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Nielsen is an integral part of a family business that has been in the Darien community for more than 70 years.
As general manager of Nielsen’s Florist since 1992, Baumann has been instrumental in implementing strategies for this business that has spanned four generations, and has taken the opportunity to further her deep-rooted connection with community service.
Over the years, Baumann has sponsored numerous sports teams from hockey to baseball. After Hurricane Sandy, she organized Team Nielsen and collected supplies to be driven to Coney Island victims in need. She has sponsored multiple Eagle Scout projects and The Depot Teen Center, and continually opens her doors to many local organizations including the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County, Post 53, Darien Land Trust, the ABC House, and Five Mile River Nursery School in Rowayton.
Last year, she hosted ‘Bras for a Cause’ at Nielsen’s, raising money for breast cancer awareness as well as the YWCA’s sixth annual ‘Cookies for a Cause.’ In addition to providing charitable support, Sandy is involved with many civic organizations. She served on the board of directors of both the Darien Chamber of Commerce and at the Darien United Way, working with many agencies that they fund.
She has also been actively involved with both funding and employment for STAR, Inc., a non-profit benefiting the mentally disabled. In 2011-2012, she was on the Community Fund Business Campaign Leadership group and currently is on the Program Committee for The Fund for Women and Girls, and on the board of directors of the Connecticut Community Bank.
“Sandy exemplifies the adaptability and dedication required to weather the changes we have all faced over the past decade," said Judy Nielsen, who nominated her for the award. "Nielsen’s Florist is interwoven with Darien, helping customers in times of sorrow and joy, and giving back to the local and regional community.”
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