By Brent Hoffmann, Class of 2005
“I went on this great tour of the Magnificent Mile and thought that I want to learn what that guy from the Chicago Architecture Foundation knows,” said Elise Daughhetee. “I thought, maybe I’ll be a docent in retirement. Then, I went to a volunteer open house, became a docent in 2003, and realized that I didn’t need to wait until retirement.”
When not leading tours, Elise is the HR [human resources] director of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, a Chicago-based network of real estate firms in more than 70 countries. “My HR job involves working closely with senior leaders to set the talent strategy for the organization and then execute it,” she explained. “That includes every part of the employment life cycle from hire to retirement compliance, compensation, benefits, recruiting, performance management, organizational design, development and more,” she explained. Before that, she was the HR director of the Chicago Teachers Pension. “In 2012 I formed my own human resources consultancy, called aHRchitects. I consult with small and mid-size companies and non-profit organizations without having to take on a full-time role.
Zumba
“I know I’ll never fully retire and, in the last few years, had some side gigs to help me identify what I might do for fun in a few years. I love wine and I love to dance so I got my Zumba instructor’s license and worked for a few months as a tasting room attendant for Coopers’ Hawk restaurant in Chicago. Now I’m too busy for side gigs but would love to lead dance classes, and pour and talk wine when the time comes.”
Elise, who grew up in Martinsville, Illinois, south of Champaign, didn’t start out to be an HR professional. “I crossed the border and got a B.S. in criminology at Indiana State University in Terre Haute,” she said. “I worked as a paralegal in a law firm and corporate legal department before earning my M.A. in human resources from Washington University in St. Louis.”
Elise — who lives in Oak Park — is the director of the Chicago Architecture Center’s Frank Lloyd Wright in Oak Park (Sunday) tour.
Post-Covid
She’s also certified for CAC’s pub tours in Andersonville and the West Loop. “One of my favorite tour experiences dates back to the downtown happy hour tours that ended at the Park Grill in Millennium Park,” continued Elise. “My happy-hour tourees were a diverse mix in terms of ages and the cities and countries they were visiting from. They stayed for drinks and dinner, and we had fabulous evenings discussing travel, food and architecture.”
Elise was the chair of the Docent Appreciation Night committee for several years. She’s been a sponsor of trainees as well as a tour certifier. And, at the 2010 DAN, received a service award for her contributions.
“I’m looking forward to the post-COVID world and plan to certify for the Graceland Cemetery and Pilsen neighborhood walking tours.”
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I love this uplifting article about Elise. Hopefully Elise, you will treat us to a Zumba dance classes (virtually but better in person!) while we each can sip our beverage-of-choice in-between moves. Reading the article prompted me to recall how fond I was of leading Student Loop and a few Art in Architecture tours as well as Happy Hour tours, appreciating the different age groups and variety of CAF/CAC tour offerings and activities,
As one who has joined Elise often leading the West loop pub crawl, I know how good a tour guide she is and enjoy both the patter but also the drinks and talk with tourees at the various — and always changing — bars we went to. Good to learn about Zumba. Elise, we’re got to have you dance for or with us.