Spider Spotlight
A Q&A with Karen Pierce, Interim Print Shop Manager
Karen Pierce enjoys the creativity and problem solving that come with working in Richmond’s print shop.
BY LIA TREMBLAY
Writer/Editor, University Communications
Where are you from originally?
That’s always a hard question. I claim three different states: Louisiana, Tennessee and Virginia. And my family’s scattered all over, so there’s not really one place to call “home.”
Describe the path that led you here.
I was always interested in art and math, so I majored in both of those and got my teaching certificate. After a few years of teaching, I decided that wasn’t for me. I had done some graphic design in college and enjoyed it, so I decided to look for something in that field. That’s when I found this job at the University in 1983.
What was the job like then?
Well, the main thing I was hired to do was to operate the University’s first high-speed copier, a Xerox 8200. We also had those old mimeographs. Things have progressed a lot since then.
How is it different now?
Computers have changed everything. We do most of our setup on the computer and then send the file directly to the printer. Most areas of campus now have their own copiers. We handle the maintenance contracts on that equipment, as well as the postage meters.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I like the variety. I like being able to help people do something they might not have the skills to do on their own. I get to be creative. I enjoy being a problem solver, trying to help people figure out the best way to get what they need.
What’s the strangest thing you’ve witnessed on the job?
Back when I first started, we were on the second floor of the Special Programs Building and there was no elevator. So when we got a new copier, which was something like 12 feet long, they brought in a crane and lifted it up to the second floor. Then they had to swing it into the building where some guys were waiting to grab hold of this huge machine and pull it inside. It was scary. I could just picture that machine crashing down to the ground.
Tell me about your family.
My husband, Pat, and I have been married for 27 years. We have two sons, Thomas, 14, and Will, 16. They’re both students at Maggie Walker Governor’s School. We’re very proud of them.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I’m very active with my church, and with running the boys around here and there. Between those two things and work, I stay pretty busy. But when I have time, I do like to sew as a creative outlet. I also love to cook, and that comes in handy with two teenage sons who are eating me out of house and home.
What has kept you at the University of Richmond all these years?
I had a great start, working with Mike Barbie, the manager, and John Sawyer, the press man. They both taught me a lot when I was new and gave me a good, solid foundation. And the rest of the staff has always been great. They’re willing to work together, change priorities at the drop of a hat, and do whatever it takes to get the job done.