People

Everyone’s Got a Story

by Dave Degraff – July 22-28, 2010

Your Chicago neighborhood: Lincoln Square

Your job or career: Ticket Sales Manager for the Chicago Sky

Is this your life’s work or just a job? It is my career and I want to continue my career in sports.

How did you get into this line of work? I played sports my whole life and transitioned into the business end of it when I was 17.

What do you like about this job? I get to be a part of a team, interact with sports-minded people and use my competitive nature to better an organization.

Where do you see yourself, career-wise, in 10 years? The VP of marketing and sales for a pro or college team.

Are there any fun perks to this job? I get to watch basketball and get paid.

Are there any downsides to this job? I have not been swimming in five years because my summer is so full of Sky basketball.

Did you go to school for this job? Yes, I have a Business Administation and Marketing degree.

What’s your background? I graduated from the University of Wisconsin Green Bay. I grew up in Winneconne, Wisc., where my mom and dad still live. I have a sister, brother in-law and a niece that live in Madison.

How are you involved in Chicago’s gay community? I am personally involved in it as my partner and I are a part of the LGBT community and I love how passionate the Chicago community is. We always try to support the Boystown area restaurants and activities, we love attending all of the Pride festivities and we do all we can to give back as much as possible.

Do you belong to any organizations or groups in your spare time? Unfortunately, most of my spare time is in the winter so I am not able to join a fun summer rec sports league and the Sky is a year-round career so I stay pretty busy and have not had time for much extra stuff yet.

Do you like to travel? I do like to travel and hope that once I work my way up in the career rankings I will be able to do it more. My next big trip is to Mexico in December and I hope to get to Italy soon as well.

Where is your favorite vacation spot? It used to be Chicago, but I would have to say Seattle has been one of my favorites in the States and Toronto is great as well.

What do you like to do on your vacation? Relax. I also really like to eat.

Do you have any hobbies? I am still a sports lover. I follow the Packers the most (sorry, Bears fans). I also really like spending time with my niece.

What do you like about these hobbies? Packer football has been a way of life for me from a young age as I feel it is for most from Wisconsin so I really like feeling a part of the team and my niece has been such a blessing to have in my life and love seeing her. She is also a great stress reliever cause she is so funny all the time.

Do these hobbies require any special skills? No, not other than being able to yell loudly (Packers) and to purchase lots of toys (niece).

Anything else that we should know about you? I love a good grilled cheese and I am a big Amaretto fan in case anyone wants to buy me a drink.

What’s your latest project? The Gay Day game at the Chicago Sky on July 23.

How did this project come about? I wanted to use my career to help raise money and support for the LGBT community and its organizations.

What inspires/excites/interests you about this project? It is something that has not been done at the Sky yet and it is close to my heart as I am a part of the LGBT community and want to do everything I can to be supportive in it.

One wish for yourself: To be able to be a part of helping get the LGBT community equal rights.

One wish for others: For them to want to be a part of helping the LGBT community get equal rights.

Personal or organization website: chicagosky.net.