Tom and Michele Quindlen may split their time between Connecticut and Park City, but their hearts—and their generosity—are fully invested in both communities.
Now retired, the Quindlens spend winters on the slopes of Park City and summers close to family in Ridgefield, Connecticut. They recently celebrated 37 years of marriage and continue to explore the world together. But no matter where they are, their commitment to giving back never takes a vacation.
“We feel like Park City’s a second home. We love it. We love being out there. We’d still be out there right now if we didn’t have our first grandchild,” Tom said, both him and Michele beaming with pride.
“We like to give back to and support the communities we live in,” Tom said.
Though they live in Park City only part of the year, they give like full-time residents. Since 2020, Tom and Michele have been generous supporters of Park City Community Foundation, trusting it to direct their donations to the most urgent and impactful causes.
Their giving is as strategic as it is heartfelt. Tom, who recently retired from his executive role at Synchrony Financial, leverages the company’s matching gift program, doubling the impact of their donations.
“If we give $10,000 and it’s matched, that’s $20,000 more the team at Park City Community Foundation can spread out to people in the community who could benefit from it,” Tom says. “It just goes a lot further with the Community Foundation.”
The Quindlens give through the Community Foundation’s Community Pass Club, a program that offers benefits like ski lift tickets, golf passes, and access to arts venues. While they enjoy offering those perks to visiting friends and family, the perks aren’t the reason they give. They give because they care about supporting the community they spend half of their time in.
The couple’s philanthropic roots run deep. In addition to Park City Community Foundation, they also support Ridgefield organizations including local libraries, thrift stores, youth programs, and Meals on Wheels—where Michele also volunteers. She serves on the clinical advisory board of the Ridgefield Visiting Nurses Association, drawing on her career as a speech pathologist. Tom, meanwhile, sits on the board of his alma mater at Villanova University, where a fellow alum introduced them to Park City Community Foundation.
The couple’s love of Park City began in 2004, when a friend’s tip led them to visit Deer Valley. It was love at first run.
“During that trip we went out with a realtor because we loved it,” Michele laughs.
“We fell in love with the place and ended up putting our kids in ski school and they loved it,” Tom added.
They bought a condo and later moved to Park Meadows. Since then, Park City has been their winter haven and a community they proudly support.