Group Manager of
Operations supports crisis recoveries
Operations supports crisis recoveries
JLL engineer is a jack of all trades and valued leader
Dennis Strong, Group Manager of Operations, has always loved taking machines apart just to see how they work. Dennis fondly recalls dismantling the family vacuum just for the joy of putting it back together when he was only 15 years old. Dennis felt called repeatedly toward his eventual career path.
In the summer of 1989, Dennis was spending time with his friend who happened to be with Local Union 399. The friend let Dennis know that they were actively hiring apprentices. He had just been called up for the Chicago Police Academy, but the part of him that loved learning how things work led him to pursue his friend’s suggestion.
Dennis started his career with Urban Engineering and then Johnson Controls at 900 N. Michigan Building. He was an apprentice for two years and worked his way up to Lead Engineer on the afternoon shift. During that time, Dennis was also asked to be on staff at Lincoln Park Zoo as the city turned it over to Johnson Controls briefly. After this role, Dennis chose a position closer to home at Lewis Joliet mall. Several years later, Dennis’s colleague and General Manager, Tom Castagnoli, asked him to be his Assistant Chief Engineer at North Riverside Park Mall.
When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in August 2005, Tom and Johnson Controls asked if Dennis would head down to New Orleans because they needed to get a couple buildings up and running that would support the owner’s mall. As a 30-year-veteran of the Boy Scouts, Dennis immediately gathered his camping gear, dehydrated food and prepared to sleep in the parking lot of the building he was supporting, along with the National Guard. After the Hurricane Katrina needs lessened over time, Hurricane Rita hit a few months later and Dennis was asked to support the center once again.
Dennis Strong with family.
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It’s experiences like these that shaped Dennis into an incredible leader. His current regional manager, Mike Tsakalakis, recognized his leadership and offered Dennis a position as Group Manager of Operations. Dennis flexes his breadth of knowledge and experience to manage vendors, housekeeping, a team of engineers and beyond.
When the COVID-19 pandemic escalated, Dennis was understandably nervous. Upon reflecting, he notes that while it was a difficult time, the challenges the pandemic presented made him and his staff better. He even involved his family to make a positive impact. His wife Mary and Chief Engineer Bob are both experienced gardeners, so Dennis started a project to help with the landscaping at his building. The team planted seeds and bulbs to grow plants at the building – a huge win and cost saving strategy!
Prioritizing people is at the core of Dennis’s personal and professional lives, from being boots-on-the-ground in New Orleans during the hurricane aftermath to planting flowers with his engineers and family.