Staff Spotlight: Jillian Srygley
Each month we highlight one of the wonderful folks who make the magic happen at ACR.
This month we're spotlighting Retail Reuse Specialist and Community Engagement Coordinator, Jillian Srygley. Jillian started at ACR as a Core Volunteer focused on keeping our bag section in Containers wrangled. She came highly recommended when a Retail position opened up and she has been a great member of the team. She continues to grow with us as she helped organize the fantastic Spring Reuse Market and is now helping to plan for the Reuse on the Runway show. Jillian still works on the Retail team as well, and loves to chat with you about your projects as she rings up your fun finds.
Read on to learn more about Jillian and her varied creative interests!
How did you find Austin Creative Reuse?
I must’ve found it while looking up thrift / secondhand shops around Austin. I visited the Linc location in 2019, then Covid hit right after ACR moved. I still remember ordering a mask-making kit from ACR’s online store and having such a kind interaction with a staff member when I picked it up.
What’s your favorite part about working at ACR?
Every day is so interesting, you see all sorts of stuff come through, and it’s really fun to talk with shoppers and volunteers about what they’re up to. I find it incredibly heartening to see this creative community and how supportive people are of each other.
How’d you end up as a Reuse Specialist and Community Engagement Coordinator at ACR?
I worked in tech for a while but ended up leaving due to burnout and wanting to try something different. I was the Bags volunteer at ACR for a summer and ended up getting the position on the Retail team from there. Then I got involved in planning the Spring Market! Now it’s on to Reuse on the Runway.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve found donated to ACR?
All the photos and photo slides. It always blows my mind when I look through them, seeing so many little glimpses of people’s lives.
Are you an artist, crafter, or maker? What mediums do you work with? What kinds of arts and crafts do you like to do?
I’m a maker who tends to get an idea and go down a total rabbit hole for weeks on it. I enjoy working with beads, wire, stamps, collage, and also adding little DIY elements to my clothes. Some of my favorite things I’ve made have been: ghost booties, drop earrings for a friend, a floppy disk purse, and a haunted family photo album using photos from ACR.
What do you do when you’re not working at ACR/what other hobbies do you have?
I’ve been playing bass guitar for about a year and a half, and I love getting together with friends to jam out. I like spending time outside and during the summer I love swimming. I am a huge bookworm as well, I especially love science fiction and short stories. If anyone wants to recommend me something, please do!
Are you from Austin? If so, tell us about your experience here! If not, where are you from and what brought you here?
I’ve lived in Austin for 6 years. I was born and raised in New Jersey, then went to college in the Hudson Valley area of New York. I came to Austin for the music and community and am so happy to have made great friends here.