2021 - Eric Semelroth Illustrates ECC's Story

Eric Semelroth, a graphic designer in the marketing and communications department, is a visual storyteller. From infographics to brochures and banners to social media graphics, he transforms words into visual form, helping to make ECC’s many messages and stories more interesting and stand out from the crowd.

“My goal is to make clients happy,” he said. “I combine words and images in a clear, appealing way for visual media, including print and social media.”

Get to know more about Semelroth below: 

What is your greatest accomplishment since you’ve been at ECC?

Fitting into the ECC culture, hitting the ground running, and producing high-quality work. Specifically, I’m proud of my work with Impact magazine. I believe my ongoing contribution is evident. 

Name a job or role at ECC that you want to try for one day and explain why.

I would enjoy teaching a Communication Design — Graphic Design, Painting, Drawing, or 2-D Design class. I’ve had plenty of experience doing that.

What would you choose if you could instantly be an expert in one thing?

I would like to instantly play bass guitar like Les Claypool (of Primus).

What do you enjoy doing outside work (i.e., hobbies/interests)?

I’m drawn to aesthetic activities. I go to art exhibits, I make art, I read books, I listen to music, I go to shows, I take walks in forest preserves, I garden, and I run. I also love baseball. Those activities bring me enjoyment. 

If you could live in a TV show, which show would it be and why?

Probably something on PBS. Maybe “Death in Paradise.” The Caribbean island setting looks beautiful.

Where is the best place you’ve traveled to? Or where would you like to visit?

I’ve visited Paris, London, Dublin, Rome, Florence, and Amsterdam. They’re all great. In the future, I would like to visit Jamaica.

You must wear a T-shirt with just one word on it for a year. What would that word be, and why? 

The word would be ‘YES.’ It’s a positive word, and people respond well to the affirmative. The first runner-up would be ‘WHY’ because it gets people thinking.

Share a fact about you that might surprise people, too.

My portraits and cartoons have been featured/included in seven books. Most recently, The Illinois State Museum was looking for Illinois stories about COVID-19, so I submitted an original poem and graphic design. It’s part of the Illinois Digital Archive.

Also, working in Milwaukee, I was a frequent guest curator and co-host for the “80s at 8:30” program on WMSE radio in Milwaukee.

What job have you held (besides ECC) that was the most fun, interesting, or difficult? Explain why. 

I’ve worked in the media as a visual journalist for decades. I worked at Modern Healthcare magazine (Crain Communications) during the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010 and the SCOTUS ruling in 2012. We had a reporter in the courtroom when Justice Roberts saved Obamacare. There were at least 37 Congressional repeal efforts while I was at the magazine. I created editorial cartoons about healthcare and got letters from the editor about them. I also created many healthcare infographics, including a timeline of healthcare reform that stretched back to Germany in 1883. We were part of the national conversation. Those were exciting times to be in a healthcare newsroom. 

Name someone you admire and explain why.

Ed Paschke was Chicago’s preeminent “Imagist” painter. He taught at Northwestern while I was a graduate student. He was encouraging and wished me success in all my endeavors. I visited him in his studio a few times after graduation, and he allowed me to photograph him for a portrait. When I had an exhibition of portraits (including his) at a gallery in Old Town, Chicago, he and his wife came to see the show. I always appreciated his teachings, friendship, and support.

What was your most valuable life lesson?

In my mom’s final days, she told me to “Live your best life.” That’s pretty good advice, and I’m trying to follow it. I was on a tour bus in Rome when I heard an old man from Georgia say: “If you don’t do anything, you never will.” And my last Editor-in-Chief used to say to the newsroom: “Don’t bring me problems, bring me solutions.”

Complete this sentence: “I enjoy working at ECC because …. “

the people I work with genuinely care about and support the college's mission. It’s a pleasure to be around like-minded people.