FREEPORT – The Freeport Town Council has gone through some major changes in the past weeks. First, District 1 Councilor Sara Gideon, the vice-chairwoman of the council, resigned after moving out of the district and then, Chairman Jim Cassida lost his reelection bid in the Nov. 6 election.

As a result, on Nov. 13, the council, which will be short one member until a Dec. 4 election to fill Gideon’s seat, had to select a new chairman. And it was a unanimous choice, as the council voted 6-0 to select at-large councilor James Hendricks as the new chairman.

The board also unanimously named District 3 Councilor Kristina Egan as the vice chairwoman at the same meeting. In putting Egan’s name up for the position of vice chairwoman, District 2 Councilor Kate Arno said she thought Egan “would bring a lot of strategic thinking and long-term planning to the position.”

After the meeting, which was an organizational one dedicated to selecting new leadership and paying tribute to outgoing councilors Charlotte Bishop and Cassida, Hendricks said he was “looking forward” to serving as the council’s leader.

“It’s definitely going to be something new for me, but I wouldn’t do the job if I didn’t think I could do it and have the time for it,” he said. “I have a lot of good councilors behind me and I’m looking forward to a good year, continuing the work we’ve been doing, moving Freeport as it’s been going, steadily improving and doing well. But also keeping the good team approach we’ve had a council. It’s worked well the past year.”

Hendricks is just starting his third year on the council, and while he is still a relative newcomer to the council, he said being in a leadership role is not new to him. “This isn’t the first group I’ve chaired,” he said.

While he has some outside leadership experience, Hendricks said he needs to get used to being one of the longest-tenured members sitting on the council. “It’s kind of different for me having started with a very veteran council and being the only new member on the council to now being the second most senior member on the council,” he said, adding that he is going to rely on his fellow councilors to help keep things running smoothly. “I have a good vice chair and a good amount of councilors that are going to help me out,” he said.