Occupation: I own Designs by Alex. I do kitchen and bath design and planning. I’ve been doing that since 2013. I had experience in project managing before — doing customer service, helping the contractors get the jobs together. As I was doing that job, I started learning about how the designers were putting the project together. I saw the satisfaction that comes with seeing the project from start to end, and I fell in love with that. My favorite part of the project is getting to take a something from its old concept and giving it to a customer brand new to enjoy.

Family: My husband, Brett, and I have been together since 2010, and we just got married. We are coming up on our one-year wedding anniversary. Brett grew up in Danbury but loves being in Newtown. He’s been part of the Labor Day Parade Committee and is part of the Newtown Young Professionals group. He’s a broker and is starting his own business called Patriot Realty Group.

Pets: We have two dogs, Bentley and Roxy. Bentley is a rescue pit and Roxy is a white little fluffy thing. Roxy is definitely the leader and Bentley follows her.

How long have you lived in Newtown? Since summer of 2005. We moved up here from a small farm town in Texas, and I finished up my senior year at Newtown High School.

What do you like to do in your free time? Brett got me into running once we met, so we do a lot of 5Ks. I also spend a lot of my time with my nieces and nephews. We love them, so we spoil them then send them back home. Also, volunteering and being involved in the community is important to me. I have a nonprofit that I run around the holidays called Stockings For Smiles. You fill a stocking full of goods for either the women’s shelter or Danbury Hospital, then the stockings go to women and children during the Christmas time. A lot of the local stores have started helping contribute, and each year we’ve gotten bigger and bigger.

What is your favorite travel destination? Costa Rica. The food was amazing, and it was awesome to see the hanging bridges in the rainforest. We went there about three years ago, and I definitely want to go back.

What is the best part about Newtown? Coming from a small town in Texas, I feel that Newtown still gives me that hometown feeling. All the businesses are welcoming, and it’s nice that you can get to know everyone here and be part of traditions like the Labor Day Parade.

Who has been the greatest influence in your life? My mom, Haydee, and my grandmother, Gracie. They’ve been my backbone. My mom raised us on her own, worked two jobs, and did whatever she needed to do to get us to where we are now. My grandmother is the glue to our family and always motivates me. She teaches me recipes and how to be a good wife.

If you could spend the day with one person, who would you choose and why? Martha Stewart, so I could learn her recipes and home design advice. Plus, she’s friends with Snoop Dogg.

What is your favorite musical genre? I listen to country, punk alternative, and rock music. And of course pop. Who doesn’t like Taylor Swift?

What is your favorite food? Lasagna.

What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever been given? My mom always tells me, “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.”

What is something you cannot live without? My family. All of them. I know it’s cheesy, but they’re my everything.

What is your proudest accomplishment? This past Christmas was the biggest year we’ve had with Stockings For Smiles. To hand off the bins to the hospital then be told we had too much for them and go back to the women’s shelter to give away more was amazing. It’s all because of the help of the local community.