Occupation: I am the systems librarian at C.H. Booth Library, part-time. My full-time job is mostly being at home with my kids.

Family: My husband, Kerry, and I have four children. Grace is in the seventh grade, Clare is a second grader, and we have the twins, Sean and Moira, who are in the Wesley Learning Center pre-K program.

Pets: We have three fish and a groundswell of support among the children to get other pets. We’re holding out on that for now, though.

How long have you been in Newtown? We’ve lived in town for 4½ years, but I’ve worked at the library for 12 years. Both my husband and I grew up in Danbury, so we’ve always been in this area. We lived in New Fairfield for years before moving to Newtown.

What do you like to do in your free time? I love to read and I love to cook. Just being outside with the kids is fun. There’s not a lot of free time; we always seem to have something to do.

Do you have a favorite book? That’s hard. I like all kinds of books. But everyone who knows me, knows that I read The Lord of the Rings trilogy every year. I enjoy English authors. I do like Peachy Wodehouse and Jane Austin as authors. I’m trying to catch up on reading the classics.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? We always go to the Outer Banks in North Carolina where my husband’s family has been going for 40 years. My husband and I did go to Ireland in 1993 and I would love to go back there.

What is the best thing about Newtown? I would definitely say the people. Being at the library is a good vantage point. I see so many people who volunteer and give back their talents. Newtown is also a good location. Geographically, we are so close to New York City, and not too far from Boston, or just getting to other places.

If you could meet any historical figure, who would that be? I would be interested in someone who did a lot of things, a renaissance sort of person like Leonardo DaVinci or Benjamin Franklin. I would like to meet someone who pursued their passions.

Do you have a personal philosophy? To be honest and kind and considerate. To stay curious and open minded. Try different things. Don’t worry about failure or making mistakes. I think that is the most important thing for the big picture in life.

 

What is the most important lesson you have learned? I learned from my parents to be both humble and self-confident. To know that you can do anything you set your mind to, but to be humble enough to know that you can learn from every situation and person. I think it is a very powerful combination.