Nicole LaChapelle was first elected Mayor in 2017 and has served as a steady hand to weather the crises of COVID-19. Through her leadership, Easthampton has received a record amount in grants and investments in the city’s roads, open space, housing, business community, and transportation, among others. During her tenure, Nicole has overseen milestone projects like the new Mountain View K-8 School, River Valley Co-Op, and One Ferry Street, while protecting the Easthampton community’s best interests.

Nicole spent over two decades with The Center for School Crisis Intervention and Assessment, Inc., serving as a senior strategist and administrator for public school students with a wide range of behavioral and physical capabilities. She was appointed to Director of the organization in 2008. She left the organization in 2016, and went on to serve as the Chief of Pupil Services for Holyoke Public Schools, overseeing district special education services and related compliance functions. Prior to her service as Mayor, Nicole served as a local attorney focused on civil rights advocacy, especially as it pertains to education and disabilities.

Nicole has also served on the boards of the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts, Emerge Massachusetts, Massachusetts Association of Approved 766 Private Schools, and Children’s Museum of Holyoke. In 2011, she was honored as an Unsung Heroine by the The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women. She is a proud member of the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee, serving as Treasurer of the committee from 2013-2015, and is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association. A Holyoke native, Nicole graduated from Smith College with a B.A. in Government, and earned her J.D. from Western New England School of Law.