JOB RESPONSIBILITIES: “I am a support person to the project architects who oversee the design, development and construction of a building. Literally anything can become interiors, which is my area of education, training and experience. I deal with major construction and major renovations on campus.
“There is only one of me, a few student interns and 200-plus catalogs of manufacturers and vendors. I want to compliment the network of people who are willing to work on projects for the university. When I came on board 18 years ago, there was a basic wood and metal furniture contract and if a furniture and equipment item was not available on those basic contracts—which had only half of dozen manufacturers—then everything had to be bid out. Now I can access up to 130 or 140 manufacturers via state of Georgia contracts.
“A project that I really enjoyed working on was Phi Kappa Hall. We did electronic elevation drawings of the interior so we could see which paint colors would look best on details such as hand rails, crown moldings, doors and walls. It was very beneficial. The change in technology has added to our responsibility and to the enjoyment of the job.”
OTHER UGA EXPERIENCE: “I earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from the College of Family and Consumer Sciences in 1973 and 1976, respectively.
“When I was finishing my master’s, I taught in that department briefly and eight years later I dabbled in teaching again in the School of Art. But I have mainly worked in the field in both residential and commercial interior design. The commercial side is a grander scale, and you are impacting more people’s comfort and the function of their space than you typically do in a residential setting.”
IF I WAS NOT DOING THIS JOB, I WOULD MOST LIKE TO: “If I had not majored in interior design, I probably would have majored in history. I love the history of the university campus.”
THE PEOPLE I MOST ADMIRE: “A couple of high school teachers who influenced my decision to major in home economics and art. I knew that I wanted to be an interior design major as early as a junior in high school. I remember taking a field trip and looking at the wonderful furniture vignettes and thinking, ‘Not everyone has brown vinyl sofas like we do?’ ”
A BOOK I WOULD RECOMMEND: “At many of the meetings or conferences I attend, I love to purchase a book by the author who is speaking.
“At a recent conference in Augusta about women in business, Carolyn Kepcher—Donald Trump’s assistant—spoke. In her book, Carolyn 101: Business Lessons from The Apprentice’s Straight Shooter, she writes about her history of meeting Trump and working with him. The book’s foreword reads, family and children first. I can sincerely say that I agree with Carolyn. As much as I enjoy my job, it is about the balance.”
THE ISSUE THAT CONCERNS ME MOST ABOUT THE WORLD TODAY: “There is a certain disrespect towards people and their beliefs, people and their positions of power and even toward fellow workers.
“There needs to be a greater tradition of being respectful to the people with whom you come in contact on a daily basis. I think respect is a learned art that takes practice.”
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