Occupation: Most of my work is volunteering with Worldwide Marriage Encounter. It’s a faith-based group that supports healthy marriages through communication work during weekend encounters. My husband and I are a presenting couple at five weekends a year here in Connecticut, so there’s a lot of work that goes into preparing. I also do miscellaneous volunteering, helping out friends with different things. I drive for the Praxair Center, taking patients to chemotherapy and radiation appointments.

Family: My husband, John, and I have been married 30 years. We have three children. Our oldest, living in Michigan, is Stephen. He and his wife, Lisa, have a 7-month-old baby, Cailin. Daniel and his wife, Jamie, live in North Carolina; and our daughter, Rachel is a sophomore at Ithaca College, where she is a sports management major.

Pets: No pets. We like them, but we go a lot, so we’re okay with being petless right now.

How long have you lived in Newtown? We’ve been here for ten years. We moved from Syracuse, N.Y.

What do you like to do in your free time? I like to sew, and I like to paint walls. I’m happy to do the base painting and trim. I’m in a book club with neighbors and we also are part of a progressive dinner club with neighbors. I cut hair for my family and friends, too. I’m a little bit of a fitness junkie, so I work out every day and love it. I cross country ski and ice skate, and enjoy good walks and strength training. I love to read, too, and am involved in a Bible study group. The other thing I like is to write letters, long hand.

Do you have a favorite book? I like a lot of different types of books. I really liked The Secret Life of Bees, and right now I am reading David Sedaris’s Holidays On Ice, which is so funny. And I have The Life of Pi that I want to read next.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? Wherever my kids are, especially now that we have a granddaughter, or to my parents’. They winter in Florida. We like to visit family in upstate New York, too. My husband and I went to Hawaii for our 25th anniversary, and that was wonderful.

What is the best thing about Newtown? The diversity in the people. We’ve moved around here and there, and I like the fact that I’ve met people from different places here in Newtown. And I think the schools are great. I think we have a lot to offer kids in education.

Do you have a hero? It’s a toss up between my parents and my husband. My parents raised five children and we’re all really happy and successful. They did well with where they came from and what they had. They inspired us gently. My husband has great morals and spiritual growth and his commitment to our marriage and family is very strong. And he has very good work ethics; I don’t think he’s ever called in sick to work.

Do you have a personal philosophy? I think you should be nice. I often sign my letters, “Be nice, be good, and say your prayers.” I think we were put on this earth to be nice and kind and let relationships be fruitful from that.

Do you have a guilty pleasure? Probably chips and dip. I eat pretty healthy every day, but I do live for snacky party foods.