Occupation: I'm a fifth grade teacher in Darien, and I'm the lacrosse coach for NHS.

Family: I'm married to Kristen. My wife is a fourth grade teacher in New Canaan. Our son, Jake, is in sixth grade at Reed Intermediate, and our daughter, Brooke, is at HOM, in third grade.

Pets: We have a cat, Oreo, and our dog, Max. We promised our kids when we moved up here that we would get a dog. Max is a half-lab mutt. He's just a year, a puppy still chewing things up in our house.

How long have you lived here? We've been in Newtown for three years. We moved up here from Darien.

What do you like to do in your free time? We like to go hiking in Huntington Park. It's beautiful. I like to go to McGuire's Ale House for the Blarney sandwich. It's my favorite. I like to spend quality time with my family. The kids are at that age where it goes so quickly. Both kids play basketball, and Brooke plays soccer, and they both play lacrosse. That keeps us busy. It's tough when both of your parents played college lacrosse and coach lacrosse. We spend a lot of time at NYA, and I love running around the Fairfield Hills trails.

What are you currently reading? I just finished American Sniper. I think I read that book in three days. A lot of my reading is of my students' writings and their books. Right now I'm reading My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Collier to my class. That's one of my favorites. James Collier's grandson was in my class about five years ago, and the author came in and talked to my class.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? We like to go down to the Outer Banks in North Carolina, to the town of Duck. It is beautiful. And we visit my mom on Pawley's Island in South Carolina, about 30 minutes south of Myrtle Beach. She lives on an old plantation that was converted into a golf village.

What is the best thing about Newtown? It's the people, and the community feeling. Everyone seems happy to be here and it's so family oriented. It's where we wanted to raise our kids.

Who has been the greatest influence in your life? My wife. She was the one who really saw that I'd be a good teacher and coach and pushed me toward it. If it wasn't for her, I don't think I would have pursued becoming a teacher. And, she's my best friend.

If you could have one wish, what would it be? That I could spend more time with my wife and kids in Newtown. I'd like to be here more.

Do you have a guilty pleasure? Probably chocolate milkshakes with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I don't let myself do that very often.