As technician for the Northwest College Foundation, Diedre Asay is involved in a little bit of everything when it comes to managing the day-to-day affairs of the official fundraising arm of the college. Scholarships, special events, accounting, and managing Foundation properties such as the Nelson House are all on the list, which keeps the job interesting for the NWC alum who also holds a bachelor’s degree in business management.

But that’s not how it started for Diedre. Originally from Twin Falls, Idaho, she came to Northwest College to study photography, and thought she’d get her degree and move on. She did to a certain extent. In 2000, Diedre and her husband Brandon, who she met while attending NWC, moved to Nevada where they lived in the Lake Tahoe area for 12 years. But after having the first child, they realized they didn’t want to raise a family in the craziness of Reno and decided to move back to Powell, where they also bought the Vali Twin Cinema from Brandon’s parents.

Yes, Diedre is more than the Northwest College Foundation Technician. She’s also the co-owner of the historic theater that’s been serving Powell in one form or another since 1919. That can lead to some long days, especially in the summer when the theater is open seven days a week, but since most people are generally happy to come see a movie, it’s normally a fun environment and allows Diedre to get to know many of the people in town. In addition to the bookkeeping, she also does all the hiring and management of the staff, which gives Diedre another opportunity.

“I really enjoy working with the kids who work for us. It’s normally their first job, so we’re teaching them the basics, things like being on time, keeping to a schedule and customer service.”

By the way, Diedre races cars too. She only recently started doing it, but during the summer you might find her behind the wheel on tracks in Greybull and Powell, doing what she describes as “AWESOME!”.

Even though much of her life has been spent in Idaho and Nevada, Diedre is happy she found her way back to NWC and the small town she now calls home.

“As a teenager I didn’t think Powell was very cool, but it definitely grows on you.”