Occupation: Right now I’m on a six-month sabbatical from a great company, O2 Concepts in Newtown, where I was vice president of quality systems. I’ve worked hard my whole life, so now I’m taking a little break to do some other things.

Family: My husband, Lou, works for Cannondale in Bethel. Our son Paul is going to graduate from Rochester Institute of Technology in the spring. Son #2 is Stephen, and he will graduate from the Culinary Institute of America in January.

Pets: We have Zoe, our Labrador retriever therapy dog. She’s the spoiled brat of the house. I go to the library on Saturdays for “Reading With Zoe.” Kids sign up, bring a book, and cuddle up with Zoe and read to her. And I have six chickens: Popcorn, Ginger, Jennifer, Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe. We get five or six eggs a day from them.

How long have you lived in Newtown? We moved here in 1991. I grew up in Norwalk and Lou grew up in Weston. We lived in Norwalk for a year before we moved here.

What do you like to do in your free time? I’d like to become more involved with the Resiliency Center on Route 25, with Zoe, maybe a movie night with Zoe or something. I do love to hike up at Paugussett or Fairfield Hills, and I do yoga a couple of times a week. I love to cook, and I read a lot, too.

What have you read recently? I just finished a book called The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones. Currently, I’m reading Goldfinch by Donna Tartt.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? Travel is what we prioritize, as a family. We’ve done a lot of Europe. But my favorite place is Lake Placid, N.Y. It’s fantastic. It’s mellow and beautiful. It’s our repeat place to go to. You can go anytime and it’s great. It has that “home away from home” feeling. You know where the good bakery is, and all that stuff.

What is the best thing about Newtown? Every time I drive up and down Main Street, I pause. It’s so beautiful. And there are so many people who own and run businesses in town who make it so great. Their energy adds so much. They put their hearts and souls into this community.

Who has been the greatest influence in your life? My husband. He’s such a nice man; the nicest person I’ve known in my life. I’d like to think I’m a nicer person because of him. I’ve learned to see the world through his eyes. If you can make a positive impact instead of a negative one, why not? He does that.

Do you have a personal philosophy? “The echo of kind words is endless.” I forget who said it. It’s so easy to be snarky or flip, but a little bit of kindness goes a long way. If you can share a laugh or a smile with someone, it stays with them.

Do you have a guilty pleasure? Elvis’s Dream ice cream, from Ferris Acres Farm. It’s the only ice cream I’ll eat. Now I’ll just pine for it until spring.