Alumni Feature
Finding The Perfect Balance
era (Gerk) Linafelter, Class of ’97, says her job as Global Product Manager for Women’s Apparel at New Balance is the perfect combination of her science knowledge, her passion to live an active outdoor lifestyle, and her extensive retail experience. Tera oversees and helps develop a global apparel collection that represents 80 percent of all New Balance apparel, the largest privately held athletic wear company in the world. Tera, who came to BHSU from a small town in the northeast corner of Colorado, says BHSU gave her the best of both worlds – an opportunity to compete as a walk-on in track and the chance to work closely with faculty mentors on research while earning her biology degree. Repeated injuries, which unfortunately ended her running career early, heightened her interest in human anatomy and physical therapy. One of the first students at BHSU to graduate with a research minor, Tera worked with Dr. Dan Durben, associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, on a research project that focused on the training methods of the Olympic rifle shooting team. She says
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meeting the athletes and seeing their dedication was inspirational but it was their extreme attention to detail and commitment to considering different perspectives that proved to have a lasting effect on her life and her career. “The research with the Olympic rifle team taught me the importance of details,” Tera says. “I learned that paying attention to the smallest of details makes a huge difference in the big picture.” Tera says one of the most satisfying parts of her job is starting with an idea for a product in her mind, putting that idea on paper, and then watching that evolve from a two-dimensional design to the actual garment that is sold across the globe.
“It's an amazing feeling to watch our marketing teams, sales reps, and buyers grab a hold of my ideas and embrace them,” Tera says. As she develops apparel collections, Tera always considers the three Fs: fit, fashion, and function. Women’s athletic apparel has changed dramatically in the last decade. For many years, the industry used a limited approach that Tera refers to as “shrink it and pink it” in reference to the practice of
with science, outdoor recreation, and retail interests
modifying men’s designs slightly in size and color to develop a women’s line. In addition to the running,
tennis, yoga, and fitness collections, Tera is enthusiastic about emerging developments. A new collection this year, known as Eco-Run, is a “green" collection that is made from recycled items including soda bottles. Tera, her husband Wade, who is originally from Spearfish and attended BHSU, and their nine-year-old daughter, Peyton, now live in Holliston, Mass., where they continue to live the outdoor life they learned to love in the Black Hills. They take frequent outings to ski, kayak, snowshoe, and participate in motocross events. While enjoying these outdoor activities, Tera relies on her acute practice of observing details to take note of clothing choices and how well that apparel works. It’s Tera’s continuous attention to details, her constant commitment to remaining active in recreational and competitive activities, and her visionary outlook that ensures Tera’s career in the apparel industry remains in balance and will continue to evolve.
Black Hills State University Alumni Magazine Page 2
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