Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/101703
William Kunkler & Susan Crown "We are as opposite as two people can be, but we truly complement each other." — 96 ON BEING WELCOMED into Susan Crown and Will Kunkler's spacious Lake Shore Drive residence, one is struck not merely by its calm elegance, but by the aromas of cooking food that waft through the place. "Come in here—we're all in the kitchen!" calls out Susan, one of our city's most involved women, a leader in the corporate, civic, charitable, and political sectors. She, Will, and their 21-year-old son, Nicholas, are cooking, hanging out, and catching up. "Whenever I have down time, I become very domestic," she says warmly. "I love to cook." One learns quickly that whatever Susan Crown does, she pours her heart and soul into it. "Nothing," Will attests about his wife of 31 years, "is ever half-way." The couple met at Yale University in 1978, first glimpsing each other in a campus TV room while cheering opposite teams during a Yankees/Red Sox playoff game. A New York fan, Susan laughs, "Of course the Yankees took the series." The pair became close friends after that; months later friendship turned into love. They were married a year out of college and have two children: Kaitlin, 24, a budding filmmaker, and Nicholas, a student at Northwestern University. They have raised their kids while building their careers and following their personal passions. Susan, the granddaughter of industrialist Henry Crown and the daughter of Lester and Renee Crown, is focused on technology, global poverty, and education. The chairman and founder of SCE, a social investment organization, she is also chairman of the executive committee of Illinois Tool Works; vice chair of the Rush University Medical Center; a vice president of Henry Crown & Company, a Chicago investment firm; and director of Northern Trust Corporation. On February 25, Susan and Deborah Quazzo will cochair the annual KIPP Schools fundraiser at the Four Seasons Hotel. Will serves as the executive vice president of private equity firm CC Industries. He is also a director of Sears Holdings and Nibco; a trustee of the Northwestern Memorial Foundation and the Field Museum; and is in his second term as chairman of the Brookfield Zoo. The Chicago Zoological Society Whirl will be held at the Zoo on April 20; Will says they hope to raise $1.3 million at the event. When not working, tending to kids, or traveling, they are avid skiers and cyclists, and Will's eyes light up when he discusses golf. They are also very involved in the political sphere, spearheading Mitt Romney's 2012 efforts in Chicago. They both treasure that time working closely together. "We are a great team," he says. "When we engage in something, we deliver for an organization. We're good at understanding people and implementing strategy to get to a better place." During the interview they tease and share inside jokes. She calls him her Rock of Gibraltar. He says life with her never has a dull moment. Both maintain they'd rather be in jeans than in black tie. Susan leans forward. "We are as opposite as two people can be, but we truly complement each other. And," she adds, glancing at Will, "he can be very romantic." MAKEUP BY ERIC HOLT FOR FORD ARTISTS; STYLING BY ERICA MILDE FOR FORD ARTISTS THE MULTITASKERS: JUGGLING ROLES IN THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTORS MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM 092-099_MA_FEAT_Portrait_Winter13.indd 96 1/2/13 5:20 PM