Occupation: I am a realtor with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. I started as a realtor in Fairfield 24 years ago and have been working in Newtown for 18 years now. I've always been passionate about helping people. After we bought our first house in Fairfield in 1992, we kept house hunting. It always seemed like something we were really into. When I got a job as the administrative person for a new company in Fairfield, I said to them I want to be an agent. They paid for my course and licensing fees, and I became an agent a few months later. I liked how the job allowed me to be my own boss.

Family: My husband, Eric, is an attorney in town and has had his own practice since 1989. Our son, Steve, is 20. He's a junior at Rochester Institute of Technology, and he's studying marketing. Both he and Eric are passionate about cars and music.

Pets: We have a big Bernese mountain dog named Jax. He's a big goofball.

How long have you lived in Newtown? We've been here since the summer of 1999. We both knew the area really well; I grew up in Ridgefield and Eric grew up in Fairfield. When we were planning where we wanted to raise our family, we decided hands down it was Newtown. More than anything else it was the friendly atmosphere that drew us here.

What do you like to do in your free time? I used to be really into jewelry making, and I've been getting back into it recently. I'm moving now into working with solder. I read a lot, spend time with Jax, and real estate is my hobby. My husband and I are always looking at real estate.

Do you have a favorite book or author? Right now my favorite book is You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero. It is absolutely the best. It's nonfiction, and it gives perspective on how to tap into your inner resources and make your life more fulfilling. Other than that, I've always been a big Stephen King fan, and I love historical fiction. I've recently read a lot of Ken Follett. He had this centennial trilogy that goes through all the wars. It was educational and very entertaining.

What is your favorite travel destination? Florida. Eric and I both love the warmth. The other place I've really enjoyed going to is the Canada side of Niagara Falls. The three of us went there with my in-laws.

What is the best part about Newtown? The people and how very friendly and kind they are. It's one of the only places where you can make a friend in the supermarket and where people will let you into traffic. The attitude here is so different and so refreshing. I love it.

All my family and friends. People come up with things that will resonate with me, and I feel like I learn things from everyone that I am in contact with. I think you can learn something from almost anybody you come across from their perspective or experiences.Who has been the greatest influence in your life?

If you could spend the day with one person, who would you choose and why? My maternal grandmother. She was a really neat person who lived all over the world and became very immersed in different cultures and studied them. She lived in China, Japan, the Philippines, Canada. She was extensively into genealogy. I could learn a lot from her to just sit down and hear about all of her experiences and what she learned about our family through all her genealogy research.

Who is your favorite musical artist? I listen to pop stations, but I enjoy everything. I put on the swing channel the other night. Mostly I listen to alternative rock and pop.

What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever been given? Karma. Expect what you put out there to come back.