Barbara Powell Reider - 2007
MHS 1979 Graduate
Dr. Barbara Powell Reider was nominated by her mother Gaye Powell and her sister Cheryl Campbell.
While in high school, Reider was a four-year member of Symphonic Band. She also served in Marching Band, where she was a majorette for four years. She was a delegate to Girls’ State, and valedictorian of her class. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from Kent State in 1983, her Master's Degree in 1986 from The Ohio State University, and her Ph.D. from Kent State in 1991.
Reider's business career has taken her to the University of Montana as a professor of accounting and finance and as a former professor of accounting at the University of Alaska at Anchorage. She is a certified public accountant, and is also certified in management accounting, internal auditing, financial management and government financial management.
While at the University of Alaska, she initiated a program to assist Native Alaskans in remote fishing villages with their income tax compliance. Before she developed this program, these native Alaskans were in danger of losing their fishing licenses because of non-compliance with tax regulations, and because of corrupt income tax preparers.
Reider, while at the University of Alaska, was involved with an exchange program with educators in Magadan, Siberia. With the breakup of the Soviet Union, citizens were able, for the first time, to develop businesses of their own. She traveled to Siberia on numerous occasions to teach their educators to instruct the people in running these businesses.
Her career awards include the Most Inspirational Teacher by her students and the John and Kathy Connors Faculty Fellow, both in 2006. From 2002 to 2004 she received the Outstanding Faculty Award and in 1998, the Teacher and Advisor of the Year award.
She has had numerous professional journals published and has been proofreader of numerous college textbooks. Reider has volunteered at the Women's and Children's Abuse Center in Anchorage, has advised numerous student groups, including Beta Alpha Pi (Business Honorary), Christian Student Fellowship, and the Accounting Club. She is also a member of the Scholarship Selection Committee and the Library Advisory Committee at the University of Montana.
Dr. Reider now lives in Missoula, Montana, and is married to outdoor adventurer, Bob Reider.