For the past forty years, if you’ve been around Urbana in any way for any reason, chances are you know someone who loves Jack Wallace. If you know me, count me in that group.
Having grown up in Hinsdale, west of Chicago, he first came to Urbana in 1975 to attend school. He then moved out west to get his graduate degree at Berkeley in 1984 before returning in 1995. It’s a familiar tale; some folks just end up realizing that home is Champaign-Urbana, no matter where they were brought up or where they moved after college. Jack Wallace defines that in a lot of ways.
He’s a well known community face, which is to say, if you ever stepped foot inside of Strawberry Fields from the 1990s-2010s, it was Wallace who was there to greet you, and it was Wallace who was ultimately in charge of making sure the shelves were stocked, that the cafe ran smooth, that the produce was fresh, and that the space was inviting and welcoming to a growing and progressive community.
It’s how I first got to know him, like so many others. I worked my way through college slinging booze and beers at the Piccadilly on Main Street (now B’s Spirits) and lived just another block away. There was probably no greater constant in my life during that time than a welcoming smile and greeting from Jack Wallace. He exudes positivity, and is always the first to ask you about how things are going in your life. He remembers things about you and your family and your life that you can hardly believe.
He made my experiences as a patron of Strawberry Fields into something that lives on to the day. Despite the fact that he’s changed professions, recreating himself in the financial sector — first as a Business Development Representative for First Federal, and now, having ascending to the role of Branch Manager at the same bank in Downtown Urbana, (which is literally across the street from Strawberry Fields) — his presence still affects the lives of so many here in town.
So many people know and love Jack Wallace that it only made sense for me to play catch up with him recently, and ask him a few questions about what he loves about Urbana, some memories from Strawberry Fields, and what his new life with First Federal looks like these days.
Smile Politely: Most people in town know you as the former General Manager at Strawberry Fields. Tell me a bit about how you came to work there, and your time at the store?
Jack Wallace: I started working at the original Strawberry Fields on Main Street in Urbana the summer after I graduated from the University of Illinois. I had been a member for about a year and liked the atmosphere. It was supposed to be a temporary stop on my road to grad school, but ended up lasting six years. Working that store and in that industry in those early days holds a special place in my heart. It was another time, and great fun. I made lots of friends many of whom I have to this day. I left that store to join some Fields friends on a move to Portland, Oregon. A couple careers and a grad degree later, I decided to come back to C-U to join the management team of the store. Same owner, different location. Started back in the food service, picked up the bakery and then the GM position under Paul Dohme’s ownership. It was a great ride. The industry was growing leaps and bounds; it was a very rewarding experience.
SP: So, now, tell me a little bit about what you are doing with First Federal? Seems like an interesting jump, professionally.
Wallace: It has been a very interesting and rewarding jump but not so far as I originally expected. First Federal hired me as the Business Development Rep. in late 2015, so I got about 18 months under my belt, before I transitioned to Branch Manager at the Urbana office and bank. My mission was to develop a program that would promote our brand in the marketplace specifically to generate revenue from increased commercial lending activity. Having had nearly 30 years business experience in the community I was able to bring a good amount on managerial knowledge to my work. This is exceedingly helpful when I am talking to customers and potential clients about their businesses and to anyone who is considering opening or buying an existing business. What I do is consultative relationship based sales. It’s very rewarding for me to assist people with their projects in any that I am able. It doesn’t always lead to immediate business for First Federal but people don’t forget it. I’ve been called a “connector”. Connecting people to the solutions to their problems or issues or to someone who can help them really floats my boat.
It’s a great time of my life to start sharing what I have learned. This is a great organization. I’d been a First Federal customer for 20 years before I joined them and had banked on behalf of Strawberry Fields for at least 15. It was a comfortable move for me.
SP: How do you feel about the current state of the economy here in Champaign Urbana?
Wallace: I continue to be impressed by the economic vibrancy of our community. Despite the financial challenges the U of I is facing, our community continues to develop. We have two vibrant downtowns, Campustown and great commercial and residential districts all over town. We have so much to offer.
It’s been very exciting to see new projects come on line and learn about more on the way.
SP: What are two of your very favorite memories from running Strawberry Fields?
Wallace: I went back to work at Strawberry Fields after living out of town for 11 years. I was filling in for one of the cashiers the first Saturday I was back working at the store. A customer who looked vaguely familiar to me came up to the register, looked at me and asked how I was doing and said that she hadn’t seen me in a couple of weeks. I very politely responded that I was very well but that I thought she might have me confused with someone else as I’d been away 11 years. The customer thought I was pulling her leg and would not relent — I knew then what it was to be a fixture in the community.
The old store on Main Street had just enough heat to keep the pipes from freezing. Working there called for many layers of clothing and even then it was cold. One day after the bakers got tired of us crowding around their oven to warm up, one of us figured out that we would stay warmer in the dairy cooler. At the time that cooler was kept at 50 degrees. One occupant stocking and tidying shelves quickly became six. The cooler had a straight line view of the cash registers, so we drew lots for who’d have to leave to the register. Needless to say, our strategy was not popular with the store owner.
SP: My aunt and uncle were two of the founders of what became Strawberry Fields with their restaurant Metamorphosis and their partnership with EarthFoods, and EarthWorks, back in the 70s. From all the stories, it was a space to exist, as much as it was a place to get food or goods. How do you think a place like Strawberry Fields’ affects a community?
Wallace: I’ve always told people that Strawberry Fields is a work in progress. It continuously evolves to reflect the community it serves. It isn’t only a food store. Now I’m speaking of my experience during my tenure. It’s still a beloved community center. A hub. It is even more than a place where you’d run into friends and neighbors. It has its own organic (pardon the pun) identity. People from all walks of shop there and that contributes greatly to that identity. People seem to be really invest in their relationship with the place. I’ve rarely seen anything like it and it’s one of the reasons I made it such a huge part of my life. For me, it was something well worth nurturing. I think for many of us who have been around while feel that it’s a part of roots in the community. The number of people we served and the number of people I worked with over the years is enormous. What a great gift it was — and still is — to us all.
SP: So now that you’ve graduated to branch manager of First Federal’s Urbana location, does that give you a further sense of connection to your past at Strawberry Fields? How’s the job going so far?
Wallace: Well, I’m sitting here at my computer with a partial view of the Strawberry Fields parking lot. I’m contentedly back on my block. It’s great to be here. This is an amazingly good fit for me. I see many of my former customers here and around downtown. I’ve got a great team of people with whom I work.
You can find Jack Wallace overseeing the operations at First Federal in Urbana on Springfield Ave. And you can also walk across the street for lunch and see what he helped create for over two decades at Strawberry Fields.