Krista Laine spent her childhood in Houston and her teens near Boston. She attended Columbia University in New York City, where she graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in Art History. Her time on the East Coast, plus a year of continuing education at the Sorbonne in Paris, gave Krista an appreciation for walkable cities, urban trails, and strong public transit systems. She returned to Texas in 2000, choosing Austin as her new home.

Krista then worked for a decade as a commercial property appraiser specializing in the Austin-area housing market.  She appraised low-, medium-, and high-density housing developments and analyzed how zoning changes, utilities, transportation options, and other factors impacted their values. In 2012, Krista and her husband moved their family to District 6 so their two children could grow up close to nature.

In the years that followed, Krista became increasingly involved in her children’s schools and activities. She served in leadership positions on PTAs and Round Rock ISD committees, and she led parent groups in support of extracurriculars, student enrichment, and STEM programs.

In 2021, Krista reached out to friends, neighbors, and parent volunteers from across Round Rock ISD, and together they advocated for quality public education, a culture of safety and belonging on every campus, and a school board that reflected those values. This diverse coalition became known as Access Education RRISD, and Krista became its first President. The following year, all five of the school-board candidates endorsed by Access RRISD won their races by wide margins.

After years of organizing in Round Rock ISD, and with encouragement from the community, Krista ran for City Council. Both on and off the dais, Krista works within the City government and across District 6’s many jurisdictions to make the North and Northwest Austin suburbs more equipped to meet the diverse needs of their residents. She encourages people who want to make a difference—including young people—to join together and use their voices on the issues that matter to them.