front).”
One of the three board members who supported Barry at the Dec. 30 special meeting was former Clerk Kate Kraak, whose resignation from that office took
effect Dec. 31. Trustee Jeff Salisbury, who also supported Barry, cast the lone no vote on Bosma’s selection as supervisor.
Barry called 2026 “a pivotal year for Zeeland Township,” noting that the township will update its master plan and also pursue a strategic plan.
“The strategic plan, I think big picture, is how are we going to operate – what’s the priorities of the township, what’s our protocols as a board,” Barry said.
“We’re going to have two new board members, so we’ve got some turnover at the board level. We’ve lost a lot of history and historical stability, and so with that will come some challenges of bringing people up to speed,” Barry added.
Bosma, 43, has lived in the Zeeland area nearly all her life, including the last 25-plus years in the township. She is currently a realtor with City2Shore Real Estate, and also has past professional experience in the agricultural and automotive industries.
“I know that we’re in a time of change. I’ll have an open-door policy. We want to continue our conversation on how to best move forward together,” Bosma said.
In the 2024 primary election, Bosma received 1,172 votes in the supervisor’s race, 131 shy of the votes Oonk received. Because she initially ran for supervisor, she had to wage a write-in campaign in the November election to regain her trustee seat. Because there were fewer candidates on the ballot than open seats, she was able to get voted back on as a write-in.
Bosma would be able to run for a two-year term as supervisor later this year, then again in 2028 for a full four-year term.
The supervisor’s position pays an annual salary of $15,450. The board in October 2024 voted to reduce the position’s salary when many of its responsibilities were transferred over to Township Manager Josh Eggleston.
Because of Bosma’s election as supervisor, she had to give up her position as the board’s representative on the Planning Commission. The board unanimously chose Trustee Scott Beute, who was elected to the board in 2024, to be its new liaison to Planning Commission.
Bosma is a graduate of Zeeland High School and attended Grand Valley State University. She is married and has two children, one of whom is currently enrolled in an apprentice program to become an electrician, and one who is in high school.
Bosma’s appointment as supervisor now opens up a trustee seat on the board. The board will now pick a successor to fill that seat through November, with that person being able to run for a two-year term in this year’s election and again in 2028 when township offices reset to their normal schedule.
The compensation for trustee this year is $4,940. Applicants must be township residents. Anyone interested is asked to submit a complete board and commission application (available online at zeeland twp.org) and if desired, a resume to Eggleston’s attention at the Township Hall, 6582 Byron Rd., Zeeland MI 49464 or via email at josh.eggleston@zeelandtwp.org.
In addition, the search continues for a new township clerk. The township received its first application for the position on Jan. 6, Eggleston said.
The clerk’s primary role will be to serve as a voting member of the township board, administer oaths of office, sign off on checks issued by the township and prepare and maintain board meeting minutes. The clerk also expected to serve township staff in a support role for such statutory duties as elections, records management and maintenance of general ledger, payroll and accounts payable.
Under state law, the township has 45 days from when Kraak resigned, Dec. 31, to appoint a new clerk, which would put mid-February as the deadline for filling the position.
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