The Chelsea School District Board of Education has two new members filling the vacancies left by Jason Eyster and Laura Bush.

Both of these seats will be up for election in November. The two new board members are filling in for the remainder of the terms of Eyster and Bush.

At the Feb. 12 meeting, the Chelsea school board selected and appointed Erin Hunt-Carter and Heidi Reyst
from a list of four candidates competing for the two openings. Both took the oath of office after being picked. The other candidates were Fran Brennan and Saudia Santure.

The school board seemed to agree all four candidates were strong and could bring the needed skills to the positions. The candidates filled out applications for the spots, which included a question and answer portion. The school board members who spoke said that each candidate has unique things they could bring with them to the board.

During public comment the candidates spoke and gave some of the reasons they were seeking the role.

Hunt-Carter said she and her family have been residents of Chelsea since 2015. She said they moved to Chelsea for the schools and they have appreciated what the schools have done for their two kids. She said she is a firm believer in public schools and what they mean to the community.

Both a therapist and small business owner, Hunt-Carter is a licensed Clinical Psychologist at Great Lakes Mental Health in Dexter. Among her different skills, which include a PhD, she said being a good listener is one important one she can bring and it’s her goal to help people feel they are being heard. She said she would make it a priority to have conversations with community members about the schools to hear their concerns or needs.

Reyst and her family have been Chelsea residents since 2003. She also cited the schools as being the big reason for her seeking a seat on the school board, and said her family has also appreciated what the schools have done for them.

In similar fashion as Hunt-Carter, Reyst is also a small business owner and has a PhD in Applied Social Psychology. She is the President of Sage Solutions Group, which is a human resource consulting firm based in Livonia.

Both said a main reason for applying for the openings was about giving back to the community that’s meant so much to them.