Occupation: I've been a business owner in Newtown, coming up on about 15 years. The company is called REI Technology, and we do a full range of technology-related services for small to mid-sized businesses. My father-in-law started the business and needed someone to take over and help it grow. Prior to that, I worked at GE Capital and managed a pretty big IT department there.

Family: My wife, Katie, and I have known each other for almost 20 years and been married for almost 18 years. We have two boys, Spencer, age 12, and Tye, age 9.

Pets: We have a dog, Sammy. He's what I call a purebred "Kirkland." He's a little of everything, which is why we call him that after the Costco brand. He's a rescue and was brought up from Tennessee. He is the perfect family dog.

How long have you lived in Newtown? We've lived here for 11 years. We chose Newtown because at the time, my wife's family was here and the business has been here.

What do you like to do in your free time? I am deeply involved in all levels of Scouting. Both of my sons are in Scouts, which makes it great to get to be involved with their Scouting. For our free time as a family, we travel a lot in our motor home. We travel for weeks at a time.

Do you have a favorite book? My favorite literary genre is science fiction. There is so much you can do with that speculative fiction drama - you can talk about big ideas or technical stuff. My favorite book in Dune by Frank Herbert. I read it the first time when I was about 12, and I've read it about four or five times since. Every time I read it, I get a different perspective.

What is your favorite travel destination? We've traveled as far as New Mexico in our motor home, but if I had to pick a place, it would be the Outer Banks in North Carolina. When we went, it was amazing. We went to an island called Ocracoke. It's hard to get to because you can't drive there, so we put the motor home on a ferry. People have told us it's what Cape Cod used to be like.

What is the best part about Newtown? The people. As evidence by this recent storm, everyone comes together and works together. It's all about neighbors taking care of neighbors.

Who has been the greatest influence in your life? I came from a very broken and fragmented home, so most of my important influences came from some key school teachers, occasional foster parents, church communities, as well as my time as a young man in the United States Air Force. But that's a tough way to grow up, and I don't recommend it by any measure. That's why my family and supporting community programs, such as Scouting, are so important to me.

If you could spend the day with one person, who would you choose and why? Assuming I could speak Italian, I would spend the day with [Leonardo] da Vinci. He had a wide range of expertise and, for most accounts, was an off the chart genius, and I like to associate with people more capable and smarter than I am.

Who is your favorite musical artist? Jimmy Buffet. I mainly like bluegrass and surfer music like the Aqua Velvets.

Do you have a favorite TV show? Breaking Bad.

What is your favorite quote? "I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination," by Jimmy Dean.

What is something you cannot live without? Other than family, I probably couldn't live without being in the outdoors.

What is your proudest accomplishment? By far, it's getting married and having a family.