Family: My husband Mike and I have a son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter in Minnesota; and a daughter and son-in-law in Alexandria.

Pets: We don’t have any. My kids have all the pets.

How long have you lived in Newtown? We have been here since November 2020. We moved here during the pandemic. We came from Stamford, and were thinking Litchfield County. Newtown was not where we were headed but our Realtor, Dave Landau, wanted to show us “just one more house.” I’ll always be grateful for him because before we even walked into the house we knew it was the one. I love my neighborhood, and my neighbors.

Career: I work part-time for Newtown Forest Association. I’m their program and administrative associate, and I love that role. I love being part of a land trust. I love engaging with the community and learning about the community, and finding ways to help NFA collaborate with their neighbors.

Are you part of any local organizations? Not officially, but I’m really into the pickleball community here. That, and The Nature Book Club at the library.

What do you like to do with your free time? I have a side hustle — I create and facilitate nature-based and positive psychology workshops both indoors and outdoors. I’ve had it for about 15 years and I call it my coaching trifecta. It is my version of combining health coaching, positive psychology teachings, and nature based/contemplative nature practices. My NFA work is the perfect complement.

Do you have a favorite author or book? I don’t, but I gravitate to books that illuminate the connection between humans and animals, and the love that exists between them and the lessons that we learn from each other. Two that I’ve recently read that were tender reminders of our “oneness” with the more-than-human world were Soul of An Octopus and Remarkably Bright Creatures.

What was the most recent film you saw in the theater? Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour. I loved it. I didn’t know anything about her, and my neighbor filled me in, and it was then that I realized what a special woman she is.

If you could spend the day with one person, who would you choose and why? My dad, because I just lost him.

Who or what has been the greatest influence on your life? My parents.

What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever been given? I’m going to lead into my dad again because I think of this all the time. He always told me never to burn my bridges, and I’ve taken that to heart my whole live.

Do you have any pet peeves? Yes, I have a big one: typographical errors on signage and elsewhere, but mostly signage.

What is your proudest accomplishment? Surviving a near fatal car accident and finding the many silver linings as a result of it.

What is something you can’t live without? Coffee and my morning meditation practice — it’s how I show up best each day! Pickleball is a close third, but I can live without that.

What is your favorite travel destination? I don’t have a favorite, but we do a lot of travel. We do a lot of hiking and bicycling. I’m currently fascinated with walking El Camino de Santiago.

What is your favorite part about Newtown? Hands down, the people. The day we put the offering on our house we went into Caraluzzi’s, and what I noticed were people offering their spot in line to people who had fewer groceries. My husband and I looked at each other and said “Yep, this is the place.”

What would you like to see covered in The Newtown Bee? I love The Newtown Bee. As someone whose first job was for a national newspaper chain, I appreciate the balance between sharing the news of despair and the balance of hopefulness and the way you highlight how people are taking care of one another and how they’re supporting each other. Keep it up.

Do you have a personal credo? Nourish to flourish. By that I mean in addition to what’s going into your body, what’s going into your mind and soul.