On Thursday, April 11th, DCEDC hosted its Annual Economic Outlook Luncheon at Faranda’s.  Senior Economist Bill Strauss, of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago returned to deliver this year’s forecast to 155 guests.

The event began with a high-level networking period, followed by a delicious buffet lunch provided by Faranda’s catering.  DCEDC’s Event Chair Gary Evans, welcomed the guests and introduced Strauss by recapping his impressive biography cv-strauss-pdf.

Economist William Strauss predicts workers could have a good chance of receiving a raise in 2019. Various sectors in the Midwest are outperforming their other regional counterparts, thanks in part to manufacturing activity. Strauss struck a mostly optimistic tone about the national and regional economy and tamped down fears of a recession.“When somebody says that the economy has been expanding for nearly 10 years, therefore next year we’re in a recession just because we’re due for a recession, to me that is really not very enlightened thinking,” Strauss said.

The outlook is better in some sectors than others, Strauss said. Although economic indicators show that workers could get better-than-average wage increases without triggering inflation and manufacturing activity is likely to see healthy growth, local farmers will continue to be frustrated by low prices for commodity crops such as corn and soybeans.

Following Strauss’s forecast, DCEDC Executive Director Paul Borek facilitated a healthy Q. and A. session with the guests.  He closed the event by thanking all of  the event sponsors for supporting this popular annual event, and the guests for attending.  He shared core initiatives that DCEDC is undertaking this year, including the relocation of the DCEDC office to 2179 Sycamore Road, DeKalb, IL 60115, in the coming weeks.

Posted below are some event pictures and a listing of our valued sponsors!  To view the Daily Chronicle’s article about the event, please click on the link–Daily Chronicle Article EOL 2019

Thank you to our Annual Event Sponsors-

Thank you Economic Outlook Luncheon Sponsors 2019

DCEDC will proudly participate in Give DeKalb County on May 2nd.  DCEDC Staff felt that it was important to join this collaborative countywide event.

A brief description of the program is listed below-

Give DeKalb County is a 24-hour fundraising event designed to build community, encourage philanthropy, connect donors to nonprofits, promote collaboration, and raise awareness about the nonprofit sector. Donors of all ages are encouraged to express their generosity on May 2, 2019. A bonus pool of funds raised from Community Partners ensures that every donation makes an even greater impact!

DCEDC appreciates the ongoing efforts of our partners at the DeKalb County Community Foundation and DeKalb County Nonprofit Partnership for championing this annual event and encouraging all DeKalb County Nonprofits to participate!

On Wednesday, February 26^th,  nearly 50 leaders throughout DeKalb County joined together to attend the first ever, Economic Development Boot Camp. The camp was held in the DeKalb County Community Outreach building. ComEd, DeKalb County and DCEDC teamed up to host the event.

The event was tailored to municipal, elected officials and economic development staff, to receive the tools necessary to effectively encourage economic development in their respective DeKalb County community.

The event aligns with one of the action items in the adopted DeKalb County Thriving! Comprehensive Economic Development Strategic Plan-Goal #3 Creating a Countywide Business Climate that contributes to business success

The evening began with a complimentary dinner buffet, provided by ComEd.  Fatty’s Catering prepared the evening’s delicious meal.  Opening remarks were heard by Paul Borek, DCEDC Executive Director, Mark Pietrowski, Jr., DeKalb County Board Chairman, and Cohen Barnes, DCEDC President and business owner of Sundog, Inc. ComEd’s John McCann provided a brief overview of what to expect throughout the evening session.

Panelists offered expert insights on the various faucets of their respective industry, with the ultimate focus about attracting diversified and sustainable economic development.

The expert panel included the following highly regarded career practitioners;

Mark Peterson- President & CEO, INTERSECT Illinois, a global powerhouse at the heart of the U.S., a go-to resource for doing business in Illinois.

Minah Hall-Managing Director, True Partners Consulting, Site Selection and Credits/Incentives specialist.

Jerry Krusinski-President, ChicagoWest Business Center/Krusinski Construction Company, a leading Developer in providing comprehensive construction services by creating long-lasting partnerships with clients.

Foti Pappas-Pappas Development, a highly successful and leading Commercial Real Estate Development firm throughout DeKalb County for more than 50 years.

John McCann- Economic Development Business Manager  a leading utility provider.

Ken Greene-Senior Director of Market Development, Comcast Business Services a leading utility provider.

Bernie Anderson-Regional Manager Community Affairs, Nicor Gas, a leading utility provider.

Jolene Willis, Economic Development Coordinator for DeKalb County closed the evening with gratitude to all who attended and participated.  Willis will be following up with each attendee for their take away and assistance in planning future camps.  Copies of the presentations will also be distributed to those who attended.

Here is to a unified effort of achieving more WINS! for DeKalb County.

On Sunday, April 7th from 2:00 PM-4:00 PM, the Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois will host their Career Day at NIU-Anderson Hall.

Girl Scout Career Day brings girls, parents, leaders and professional woman together to connect and work together to build confident career leaders of the future.

Registrations are required.  See the attached flyer-Career Day 2019 for the details.

DeKalb County and DCEDC are teaming up with ComEd to host the very first Economic Development Boot Camp.

The event is geared towards our municipal partners and elected officials, and economic development staff throughout DeKalb County.   Plan to be empowered with tools and information to assist in effectively encouraging economic development in your community.

There is no cost to attend, however, registration is required for planning and preparation. Please see the attached Boot Camp Flyer

Are you thinking of starting, or do you currently operate your own home based business?  If so, this workshop may be for you!

On Tuesday, February 12th, Fox Valley Score and the DeKalb County Business Incubator welcomes you to attend this FREE workshop.

Special guest home based business, 1803 Candles will be the featured presenter.  Learn how Entrepreneur, Darryl Beach grew his business from his home garage, learn what types of county resources are available and network with other entrepreneurs and share challenges and successes.

There is limited space available, so please register soon.  Please click on the link below for workshop registration information and details.

Homebased Businesses electronic

We wish to thank all our supporters (public/private/individual) for their generous contribution given to our nonprofit organization during 2018.

We appreciate everyone’s interest and the financial support of our organization and the strong show of attendance at our quality educational events that we have hosted throughout the year.

A summary of what we worked on this past year. We began the implementation process of five goals that resulted from our work in the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy/CEDS Plan. To date, all five working groups are meeting monthly. We attended trade shows, networking events, and recruitment appointments to increase industrial development, which has resulted in many new jobs, by promoting DeKalb County and enhancing the tax base. We responded to many RFI’s and remain on multiple short lists. We also conducted a digital marketing plan to promote our distinct assets and success stories through this form of marketing. These initiatives would not be possible without the support of our contributors, those who are listed in the attached that was published on January 25th in the Daily Chronicle.

Bravo to our 2018 Economic Development Champions. We sincerely appreciate the support. We look forward to working with all on DCEDC’s 2019 goals! Stay tuned for our Fundraising Kickoff 2019 later next month. We always welcome new members, so please feel free to help us recruit new members by contacting DCEDC staff.

2018 Contributors of DCEDC PDF click here

DCEDC will host their annual Economic Outlook Luncheon event on Thursday, April 11th, with favored keynote speaker, Mr. Bill Strauss, Senior Economist Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.  This will be our first Member-Sponsored event of 2019.  Watch for event details to be released the week of February 11th.

Mike Cullen served on the DCEDC Board of Directors for many years, holding the role of President during his tenure.  Cullen is also a longtime supporter of the work of DCEDC.

The Annual Celebration Dinner encompasses the DeKalb Chamber’s Annual Meeting, recognition of new and retiring Board Members, induction of the Pioneer and Business Leaders Hall of Fame, and announcement of the Ambassador of the Year, Nonprofit Organization and Business of the Year Awards.  Last evening, longtime Chamber supporter and area businessman, Mike Cullen was inducted into the Chamber’s 2019 Hall of Fame.  DCEDC congratulates Mike on this tremendous honor.

DCEDC is a strong proponent of collaboration and so is our longtime supporter, First National Bank of Omaha. Tonight, is the annual First National Bank Challenge for DeKalb School District 428 and Sycamore Community School District 427 High School Basketball Teams.

Taken from the FNBO website: Together, we can make our communities thrive. The challenge event was created to increase attendance at athletic events, raise funds, and enhance awareness of the local Sports Booster Club organizations. Local businesses, organizations, and individuals are “Challenged” to help raise funds that will help support school athletic programs with net proceeds being distributed to the school’s booster clubs. Combined, the First National Challenge programs have raised over $2 million dollars for their school’s athletic programs. By accepting this year’s Challenge, you will be helping provide a future for our children’s athletic programs. What’s good for the kids is great for the community!