Nearly 15,000 miles separate Whangarei, New Zealand from Cape Cod. Yet somehow, Annette Contonio found her way here in the summer of 1996. Two years later, she moved to the Cape full-time, eventually marrying her husband Chad and raising a family together.
In 2016, she arrived at Cleangreen, hired as our Operations Manager. She was recently promoted as our new Director of Operations and Finance.
But first, we must answer the lingering question – how did she come to America? “I was really being a tourist in the States and I planned to hopefully make it to the UK,” she said, laughing, “I still haven’t made it that far yet.”
She eventually settled in Chicago, working as an au pair for a family who had a second home in Hyannisport, where she summered in 1996 and 1997. “They were moving off-Cape and I decided to stay here,” she explained.
Part of it was love – she had met her soon-to-be-husband – and part of it was the familiarity of what the Cape provided. “I love the beach because I grew up around the beach,” she said.
And so, Annette forged a new life here with Chad, who works for the Town of Dennis. The couple have two children, Luke and Ella.
Prior to coming to Cleangreen, Annette spent 13 years as a property manager for The Lock Up Self Storage in South Yarmouth as well as a short stint as the executive director of Chatham Interiors.
Commitment to Cleangreen
Cleangreen CEO Jitka Borowick had high praise for Annette’s work ethic, talent and commitment to our mission to provide the best residential, commercial, and construction cleaning services on Cape Cod without impacting the environment.
“Since day one, Annette has been passionate about her job and our work,” Jitka said. “She has been such a vital member of our team. She has been a tremendous asset and has fit in wonderfully with our company culture.”
Annette’s recent promotion is an indication of how much she means to Cleangreen. “We would not be where we are today without her,” Jitka said.
In her new role, Annette will be responsible for overseeing Cleangreen’s daily operations, staff and client scheduling, invoicing, and day-to-day finances.
She expressed gratitude for her promotion and excitement for this latest career challenge. “This is such a great place to work,” Annette said. “I’m amazed at how hard Jitka and our staff works. I’ve loved being a part of this team, helping build up Cleangreen, and seeing the business grow.”
Annette’s commitment extends not only to Cleangreen, but to this community she proudly calls home. She currently serves as the president of the Parent-Teacher Organization of the Nathaniel H. Wixon Innovation School in South Dennis, is a board member of the Yarmouth-Dennis Youth Hockey Association and is on the Board of Trustees for the Cape Crossroads Condominiums in Hyannis.
