Meet school board write-in winner Chris LaBelle

MILLBROOK — Chris LaBelle will be joining David Lavarnway on the Millbrook Central School District (MCSD) Board of Education (BOE) as one of its two newest members. Lavarnway was profiled in The Millerton News before the election; LaBelle was not, because she won as a write-in candidate, with 101 voters penning her name on their ballots.

Asked why she decided to run so late in the game, LaBelle stated that she had been attending more and more BOE meetings via Zoom during the coronavirus pandemic, and up until May 4, she thought there was only one vacancy. When she realized that both John Rudy and Claudia Heunis were leaving the BOE, she decided to throw her hat into the race, but by that time it was too late to file a formal petition. 

Using mostly word of mouth and making an enormous amount of phone calls and follow-up calls, she launched a write-in campaign. As the board was seeking two new members and only had one candidate running, it’s a good thing she did. The result is that LaBelle is now one of two new members on the school board.

“I have devoted my life to positively impacting the lives of children and their families in my local community,” she said. “Serving on the Millbrook School District BOE seemed natural given the board’s needs, paired with my depth and breadth of experience in child development and special education. I look forward to serving as an advocate for families who are not able to advocate for themselves.”

A native of Florida, LaBelle majored in psychology in college, moving to Claremont, Calif., to earn her graduate degree. She worked in academia for several years, and admits there are times when she misses the academic life, although she also likes clinical work. She has stayed busy doing consulting work both privately and with schools in teacher training for youth, in grades pre-k up through young adulthood.

“In my field of expertise, decisions regarding treatment are required to be based on objectivity, be data driven and based on empirical research,” she said. “I believe I can aid the BOE in setting objective and measurable goals, as well as making educational decisions that are based on empirical research within the fields of psychology, child development, education and special education.” 

LaBelle said that public service and volunteering run in her blood. 

“I may be new to public office, but not to public service,” she said. “I am passionate about community service, especially involving children. I served as a PTO vice president from 2017 thru 2020. I currently serve as a trustee on the Millbrook Educational Foundation. I am a local Girl Scout Troop leader and a Faith Formation teacher at St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church.”

Her husband, Jason Rowland, began working at the Fishkill IBM plant in 2011, when they moved to this area. They have two children in the MCSD, Daphne, 9, and Luke, who is 7. 

Over the past year and a half, LaBelle has curtailed her consulting business, helping her children with their remote learning during the pandemic, adding to her knowledge of the school system in Millbrook.

On July 1, LaBelle begins her duties on the BOE; she’s anxious to get started and lend her expertise to the Millbrook district, joining a group that is passionate about always doing what’s best for local students. Her term runs through June 20, 2024.