The new Woodstock Town Board tapped former council member and deputy supervisor Reggie Earls to fill the seat vacated by Anula Courtis when she became supervisor.
Courtis said she met with around six other candidates before deciding on and recommending Earls. The town board voted unanimously to appoint Earls at the January 6 organizational meeting.
“I believe him to be very balanced and independent,” Courtis said of Earls.
“I think we can do really good things together,” she added.
“Reggie’s interesting because he lets you know what he’s thinking, but he doesn’t shout at the table. He is somebody who has that sense of independence and can communicate without shouting.”
Earls was appointed deputy supervisor by former supervisor Bill McKenna in January 2018. He was then appointed in June 2018 to fill the town board seat vacated by the death of Jay Wenk. He was elected in November of that year to fill the final year of that term and won re-election in 2019 to a full four-year term. He chose not to seek re-election in 2023.
Courtis cited Earls’ experience in human resources as an attribute that can help keep the peace on the town board, as he did during his last stint in office.
Earls is assistant director of organizational culture and engagement at Omega Institute for Holistic Studies in Rhinebeck.
Should Earls choose to run for a full term, he will have to seek election in November.
Courtis is still adjusting to her new role as supervisor and was pleased the organizational meeting went well. Courtis, an animal lover, said she had a very therapeutic outlet for the stressful moments of her first week in office.
“[I had] about 45 minutes of puppy therapy out in the freezing cold,” she said.
Courtis said she is learning some aspects of the job she knew little to nothing about until recently, including the operations of the town cemetery.
“We’ve had people come in to buy burial plants. We’ve had all kinds of things that we have never done before,” she said.
Courtis extended praise to the town employees who have pitched in to help.
“The town employees have stepped up in a really significant way to help this administration figure out everything … literally everything,” Courtis said.
“I particularly want to call out the clerk’s office, so a very large thank you to Meghann [Reimondo] and to Michelle [Sehwerert].”
A new chapter in Woodstock government
At the new board and supervisor’s first meeting, the atmosphere was jovial, a sharp contrast to recent tension over board members feeling left out of the loop on key issues, though Courtis admitted being nervous because she wanted her first meeting to go well.
“As we begin the work ahead this year, we want to say that we’re going to do it with a shared commitment to serving our community with transparency, with respect and with fiscal responsibility,” Courtis said.
“I’d also like to ask everyone here and on Zoom to help us set this respectful and productive tone this evening. I’m proud to call this meeting to order.”
Other notable appointments included town attorney David Gordon, who will be present at many town board meetings, at least for a while, to answer any legal questions and to make sure the board is handling matters correctly.
Rhea Mallett was appointed special counsel, a new position, which will guide the town through major issues including the Shady dump at 10 Church Road.
The Town Board will meet the first and third Tuesday of the month, a change from the traditional second and third Tuesday.
Courtis hopes to be able to make some technological changes to make Zoom more reliable for those who can’t attend meetings in person and to allow people on Zoom to participate in Public Be Heard, which is not currently possible.
Join the family! 
