BIG PINEY – Big Piney mayor Ben Jenkins announced Tuesday night that he is resigning from the position he’s held for seven years to take a new job in Oklahoma.

His last day in Big Piney will be Sept. 30. Jenkins accepted a job offer from Chesapeake Energy in Oklahoma City that begins Oct. 2, he said.

In the meantime, Big Piney Town Council’s Michelle Hymas has agreed to step in as acting mayor and fill out the remaining three-plus years of Jenkins’s term. Her move will open up a seat on the council.

Jenkins thanked town employees and councilmembers for their dedication to Big Piney and helping out while he was “working a full-time job and being a part-time mayor.”

“It’s been a pleasure,” he said. “I think I’ll miss it – for a few days.”

Town attorney Scott Sargent told the council it needed to make a motion, second it and vote to appoint Hymas as mayor.

“Once you have that, you have a vacancy on the town council,” he said.

“And we have to accept the old mayor’s resignation first, right?” asked councilman Scott Scherbel. “I move to accept it with heartfelt thanks and sadness.”

The full council – Scherbel, Hymas, Sherri Redden and Aimee Davison – voted aye to accept Jenkins’ resignation and then moved and voted without Hymas to appoint her as mayor for the remaining term of almost four years.

Hymas told staff she would hold a personnel meeting in the near future.

Everyone wished Jenkins well and thanked him for his service to Big Piney.