Naheda Willis, Bookkeeper

What is your favorite piece of artwork and why? Georges Seurat’s "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte." I love the subject matter - depicts people of all classes - also love the technique that was used to create it. Rather than using brushstrokes of mixed colors, Seurat developed what is called Pointillism in which he painted with tiny, detached strokes of pure color that made this painting shimmer with brilliance.

What was your more memorable class in school?

Art History. I took this class in college and fell in love with various artists from eras ranging from expressionism, impressionism and the renaissance period. I analyzed the individual design elements of an object such as its color, line, texture, etc. and explained how the artist arranged and used these various elements. I love going to museums with my husband and I feel extremely lucky to have had the privilege of travelling to Amsterdam and visiting the Van Gogh Museum in Museumplein! I got to see many of my favorite paintings by such a brilliant person! My next dream is to travel to Italy for the obvious, then to Chicago to visit the Art Institute of Chicago to see my favorite piece of artwork!

What is the one thing about you that people would be surprised to know? I don’t know how to swim.

What do you want to learn next? How to swim.

Name 3 people in history that you would like to have dinner with. Anne Frank, Elvis & Walt Disney.

What are your favorite books, bands, actors, movies and why?

Books: Chuck Klosterman IV: A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas. This is a compilation of various short articles and essays--mostly relating to music and pop culture. Klosterman is just so on-point, entertaining and appropriately self-deprecating. He contextualizes each piece with consistently hilarious commentary about what was going on with him at the time he wrote the articles and any interesting tidbits that he wasn't able to include in the original articles. Also, Fight Club, The Lovely Bones, The Witching Hour...

Bands: Radiohead because they never record the same music twice and they always surprise me by reinventing their sound. Also, I have a personal connection with the video for the song "High and Dry" one of my favorites! If you've ever seen the video, you know it takes place at a diner. The shot at the beginning of the video shows a "Dick's Restaurant" sign. That restaurant is located in San Leandro, California and is next door to a company (Bingham Printing) I used worked for back in 1991 for 8 years which is also where I met Ron (now my husband!). Radiohead came to the diner in the mid 90's to film and although the diner was closed off to the public while the members of the band performed their roles inside, I got to hang outside with the film crew and other actors and watch the car explosion (which is at the end of the video). Tool(!!!), FooFighters, (too many to name).


Movies: Anything by the Coen brothers, Quentin Tarantino; Full Metal Jacket, Election, The Shawshank Redemption, A Chorus Line, Muriel's Wedding, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, American Psycho...I better stop!

Actors: Tim Daly, Simon Pegg, Christian Bale, Reese Witherspoon, Steve Carell, Morgan Freeman, Michael C. Hall.

What do you enjoy most?

Being with my husband! Laughing with him, listening to music, movies, reading, playing board games--trivia and scrabble. My nieces and nephews, my family and friends!.

What is the greatest invention of all time?

Satellite radio!