Your Name: Colleen A. Murphy

Name of your business or organization: Myhre Group Architects

Your title: Principal, also currently on the Board of Directors

Your age: 35

Your hometown (where you primarily grew up): Mason City, Iowa

What led to your present career? Initially, what led me to Interior Design was the way it combines creativity and art to influence a person’s environment. As my career has progressed, I’ve grown to realize that my personal abilities are less in the creative realm (I am fortunate enough to have a team of amazing designers) and more on the business side of the profession. I enjoy working with my team to provide quality services for our clients, and working with the leadership of the firm to grow our company.

What does your company (organization) do? We are a full service architectural firm offering architecture, interior design and planning services. We couple our expertise with innovative ideas to generate design solutions that are realistic to the parameters of our client’s needs, such as project budgets, schedules, target markets, and constructability. Our projects vary from large scale multiple-use developments to small tenant improvements, renovations, and alterations. Our portfolio includes work in multi-family and mixed-use housing, hospitality, commercial, institutional, health care, senior living, light industrial, and retail development.

What’s the most significant issue your business/organization faces right now? The most significant issue is quite simple, workload. The recession has caused a significant decline in the demand for our services. This has forced us to accept lower fees for our services and face much more competition from existing and newly formed competitors. These conditions are expensive to manage and difficult to predict and control. Also, they make the possibility of future growth and new job creation within our company very difficult (as well as in the industry as a whole).

Tell us about a trend, hot topic or pressing issue in your field or industry: I’d say my answer is somewhat similar to the previous, as an industry we are all focused on workload and generating revenue. With unemployment locally in our industry well over 50 percent, we’ve all had to go through some contractions in size. It’s been a rough road, but I do believe we are seeing much more activity these days and a lot more potential in terms of projects this year.

What you do to relax: I love running, doing yoga, biking, attending concerts, photography and painting. I am always up for trying something new, these days that’s taking up surfing and learning to play the acoustic guitar.

Briefly describe a charitable or political cause you actively support, and why: I’ve been involved in several charities, but the one that is always nearest and dearest to my heart is the Humane Society. I have a weakness for animals in need. I’ve toyed with getting more involved and volunteering at the shelter itself, but I might not be able to resist adopting a few of them, and I really don’t have room in my apartment!

Your best read (book) from the past 12 months: That’s tough because I’ve read quite a few, but the two that come to mind are - Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane.

Music most recently purchased: I enjoy a variety of music so I am all over the place with my tastes, but my most recent purchases were The Big Pink, Bowerbirds, Do Make Say Think, Ray LaMontagne, and The Temper Trap.

Favorite local restaurant: Broder for breakfast because of their yummy Aebleskivers, or Lincoln for dinner because of the laid back vibe and great food.

Favorite destination for travel: Anywhere warm with beautiful beaches! The last place I went to was Costa Rica and I loved it there.

Tell us one bit of personal trivia that might surprise people: I bowl in the Recesstime League on Mondays, and I actually own a bowling ball.