Blue Ridge Design Studio - Harrisonburg, VA

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f: 540.437.1227

lois kreider

1. Why did you choose architecture/ design as a vocation?
Accounting, numbers, financial stuff just seemed to fit with my ability to organize and attend to details

2. Where did you go to school?
Eastern Mennonite University; Oregon State University

3. Where did you start your career?
I started bookkeeping and accounting at an egg processing plant west of Harrisonburg and have gone from there to being employed at various other businesses in the area doing accounting and computer software jobs.

4. Why did you choose to come to Harrisonburg?
Lived here as a child, went to school here, met Philip Kreider at college here, we decided to stay in the area. There have been various short 2-6 year spans in my life when I have not lived in Harrisonburg, but I have always considered this area home and keep coming back.

5. Is architecture important and if so why?
Beautiful buildings and ecologically planned buildings continue to be more and more necessary in our environment.

6. What characteristics define your career? A type of project?, A way of working? A type of client?
I enjoy doing cost analysis and project accounting the most. ‘Keeping tract of details’ probably defines me best.

7. What do you do when you're not working?
Golf, reading, entertaining friends and family, visiting elderly parents, some travel and good old house work.

8. What would you be doing if you weren't working at BRDS?
Probably doing accounting, office type work at some other local business.

9. Share a little about your spouse and/or kids and/or pets.
My husband’s name is Phil. He is retired and enjoys every minute of it. He has so many hobbies and interests he really doesn’t miss an 8-5 job. He is very involved in our church and does ‘odd jobs’ for friends and acquaintances when he can do the job without taking too much time from his other interests. Jessie is our female Pudelpointer. She is 5 years old and has separation anxiety when Phil is out of her site. She is a hunting dog who only gets to use her skills when a possum, groundhog or some other wandering varmint comes on our property. Yes, she sleeps in our room.

10. What community groups are you part of?
Various Golf groups at Heritage Oaks Golf Course. I.e. the Ladies Tuesday eve league and the Mixed Friday night league I am the treasurer of the Family Life Resource Center board. Family Life Resource Center is a counseling center serving the community of Rockingham County and surrounding area.

11. What’s the last thing you would give up for Lent?
The first thing I would give up is going to CURVES 3 times a week and the last thing I would give up is golf.

12. What aspect of working here most makes you want to throw in the towel and do something else?
I don’t think I really want to answer this question. I’ll say what I really value about working here and that is the flexible schedule and the variety in the job.

13. What do we need to know about you that makes you uniquely you?
I have been married to Phil for 42 years. We haven’t had any children of our own; however, both our extended families are very important to us. Other than that, I’m crazy about dark chocolate, I enjoy driving my stick shift car and keep the speed somewhere close to the posted speed limit--speeding tickets are hard on the budget.