Chilmark picked a former longtime member of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission to fill a vacancy left after the up-Island town’s commission representative stepped down earlier this month. 

The town’s planning board on Monday appointed Joan Malkin to fill the commission seat previously held by Jay Grossman following Mr. Grossman’s decision to leave the regional planning agency due to health reasons. 

Ms. Malkin’s 10 years of service on the commission, including a stint as the chair, and her promise to not run for the seat next fall was attractive to the town planning board.

“She made a really good point and she can hit the ground running,” said Janet Weidner, a planning board member. “It just made sense.”

Ms. Malkin was picked for the abbreviated commission term over Fred Khedouri, a member of the Chilmark zoning board of appeals and harbor advisory committee. 

While Mr. Khedouri pointed to his varied work with nonprofits such as Island Health Care and his past career with the federal government, the planning board opted for Ms. Malkin’s history at the Martha’s Vineyard Commission.

In a letter pitching her candidacy to the planning board, Ms. Malkin said her learning curve would be negligible and she would be able to take an active role promptly. 

“I remain familiar with and concerned about the commission, its staff, its mission, its procedures and policies, its legal posture, and ongoing matters in general – and am prepared to dive in,” she wrote. 

Ms. Malkin decided not to run for reelection last year, and she told the planning board she would step aside at the end of Mr. Grossman’s term.

“As we know, in our small town, few are willing to challenge an incumbent,” she wrote. “I think my appointment will enable all those interested in running (and I hope there will be a handful) to run active campaigns and an even shot at winning the vote of the electorate.” 

Ms. Weidner on the planning board said she hoped that Mr. Khedouri would consider running again at the general election. 

The Martha’s Vineyard Commission reviews large development proposals across the Island with the goal of protecting the environment, economy and character of the Vineyard. 

Katrina Liu contributed to this article.