WILMINGTON — While on a trip to Mackinac Island in Michigan this week, Wilmington City Council member Jonathan McKay (First Ward) met with the country’s longest serving active mayor — Margaret Doud, who has been in office since 1975.

According to the City of Mackinac Island’s website, Mayor Doud was born and raised on the island where she also taught kindergarten. She taught until she resigned in 1974 when appointed to the city council to fulfill retiring council member Dennis Brodeur’s term. A year later she ran successfully for mayor and has been there ever since.

McKay told the News Journal that due to Mackinac Island’s charter, Doud has to run every single year.

McKay said the two of them had a “wonderful conversation” where he found out Mackinac Island is preparing to build a wastewater treatment plant similar to Wilmington’s. McKay first met her three years ago when he visited the island and spoke at their council meeting.

“It was really neat chatting with someone that had held office for so long,” said McKay. “Her wealth of knowledge of how the island has grown and changed over the years is incredible.”

He advised Doud was “very calm and easygoing.”

“I could have spent my whole vacation speaking with her,” he said.

McKay said Doud’s family built some of the island’s “most iconic structures,” including the Windermere Hotel, built in 1887 as a home originally. McKay stayed in this hotel while visiting.

He added the two had talked about the ferry business from the mainland and the island, which was a significant portion of the island’s income.

“That was maybe the most significant difference between Wilmington and the island. They have the same problems we have, just in different forms their infrastructure needs updated. Just like what Wilmington is going through now,” he said.

Doud is the longest actively serving mayor. The longest-serving mayor of all time was Hilmar Moore of Richmond, Texas. Moore served from 1949 until his death in 2012.

Reach John Hamilton at 937-382-2574