Occupation: I have been the president of TR Paul on Commerce Road for the past seven years. We are an employee benefits consulting firm, taking care of life and health needs of people. We have a pension administration service, as well, that manages plans for employers.

Family: I have one daughter, Shelly Stokes. She also works at TR Paul as our general counsel and manages the individual product line.

Pets: I have two Shih Tzu dogs, Royal Mister Sniffers and Li’l Miss Muffet. Muffet is only 1 year old and Sniffers is 6 years old.

How long have you been in Newtown? I have worked in Newtown for TR Paul for 26 years. I live in Woodbury now.

What do you like to do in your free time? If I have enough time, I love to travel. I do a lot of reading and I play golf. The last few years I’ve been taking lessons to improve my game. I also belong to the Newtown Rotary Club. TR Paul has always supported the community through donations, but I wanted to be more personally involved. I’ve met some terrific people — it’s a very selfless group. I’m excited to be a part of it.

Do you have a favorite book? I read a lot of different things. My favorite, though, is A Prayer For Owen Meany, by John Irving. It’s a wonderful book. For lighter stuff I like Phillipa Gregory’s books. She wrote The Other Boleyn Girl. They’re huge, big things, historical fiction. It’s fun for me. Right now I’m reading Places In Between by Rory Stewart. It’s a nonfiction book about a British man who walks across Afghanistan, following an historic path, right after the Taliban was ousted. I think it will be very good.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? My favorite place now is Barcelona. I’ve gone twice on a Mediterranean cruise that takes you from Italy all around and ending in Barcelona. Barcelona is a fascinating place. This architect, Gaudi, created all of this crazy architecture that is wonderful. And there is an open-air market, Rambla, which is just a great place to be outside and see people, and eat, and shop.

What is the best thing about Newtown? It’s just a beautiful place. It’s in a gorgeous part of Connecticut. The town is maintained and there are a lot of great old homes and buildings. It has a small town feel to me. It has been a great place to run a business, too. I love being here, and so does my staff.

If you could change one thing in the world, what would that be? I would wish that the American influence and way of life was better understood in other countries; that they understood more the values Americans really have and they way we feel about achieving our dreams. We could do a better job in diplomacy.

Do you have a personal philosophy? Have personal integrity, that’s the most important thing. It’s my personal philosophy and I try to make it our corporate philosophy. Take the high road, no matter what. It’s not always easy, but our word is our bond.

What is the most important lesson you have learned? Don’t give up. My parents, especially my mother, taught me that anything you work for, you could achieve. Keep moving forward.