Meet the Loofbourrow Shaw Family

RESIDENT FEATURE

By Stacey McEvoy

Photos by Christine Loy Photography and courtesy of the Loofbourrow Shaw family

Kelly Loofbourrow, a Southern California girl, and Jason Shaw from New Jersey, met in Seattle in 1992 when Jason returned from an eight-month backpacking trip throughout Indonesia and Australia after graduating from Ithaca College. Kelly, who graduated from St. Olaf College with a BA in Modern Dance and a minor in psychology, was a dancer, dance teacher and gymnastics coach while she earned her Laban/Bartenienff Movement Analysis post grad degree at the University of Washington. Prior to starting college, Kelly traveled as a dancer for a gap year with “Up with People” where she stayed with host families, worked on community volunteer projects and performed family shows internationally. She also performed in the Super Bowl XX halftime show.

In 1993, Kelly and Jason backpacked to Alaska and ended up in the town of Pelican as deckhands for two seasons of salmon trolling and long lining for black cod and halibut. Through a circuitous route, the couple moved to Utah where they lived and worked for two years. After marrying in 1997, they moved to Philadelphia for Jason to attend The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Kelly worked as a federal grant coordinator at Children’s Seashore House. After earning his MBA, they moved back to Seattle and Jason worked at Amazon.com where he launched Amazon’s electronics store and invented the old Amazon “Gold Box” that appeared in the top right corner of the website. The couple’s daughters, Alexandra (Alex) and Isadora (Issy), were also born in Seattle. After 11 different addresses across seven states, the family moved to Chatham in 2003 when Jason decided to buy his father’s paint business. Two years later, their son Sawyer was born.

The family appreciates having the ability to hike and live near farms in Chatham while also having easy access to Manhattan. “We regularly pick or buy fresh apples and peaches from Hillview Farms and Park Farms in Chester. We love dried apples and applesauce and make tons of them! We hike, bike and kayak often--our favorite local places are Loantaka, HackleBarney State Park and Van Campens Glenn at Delaware Water Gap. Our city favorites are MOMA, the MET, High Line, Strand Bookstore, Jazz at Terra Blues, thrift shopping and Chelsea Market,” says Kelly, noting that when not in Chatham, the family can usually be found visiting Kelly’s family in Laguna Beach, CA, or at the Loofbourrow family cottage outside of Wiarton, Ontario, on the Bruce Peninsula.

Jason is currently CEO of Perfect Color Ventures, a business started by him and his brother Dana after evolving it from the third generation 75-year-old home decorating family business. Kelly also works in the business. The company sells paint online through MyPerfectColor. com that ships paint throughout the country. They specialize in difficult colors for business applications. Clients include Tiffany & Co and Yeti Coolers. Jason and his brother also own Breslow Home Design Center, based in Chester, where they sell window treatments and retractable awnings throughout the tristate area.

In his spare time, Jason plays soccer weekly in a men’s league and goes sailing with Chatham friends. He pitches for the Wine Traders softball team that has won two championships in the Chatham Men’s Bull Lehmann League. He is an assistant Scout Master with the Boy Scouts, makes a kickin’ ginger beer, a delicious batch of applesauce and tries to fit guitar playing in daily since 2016.

Alex, 19, is a freshman in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania. She loved playing as a volleyball setter for Chatham High School and on regional and national teams at Allegro and Atlantic Valley Volleyball Clubs in offseason. She took part in CHS Bridge building competitions and left her mark by helping paint the Cougar mural near the Chatham Middle School auditorium. As sophomores at CHS, Alex and two engineering-focused friends, who had previously worked together on a Robotics team in 8th grade, started an Engineering Enrichment class for Lafayette School students that had beginner and advanced levels. They loved designing the curriculum and sharing the projects that they learned at engineering summer camps they attended at Rutgers University and Michigan Tech for several years.

Issy, 16, a Chatham High School sophomore can usually be found reading, playing volleyball, drawing or discovering new music. A former Chatham United soccer player, she played JV and Varsity volleyball at CHS and now plays club for Allegro Volleyball. She frequently keeps it mellow at home since she’s happiest with a book in her lap, a paintbrush in her hand or playing a new record. Issy is the family strategist, routinely crushing the family in most any card or board game. Her creativity frequently inspires delicious baking and elegant dinners or hours learning and perfecting elaborate Halloween make-up. She was invited to enter one of her drawings into the Morris County District Show held at Morris County Community college last year. She spent the summer learning to work on a bigger scale with spray paint.

Sawyer, 13, is a Chatham Middle School 7th grader who was chosen as one of 64 kids in his age group to compete on the first season of American Ninja Warrior Junior on NBC’s Universal Kids Channel. He was flown to Hollywood last summer for four days to compete, which came with interviews and photo shoots. “The hardest part was the moment standing on the platform before the race. It was completely nerve racking….and holding the smile for so long in the photo shoot,” says Sawyer, who was mentored and coached by one of his favorite American Ninja Warrior competitors Najee Richardson. On the show, Sawyer’s slogan was “Keep it Shawsome” coined by Alex’s best friend, Mila Cloidt, who made the logo representing Sawyer’s long mop hair on shoes. It means to keep it positive…keep it chill. Sawyer’s races aired in the 7th episode on Nov. 24. He made it into the semi-finals which will air on April 13. Sawyer hones his ninja warrior skills at Centercourt Athletic Club and does gymnastics at Indigo Gymnastics. Additionally, he is an assistant patrol leader in the Boys Scouts and loves camping. He’s always tinkering with something. He’s currently trying to improve his soldering and learn more about electricity.

Embracing Chatham life since she arrived in town, Kelly was a dance teacher at the Madison Area YMCA, served as a Chatham Girl Scouts troop leader, spent two years as Chatham Girl Scouts Unit Service Manager, was active in the Milton Avenue School PTO, the Art in the Classroom program and the Lafayette Head Show. “Fostering empowered and wellrounded kids, particularly girls, is a clear passion of mine,” says Kelly, whose favorite moment was teaching Chatham 5th grade Girl Scouts how to use power tools and build picnic benches to donate to Family Promise.

These past few years, Kelly has turned her focus to broader community issues. She is currently the Municipal Alliance Committee of the Chathams (MACC) Coordinator www.chathammacc.org. The group works to foster a healthy and connected Chatham community knowing that connections are the key to youth substance use prevention. The MAAC committee was awarded the 2018 Borough Committee of the Year last summer. “Ultimately, it is because the committee has invested members from so many sectors of our community and is constantly trying to serve the community in new ways,” says Kelly. “My work as the coordinator has made me really love Chatham. I have yet to meet anyone along my path of programming,

planning and coordinating that has said, ‘No.’” She lists numerous groups that lend their support to MACC: School District of the Chathams including the superintendent and student assistance counselors, Chatham Borough and Township police departments, Chatham Borough Council and Chatham Township Committee members and administrators, the recreation department, the Chatham Senior Center and Project Community Pride of the Madison Area YMCA.

Kelly notes that the recent addition of the Madison Chatham Coalition (MCC) www.madisonchathamcoalition. org, in partnership with the Madison Area YMCA, has propelled MACC efforts beyond its usual activities and is maximizing preventative measures for 12- 18 year old children in Chatham.

“Most simply put MACC and MCC are the conduits for engaging and helping as many sectors of the community prevent underage substance use and substance abuse disorder. Much of our efforts focus on middle and high school education and programs; but, staying engaged with the whole community is our overall goal. The wonderful thing about MACC and MCC is not what you can see on paper, but rather the dedicated community members working on a regular basis to improve the outcomes of the community’s youth, seniors and at-risk members,” she says, naming two of several successful initiatives that the organizations partner on: Sticker Shock Campaigns which involves putting “Keep it Legal” stickers on cases of beer in stores and their three-year participation in the October “Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day.”

If interested in exploring opportunities with MACC, reach out to Kelly at chathammacc@gmail.com. Meetings are held the second Wed. of each month at 9 a.m. at Chatham Borough Hall. Email MCC Coordinator Allison Bardon at abardon@madisonymca.org for more information about MCC. Meetings are held monthly at the Madison Area YMCA. �

We would like to thank Salerno Duane Inc. in Summit for bringing you this month’s cover story.

Do you know a neighbor who has a story to share? Nominate your neighbor to be featured in one of our upcoming issues! Contact us at smcevoy@bestversionmedia.com.