Emily
Store Team Leader

Emily has been with WFM for 10 years.  She started at the Franklin store as a part time bakery team member while she was working as a personal chef for a family in San Francisco.  She has worked at the Walnut Creek, San Mateo, Evanston, Sauganash, Northbrook and Lakeview Whole Foods Market stores.  She enjoys the Lakeview community because it is as diverse as is our team members.  She views the folks who shop at Lakeview more as friends than customers.  Learning about our customers and their needs is one of her favorite parts about her job.  Interacting with our team members is right up there too!

• Favorite products in the store:  The mushroom pizza that Bella makes and the pretzel roll from the bakery (especially when it is still warm from the oven!)
• Favorite Leisure Activities:  Bike riding, knitting and cooking.  She is always on a quest for the tastiest cheeseburger in town!

Joe
Associate Store Team Leader

Joe started at Fresh Fields in March of 1996 and 3 weeks into his new job he took the opportunity to transfer to the Whole Foods Market Lakeview Store in the produce department.  From there he ran with the opportunity to develop his career by working his way up to the position of Produce Team Leader in many of the Chicagoland stores.  In 2007 Joe had the opportunity to advance to the position of Associate Store Team Leader at the Palatine Whole Foods then, in January 2008, his career came full circle when he transferred back to his original store in Lakeview.

• Favorite products in the store:  Stir-fried green and yellow squash, bay scallops or a tasty rib-eye cooked medium well
• Favorite part about working at Whole Foods:  The reaction people have when walking into one of my departments because they look stellar and the experience knocks their socks off!

Ryan
Associate Store Team Leader

Ryan transferred to the Midwest region about two years ago from Seattle. He has been with Whole Foods for about three years, but in the industry over 10. What he likes most about Whole Foods Market is the knowledge and education that we continuously learn about our products. What he really appreciates about the Lakeview store is the aura and unique blend of team members which really sets them apart from the other stores.

Justin
Associate Store Team Leader

Justin started with Whole Foods Market six years ago as a Cashier’s Assistant on the Front End. Shortly thereafter, he worked his way up to Associate Team Leader and then transferred to the Gold Coast store to be the Customer Service Team Leader. After about eight months in the role, Justin applied for Associate Store Team Leader back at his home store, Lakeview. With just over two years in the position he has worked under three Store Team Leaders appreciated the opportunity to learn as much as he could from their experience. He has served as point ASTL for every team in the store, head of the Safety Committee, Accounting liaison, building repairs and maintenance go-to, and been part of the mentorship of many team members into their next role. The achievement Justin is most proud of is attaining the role of Associate Store Team Leader at the age of 24, the youngest ever in the region. Working with the Team Members and controlling the store expenses are the favorite aspects of his job.

• Favorite product in the store:  Jungle Shortening
• Favorite leisure activity:  Bike riding, no matter how inclement the weather

Ed
Meat Team Leader

Ed has worked for Whole Foods Market for 9 years and he feels that his passion for the products he sells and the quality that Whole Foods offers is what keeps him happy every day at work.  More than anything, he is proud that he can share his passion with his team members and, in turn, watch them turn that into an informative and fulfilling customer service experience.   

Karl
Front End Team Leader

Karl has worked for Whole Foods Market for nine years at several of the Chicago area locations and is in his second stint at Lakeview.  He's spent the entire time on the Customer Service team because he loves interacting with customers. He loves the Lakeview location in particular for its great customers and eclectic Team Member base.  

Sandra
Grocery Team Leader

Sandra has only been with Whole Foods Market since September of 2007 but she's been in the grocery business since 1993. She loves the atmosphere and helping customers make their gatherings memorable with fabulous foods, be it an all out celebration or a quite evening with their families. 

Michael
Specialty Team Leader

Michael has been with Whole Foods for 2 years and he enjoys working in the Specialty department because, according to him, it's the most hedonistic department in the store. 

Elissa
Prepared Foods Team Leader

Michael
Bakery Team Leader

Michael has been with Whole Foods since 2004, working his way through various positions at four different Chicagoland stores.  He enjoys building gingerbread houses and he finds motivation and happiness everyday in working with his fantastic Bakery team as well as all of the team members at the Lakeview store. 

• Favorite product in the bakery:  Oasis Pita Chips
• Favorite leisure activity:  Playing video games and going to the movies
• Important Bakery fact:  All the flours used in the Bakery are unbleached and unbromated.  We also carry an exciting range of vegan and gluten free baked goods.

Maja
Whole Body Team Leader

Maja started at Whole Foods Market in April 2008 as the Books, Cards, and Magazines Buyer at Lakeview and is very excited to have moved up so quickly.  As for Lakeview trivia, Maja is only the second Whole Body Team Leader in Lakeview’s 13 year history!  What she really appreciates about working at Whole Foods is the interaction with customers.  She feels that every situation is different, challenging, and most often times very fun!  She feels that Lakeview has amazing Team Members who band together to reach across the aisles, thus making everyones job enjoyable and helps to provide fantastic customer service. 

• Favorite product in Whole Body: DigestGold – she wouldn’t dare eat a meal without it
• Favorite products in the store:  Fage yogurt, Ugli fruit (thanks to Paul in Produce for always letting me know when they are in stock), stinky cheese of any kind, and 365 Sparkling Spring Water
• Favorite leisure activity: dining out at all the new restaurants in Chicago, sewing, shopping, and travelling

Kurt
Seafood Team Leader

Kurt has been with Whole Foods since 2005 and he just loves the fishes!  Working in various departments around the store, Kurt honed his skills to the point where, in January of 2009, he was ready to take the helm in the Seafood department.  He appreciates the fact that he has a great crew of passionate team members in his department to rely on and that he can feel proud about stocking his department with the freshest, most sustainably harvested seafood available.

• Favorite iteam in Seafood:  Chilean Sea Bass or Pike's Place Smoked Chipotle Sauce
• Favorite item in the store:  Carol's Cookie's Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookie or the Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad from Prepared Foods
• Hobbies:  Kurt enjoys spending time with his daughter and wife, cooking new foods, going to Cubs games, and relaxing by the lake