Jillian

was photographed by Clayton Hauck
at See You Soon during a Keep it 100 session
on February 10, 2025.

Interviewed on location and edited by Clayton Hauck.

“We've got a rescue dog, Albus, at home, and we've had 29 fosters through One Tail at a Time”

Jillian’s Playlist:

“Supermarket Music Circa 2008”

How are you feeling today, Jillian?

I'm feeling great. Excited? I was nervous, but now I feel more confident.

For the photos?

Yeah.

Are you someone who likes getting your photo taken?

No. I mean, yes and no. But my career is in PR, so my job is to put everybody else in front of the camera. I don't have that many photos of myself, so I figured it was time to to treat myself.

How did it feel to get hundreds of photos taken of you in a few short minutes?

It was good.

Are you lying?

(Laughs) No, I’m not lying. It's different to be in front of the camera, and there's a lot going on, but once you're in it, you can't really tell. You and I were connecting and so you miss the — and you can't see the backgrounds, so you're kind of just singularly focused.

All right, enough about me, let's talk about you. Tell me about your job.

I'm Director of Public Relations and Communications at the Lincoln Park Zoo. I've been there for 11 years, which is pretty crazy. But my job is overseeing all the communications, so I say anything with pictures and words: video, social media, traditional media, crisis reputation management, all that stuff.

Is there a favorite part about working at a place like the zoo?

My favorite part is — this sounds like a cliché, but — I learn something new every day. There are so many experts there and so much that goes into the care and conservation of all these little creatures, big and small. And so I really do learn something [every day], whether that be like an animal behavior, or a scientific method, or a policy that exists, it really is … I just become a sponge there.

Awesome. Do you have a favorite animal or two?

Oh, man. I do. I have favorite species and favorite individuals. One of my all-time favorites was Caruso, he was a white-cheeked Gibbon. He's no longer with us, but Rollie is a gorilla, and she has a red head … she's probably one of my current top runners, yeah.

Tell me a little bit about yourself. Things you're into, things that excite you?

I am very into dog rescue. We've got a rescue dog, Albus, at home, and we've had 29 fosters through One Tail at a Time. And we love adventuring, hiking, and going to the mountains, which we don't have so much here in Chicago, so traveling and hiking whenever we can.

Is there a favorite destination, a favorite place you've been, or a dream place you haven't been that you would love to go?

I'm gonna do a two-for-one answer. This fall we went to a Patagonia, on the Chile side, and that was a dream for a long time and it was one of the coolest places I've ever been.

Anything else you're thinking about, anything you wanna plug?

Not that I can think of. When I do this for a living, I always tell people if you get asked “anything we forgot?” that you have to say something, and now I can't think of anything!

(Laughs) Do you like eating? Is there like a favorite restaurant or bar in Chicago?

Listen, it is certainly not top tier, but I'm currently having a phase with Crab King in Lakeview. it is kitschy, you wear a bib, there are nets and crabs hanging from the ceiling, and that's all you need to know!

Awesome. Cool, well, thank you for your time. It's been great chatting.