Interview with George Mitchell Please describe your position with The Cradle. My position is Director of Building Operations and that consists of climate control (heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer), snow removal and all other building maintenance, moving furniture, etc.  I also do baby pick-ups and go to doctor and lab visits with the babies. What is a typical day like? Each day is different because there is always something new on the horizon.  Today I did some shoveling, changed a few light bulbs, and set up for a class.  On a slow week I go to about three baby pick-ups or doctor visits.  When there are a lot of babies in the Nursery these happen almost every day. What’s the most rewarding part of your job? It’s rewarding to see everything working as it should be, when all of the wheels are turning in the same direction.  I love working with the babies and at The Cradle in general.  The pleasantries exchanged between all of the colleagues — hellos, good mornings — they mean a lot to me and make this a wonderful place to work. What are your biggest challenges? In the winter, my biggest challenge is keeping up with all the snow!  But that’s in the winter.  In the summer it seems like there are more baby pick-ups, and keeping the air conditioning running can sometimes be a challenge! Is there a particular case or baby with whom you worked who has touched anyone special that you remember? There was one little girl who spent several months in our Nursery a few years ago.  Her name was Dominika, I often took her back and forth to appointments at Children’s Hospital, including one very memorable trip in the middle of a snowstorm.  I saw her recently when she came back to The Cradle with her family, and it was nice to see that she’s doing well after all she went through.  You receive many “Awards of Excellence” from your colleagues for your outstanding work at the Cradle.  Can you describe one example of how you have gone the extra mile to help a family, a baby or a colleague? I remember one time when my colleagues in the Nursery called me at three in the morning to get rid of a bat in the Nursery.  After that I was nicknamed Batman!  But I couldn’t do everything I do without help from the staff.  They always step in when I need help the most, and it’s a good feeling to know that you’ve got someone to pitch in when you need help. Where are you from and how did you come to The Cradle? I’m from Oak Grove, Louisiana and I moved to Evanston when I was four.  Before working at The Cradle I was Assistant Director of Transportation at North Shore Country Day School in Winnetka.  I heard about this job opening at The Cradle, applied, and 16 years later here I am. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? I enjoy playing my guitar.  My favorite song to play might be "Tears in Heaven" by Eric Clapton.  I played in a band back in high school, but after the birth of my last child I cut back on playing in a group.  My wife and I have five children and they keep us pretty busy!