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.