Michelle Stewart – HR Coordinator / Senior Project Assistant / Jack of all Trades & Master of None
What’s your favorite time of year to work at Hoyle Tanner & why?
My favorite time of year at Hoyle Tanner is the spring/summer because our group, the Northeast Municipal Engineering group, has a summer outing every year and it is a really nice time to get the team and office together for something non-work related.
What’s the coolest thing you are working on & why?
The coolest thing I am about to start working on is not Hoyle Tanner related. It is another wooden painted wedding sign for a friend of mine. I love building and creating things so I am pretty excited about it.
What’s the best thing that’s happened to you recently (this week, this month, this year)?
I got to take my twin 8-year-old boys to the March & Miller Co Hockey Camp at Sig Sauer. I got to spend the day watching them play floor hockey with Brad Marchand and Kevin Miller from the Boston Bruins. It was two days after we got to see and touch the Stanley Cup at a local rink. It was such an incredible weekend and hopefully one they’ll remember and talk about for years to come, I know I will!
How many different states have you lived in?
I have lived in four different states: New Hampshire, New Mexico, Texas, Massachusetts and then back to New Hampshire. I was born and raised in New Hampshire. I moved to New Mexico for college and stayed out there for several years, moving to Texas for a time as well. I came back to the northeast 21 years ago this July 4th. New Hampshire will always be my home.
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life what would it be?
Nice hot gluten free pepperoni pizza from Otto in Exeter – tastes better than a regular pizza and that says a lot coming from me! Pizza is my absolute favorite!
What kind of pet do you have & how did you choose to name it?
I currently have two dogs. Cooper, a 90 lb rescue lab/shepherd mix from Tennessee. We’ve had him for 10 years; my husband and I liked the name so we went with it. We also have Gunner, a 100 lb (and growing) Great Pyrenees rescue from Texas. Gunner recently celebrated his 1st birthday and 1st gotcha day with us; the kids came up with his name and we all agreed it suited him well.
What is a fun or interesting fact about your hometown?
I had to Google this one because I grew up in Amherst, New Hampshire, a small town not known for much besides high taxes. Fun fact: Neal Huntington, the General Manager of the Pittsburg Pirates baseball team, is from Amherst.
What are three things still left on your bucket list?
I don’t have a bucket list but I do have a few things that come to mind for a wish list, in no particular order:
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- Buy property on Bimini (an island in the Bahamas)
- Become a foster home for dogs in rescue
- Learn to play a strings instrument. My daughter plays the violin and my twin boys play the cello. I am counting on these kids to teach me something
Name three items you’d take with you to a desert island.
Three things I’d take to a desert island, assuming I’m not perpetually stranded on that island, are sunscreen, a full water bottle, and a book about survival, you know, just in case… 😉
What characteristic do you admire most in others?
Integrity, honesty, and loyalty are all in the running but I’ll go with honesty as being in first place because if you’re honest the rest should fall into place.
How old is the oldest item in your closet?
I have a lot of old clothes in my closet. I think the oldest item I can put a date on is a bridesmaid dress from 20 years ago. I also have several old scarves that belonged to my mother. I remember her wearing them when I was a child so it’s likely that some are 40 years old or older.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
When I was a kid, I wanted to be either a veterinarian or a DEA agent on a SWAT team when I grew up. Life had other plans for me though.
What’s one of your most ridiculous/nonsensical fears?
I am always afraid of dropping my car keys down a manhole drain or in between the elevator threshold.
Words to live by? Favorite quote? Why?
“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” When I was 14 years old, I attended the NH Police Cadet Training Academy camp and I’ll never forget the drill instructor yelling that at us, and making us repeat it over and over, when we were struggling to get through an obstacle or exercise. It’s been etched in my brain ever since.
