2026 Ballot for New Board Members

Candidate Profiles

My name is Colton Daffern, and I am a REALTOR® with Rip England Premier Realty, where I’ve proudly served clients across East Texas since joining the brokerage in October 2022.


Born and raised in Bowie County, I’m passionate about helping people find their place to call home and contributing to the growth of our local communities. Alongside my real estate career, I own Colton Daffern Photography, a luxury wedding photography business I founded in 2017.


My goal for 2025 is to continue building meaningful connections, supporting local businesses, and staying actively involved in community development. I’m thankful to live and work in a place that values relationships, integrity, and hometown pride, and I look forward to contributing to the Chamber of Commerce’s mission of making New Boston an even better place to do business.

My name is Laney Henslee. I have lived in New Boston my entire life and graduated from NBHS in 2009.

I am a bookkeeper and Certified Tax Specialist at Darla Dike Tax & Bookkeeping and have 16 years of experience.

My husband Dusty and I have two children, Keegen and Kate who attend NBISD. I am a lion fan for life and love supporting our school district and community!

My name is Jessica McCool, and I’m a graduate of Pleasant Grove High School. I’m currently pursuing my degree in Business and Marketing at Texas A&M University–Texarkana, where I’ve developed a passion for understanding how local businesses connect with their communities. I recently joined State Bank in New Boston, Texas, and I couldn’t be more excited to be part of such a trusted and community-centered team.

I’m married to my wonderful husband, Jack McCool, whose family started and continues to run Johnston Ford Motor Company in New Boston. A business that has long been dedicated to serving and supporting our town! I thrive in environments where teamwork, connection, and community involvement are at the heart of what we do.

Supporting local businesses and helping people reach their goals is something I truly care about, and I look forward to making a positive impact to New Boston!

My name is Melani Shelton. I am a 1990 graduate of New Boston High School and a 1994 graduate of Texas A&M University. I spent 30 years teaching high school math and science, the last seven of which were at NBHS.

After retiring, I joined the team at JRDQ, where I am the marketing/hiring director at our 13 Dairy Queen locations across the region. I enjoy supporting our community and school activities at every possible opportunity. To me, my job is not just about running a successful business, it is serving my hometown.

My husband Shawn and I have three children: Bailey (Ty)Reed, Maggie Taylor, and Newt Taylor and are new grandparents to Theo Reed. I look forward to being of continued service to the people of New Boston.