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Red Bluff Daily News - Women In business - Wednesday, October 28, 2015 - 3 By Julie Zeeb jzeeb@redbluffdailynews.com @DN_Zeeb on Twitter While Susan McFadyen has been man- aging Lariat Bowl since 1982, her involve- ment with it goes back much further to 1963 when her father bought out one of the partners in the business. In 1958, Gene Penne was an avid bowler and was in the business all the time, which eventually led to him buying in to the busi- ness before buying out the final partner and purchasing the property. With his wife Gena by his side working in the bowling alley and supporting him in various other ways, such as decorating at various local events for groups he was in- volved in, Gene Penne showed by example the importance of being involved in one's community, McFadyen said. "My father instilled in me a sense of commumnity," McFadyen said. "He was involved in the Red Bluff-Tehama Coun- ty Chamber of Commerce, Red Bluff City Council, Board of Supervisors and Rotary. He had his hand in a lot of things and that's why I'm involved in so many things. I like being involved." Gene Penne's involvement in so many ar- eas is part of what led to the chamber award named for him that is given outstanding members of the business community. McFadyen might not be involved in as many things as her father, but she is in- volved in a number of organizations includ- ing the Back to School Project and Tehama County Employer Advisory Council. She was a board member on the Family Ser- vices Agency and Hope Chest, which her father was on before her, McFadyen said. She and her husband Ed, who have been married since 1983, have two children. James is in the Air Force stationed in Chey- enne Wyoming and Cara lives in Chico, but works part-time at Lariat Bowl. "My daughter's a woman in business too," McFadyen said. "She inherited her creativ- ity from my mother and mother-in-law and is able to see outside the box, which is important in business." It was her daughter's creativity that led to the newest venture at Lariat Bowl, a series of bowling events involving wine and bowl- ing as an alternative ladies night out, she said. For more information on the newest project, visit www.lariatbowl.com or call 527-2720. Her advice to a woman wanting to enter the business world would be to hire people they trust and to build a support system to surround oneself with, McFadyen said. You should also like the field you're entering. "My advice would be to follow your pas- sion," McFadyen said. "In every situation you have to ask God 'what is your plan for me? What is my purpose here?'" While she has worked at the bowling alley since age 10, starting with peeling potatoes and filling ice, she has a degree in an en- tirely different field — a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from Chico State, which she got while working at Orchard Lanes in Chico. Her father acquired that business in 1977. When here father decid- ed it was time to semi-retire in 1982, he asked her to take over at Lariat Bowl so she moved back to Red Bluff. She's worked there ever since, except for two-and-a- half years that she worked for the Tehama County Building Department, McFadyen said. With bowlers from age 2 to 93, it's a sport that draws a wide variety of ages and over time the regulars have become like family, McFadyen said. "I didn't always see myself as a bowling center manager," McFadyen said. "It wasn't my first plan. I had planned to go into early childhood education, but I have embraced the job and it's the people that keep you here." success folowing her passion

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