Celebrating International Women's Day Every Day at JA
/March is Women’s Month, and Monday, March 8th is International Women’s Day. First established to bring awareness to inequity in pay and opportunities, IWD has evolved into a global movement celebrating women, their contributions to our communities, as well as identifying ways to promote equity and improve women’s health and welfare globally.
As a women-owned firm, JA is proud to be a JUST organization with balanced wages and equal professional opportunities regardless of gender identity. After a tough 12 months, we want to celebrate International Women’s Day by introducing the world to some of the brilliant women who strengthen JA each and every day.
We asked them to share with us something about them most people don’t know, to tell us of an accomplishment that brings them pride, or another woman who inspires them. Here are a few of their stories:
“A love of the outdoors is in my blood. Just 6 weeks old, I was bouncing around on a Jeep road over the Rocky Mountains to my family’s cabin. By age 2, I wore my first pair of skis. And most weekends of my childhood involved some type of outdoor adventure, on which my dad pushed my brother and me to go ‘just a little further.’ Now I’m passing that same appreciation for nature on to my daughters here in the PNW, and we’re gearing up for an extended stay at my family cabin in Colorado in June.”
Amber with her family on a bike riding adventure in colorado
Desiree with two of her fellow yogis enjoying the great outdoors
“While there are many women who are notably inspiring, the woman who inspires me every day is the woman who shows up, who makes mistakes, who empowers other women, who is fierce, who is kind, who is strong, who is authentic and unapologetic, who is learning, who is practicing self-love and compassion, who follows her dreams on her own accord, who is breaking social norms and knocking down barriers, who is human. I’m inspired by everyday women being everything inspiring I find a woman to be!”
- Desiree Ward, Office Coordinator
“Bob is a 10-year-old bichon frise who I adopted last year. He has extensive cataracts so he doesn’t see very well. My friend Sara was fostering Bob and his ‘brother from another mother,’ Gus. Sara adopted Gus and I adopted Bob. He is very calm, friendly, and charming. I am happy to be able to give him a loving home and he brings me a lot of joy.”
Bob (or robert, if he’s feeling fancy) with his adoptive mama, genevieve
Jen’s grandmother, ro, served in the us marine corps
“The woman who most inspires me is my grandmother, Ro (she did not want to be called ‘grandma’). Born in Chicago in 1923, she did many amazing things, including: serving in the United States Marine Corps in World War II, attending college and earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, travelling the world, teaching elementary school for 35 years, and being a mother and grandmother. She refused to live the life expected of her, and instead, unhampered by expectations, achieved incredible things.”
- Jen Kriegel, Associate AIA, Designer
“My relatively new hobby is curling. I started less than 3 years ago (since this last one didn’t count) and I’ve already competed in local tournaments to go to national ones. More than that though, I’m proud that I tried something new…and met so many strong, spirited women within the curling community that I hope to be like someday!”
- Kathy Justice, AIA, Associate
besides playing, kathy oversees the leagues of the granite curling club of seattle
jasmyn modeling one of her used styling outfits on a recent photoshoot
“Something I’m proud of and that I’d like people to know about me is that I LIVE for sustainable fashion! So much so that I started a side business in 2020 (right before COVID-19 hit) called USED Styling - an eco-friendly wardrobe personal shopping and styling company. One of my goals of USED is to show others that buying second-hand clothing is not only resourceful, but it can be fashionable too! The main service I provide involves going into people’s homes, so last March everything came to a halt, but in the last few months things have been revived in other creative ways.
In December I was asked by a friend to style a photoshoot and from there, it has blossomed into a great creative relationship with a young and inspired photographer who allows me the freedom to try out my experimental fashion choices on myself and others, in front of a camera.
As someone who studied fashion in college, my shift in buying used clothing arose from my experience working in fast fashion companies. This shift in mindset of reusing and recycling has transformed other areas of my life and has made me a more conscious consumer and more empathetic to our natural world, and I am grateful.”
- Jasmyn Flores, Marketing Specialist
“The woman I admire most is my mom, Dr. Christine Burk. She never told me I could be anything less than what I wanted to be and always supported my dreams (even when they were to be a comedian on SNL). I didn’t grow up being shoved into gender norms or being told I was any less of a person/woman because I didn’t like to wear dresses or because I wasn’t boy-crazy. I was praised on my creative problem-solving skills, my academic successes, and by the kindness I showed to others. She raised me the way her mother raised her. As a doctor, I admire her professionally.; as a volunteer, I admire her socially; as a friend, I admire her unconditionally; as a mother, I admire her lovingly. Here’s to you mom! Happy International Women’s Day.”
Dr. Christine burk with her daughters
Siyao playing her electric piano at home during quarantine
“I realized it has been exactly one year since quarantine started, during which I had more time accompanying piano, and began trying to learn classical music pieces and post recordings every few weeks. So far have learned 10 new pieces: four Scarlatti, three Chopin, and two Debussy, plus one traditional Mexican song. I’m really glad to have this piano ‘friend’ that I can always touch and communicate with physically and mentally during the past year.”
- Siyao Zhang, LEED Green Associate, Designer
“Something most people don’t know about me: Although I don’t hunt or even target practice, I’m quite a good shot!”
- Mary Johnston, FAIA, Partner
Mary taking aim at a bottle outside of the johnston’s home in twisp
alison’s grandmother is the little girl standing in the center in this 1916 photo
“I wanted to be a farmer as a child, but my grandmother refused to let me work on the family ranch in North Dakota and said, ‘Over my dead body!’ Becoming an architect, I believe, fulfilled my impulses of wanting to oversee the creation of something from the very beginning to the very end – ‘planting to harvest’ is so similar to ‘conceptual design to grand opening.’ Perhaps I have the best of both worlds. I still have a large kitchen garden and use the skills my grandmother taught me: every year, you will find me canning at least 200 pounds of tomatoes after harvest.”
“This is the house on our family’s ranch in about 1916. The house is still in the family, still standing, and in good shape, which is saying a lot (ever been to North Dakota in the winter?) All my grandmother’s generation left the farm, went to college, and became professionals. My Grams got her master’s degree. Smartest human I have ever met. She lived to be 101.”
- Alison Walker Brems, AIA, Principal
cindy, with her daughter, cooking alongside the women in her family
“I love cooking and bringing people together. There is something so special about a home cooked meal shared by family and friends. Sometimes we try something fancy and other times we opt for something simple but the heart of why we gather remains the same - comradery.”
- Cindy Louie, Business Manager, Principal
“I am especially proud of my master’s degree. I am a first-generation college graduate.”
- Kori Keller, Associate AIA, Designer
“The woman I admire most is Whei-yin Lin. She was the first licensed architect in China, and the daughter of Changmin Lin, known as the ‘Father of Modern Chinese Architecture’. But before she became an architect, Whei-yin was a writer! While studying in the United States at the University of Pennsylvania, she was not admitted to the architecture program because she was a woman, so she studied in the School of Fine Arts instead. She went on to become an architect in China, as well as a respected writer. Her daughter is the poet Maya Lin.”
- Lu Zhang, Associate, Designer
“You’re the blooming flowers over the trees,
You’re a swallow twittering between the beams;
Full of love, full of warm hope,
You are the spring of this world!”
Liz’s writing studio inspiration wall includes artwork, dancers, and david bowie
“I was a dancer throughout my youth, even majoring in dance performance in college, but I always felt pulled in multiple directions. I also loved design, I loved the social sciences, and I loved writing. I realized at the age of 20 that I would be able to live with myself if I did not become a professional dancer, but I could not live with myself if I did not become a published author. I put out a chapbook of short stories and poetry in 1997, which my dad still proudly talks about. And though I journaled for decades and I write for work all the time, it took me until the age of 40 to be brave enough to submit my writing for publication elsewhere. In 2019 I had a short story published, and in 2020 I had a piece of creative nonfiction published. My goal in 2021 is to be published in at least two journals. It feels foolish to me now, that I waited 20 years to put my writing out there. What was I so afraid of? I still don’t know. The worst they can say is, ‘no.’ And without the possibility of ‘no’ there is no possibility of ‘yes’.” - Liz Wasson Coleman, Marketing Director, Associate
“The accomplishment I am most proud of (other than my children) is my husband and me completely renovating our house, doing most of the labor ourselves, and staying married the whole time! By far our least favorite part: sanding the dark finish off the living room ceiling.”
- Megan McKay, LEED AP, Partner
megan’s living room ceilings part way through her home renovation
Elly kayaking with her niece, remi
“I admire my sister-in-law for showing such strength and courage over the last few years. Also, for blessing me with my sweet niece, Remi.”
- Elly Krutz, Interior Designer
“I’m proud to have participated in the Master Composter & Sustainability Steward program through Tilth Alliance, giving me the opportunity to share my love of all things soil and garden. Throughout my life, I’ve turned to gardening as a reliable source of joy and wonder. At times, I’ve turned to the garden for solace, comfort and renewal. In the last year, millions have turned to their gardens, finding agency and sowing hope despite the uncertainties and anxieties of unprecedented global challenges. I’ve delighted in new opportunities to talk about soil health with neighbors, and traded plants and seeds with enthusiastic new gardeners. Collectively, we are digging in to nurture our humble soils, converting our lawns and forgotten corners of the yard to food crops or colorful displays of sheer joy. I find optimism in the happy results of these endeavors – a healthier environment, newly seeded friendships, and deeply rooted relationships within our communities.”
- Leah Wiiest, Interior Designer, Principal
leah’s garden brings her solace and supports a more sustainable environment
mary & mona designing (and laughing) together in the ja studio
“I admire my mother, and all mothers who have managed to survive the past year with their sanity (mostly) intact. My mother is a living legend, whether you measure her by her design brilliance or her skill with a chef’s knife. She can wear Armani at a fancy gala as easily as she can set burn piles on fire with a drip torch. She has an endless curiosity that makes for the best conversations, and a heart as big as the Methow Valley. I love and admire her every day, but this is a good excuse to shout it. Happy International Women’s Day!”
-Mona Zellers, AIA, Principal