LYNDONVILLE-Jack Harris is the Chief of Police in Lyndonville. But he has another role serving the community as well. Harris is a high school coach at Lyndon Institute.
Harris is in charge of three sports at LI: cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track and field.
Harris began working as Lyndonville's Chief of Police in 2003, which is also the year he moved from Connecticut to Lyndonville with his family. After only two years, Chief Harris started volunteering with the LI track teams in 2005. He was hired as an assistant coach of the team in 2007, and head coach in 2010.
Occupying two different roles in the community, Chief Harris said he gets very busy especially in spring. "You get kind of used to it, actually my biggest season is the spring season. I have a whole lot more kids that I have to keep track of and do the administrative side of, and I recently took up umpiring softball as well" said Harris.
According to Harris, "I like to be an example for my kids that as long as you stick with it and you worry about yourself, take care of yourself, you can succeed."
His efforts have paid off as Harris was named the boys Track Coach of the Year in 2016. That was also the year the LI boys indoor track team won the Division II State Championship at Norwich University; doubling the score of the second-place team.
However, the positions of chief and coach sometimes could conflict with each other, especially when the breaking events happen.
In 2013, when Harris was doing his outdoor track training, there was a fire that occurred in Lyndon Institute's hall. Harris went to go and assess the situation, and returned to the field once the fire was under control.
To go along with a busy schedule of being Police Chief and Coach Harris is also in the middle of training for a fifty mile race, taking place in the coming weeks.