CURRENT:
Year-round Representative, ICB (Island Community Board)
Volunteer: FI Conservancy
Profession: Veterinarian
How did you get to Fishers?
I was born and raised on Fishers Island, attending and graduating from the Fishers Island School. I grew up with the freedom and beauty of Fishers – attending IPP every summer, sledding on the golf course, and skating on the Duck Pond in winter. I thought that being allowed to go off on a bike at a young age for adventures with friends, with no fear from my parents greater than a skinned knee, was normal.
Leaving Fishers to attend Syracuse University was a bit of a shock – there were more people living in my dorm than the population of the island! – but it was a great experience. I later went on to attend the Royal Veterinary College, becoming a veterinarian. Through those years, Fishers was always my home base to come back to. Two and a half years ago I got the opportunity to move back full-time, something that I never thought would be possible. I now commute off Island four days a week to my job at Stonington Veterinary Hospital, where they put up with my strange schedule and frequent cries of “But I have to make the Popeye!”.
What are your favorite things to do on Fishers?
On Fishers, I enjoy all of the things I loved about growing up here – uncrowded beaches, evening bonfires, and spectacular sunsets – while helping with the various veterinary issues that arise in an isolated community. I would be happy to have a few drinks and tell you all about stapling a dog back together on the tailgate of a pickup truck in my driveway. I must have missed that lecture in vet school because it was a bit of a rodeo.
What issues on Island are you particularly focused on?
As we all know, year-round housing remains an ongoing issue – my parents liked to tell how they moved 5 times in the first 4 years of their marriage. Access to medical insurance is also a major issue for a community with so much seasonal employment and so many people working 5 “part-time” jobs, none of which offer medical insurance. These are issues that need our continued focus to allow our community to stay strong and healthy.
