Nielsen And Ellis Elected By Board

Nielsen And Ellis Elected By Board

The new 13-member Washtenaw County Board of Supervisors today elected Bent F. Nielsen its chairman and O. Herbert Ellis its vice chairman.

Both are Republicans and both represent Ann Arbor districts.

The election of Nielsen and Ellis was the first item of business for the new board which held its initial meeting this morning.

Nielsen was elected by secret ballot and was opposed for the chairmanship by Ellis. No vote total was announced.

Ellis was unopposed for the vice chairmanship and was elected by voice vote.

Nielsen is a former chairman of the supervisors. He was first elected to that post in December, 1966, when Roy Smith resigned to take his seat in the state Legislature, and was reelected in April, 1967. In 1966, he was chairman of the Ways and Means Committee in addition to serving as vice chairman.

Nielsen, co-owner and treasurer of Nielsen’s Flower Shop and Greenhouse, has been an Ann Arbor city councilman as well as a county supervisor. He served six years on the City Council, representing the Fifth Ward, but declined to run for re-election in 1965.

He first served on the county board from 1955 to 1958 as an elected city supervisor. He was appointed to the Board of Supervisors during his last term on City Council.

Nielsen and his wife Margaret have three children. They live at 427 Riverview Dr. Nielsen represents District Seven on the county board. District Seven consists of Ann Arbor's Second Ward.

Ellis, elected vice chairman of the board last April, represents District Four which coincides with Ann Arbor’s Fifth Ward.

The new vice chairman has served on the county board by appointment of Mayors Cecil O. Creal and Wendell E. Hulcher since 1960. He has served on the Ways and Means Committee and various other board committees.

A science teacher at Pioneer High School for 14 years, Ellis has been active in various community groups. He and his wife Virginia have two sons. The couple lives at 211 Charles.

BENT F. NIELSEN

O. HERBERT ELLIS