By Emily Clott, Class of 2013
Imagine for a moment that you are in charge of scheduling, organizing, reassuring and troubleshooting for a group of talented and self-confident individuals who require your complete devotion and focus. These people are often much older and experienced in the world than you are, but you have to be responsive and empathetic, yet firm with them no matter what they ask of you, reasonable or not. They are volunteers, so unlike most managers, you cannot insist that they perform a task that needs to be done. Welcome to the world of the CAF/CAC staff members whose titles (Volunteer Coordinator, Manager, etc.) may change, but who have been charged throughout our history with shepherding docent trainees, experienced docents, and all volunteers who give their time and talents to the organization. Several of the hardy souls who’ve held this job will be featured in a video program this summer, so stay tuned for that. To whet your appetite, here are some interesting tidbits I learned speaking with some of these managers recently.
Pat Patterson was CAF Docent Coordinator from 1991-96, a period that included CAF’s separation from Glessner and Clark Houses and the beginning of our exclusive partnership with Chicago’s First Lady Cruise Lines. She stated that fellow members of the Cultural Volunteer Managers organization were always impressed with our docent program; it was admired in the museum community. When she left CAF in 1996 to run the Volunteer Department at the Art Institute, she discovered that their docent program took two years to complete! It was like getting a degree in art history and made our eight week course seemed pretty fast in comparison. Pat especially appreciated “…the exceptional generosity of the retired teachers, engineers, and architects who truly loved sharing their city with the public. I got to know so many amazing people during those years. I also truly admired the professors and historians who gave lectures for the docents.” Pat has lived and worked as an artist and teacher in Mexico for the past 23 years.
Barbara Hrbek Gordon, then a recent Loyola graduate with a BA in Education, saw an ad in the Reader looking for an administrative assistant at CAF. She interviewed, and was hired in 1994 when all CAF staff offices fit into the first floor space at 224 S. Michigan. Her original post was at the reception desk just inside the CAF offices, where she greeted everyone who entered. Her boss Pat asked her to take the docent training right away, and by 1996 Barb was coordinating the entire training program.
During Barb’s tenure, CAF, sharpened its focus to tours, exhibits and educational outreach. Jason Nieses came on staff in 2001 and promptly took docent training as mandated by Barb. He then took over Barb’s role coordinating the docent training program as she was promoted within the Foundation, ultimately reaching the level of VP of Tour Operations. Today, Barb is Executive Director of the Frank Lloyd Wright Conservancy. She ranks her experiences working with docents among the high points of her career.
For almost 10 years Jason and Barb shared an office across from reception in our offices at 224 S. Michigan. When Barbara brought her baby daughter Indigo into the office one day, people were so used to seeing her and Jason together, they mistakenly assumed that the three were a family!
Jason’s duties included interviewing prospective docents, scheduling speakers, compiling packets of homework assignments and working with the Education Committee and Jen Masengarb of the Education Department to constantly refresh and update the course curriculum. Other staffers scheduled docents and kept track of tour hours. During Jason’s tenure, oral and written exams required for certification were discontinued and homework could be submitted on line for the first time. GTS amplification for tours was introduced. Prior to GTS, Geoffrey Baer would give training classes a lesson on voice projection. Jason also moved docent training from fall to January-April, so that trainees were certified to give tours just as the busiest tour months began. Jason said he most valued the docent culture of continuous striving to improve in every possible way. He currently works as Community Development Coordinator of the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque in his home state of Iowa.
Jason was certainly a hard act to follow, but Angie Blumel stepped smartly into the position in 2008. Docents from her years remember Angie as encouraging, always willing to help, and enthusiastic about the docent program. Angle left CAC to return to her home state and is currently President and CEO of Jefferson County CARA, a social service agency in Kansas City.
Hallie Rosen joined the staff as Director of Volunteer Services in December, 2010 after working as Volunteer Manager at the Holocaust Museum. She worked two weeks at CAF, took a previously planned two-week vacation, and upon her return was required by her boss Jason to take docent training that began Jan.7, 2011, preparing to take over the reins from him.
When she was given the big book of readings and realized how much time and work would be involved, Hallie, whose younger son was then in 8th grade, wondered how she could possiblly manage her job, her family, and the t raining all at the same time. Luckily she persisted, and said that the experience was life-changing. Hallie expanded the volunteer program at CAF beyond the docent program to include Visitor Experience Volunteers (VEVs) enabling more people to volunteer with less daunting time and training requirements. Today she remains at CAC as Director of Program Operations.
Charniece Polk spent years at CAF matching docent availability with tour schedules first using paper, then via computer. When she announced her departure in 2014, everyone at CAF grieved a little because Charniece was regarded as an indispensable behind-the-scenes magician. Enter Caroline English, now Duda, who brought her own style of magic to the job.
Caroline grew up in Belleville, Illinois and received her BA in English Literature and History at Rockhurst University in Kansas City. After college, she worked in outdoor education at YMCA camps, but the work was seasonal, so she moved to the Chicago suburbs to live with her twin sister, and enrolled in DePaul University where she received an MA in Non-Profit Management.
Caroline answered an ad for a post as an Open House Chicago Coordinator. She was dismayed to learn that it was a part-time gig, but as luck would have it, within days, Charniece’s position was posted, and Caroline was hired. At first, the job entailed primarily scheduling, but when Hallie moved to her current position, Caroline Duda was named Manager of Volunteer Engagement. Charniece’s words of wisdom as she handed the torch to Caroline: “There is no such thing as an architecture emergency,” something Caroline has tried to keep in mind on Fridays when there are still open spots on the weekend tour schedule. Early in her tenure, Caroline had a “small world” moment so common at CAC when she discovered that docent Angela Platt had grown up in her hometown and was a high school classmate of Caroline’s mother!
When CAC moved to its new location, Caroline was instrumental in developing the categories of Education Guide, Exhibit Host, and Guest Services Volunteer, with specific training for each. Upon her promotion, she hired Erin Carlisle, then Michele Kuhn to handle some administrative duties. Her department ran like a well-oiled machine until Covid arrived, shut down the Center, and forced the organization to contract and re-group. Today Caroline, just back from maternity leave, is enjoying her adorable daughter Amelia, and working from home. The upside of remote work is that she needn’t commute daily to and from the western suburbs, leaving more time for family.
No doubt every CAC docent and volunteer remembers and values the manager who mentored, cajoled, supported, and kept them focused throughout training and beyond. It takes a village to make a CAC docent/volunteer. We salute the Volunteer Managers who made it possible for us to serve the organization we love on the 50th anniversary of the docent program!
Great article! Thanks
Great to see all of these familiar faces. A big shout-out to Charniece, one of the nicest people on earth.
Tom
Thanks for a wonderful trip down memory lane. We have had a very talented bunch of coordinators.
Thanks Emily, I’ve been around since the Pat Patterson days and it was great getting an update on her and all the wonderful staff who have made the volunteer’s role so enjoyable.
Thank you for the article Emily. I enjoyed it very much. Many times the pace of the changes have seemed dizzying, thank goodness we have been able to rely on such competent and friendly staff through these years
Excellent article, Emily. Well-researched and written.
Emily, a terrific tribute to some amazing hard-working staff people who make the job of docent much easier !