By Ellen Shubart, Class of 2006
The D.J. stands for Donald James, a set of initials all the men in his family sport. But don’t call him that; the 28-year old goes by “D.J.”: it’s on his CAC name badge and his business card. D.J. is one of two GEMs, Guest Experience Managers, the folks who supervise what is going on at CAC on a daily basis – from making sure the tickets are being sold, the tours are moving well, the traffic in the exhibitions is flowing—in short, everything is running smoothly. D.J. shares the GEM job with Emmelia Lamphere. Emmelia (pronounced Ahmelia) joined CAC in July 2017. You can read her profile in The Bridge archives. Emmelia was box office manager when CAC was located at 224 S. Michigan and has been promoted to GEM.
Born was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, D.J. went to elementary school in New York City, then moved to Richmond, Virginia, where he went to high school. Wanting to be close to nature and to enjoy hiking and gorgeous scenery, he attended Radford University in Radford, Virginia, admittedly the “middle of nowhere, a 15-minute drive from the nearest Wal-Mart!” Originally the women’s sister school to Virginia Tech, today Radford is a mid-sized, co-ed university. D.J. majored in theater – a juxtaposition to being in and loving the out-of-doors. After being in a secluded location for years, he admits, “Once I was done (with college), I was so ready to go back to the city.”
He spent some time working in the theater world of Richmond (he was nominated for a Richmond Theater Critics Circle award), then moved back to New York City for a short time. From there he spent four months in Los Angeles, studying vocal music and songwriting, something he still enjoys today. His chosen instrument is the ukulele. He picked it up on the way to learning to play the guitar, but never left the uke because he likes the sound of it, and it works with his song writing.
D. J. arrived in Chicago in July 2015, choosing the Windy City because, “I knew I had to be in a big city.” While he knew he didn’t want New York City again, and he liked L.A., Chicago was more affordable and has both a “great theater scene” and the outdoor activities he loves so much, including access to Lake Michigan beaches. At first he worked at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, beginning as a guest services associate and moving up to front-of-house manager. “It was a great community,” he says, but it was also a lot of late nights. Starting at CAC last August, just as the center opened, D.J. has found a niche that he loves. His schedule is Wednesdays through Saturdays, while Emmelia holds down the fort Sundays through Wednesdays. “Wednesdays are our meeting days, when we exchange information and news.”
When a guest arrives at CAC, D.J. feels they are coming for inspiration and education, and that’s what he feels staff is aiming to provide. Since arriving at CAC, he is impressed by the numbers of international visitors and loves meeting people from around the world. “Working here has changed how I look at Chicago and other cities,” he says. He has taken the core tours and, “of course, I’ve taken the River Cruise, too. I’ve learned a lot about Chicago.” When he returned to New York City for the holidays, he took a list of places to re-visit: The Flatiron Building, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Calatrava World Trade Center Transportation Hub were must-sees. “I now see the huge mass appeal of architecture, I see and recognize architecture as an art form,” he says. “When docents say at the end of their tours, ‘When you go home, when you see a building next time, remember to look for …. ‘I think about that all the time now.”
D.J. enjoys working with volunteers as well. “Volunteering shows strong character,” he says. “I love hearing about what drew them to our program.” In the few months he’s been here, he’s had only positive relationships with everyone, and he feels part of the completion of a big project, the growth of CAC.
D.J. lives in Edgewater with his partner of eight years, Kyle.