Member Bios

Robin and Wade
Robin and Wade have been interested in co-housing for some time, especially as a nice way to wind down and enjoy community with others after having very busy careers.

Robin has been a social worker in private practice for 35 years with specialties in trauma and neurofeedback. Wade has been a college faculty member and administrator. Robin currently works in her office space downtown which she co-owns and shares with other complementary medical practitioners. Wade and Robin share interests in yoga, organic gardening, and hiking. Robin's interests also include her horses and a variety of crafts. Wade is currently involved in research and writing and has interests in community development, architectural design and sustainability. Over the next decade, Robin and Wade hope to spend more time enjoying one another, three grown children, two grandchildren, and two horses.

James, Rebecca and family
Rebecca and James have lived in Virginia most of their lives, and met in Charlottesville in 2013. James is a music producer, focusing on collegiate a cappella singing. He started recording and mixing in his last years at UVA, asking his friends' groups to pay if they liked his work, and he's still at it more than a decade later. James loves to have people over to play card games or watch sports, especially if they're rooting for the Wahoos. He also plays the keyboard in a local band or two. Rebecca enjoys experimental cooking, yoga, reading, sleeping in (ha!) and watching a great tv show. She also has a completely rational love for spreadsheets. Connor (now 6) is into imaginary play, dinosaurs, climbing trees, exploring the woods, swimming, and video games.

James and Rebecca both knew they wanted a stronger sense of community, especially after Connor was born, but until finding out about cohousing, they didn't know how that might be possible. They are loving the more connected social life cohousing facilitates for adults and children. Their chihuahua, Cooper, is taking to cohousing surprisingly well and tolerates being walked by all the kids in the neighborhood.

Cathey
Cathey has spent the last 43 years in education. As a Montessori directress at the outset, she moved into elementary education in Orange County, Florida. Then joined the math faculty at Valencia Community College in Orlando after receiving her Master's in 1985. She is currently a visiting professor for the online division of Everest University, based in Lakeland, Florida.

She is the mother of two beautiful daughters Amanda and Jennifer, and mother-in-law to loving Jeff, who all reside in Richmond. Her heart work is sharing the principles of conscious parenting (and grandparenting), which are described beautifully at The Child Project.

Amelia, Nick and family
Amelia and Nick moved to Virginia in 2014 after escaping the suburban sprawl of Chicago. Nick is a mountain biker and fly fisherman masquerading as a pharmacist. Amelia splits her time between staying home with their 3.5 year old daughter Gabby and working on her Master’s in Architectural History and Historic Preservation at UVA. She also has an Etsy shop selling vintage, but that might just be an excuse to keep finding cool stuff at thrift stores. Gabby is currently working on her dance moves and tree climbing skills while excitedly awaiting the arrival of her new baby brother or sister in August.

Nick, Amelia and Gabby enjoy hiking, music festivals, and snuggle parties. Nick was a reluctant cohouser, but has now realized that Amelia was right about this being a great way to live (just like she always is).

Laura, Steve and family
Laura is yoga enthusiast, makes a mean pumpkin muffin, and napping is one of her best skills. Steve is uncomfortable writing about himself and wishes I would stop asking him to describe himself in one sentence. Steve and Laura both enjoy a good surprise and not too long ago, the universe got them with one of the greatest surprises of all time...twins!

They've been lucky to have experienced many adventures already - from swimming with elephants in Chiang Mai, to learning to make (real) cider in Gloucester, to setting off on a road trip with nothing more than their dogs, a map and some camping gear. And now they look forward to their next adventure, raising a family.

After living in big cities for the last decade, they'd like their kids to grow up in a place where they can see mountains and play in streams, a place where they know their neighbors, and a place where they have the freedom to explore. They'd like to live in a place where they are part of a community, where they can live smaller, and where they can walk to a brewery. Emerson Commons is that place!

p.s. For money Laura does business stuff and Steve does research or something. They look forward to their first retirement and spending more time on things they love.

Jane Ellen and Hugh
Hugh graduated from the university of VA in '85 and feels like Charlottesville is home. He went on to Dental school at MCV, graduated in 1990, and has spent most of the intervening years in Fredericksburg. His office was at Locust Grove until he sold it 1 year ago. He plans to specialize in TMJ and Craniofacial Pain and sleep apnea at his new office in Charlottesville. His interests include Unitarian Universalism, drumming, woodworking, photography and yoga. The family consists of Angie and Penny, both rescue dogs, and a bird, Josh. He is the proud grandfather of 5 awesome grandsons.

Jane Ellen is a native of Charlottesville, graduate of Lane High School and Mary Washington College. She has lived in Fredericksburg since 1976 and raised 5 children there. Jane Ellen is an active Unitarian Universalist. Other interests include grandchildren, gardening, yoga, her dogs, and helping Hugh with his Dental Practice.

Brian, Mary and family
Brian and Mary are originally from the Midwest (Illinois and Michigan, respectively) and after living in every region of the United States, life events landed them in central Virginia in 2009. Ever since, they have enjoyed exploring the area, getting into the music scene, and using Crozet as a home-base for world travels. Harrison joined the party in 2015, and they look forward to becoming a family of five in early 2020!

Brian works in social media marketing and also serves as the Music Coordinator at Pro Re Nata Farm Brewery in Crozet. Mary works in a far less exciting field in a windowless office, but enjoys coming home to the front porches and trees of Emerson Commons. Harrison loves the great outdoors and contemplating the more philosophical elements of life.

Brian and Mary both grew up in "old fashioned neighborhoods" where you knew your neighbors and kids played together outside everyday without having to set up (gasp) playdates. They look forward to Harrison and his siblings enjoying the same kinds of activities with their friends at Emerson Commons!

Joshua
Joshua is a devotee of life-long learning, intergenerational relationships, and community building. With a background in both environmental education, and the healing arts (primarily massage therapy), he brings his gifts wherever he travels. Dancing, singing, storytelling, and living an examined life are some of Joshua's other passions. Born overseas, and raised in Europe (till age 7) and then mostly in Washington, D.C., Joshua considers relationships, and clear communication above all else. He stumbles, makes mistakes, harvests lessons like a good human, and is excited to make life-long connections with folks of all ages, inspiring health, wellness, and raising the bar for what is possible for living an authentic, and inspired life.

Matt, Mandy and family
Matt and Mandy moved to Virginia to join the Emerson Commons community from Jackson, Mississippi. They have a toddler daughter, Myriam, 5-year-old son, Starr, and also have half-time with Matt's 11-year-old son, Simon. Matt and Mandy met while in grad school at Vermont College of Fine Arts, and both hold MFAs in writing for children and young adults.

Matt is the author of two picture book biographies for middle grade readers (Small Wonders and Lighter Than Air) and works remotely as a mapmaker for a small GIS firm in Jackson. He is also an avid birder and naturalist, and is the creator and moderator of the hit game, Fantasy Birding.

Mandy has dreamed of living in cohousing for many years and looks forward to networking, going to cohousing conferences and becoming an active member of the national movement. She is currently at home raising her children and in the early stages of co-planning a Sudbury model school for the Albemarle county area. She loves to learn and share about natural wellness, education, art and writing and has all kinds of dreams of where those interests may lead in the future.

Colin, Meagan and family
Colin and Meagan are excited to be joining Emerson Commons. They've been in Charlottesville for a few years, having absconded from Washington D.C. for greener pastures. The area felt like home - even more so after they welcomed their daughter to the family last year.

They bring with them a Bernese Mountain Dog named Hans, an indoor/outdoor cat named Stella, and a love of 80s music. They also enjoy hiking and being outdoors. Colin will be your neighborhood pizza aficionado (afficianado means eats all the pizza right?), likes getting his hands dirty, and should probably try to get into better shape if he's going to eat all this pizza. Meagan has recently gotten interested in baking and is looking forward to having lots of neighborhood mouths to feed.

When they aren't lavishing attention on their daughter and furry family members, Colin works in a job straight out of the movie Office Space, and Meagan is a registered dietitian at UVA Medical Center.

Jessica and Michael
Jessica and Michael sometimes like to joke that they have lived in the “Thomas Jefferson triangle”-- going to school at William & Mary, moving up to DC for a couple of years, and then settling down in Charlottesville where it is much less swampy and you can see mountains. They also both enjoy writing and a decent library, although that’s about where their similarities with TJ end. Jessica works at an environmental non-profit in downtown Charlottesville on sustainable packaging and recycling, and in her free time enjoys petting dogs and knitting into the wee hours of the night. For professional things, Michael is involved in a variety of activities that include but are not limited to: writing tutoring, swim coaching, child wrangling at Boys & Girls Club, and working with local communities on affordable housing. He can also be found hosting podcasts on science fiction and fantasy, practicing the guitar and marimba, and making delicious pasta. Michael and Jessica also both enjoy hikes and outdoor adventures with their dog, Moe, even though Jessica is afraid of spiders and Moe is afraid of trees.

While in college, Jessica spent a semester living abroad in an ecovillage in Iceland, where she learned about different kinds of intentional communities and how powerful it could be to have a group of people who actively wanted to be involved in the shape and life of their community. She fell in love with that way of life, and ever since has been looking for a way to be a part of a similar community here in the US. Michael grew up in a close-knit neighborhood, and spent his summers at the community pool with friends and family. Since living in a series of relatively impersonal apartment complexes, he’s excited to find that spirit of community and fun once more.

Samantha
Samantha is grateful to have grown up in the close-knit community of Lovingston in Nelson County, where she and her friends enjoyed the run of the village as well as the surrounding fields, hills and mountains. As a child, she played musical instruments and, after earning an undergraduate degree in music, was able to merge her love of music and history in graduate studies in musicology.

Most of her adult life was spent in the Washington, DC area, where, among other things, she worked at the Copyright Office at the Library of Congress for 24 years, raised a step-daughter and daughter, and discovered a passion for gardening. In her fifties, she took up a new instrument (the modern lyre), pursued a Ph.D. in musicology, became an IT professional, and undertook alternative music therapy trainings.

In 2008, she moved back to Nelson, and these days she’s active with music, writing, and gardening (with a special interest in native plants and organic vegetables and fruit). Her daughter and grandson live in Herndon.

Now, she’s looking forward to being part of the community at Emerson Commons.

Trace, Lauren and family
Trace, Lauren, Milo (7), and Ben (1) have lived in the Charlottesville/Crozet area for about 10 years. They love visiting the Crozet Creamery and the library, playing on area playgrounds, and enjoying the local orchards and vineyards. Lauren works as a clinical psychologist and is a partner at a private practice in Crozet. She specializes in psychological and educational testing. Lauren loves to read and talk about books, drink coffee, and take naps (when possible). Trace is a former kindergarten teacher and part-time Monticello staff, now full-time at-home dad providing care for Ben during the day. He enjoys cooking, crosswords, and podcasts and performs improv with Bent Theatre in Charlottesville. Milo is a first grader at Crozet Elementary. He loves imaginary play, the Legend of Zelda, building with Legos, and exploring outside. Ben is a fast-moving, happy little guy who loves to try to keep up with his big brother. He enjoys walks, books, and popsicles. As a family, they enjoy playing board games together, watching movies, and going to the beach. They have two indoor cats, Stella and Luna, whose interests range from warm patches of sunshine to bird watching.

They are very excited to move to a small, tight-knit community in which Milo and Ben can run and play. They have been interested in cohousing for some time and are excited to be part of the Emerson Commons community.

Tim
Originally from Northern California, Tim moved out on his own and started his professional life as a journalist at age 17. In the more than two decades since then, it's taken him all over the country (Nevada, Washington state, back to California, Texas, Wisconsin, Indiana, back to California again, Florida, Alabama, Washington, D.C., Thailand, Belgium and the Netherlands) and, if nothing else, is responsible for some entertaining stories and lifelong friends near and far. He's been a reporter, photographer, editor, designer and is currently the creative director for Politico Europe, where designs a lot, writes occasionally and is responsible for commissioning its original photography and illustration.

If he had his way, his entire diet would consist of Chinese and Thai food. He loves cooking, photography, grapefruit, rum drinks and natural wines — plus the things everyone loves: music, reading, travel and family (both kinds: the one we're born with and the one we choose). His mom, a retired elementary school teacher, has lived in Charlottesville for nearly 10 years now, so this makes for a wonderful homecoming. He's found living abroad for the last five years to be grand, but is now eager to put down roots and be part of a real community — not just a group of expats all dealing with the same problems.

He believes that there is dialogue from "30 Rock" that is applicable to every possible life situation, and will at some point prove that to you, possibly against your will.

And that's not his dog.

Molly, Peter, Mia and Ava
Molly and Peter Lazar first heard of cohousing in a UU World article in 2004. They were immediately drawn to the idea of living in a functional neighborhood where you know your neighbors. Within a year, they moved to Shadowlake Village Cohousing in Blacksburg, Virginia with their then 1 and 3-year-old daughters. They have immensely benefited from and enjoyed their 15 years in cohousing.

Their daughters, who are now in highschool, are so passionate about growing up in community that they created a video about cohousing that premiered at the 2015 National Cohousing conference.

Living in community has provided the Lazar family with both privacy and spontaneous social opportunities. One winter, some Shadowlake members randomly invited neighbors to build an igloo. Check out the video — you may be surprised by how many cohousers fit inside!

Peter and Molly are both entrepreneurs focused on providing tools and technologies to nurses for preventing medication errors in children. They are also cohousing proponents both locally and nationally. Peter is currently the Past President of the Cohousing Association of the United States. Together, Peter and Molly bought the Emerson Commons property and are working to make Emerson Commons a reality near Peter’s alma mater hometown of Charlottesville.