Greg Klaiber

Director of emergency management, northwestern university

From his first job as a bus boy at the Main Cafe on the corner of Main and Chicago right here in Evanston, Greg Klaiber rose through the ranks of Evanston to lead the Evanston Fire Department (EFD).

Klaiber retired as the EFD Fire Chief in 2016, though he says that at the time of his first job he had no idea what kind of career he wanted to pursue.

"I began my career as a firefighter while finishing my Master's Degree in Exercise Physiology," says Klaiber. "I had no vision of becoming a firefighter, but a friend convinced me to take the test and I did pretty well."

Some of the basic skills Klaiber gained from his first job as a bus boy, though, have been integral to his professional success. Working as a bus boy, Klaiber learned to be responsible and punctual.

"I liked earning money and the feeling of independence that came along with that," says Klaiber.

Klaiber has come a long way from working as a busy boy, but he says some of the lessons he learned about working as part of a team at the Main Cafe were crucial to his work as a firefighter.

"I learned that I was part of a team and that we all had to pull our own weight," says Klaiber, showing his strength as member of the fire department.