A true Chicago hero: Meet Will White, Guest Services Person of the Year

I like to call them "hidden gems."

They can be people, places, or things that not many may be aware of, but ones that transcend the ordinary and prove truly special when discovered.

Meet Will White, Chicago's recent winner of the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association (IHLA) "Stars of The Industry" Guest Services Person of The Year Award for 2022.

As is often the case, I found this "hidden gem" almost accidentally.

Over the past two or three years, I would often walk along Michigan Ave., heading north for various volunteer assignments that I do at Fourth Presbyterian Church. I like to watch people and observe as I walk. Over time, I kept noticing the doorman at the InterContinental Hotel (just north of Illinois Avenue, next to Michael Jordan's Steakhouse), casually observing how friendly, upbeat, and helpful he was to the folks staying at the hotel.

I saw this time and time again as I passed by.

Finally, after a couple of years of seeing him do his thing, I decided what the heck, I was going to stop and talk to him. Let him know from my observations what a great job he does.

So, I introduced myself, offered some encouraging words, and asked if he had a boss inside that I could talk to and put a good word in for him.

I soon learned from this brief stop and introduction that Will did NOT need me to "put in a good word for him." EVERYONE had a "good word" to say about Will!

The guy's story is fantastic and inspirational, all wrapped into one.

Back in 1993, he took what, at the time, seemed like just a summer job at the InterContinental. It was a way to earn money and keep busy in the summer. But he enjoyed it, and after graduating high school, he decided to take a job there working full time.

30 years later…( he just hit the 30 mark on August 3rd), he is still working there! And doing so with the enthusiasm of someone on their first day on the job.

"It was a summer job for me right before my senior year of high school," states Will, "Had no idea it would last as long as it has."

It is not like the affable 48-year-old hasn't had opportunities, along the way,  to go elsewhere. I asked him the question I kind of already knew the answer to; have other people offered you jobs and tried to "steal you away?"

"Oh, for sure," laughs Will. "Happens all the time. I have been offered all kinds of job opportunities, not just from other hotels but from people thinking I could help their business with my people skills and knowledge of Chicago, but for me? The InterContinental is the only place I want to work."

It's not just job opportunities people talk to Will about, but he is known so well by the people that live nearby or, like me, cross his path every day that he has become somewhat of an advice magnet.

"I have been asked almost everything over the years," says Will, "medical questions, lawyer questions, parental advice, romance advice, psychological questions —you name it. I even had a few people ask me to help with their plumbing— questions like how to fix the pipes."

So besides all of the above, what makes the winner of the IHLA Guest Services award so unique?

First and foremost with Will is his eagerness and desire to be helpful. He meets and greets hotel customers as they come and go with genuine concern and interest, and he does it all with a natural but award-winning smile.

There is nothing fake about the guy. It's not just a job to him.   You can tell he wants to be helpful and enjoys all the interaction with hotel guests and other folks on the street.

"What you see is what you get with Will," says front desk employee Malcolm who has worked with Will for the past 18 years, "He is as genuine as they come."

You might want to call him the "Mayor of Michigan Avenue." People pass by and say hello and stop to talk with Will almost constantly. It is a near-celebrity status for him, and he is as friendly and gracious with passersby as he is to the hotel customers.

Lindsay (not real name) lives next door to the hotel and has developed, like so many, a true friendship with Will.

"He always has a kind word and a hug for me," says Lindsay, "He is a true friend and has looked out for me for years. On top of that, he is a true ambassador for the hotel and our city as well."

I spent a few days observing the award-winning doorman and saw the many roles he takes on.

He greets customers as they arrive via taxi or Uber, brings suitcases and luggage in, hails cabs, moves cars, gives directions, answers questions, provides recommendations of places to see and even directs traffic when needed on busy Michigan Avenue.

And he does it all with a smile, first time—every time. Winter, spring, summer, or fall—Will is doing his thing at his station—30 years and counting.

There are some side benefits, too, with working at the prestigious Michigan Avenue hotel and next to Michael Jordan's Restaurant.

"Oh, yeah," laughs Will, "I have been able to meet a lot of famous people over the years. Mel Gibson, Larry Bird, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and of course MJ himself, amongst many others."

Not bad. And while the above may all be big stars, trust me when I say— they got nothing on Will.

He is a true asset to our city, to all the folks who pass by him daily, and obviously to the loyal customers of The InterContinental Hotel.

Quite simply, he makes you feel better after engaging with him—in whatever role that happens to be.

And that joy he emanates? In this day and age?

We need more of that. More of Will. Please.