The Brunswick Town Council met Monday for the first time in 2026 to swear in four newly elected members and vote for chair and vice chair of the body.
The council unanimously chose former vice chair and Councilor-at-large Nathan MacDonald as the new council chair. Jennifer Hicks, the District 5 councilor, will serve as vice chair.
MacDonald said during Monday’s meeting that he plans to lead with “care, openness and respect.”
“I am truly honored by the trust my colleagues have placed on me today,” MacDonald said. “I am, to the best of my knowledge, both the youngest person to serve as chair and the first out queer person to hold this role. For the first time, this council is a majority women. We have two renters at this table and we bring a wide range of professional and lived experience to this work.”
MacDonald’s predecessor, Sande Updegraph of District 4, stepped down from the council at the end of 2025. Her council seat was filled in a November special election by Corinne Perreault.
MacDonald was first elected in 2023 and is the director of the Family Violence Project. He has focused on housing and affordability issues throughout his time on the council.
Also during Monday’s meeting, Town Clerk Fran Smith swore in four councilors elected in November and three school board members. They include three newcomers on the council — Richard Ellis, Corinne Perreault and Ramona Thieme — and one newcomer, Elizabeth Ketner, on the school board.
On the school board, Beth Bisson was reelected to her role as chair and Elizabeth Sokoloff will serve another term as vice chair.
This story was originally published by the Maine Trust for Local News. Katie Langley can be reached at klangley@mtln.org.