Meet Dawn Wilson
Dawn Wilson is the first full-time employee of The Labor Connection. Before joining the
company in February of 2023 as a labor coordinator, she held a number of industry-related jobs
ranging from an Actors’ Equity Association union stage manager for the Second City National
Touring Company, to director of production for The Harris Theater for Music and Dance, to labor
coordinator for union crews across the United States. I asked her to tell us a little about herself:
What were your formative years like?
I was born in Quincy, Michigan, a small village of about 1,500 people. I took an interest in live
performing arts early on, playing in marching band, concert band and pep band in high school
and serving as president of my high school drama society. My school’s fine arts department
took a trip to New York City in 2001 where I saw my first Broadway musical, and I knew at that
point I would eventually pursue a career in the field. After graduating high school, I moved to
Chicago and attended Columbia College Chicago where I received a Bachelor of Arts in
Technical Theater, concentrating in Stage Management. After college, I decided to stay in
Chicago and start my career in theater which later evolved to managing live music, dance, and
corporate events. That’s how I learned about union contracts and developed a passion for
supporting Chicago unions.
How do you like to spend your free time?
I like spending time with my husband who is a mechanic by trade and also a music lover. We
love going to car shows in the summer and going to concerts and festivals all over Illinois.
We are also big ‘project people.’ We enjoy building and creating things together. We always
have something to work on in or outside of our Northside Chicago home. Currently, we are
restoring an original Tiffany-style Pizza Hut lamp from the 1990’s which is super fun and
nostalgic.
We love to travel, garden, and spend time with our friends and families.
I also love to cook. I’ve been vegetarian for 24 years, and I love introducing my meat-eating
husband and friends to new foods and recipes. I try to stay active by biking, running and
practicing yoga.
What’s on your bucket list?
I’d like to visit Japan (specifically Kyoto) where my paternal grandmother is from. I’d also like to
visit Great Falls, Montana, because my mother was born there, and my sisters and I are
members of a federally recognized Native American tribe called “The Little Shell Chippewa.” I’d
like to meet other members of our tribe and see our land in person. My husband and I would
also like to travel to Freiburg, Germany where his family is from.
I’d also like to keep growing The Labor Connection with JP and Joel; to continue expanding our
relationships in Chicago and beyond. I love my job and the little team we’ve created! I feel
grateful everyday for the opportunity to be part of it.
What advice would you give to your younger self, or to someone just starting out in this
business?
I feel like I’ve grown a lot over the years and still have lots to learn. I think the hardest thing for
me is not being too hard on myself or taking things too personally. Being a woman in this
industry can be challenging now, and was even more difficult when I was younger. I think the
best thing you can do is gravitate towards the people who want to help you and see you
become successful. Supportive people can do wonders for your confidence. Keep having
confidence, admit when you don’t know something and when you mess up, (you absolutely will)
and try not to take it to heart too much. Appreciate your failures and let them make you better
for the next time. There is always a next time.
Last question. What are your go-to experiences for visitors to Chicago?
After almost twenty years of living in Chicago, my favorite things to do tend to be the things you
don’t see on a postcard. My first few years living here were while I was in college, so I was very
poor. I had to learn how to do things cheaply in order to have a social life. Explore the
neighborhoods on foot or on bike- it’s cheaper, you see more, and you’ll get exercise.
Find cool spots like Big Chicks in Uptown who still has $1 burgers and veggie burgers on
Monday nights or Gallery Cabaret in Bucktown that has open mic nights on Thursday and
Sundays with no cover charge and great beer specials. Go to street festivals or the beach in the
summer.
If you get seasonal depression in the gray winters, the Lincoln Park Conservatory is free and
you feel like you’re in a tropical rainforest surrounded by amazing plants and flowers. At night
around the holidays, you can check out the zoo lights which are so beautiful, you almost forget
how cold it is outside.
Oh, and try Malort. Don’t believe the rumors, it’s delicious!