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By Ellen Shubart, Class of 2006

Sinhue (Sin-way) Mendoza bubbles; he effervesces as he talks — about the city of Chicago, his family, his love of sports, his newly acquired knowledge of architecture – almost any topic that interests him, and so many do.

Mendoza is our new Director of Communications, CAC’s face behind the contacts with the media, the push for publicity for Open House Chicago, and the creator of many CAC mentions in the local press.

A graduate of Syracuse University’s prestigious Newhouse School of Communications, Mendoza proclaims that he “loves” Chicago. He proudly says, “I was born in Chicago at St. Frances Cabrini Hospital in Little Italy and near the University of Illinois at Chicago. While a through-and-through Chicago fan, Mendoza grew up in suburban Mundelein, where his parents moved when he was young.

Still, he proudly declares that he not only lives in and loves the city, but his even his favorite movies are all about “Chicago: Home Alone,” “About Last Night,” “Blues Brothers” and the John Hughes films about young people on the North Shore.

A graduate of Mundelein High School, Mendoza played football and was on a team that was the first in Mundelein High history to make the state play-offs. He ruefully recalls being beaten in those play-offs by some of Illinois’ high school “colleges,” i.e., well funded high schools that have money to put into their football programs.

Mendoza comes from a working class family and says he was exposed to a diverse spectrum of suburbanites. From those who had “real wealth” in junior high school, when the district included students who lived in nearby towns and ended up at high-ranking suburban Stevenson High School, to those at nearby Waukegan High School, often at the other end of the economic scale. It was what he called “an enriching” experience.

After Syracuse, Mendoza, who majored in broadcast journalism and political science, took jobs in the sports communications arena.

“I’m a sports guy, but I find architecture very interesting,” he says, and enjoys listening to public radio’s Curious City, a program that researches and answers questions about architecture and Chicago history. Today, as a Chicago resident, Mendoza sits on public television’s WTTW Community Advisory Board.

Prior to coming to CAC, Mendoza worked in international soccer and serves as Notre Dame University’s public address announcer’s spotter – the guy who sits high up in the stadium press room and finds which player had the ball, ran the ball, or was tackled so the announcer can be accurate. On football Saturday mornings he leaves early from his home in Lincoln Park near Bucktown to drive to South Bend, Ind. During the week the car is left at home as Mendoza bikes to work most days.

Mendoza sees his role at CAC as moving beyond the design and architecture connoisseurs and encouraging a more diverse group of people to appreciate architecture and design. He intends to help everyone experience CAC and enjoy its programs, exhibits, and tours. He is particularly anxious to get back to a “normal” year with a return of foreign and regional tourists. He’s eager for 2022.

“It’s good to start looking ahead,” he says, bubbling again with new ideas for next year.

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