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Was it destiny? Fate? Read on!

Over a decade ago, a young girl traveled to Chicago with her grandmother on a classical music tour titled “My Kind o’ Town.” Among the events during those next five days were a “private boat ride on the Little Lady with a docent from the Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF); a coach (bus) tour of Chicago highlights with CAF, and a Frank Lloyd Wright tour with CAF, including the Wright House & Studio and neighborhood walk, and Unity Temple Church.” According to the traveler, a true “culture vulture,” she fell in love with the city.

Flash forward to 2024, and Julian Leal has returned to Chicago and the Chicago Architecture Center. In her new role as Manager of Membership, she aims to foster the love she feels for her adopted city throughout the entire membership.

Originally from San Clemente, California, Leal was the first in her close-knit family to move away. She applied to graduate programs across the U.S. and chose the University of Chicago because of her experience on the music trip. She reveled in the city’s “climate of arts” that includes the Art Institute, the Chicago Symphony, the Lyric Opera, the Joffrey Ballet, and some unspoken “connection” to CAC.

Leal worked in fundraising at the Steppenwolf Theatre while pursuing a master’s in Social Sector Leadership and Nonprofit Management from the University of Chicago. Her connection with CAC continued through her  membership, and she and her partner Ross Lindberg have taken many tours prior to her joining the staff.

Leal has many ideas about increasing and enhancing CAC membership, starting with the conversion to digital membership cards. Joining the North American Reciprocal Museums Association (NARM) will give members opportunities for free or reduced fees at more than 1,300 affiliated museums. Leal also hopes to introduce new benefits to make the membership levels more distinct.

Long-term, she would like to enhance membership benefits and  uplift the education initiatives that membership contributions support. Members will be aware that beyond the tours and discounts, their membership helps make CAC’s education programming possible. “Our tours are among our greatest assets, but the members should also feel connected to our mission and work in the community.”

Leal and her team are taking a critical look at price structures and accessibility to ensure that cost is not a barrier for interested people. Simultaneously, she is examining ways to minimize the “no-show factor”, members failing to appear for tours they’ve booked.  Looking ahead, she is considering how to position offers to all members who have an appetite for new tours and content. While CAC is stewarding knowledge for the locals, Leal acknowledges that there is still the question of how to attract new members from diverse backgrounds.

Even the annual spring membership drive was different this year. Leal is overseeing a change in strategy, targeting a smaller audience with specific language related to the ways they’ve interacted with CAC. With fewer letters going out, this hyper-targeted campaign is designed to activate involvement from new constituencies.

Leal speaks softly but quickly, the curls around her head bouncing as she touches on each of her topics. If she has one message to send to docents, she says it would be “Gratitude. Docents are front-facing, interacting, and setting the tone representing CAC. We owe them gratitude.”

Perhaps it was destiny that brought Leal to CAC. Perhaps it was just a fluke that she ended up here. But no matter—she already seems connected to her new city, her new job, and her new look at membership.

Welcome, Julian Leal!

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