Noreen Slevin-Koczak

One of four sisters and a Staten Island native, Noreen has had her share of adventures. She recalls teenage bus, ferry, and subway rides to carouse Greenwich Village, and the routine few-block stroll to pick up milk, Italian bread, and the newspaper for her mom. Clearly, some adventures were more exciting than others.

Noreen attended an all-girls Catholic high school where she ran track. After an 8-hour road trip to visit Pennsylvania’s picturesque Allegheny College, she quickly deemed it the place for her next adventure. Fond memories of an environmental science camp led her to major in it, and before graduating, she studied abroad in Costa Rica.

Fresh out of college, Noreen joined Americorps Vista, serving in Culebra, Puerto Rico where she created a community garden. After a one-year hitch, she returned to New York and a host of temp jobs. She was a receptionist for James Lipton and Estée Lauder, and served hot chocolate and cotton candy at Wollman Rink in Central Park.

Her next adventure was in Atlanta, where she interned at Southface Energy Institute and rekindled her interest in conservation. That led her to The Smart Living Center in Newington, Connecticut – a showroom for energy efficient homes, and where she met her husband, Brian. Perhaps her best adventure was settling in Madison and raising their two children, Caitlin and Owen. Eventually, Noreen returned to work as a paraprofessional in Madison’s public schools. Ten years later, intrigued by Centerbrook’s mission to build sustainably, Noreen now staffs our bustling front office.

Noreen loves to read novels and historical fiction, but will give any book a chance. She also enjoys spending time at her family’s rustic cabin in Chester, Vermont. If she’s not reading, camping, or hiking with her Labradoodle, Maple, she’s looking after her other “babies” – vegetables, flowers, and herbs in her lovingly tended garden.