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What facilities have you worked in?
Lubbock Memorial Civic Center, Auditorium and Coliseum in Lubbock, Texas;
Wortham Theater Center, Jones Hall, Houston Music Hall in Houston; and North
Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Spirit Square Center for the
Arts and Education in Charlotte, N.C.
What is your favorite food or restaurant?
Higgins restaurant in Portland. The menu focuses on local, fresh and
sustainable ingredients. It doesn’t get much better than that.
What is your favorite book?
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury, with To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee a
close second.
What CD is currently in your car?
John Price, Eva Cassidy, The Waifs, k.d. Lang, Randy Newman and La Boheme. I
have a 6-CD player and I always keep it full.
What is the weirdest event you ever had in a
facility you’ve worked in?
The Texas Cotton Ginners at the Lubbock Civic Center built a cotton gin in
the middle of the exhibit hall floor. I thought that was pretty amazing. At
the same venue, we did a small circus — in the theater! Halfway during the
show a small elephant we knew nothing about strolled across the stage. We
held our breath hoping it wouldn’t suddenly disappear through one of the
traps.
And the strangest merchandise?
No one can beat Disney in merchandising. I swear the Lion King comes with
everything except logoed underwear.
What motto or quote do you try to live by?
“Never stop learning, and always sit in the front row.” If you think you
know it all, it’s time to get out of the business. The best part of
anything, in my opinion, is the opportunity to keep learning new stuff —
whether it’s job related, art related, or even my marriage!
Everyone should take a front row seat in learning. The back row is for
sissies.
Why did you choose to pursue your CFE?
The CFE is our industry’s mark of excellence. If I don’t want to strive for
excellence in my own career, then what am I doing here? Mediocrity isn’t for
me. The CFE is validation of a level of excellence we should all strive for.
What has been a benefit of having the CFE?
I’ve had some of my arts clients look at my business card and ask what the
“CFE” stands for. Suddenly, in their eyes I’m more than just the Snidely
Whiplash evil landlord — I’m the Snidely Whiplash evil landlord with
professional credentials! Seriously, people look at you a little differently
when they see CFE after your name.
Would you recommend it to colleagues? Why?
Absolutely! The competition is fierce out there, and you need every tool you
can get your hands on to beat out the competition. Having a CFE has given me
that edge. I’m puzzled that someone would not want to pursue their CFE.
What couldn’t you live without?
My family — especially my husband, Roger. I used to think my job was the
most important thing in my life. How stupid was that?
What is your most prized possession?
I have a wonderful artisan wedding ring that Roger gave me last year for our
25th wedding anniversary. The artist was able to incorporate the tiny gold
band that was all we could afford when we first got married.
What’s your favorite place on earth?
The Oregon wine country. The scenery just doesn’t get any better than
this with the rolling hills, mountains and vineyard views. It also helps
that I can enjoy it all with a lovely glass of Oregon pinot noir in one
hand.
What is your favorite moment in sports history?
Watching Cheryl Swoops of the Houston Comets (WNBA) demonstrate her
philosophy on the court: “Kick butt and take names.” When the WNBA was
started. I remember going to an inaugural game of the Charlotte Sting and
being all choked up during most of the game. It was so amazing to see these
powerful, talented women living their dream of playing professional
basketball.
What’s the one thing most people would be
surprised to learn
about you?
I used to be a hip-hop aerobics instructor up until I moved to Portland.
Choreographing routines and recording music for classes just got too time
consuming so I hung up my dance shoes. That, and the fact that I don’t think
my knees can take it any more. I still love watching it, though.
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