Reflecting on 35 years spent in the behavioral healthcare field, John Mayes, 71, will retire as president and CEO of Chicago not-for-profit Trilogy Inc. on Dec. 31.
The Oak Parker, who also is involved with the Oak Park Area Arts Council, has been at the helm of Trilogy for 12 years; there, he’s overseen the organization’s growth in clients, staff, budget and service area. On Aug. 31, he answered a few questions for the Oak Leaves.
Q: Where did you get started in behavioral healthcare?
A: During grad school, I chose to work at Thresholds in Lincoln Park … and that’s where I discovered mental health. Thresholds offered me a job, and I stayed there 21 years. I was hired as a middle manager, then became part of the executive team. I tell people I was a deputy in a big city at Thresholds, and I became sheriff at Trilogy. Andy Griffith once told Barney Fife, sheriffin’ is different than deputyin’. I’ve liked being the sheriff. … It’s been a wonderful opportunity for me because it’s allowed me to do something I’ve really come to love.
Q: Why has mentorship been a priority for you at Trilogy?
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A: We take really good clinical employees, and we’ve promoted them to team leaders and managers. … It’s a weakness in our behavioral health system. That’s been really important [to me] to see people grow and develop. I’m really proud of the work we’ve done at Trilogy in the last 12 years. We’ve been recognized as a top workplace for the last four years in a row. We were kind of a small organization under a dome. We’ve changed that over the years. When I started here, we mostly served the northeast part of the city. Now, we’re all over the city, trying to get services to areas that are kind of service deserts.
Q: What’s been most rewarding in this field?
A: The success of the people we serve. … People will come up and say hi, sharing that they got a new job, or a promotion. It sounds like it’s not a big deal, but it is a big deal. The staff here do a really good job of helping people that have mental illnesses get to work.
Q: How long have you been involved with the Oak Park Area Arts Council?
A: I’ve been on the board nearly 20 years. I’m on the fine arts scholarship committee. … Giving away money is really fun. That process, I’ve loved it.