Paula is is so new to the Villages that she’s still unpacking. She and her hubby, Luis just moved here from New York via Sanford, FL and Washington state. She was born and raised in Harlem, NY. Like many of our newer members, they live “down south” in the Village of St. Catherine.



Unlike others, she actually pursued her career goals of working in criminal justice. After graduating from St. Johns University in NY with a degree in Criminal Justice, she went into law enforcement. She was an Adult Protective Services Investigator and a Community Corrections Officer for Orange County for 7 years. So, she wouldn’t have any trouble keeping her 4 kids and 3 grandchildren in line. Like many of the Villagers, Paula is also a real estate agent and a Notary Public.

Purely by happenstance, she came to visit a friend in Florida and fell in love with Florida. She happened to visit in January on a perfect weather day after coming from a cold place up north. (Good thing she didn’t come on a 95 degree day in the summer 😊 )

It was at that time she told her husband that they were moving to Florida. Being the wonderful, accommodating husband that he is, Luis knew not to argue. They moved to Stanford where she met PJ Clark, another new TAAC member. As it turned out, PJ found The Villages through Mamie and Lawrence parker and then introduced Paula to The Villages and as they say... the rest is history.

Paula has since retired and as soon as she finishes unpacking, she can pursue her interests in crocheting, writing fiction, and working jigsaw puzzles. When asked how she got into crocheting, she said it was a way to keep her mind off the craziness that came from working with criminals.