How would you describe your occupation? My title is director of business and finance. I’m the CFO of the Newtown School District. My occupation is really all about education and ensuring we have the proper funding in the proper places so our kids and staff will succeed, and our buildings will be maintained. I make sure operations are flowing and moving appropriately, watch state mandates, and make sure we are within our guidelines with statutes, regulations, and policy. There’s a lot of moving pieces.

Who is in your family? I have two children, Camryn and Kendra.

How long have you lived in Newtown? I moved to Newtown when I was pregnant with Kendra for the horses. It was 20 years ago this past June.

What do you like to do in your free time? In the summer, I’m on Candlewood Lake all the time. I do a lot of water sports. I also like to road cycle. In the winter, I like to ski. I used to be involved with martial arts quite a bit. I was doing Brazilian jujitsu not that long ago. I used to be a semi-pro boxer, so I did a lot of martial arts. I also got into amateur boxing. It is such a good discipline.

What is your favorite book? I love Dan Brown, Angels and Demons.

Who or what has been the greatest influence on your life? I’m going to get teary-eyed if I think about [former Superintendent of Schools] Lorrie Rodrigue. That woman launched my career, for sure. Do you ever meet people that see things in you that you don’t see? She totally saw that I could do this job. She had so much faith in me that she just pushed my career forward, and she really made me who I am today.

If you could spend the day with one person, who would you choose and why? It would have to be two — Kendra and Cam.

Who is your favorite musical artist? I love the works of Al Di Meola. He’s a Spanish guitar player. I play guitar — to me it’s such a romantic instrument. It really just speaks to my soul.

What is the greatest piece of advice you’ve ever been given? “Focus on what you can control,” and also, don’t worry until it’s time to worry. I remember Lorrie telling me that once, and actually, my boxing coach told me the exact same thing.

What is something you can’t live without? My Tazo tea.

What is your proudest accomplishment? Fighting in Madison Square Garden. I was on TV, and I had a really good opponent.

What is your favorite travel destination? I like the Gulf of Florida.

What is the best part of Newtown? When I first moved here, it was the scenery and the horses. The bucolic landscape just called to me — the beauty of it, the rolling hills.