When Gayle Preuss enters the dining room on the 95th floor of The John Hancock Center each day, she brings the same energy and excitement she has had for the event planning business since she was hired at The Signature Room in 2007. Gayle’s welcoming personality and astute ability to connect with her clients is contagious, which is immeasureable in her role as Private Dining Sales Manager. Her passion for the hospitality of the industry is apparent in every step of her planning, and that passion continues to inspire not only herself, but each of her team members as well. “Each and every one of us plays an influential role in how smoothly an event is executed,” Gayle states, “It’s important to give each guest a complete and well-rounded experience—from the initial inquiry regarding the event, to menu planning, to the final follow-up and feedback once the event has concluded.”
Gayle started her career managing Gordon Lodge in Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin after receiving her bachelors degree in Hospitality and Tourism from Purdue University. It wasn’t long before she found her way back to Chicago to obtain her Culinary Arts Degree from Kendall College. Gayle began her career at The Signature Room in the reservations department and has worked her way up to her current position as Private Dining Sales Manager. It is in these years Gayle has firmly established and identified with the philosophy that “training, experience, and dedication to the job” are the most important aspects of her job in the hospitalty field. She saw just how accurate her principles proved when planning an event for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel, which gave her an opportunity to really see how fluidly each department runs at the restaurant.
A native of the Chicagoland area, Gayle currently resides in the West suburb of Lombard with her husband Steve. When she is not busy planning her client’s next big event, she enjoys reading and traveling.