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Dear docents:

I am writing from home, sitting in the freezing cold (it should be way warmer by the time you read this!)  Am I sitting outside, you ask?  No.  I am simply refusing to turn on the heat.  It is NOT winter yet!  I am going to have to live in an overly-dry, heated space for the next six months, so I am determined not to turn on the heat until it is absolutely necessary.  Confession:  my wife is out of town, which is the only reason I can keep the heat off!

Fall is a time of transition, moving from summer to winter, warmth to cold, lots of tours to fewer tours.  But the BIG transition that is about to take place is the arrival of Eleanor Gorski as our next president and CEO of the Chicago Architecture Center.

You all have seen Eleanor’s introduction sent by Ann Thompson, chair of the CAC Board of Trustees.  I would like to describe a bit how we got to this point.  Lynn Osmond asked me, before her departure, to join the CEO search committee along with a handful of Trustee members.  Our committee was chaired by Ann Thompson, and Koya Partners, a search firm, was contracted to help us in our search.

Koya solicited comments, suggestions, and recommendations from stakeholders (donors, architects, local government officials, etc.) to seek out potential candidates.  The job description was available to anyone who was interested.  Many people expressed interest, but the committee chose to talk to just a dozen or so of the most qualified candidates.  We were pleased with so many capable and impressive candidates, and it was clear we could find our next leader from this outstanding group of individuals.  We had a second round of in-person interviews with a select group of candidates.  After this second round, we clearly had settled on Eleanor Gorski as our top candidate, and I am so pleased she has agreed to lead us into our next chapter.

I’ve not yet met Eleanor outside of the interview process, yet I am looking forward to working with her.  She is so knowledgeable, experienced, and connected to Chicago, the neighborhoods, and the design community.  I think she is the perfect person to lead the CAC in our next chapter, starting in early December.

I hope to see you all at All Docent Day on November 5th.  Not sure if I will be wearing shorts or a parka, but it will nice for us to celebrate the end of another tour season together!

Kent.

PS – Make sure to vote for Docent Council!  You can find the ballot, videos, etc. on The Bridge – just CLICK HERE!

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