Occupation: I'm an at home mom, but I do a lot of volunteer work, especially with the PTA.
Occupation: Iâm an at home mom, but I do a lot of volunteer work, especially with the PTA.
Family: Iâve been married to Joe for 22 years. We have four children. Rob is 15, Annie is 13, Lauren is 11, and Elise is 7 years old.
How long have you lived in Newtown? Weâve been in town for ten years. We moved here from Yardley, Penn., on the Delaware border.
What do you like to do in your free time? It doesnât feel like I have a lot of free time. Iâm really involved with the Parent Teacher and Student Association (PTSA) at the high school. This is the second year that Iâve been president. Itâs been an exciting time of rebuilding with a new administration. Iâm also on the Connecticut PTA board of directors, and I sit on the legislative council for the Connecticut PTA. Weâre working on some resolutions to go to the state legislators. I help coordinate getting accurate information out to the parents during the budget season, too. I do like to read, and I play tennis.
Do you have a favorite book? Two of my favorite books are Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, and Possession by A.S. Byatt. That one is set in the Victorian era, and has a complex plot. I like books that are beautifully written. I also like Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner.
Do you have a favorite travel destination? Maine. I grew up there. We like to visit anywhere on the ocean. The town I grew up in is very similar to Newtown, but much smaller. But it has gone through some of the same growing pains.
What is the best thing about Newtown? I love what is remaining of it that is rural, and that we arenât built up with a lot of retail. For the most part, people are kind and friendly.
Do you have a hero or heroine? Eleanor Roosevelt is always someone who comes to mind because of her strength, her smarts, and her role as a âprogressiveâ in that era. She contributed a lot in a time when that wasnât easy or welcome from a woman. Martin Luther King, Jr, Gandhi, and Mother Teresa are all people I think of a lot in my day-to-day life.
Do you have a personal philosophy? First and foremost, be kind. Take the time to listen. We have two ears and one mouth, so we are supposed to listen more than talk. And I try to remind myself and my family to be balanced.
What do you most cherish? My family. I have an amazing husband. He is such a support. And we have four children who we are so proud of. They are my rock.