Northern Nevada Business Weekly: Tell us about your company and your job.
Laura Price: Associa Sierra North manages homeowners’ associations. We are an international company that’s in Canada and Mexico as well. My duties are anything as required. One day I might be attending meetings; the next I’ll be putting out a bunch of fires.
NNBW: How did you get into this profession?
Price: My father. He was a retired military officer, and he used to build hospitals, so it was a really easy transition for him to managing HOAs. That was when I was in high school, and I’ve been doing it pretty much ever since.
NNBW: Throughout the course of your long career in HOA management, is there one thing that’s really helped you in your duties today?
Price: Integrity and honesty. A lot of times — particularly in this business — homeowners, you are dealing with their castle. It is their largest investment and is very emotional for them. You have to keep that in mind, and it’s important you are honest and upfront with them.
NNBW: What was your first job?
Price: I was a model for a special education publisher. There are a lot of kids out there that are mentally challenged that would know this face.
NNBW: Tell us about your dream job. Why aren’t you working it?
Price: My dream job would be to run a resort.
NNBW: Do you have any advice for someone who wants to enter your profession?
Price: It is very detail-oriented. But, the reason I have done it so long is that you have to be prepared for the unexpected. I have been on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the last 33 years.
NNBW: What do you like most about your job?
Price: The people. Being a military brat, you always were moving, so I am very social, and this is a very social business. You are dealing with vendors, with city and county people, with legislators. You become almost an expert at everything. We are not attorneys, but we are always dealing with legal matters. We are not accountants, but we have financial books and deal with audits and all that kind stuff. In 33 years, I have never had two days alike.
NNBW: What piece of advice have you learned that helps you navigate your day-to-day duties?
Price: Don’t ever give something to someone that you’ll eventually take away. If you are providing a service, and you have set an expectation for that level of service, you have to maintain that level.
NNBW: What are your hobbies or pastimes?
Price: I have two kids that are very, very active. They have always played in band, so I have always been on PTA or band boosters.
NNBW: What other interests do you have outside of work?
Price: My husband and daughter both have an eye disease, and I am getting ready to start up a foundation because they have no foundation for fighting blindness in this town. My youngest was told at about age 5 she had the same disease her father has, retinitis pigmentosa. They have great vision, but the retina starts to deteriorate to the point where it’s like looking through straws because their field of vision is so narrow.
NNBW: If you could hold on to just one memory for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Price: This is bad, because you are supposed to say something sensitive like the birth of your child, but I actually was in Dallas when the Giants won the World Series against the Rangers a couple of years ago. When people were filing into the suite next to mine, they were all in orange and were like, “Come over here and sit with us, sit with your people.” It was the owner of the Giants. I saw them win the World Series, I sat with the owners, and it was just one of those magical moments in my life.
NNBW: What did you dream of becoming when you were a little girl?
Price: I always wanted something to do with the ocean, like a marine biologist.
NNBW: If you had enough money to retire right now, would you? Why or why not?
Price: No. I would drive myself crazy, let alone my family. I am a very busy person.
NNBW: Where’s your perfect vacation spot?
Price: I dream to go to Scotland one day because I am Scottish, but I have two timeshares in Maui, and I like to just go there and veg.
NNBW: Why did you choose a career in northern Nevada? What do you like most about working/living here?
Price: When I was a kid I spent a lot of time coming up here from the Bay Area. I always loved the mountains, and it’s beautiful. It has seasons, my kids like it, and I really like it up here. I’m not big on snow, but I’m learning.
Know someone whose perspective you would like to share with NNBW readers? Email reporter Rob Sabo at rsabo@nnbw.biz or call him at 775-850-2146.
