“She brings a lot to the table. She brings a lot to the team. She’s a great asset.” — Chief Scott Clouatre
I began this blog post by sitting down with Officer Chelsea Maxham, and later spoke with Chief Scott Clouatre and retired Sheriff Bill Bohnyak. Each conversation helped me better understand the path that led her here. These weren’t formal interviews; they were grounded, honest exchanges with people who care deeply about this town. Hearing their perspectives added a depth to her story that I couldn’t have captured any other way.
Chelsea’s journey is one I’ve seen a lot in my daily work connecting with people in Randolph. It’s a story about second chances, about believing in yourself, and about the people who see potential where others might see mistakes.
I’ve known Chelsea for a couple of decades through the natural overlap of small-town life — shared circles of friends, local events, and the kind of community spaces where people cross paths often. What has always stood out is her instinct to give. It runs in her family. Their generosity has saved me more than once when I was a single parent raising five kids. Some people say it takes a village to raise a family; others quietly live that truth. Chelsea and her husband Brian have always been the latter.
A Path Shaped by Second Chances
Chelsea’s path to policing didn’t begin with a recruiter or a career fair. It began with a boom.
In her earlier days, Chelsea was full of energy — sometimes too much of it. Like many kids in rural Vermont searching for purpose, she had moments of introspection, moments of testing limits, and moments she’d rather forget. One of those moments involved some questionable chemicals, a riverbank, and an explosion loud enough to rattle downtown Randolph.
Orange County Sheriff Bill Bohnyak (now retired) heard about it and went to investigate. Chelsea didn’t hide a thing. She came clean, told the full story, and waited for whatever consequence was coming.
But Bill saw something else.
He already had a read on her character — her honesty, her conscience, her potential. Instead of writing her off, he asked a simple question: “Have you ever thought about becoming an officer?”
Chelsea admitted she had dreamed of it for years but doubted she’d ever qualify. Bill encouraged her to apply anyway. Two weeks later, she did. She passed the polygraph, earned the review team's support, and began her journey at the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
Bill told me, “She has a conscience. She’s a good person and a good mom. Her and her husband are good people. We got a good officer with Chelsea.”
Bill’s own life is deeply tied to Randolph. He raised four children here, and now there are seventeen in the extended family. He understands what it means to invest in a community — and he saw that same instinct in Chelsea.
Chelsea’s path wasn’t smooth. Bill lost his election. The department hollowed out. She took a job an hour away. All while raising a large family and trying to keep her dream alive.
When Town Manager Trevor Lashua began rebuilding the Randolph Police Department, Chelsea’s name rose quickly to the top of the candidate list. After some logistical hurdles, she put on the Randolph uniform and headed straight to the Vermont Police Academy.
She wasn’t the youngest recruit. Her training group jokingly called themselves “Team Three: The Elderly.” Chelsea took it in stride. Out of roughly fifty recruits, more than a dozen dropped out. She didn’t.
She came out stronger.
Growing Into the Work
Chief Scott Clouatre met Chelsea years earlier at the Sheriff’s Department. He ran her background check and served as her field training officer. That early connection was important.
As Scott told me, “I’ve seen Chelsea from the ground up. I’ve been with her every step of the way — her training, her process, everything. Seeing her grow to where she is now is huge. She brings a lot to the table. She brings a lot to the team. She’s a great asset.”
Scott’s own life is deeply tied to family as well. He talks often about the importance of having a “happy place” to decompress — whether it’s the gym, a hot tub, or time with loved ones. He knows firsthand how essential those anchors are in a profession where, as he put it, “We see the worst of the worst.”
Chelsea understands that too. It’s part of why she’s so effective.
She is also one of fewer than 100 Drug Recognition Experts (DREs) in Vermont — a major asset for Randolph. DREs are trained to identify impairment from seven categories of substances, and their evaluations are meticulous and scientific. As Scott jokingly puts it, “voodoo stuff.”
Having a DRE on staff dramatically improves response times for impaired driving cases. It also means Randolph contributes to statewide safety. When Chelsea responds to calls in other towns, her time is covered by the Governor’s Highway Safety Program, not Randolph taxpayers.
Scott is unequivocal: “It’s worth it in the long run to keep our roadways safe.”
During her DRE training, Chelsea learned about Olivia Nicole, a young girl killed by an impaired driver. The story stayed with her. She carries Olivia’s card with her on duty.
Scott explained it simply:
“We all have something that drives us in this profession. That was Chelsea’s. It resonated in her. It fuels her passion for keeping the roads safe.”
The dangers are evolving — cannabis, edibles, and especially DAP pens, which can contain THC concentrations several times higher than a typical joint. Chelsea sees the consequences firsthand. She knows that DUI is DUI, whether it’s alcohol, cannabis, prescription medication, or anything else. One mistake can derail a young person’s life — sports teams, scholarships, licenses, jobs. Gone.
A huge portion of Randolph’s 911 calls involve mental health. Chelsea excels here, too. Scott emphasized that officers must learn to de-escalate, adapt, and read situations in real time. Chelsea’s on-the-job learning makes her especially effective — and especially valuable as a mentor.
“When she has new officers with her, she’s bestowing that knowledge on them,” Scott said. “It repeats the cycle. And it takes pressure off me.”
Chelsea and Scott both spoke about the challenges of working with emergency departments during mental-health-related calls. Policies differ. Priorities differ. Misunderstandings happen.
But Scott sees progress: “It’s taken years, but it’s a lot better than it has been. It’s about being on the same page. Transparency is paramount.”
Chelsea’s calmness, her empathy, and her ability to explain the “why” behind police actions make her a bridge in these moments.
The Difference She Makes
Randolph has everything larger towns have: drug issues, homelessness, domestic violence, mental health crises. The difference is scale — and staffing.
With only three officers, the team is stretched thin. “We are running ragged,” Scott said. “We need more officers to battle burnout and give people the days off they need.”
Chelsea’s work reaches far beyond the basic expectations of a patrol officer. She’s a mentor who lifts up new recruits, a trained DRE who strengthens public safety across the region, and a steady bridge-builder in moments when people are at their most vulnerable. She’s a protector, a neighbor, a mom, and a Vermonter through and through. And for all of that, and everything we’ll never fully see, this community is deeply grateful. We could never repay the impact she’s had here.
(Click here for more information and to apply to join the Randolph Police Department.)