John Hancock Observatory

Nichole joined John Hancock Observatory in March 2013 as the General Manager. Nichole is excited and honored to be playing a role in further defining the John Hancock Observatory as Chicago's premiere destination for visitors and locals alike. 

A graduate of DePaul University, Nichole has spent nearly 15 years in the Hotel industry, holding a variety of sales and management positions in Chicago and Washington DC.

Visits to John Hancock Observatory have been a favorite of Nichole's since childhood when she first delighted in the views of Michigan Avenue, Lincoln Park and Navy Pier. She now lives with her husband and dog Zuzu in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood of Chicago and spends her free time dining her way through Chicago's dynamic restaurant scene and taking in the beautiful skyline from the waters of Lake Michigan.

At the helm of John Hancock Observatory's operations, Jennifer oversees all aspects of the daily operating business, from staff management and retail to the overall experience every guest receives during their visit. Jennifer's team of 40 Observatory and café staff report to her five managers. Jennifer joined the Observatory team originally as an Operations Manager after Managing Reservations for The Signature Room at the 95th and prior, Managing Operations at Minerals Resort. She holds a Bachelor of the Arts in both History and in Asian Culture from Muhlenberg College.

Zach is responsible for all financial and accounting aspects of the John Hancock Observatory. His duties include running day to day accounting functions, accrual and cashflow reporting, auditing, and proactive analysis with recommendations to ensure optimum performance. He joins the team with excellent accounting experience in operational businesses. Zach holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accountancy from Northern Illinois University.

Balencia is the Buyer and Retail Manager for both of the John Hancock Observatory Gifts shops located on the 94thFloor and Concourse level. Balencia is a master of many functions which include availing her staff of her expertise in sales and customer service, managing all day to day retail functions, proactively managing inventory, COGS and merchandising. Her professional retail experiences range from Retail Manager for Federated Department Stores in Southern California, The Oprah Store in Chicago, Duty Free Buyer for Little Switzerland in the Caribbean and Host Marriott United States Airport Stores. Balencia received her Bachelor’s of Arts degree From DePaul University.

Stephen currently oversees the food and beverage management of our café and special events. He works with his Lavazza Espressions team of 3 managers and 10 café baristas to offer one of the best views in the city while dining on an Italian based menu. He also manages the special events teams that offer different options throughout the year from weddings to private cocktail parties. He works closely with our sales teams and off site caterers to ensure that these events exceed our guest expectations. Stephen has been in the Food & Beverage industry since graduating from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Management.

Seemore Miles officially joined the team in November of 2011. Seemore comes from Olympus Group in Milwaukee, WI and has been a welcomed addition to the team since! Being new to Chicago, Seemore hit the town and all it has to see -- while we filmed the whole adventure to share with everyone. Watch that here! Seemore originally joined the team as a nameless mascot. So, what better way to come up with a name than to let our friends and fans come up with the name for us? Hosted on Facebook, we launched a social media campaign for everyone to take part in -- Name our Mascot! After hundreds of great submissions, when it was all said and done, Seemore Miles took the gold!  

Seemore has made his rounds about Chicago, and has appeared on televsion such as WGN morning news and Fox News Chicago! We're all excited to have him on the team, and look forward to having him for years to come!