As the sole full-time Maintainer III at Topsmead State Forest, Jani was nominally “the Queen of Topsmead”, a fictitious title she acquired when the former “Queen” (Susan Lewis) retired a few years earlier. As of January 1, Jani has retired her crown, after almost 30 years of being employed by the State of Connecticut.

Topsmead is a 600-acre property that was gifted to the state by Edith Morton Chase in 1972.  It features diverse landscapes, including bike and nature trails, formal gardens, unique bird habitats, and a meticulously crafted English Tudor style cottage.

Being a Maintainer is a jack-of-all-trades position that includes mowing, flower gardening, building maintenance, tool maintenance, minor building and carpentry projects, keeping trails clear, curating an historic house, cutting Christmas trees, snow plowing and supervising a group of seasonal workers. … just to name a few. Visitors to Topsmead will appreciate the work it takes to keep this property in tip top shape.

Although retired, she is now a member of the board of the Friends of Topsmead State Forest, where she can share the lessons she learned on the job about the intricacies of this park. While she was in charge of Topsmead, Jani was also responsible for two other state parks.

Topsmead Slideshow

Since her retirement, Jani has dedicated a large share of her time to the Bantam Fire Company, where she is an EMT, firefighter, and trustee. She has also been part of the crew that has delivered masks to town governments and organizations, as well as delivering food to home-bound people in need. Currently she drives the Litchfield town bus, taking elderly citizens to local stores when they do not have their own means of transportation.