CAC Leadership Announcement from Lynn Osmond
Dear CAC Docents and Volunteers,
I wanted to personally share the news that I will be leaving as President and CEO of CAC to become the new President and CEO of Choose Chicago, our visitor and convention bureau.
This has been a one of the most difficult decisions of my lifetime, as I have such a deep love for this institution and all the people that I have had a chance to work with and learn from along the way. However, I am excited that my new position will allow me to continue to promote the city that we all love.
After 25 years at the helm of the CAC, this is the right juncture for me to turn over the reins to a new leader and pursue my next chapter. I am confident that the organization stands on a strong foundation with a clear and inspiring strategic plan to guide its way. The CAC has a talented staff, exceptional board of trustees and importantly, it has all of you – our docent and volunteer community. You are the CAC’s backbone.
You are also one of the things I will miss most about working at the CAC. Your passion for CAC’s mission – to inspire people to discover why design matters – is evident in everything you do. Thank you for giving so much of your time and talent to ensure that the CAC remains the premier destination to start one’s exploration of Chicago – the city of architecture.
I am proud of what we have achieved together during my tenure. Indeed, the CAC of today is much different than the CAF I inherited 25 years ago. Over the past 25 years, the CAC has grown from an audience of 150,000 to 700,000 patrons annually and has become one of the top cultural attractions in the city.
My last day will be April 29th, but I will remain a close friend, donor and fan of CAC and do all I can to promote this organization in my new role. I also hope to keep up with my hours to remain a certified docent!
A national search will be conducted for my successor. A search committee has been formed and will include Docent Council President Kent Foutty. In the meantime, Juanna Blackwell will continue to provide her steady hand in guiding the institution as Chief Operating Officer.
Please find two releases from both CAC and the City about my departure and appointment to Choose Chicago.
Again, it has been both a joy and a privilege to have served the CAC and to have worked and learn alongside you over these past 25 years. I know our paths will continue to cross, and I look forward to that!
Warm regards,
Lynn
New Comp Ticket Request Form
We have updated the link on The Bridge for Comp Request Form. If you have bookmarked this page, please delete and use the new one located underneath Quick Links.
New Hires in IT Department, Marketing Department and Volunteer Department
New additions to the CAC include:
Joel Holt, Vice President of Information Technology. Joel has over 24 years of experience as an IT expert. He joins the Chicago Architecture Center after working with the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago for over 16 years. Joel began as a network administrator, then advanced to IT Manager, and then to IT Director.
Lisa Nucci, Vice President of Marketing effective March 23. Lisa comes to us from the Chicago Bulls where she was employed since 2013, her last position being their Executive Director of Marketing. Prior to that she worked at United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, Laughlin Constable and Allied Advertising.
Lexie Oliva, Volunteer Coordinator effective March 8th. Lexie is currently a graduate student at the University of Illinois-Chicago for Museum and Exhibition Studies. Lexie served as the Assistant Center Director at Mathnasium and managed schedules for instructors and students. She brings a lot of administrative and organizational skills to this position.
Updated CAC Mask Policy
We are once again in ever changing state of policies so please take a few moments to read our current policy on masks. https://www.architecture.org/news/happening-caf/covid-19-safety-policies/.
We are still asking staff to wear masks both in the CAC and in our office spaces.
We are also asking all docents and volunteers when they are in the CAC or walking around office spaces to still wear masks until further notice.
Docents will not need to wear a mask when outside giving a tour.
We will still need to comply with any buildings that require a mask.
We are still reviewing guidelines for any in-person trainings and will announce when those are confirmed.
Tours and Exhibits-February
Walking Tours
There were 91 walking tour departures in February. Average tour capacity utilization was 41% for the month with an average of 5.5 guests per departure. 49% of guests were members. The Center is open from 10am-4pm on Friday through Monday with tours departing each of these days. There are also neighborhood or non-CAC departing tours departing 6 days a week.
Exhibits
In February, the Center hours continue to be open Friday through Monday, weekly from 10am –4pm. These hours are expected to remain in place through March. February total exhibit attendance was 681 guests. This included 311 adult tickets, 129 student tickets, 107 walking attendees, 63OTA (online travel agency) purchasers, 32 comps, and 39 members.
Group Sales:
Private walking tours have slowed during the colder months. Both private walking tours and river cruise requests have increase significantly compared to 2021. Group sales is organizing our river cruise requests to be ready for contracting starting the first week of March.
Sales Outreach:
At the beginning of the month, the Manager of Sales Support attended the Heartland Travel Showcase in Cleveland and had 15 appointments with tour operators planning travel to Chicago. Interest is increasing for group travel, however several operators mentioned there are some safety concerns effecting willingness to travel to Chicago.
The Director of Sales attended The Arrival Conference for Attractions, Tours, and Museums (Things To-Do), which met in person for the first time in several years. Excellent seminars to help operators get up to speed on trends, technologies, tourism recoveries and outlooks. Three biggest take-aways: Easy phone purchases and bookings are essential; Google Things To Do will be a strong influencer on search listings; Leisure market is back about 96% but convention and business is coming back more slowly, it may take until 2024 for those segments to fully recover.
Retail
The focus during the winter months is to ensure the store is ready for peak tour season starting in May. Staff is working on refining the product in our Home, Jewelry, Kids and Book Departments and attended two buying shows in New York at the beginning of February. Staff will also attend the Inspired Home show in Chicago in early March.
There are new logins for the library computers. Please refer to this article for more information: New Login Information for Library Computers.
The Center is currently open Friday-Monday through the end of March. The hours of operation will be from 10am-4pm. The Call Center will be open 7 days a week. We will evaluate March hours in February. Scheduling for March in VolunteerMatters begins Saturday, January 8th at 9:30.
Vaccine Requirement: If you have not shown proof of vaccination, you have been marked “inactive” and will not be able to sign up tours/shifts. If you want to continue volunteering with the CAC, please contact Caroline at cd***@ar**********.org as soon as possible.
Neighborhood Tours: The Will Call lists will be posted on The Bridge after 5 pm the day before your tour. Look for Will Call List under Quick Links. If the Will Call list is not posted, you can email ti*****@ar**********.org and staff will get an updated version up as soon as possible. If your tour is not listed on the current will call list, this means there are no sales and you do not need to come in for your tour. This applies to Neighborhood tours ONLY.
Guests must sign up for neighborhood tours on line. We are currently not allowing walk-up purchases for neighborhood tours. This is now clearly stated on the CAC website. Notes under all neighborhood tours include this language:
- Advance reservations are required for this tour.
- Access to building interiors featured on this tour may be subject to change, due to weekend and holiday schedules or unforeseen closures.
- Ticket price includes entrance to the Chicago Architecture Center within 7 days of your tour.
- View the CAC’s hours.
Please also be sure to fill out the Neighborhood Tour Report Form after your tour. If your tour has zero tickets, you do not need to fill out the report. If your tour is not listed, choose OTHER and fill in the tour name in the comments.
PARKING
We are no longer issuing the parking vouchers for members. The discounted parking is still availlable at 111 East Wacker Drive. CAC guests and members receive but YOU MUST GET YOUR PARKING TICKET STAMPED at the CAC Box Office or the dockside CFL River Cruise box office. To receive your discounted rate pay at the LAZ garage office located inside 111 E Wacker opposite Potbellies Sandwiches. The parking garage is open 24/7.
Several other public parking garages are available in the River North and Loop neighborhoods. SpotHero can help you find a good deal. To reserve your parking spot, visit the Chicago Architecture Center SpotHero Parking Page and book with rates up to 50% off drive-up. Please note: if parking is prepurchased, early arrival or departure is subjected to additional charges at the garage’s discretion. New to SpotHero? Click here to download the SpotHero app. Questions? Give SpotHero a call at (312) 566-7768.