Julianne “Juli” Vanderhoop of Aquinnah resigned her seat on the Dukes County Commission, a press release from the commission announced Wednesday.
Vanderhoop, who is a member of the Wampanoag Tribe as well as on the Aquinnah Select Board, cited personal priorities as a reason for her resignation, according to the release. She told The Times that she made the decision because she needs the time to focus on her 95-year-old mother, Anne, and she wasn’t able to participate on the commission as fully as she wanted to. She said she would’ve stayed if she could’ve but “family comes first.” Vanderhoop is also the owner of Orange Peel Bakery.
“What a great group of commissioners I’ve worked with, and we’ve made progress in bringing visibility to what the commission responsibilities to the Island are, so people understand how many things the commissioners juggle,” Vanderhoop said.
Vanderhoop was first sworn in in January 2023 to the seven-member group that serves as the legislative body of the county government. She completed the two-year term, and then was sworn in again in January 2025.
“It was a pleasure having you on the board and working with you over the years,” Martina Thornton, county manager, said in the release.
The commissioners need to fill the open seat through the rest of the term, which ends on January 6, 2027. Anyone interested in applying should contact Thornton at manager@dukescounty.gov and be available to meet with the commissioners at their next regular meeting on May 20. No more than two commissioners can be residents of the same Island town.