Economic Alliance Launches President/CEO Search
KANKAKEE, IL – December 14, 2015 – The Economic Alliance of Kankakee County has launched a nationwide leadership search following the recent departure of former President/CEO Mike Van Mill. The Alliance Board of Directors aims to field qualified candidates and fill the position by February.
“The Alliance is in year three of Kankakee County’s five-year comprehensive economic development strategy,” explained Alliance Board Chairman and Riverside Healthcare President/CEO Phil Kambic. “We’ve got several large infrastructure projects ramping up, our Enterprise Zones were just reapproved by the state, and we’re experiencing increased interest from industrial prospects.
“The opportunities are definitely there,” Kambic added, “and with strong leadership, Kankakee County can and will realize its growth potential.”
Kambic recognized the contributions of Van Mill, noting, “As a credentialed planner and economic developer, Mike brought a strong depth and breadth of knowledge to the job. These are definitely big shoes to fill.”
Van Mill, who had served as president/CEO since the Alliance’s incorporation in 2007, resigned the position in November. He simultaneously resigned his position as director of the Kankakee County Planning Department. Van Mill now serves as administrator for the Village of Bourbonnais.
The Economic Alliance’s open president/CEO position has been posted to the jobs portals of the Illinois Economic Development Association (IEDA) and the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) websites, as well as in Kankakee’s Daily Journal newspaper. The posting can be viewed online by the public at the Economic Alliance site kankakeecountyed.org.
The Economic Alliance of Kankakee County is a public-private partnership that works to create jobs and expand the economic base by improving the local business climate. Working under Kankakee County’s 2014-19 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), the Alliance is challenged to help spur $500 million in new business investment and 500 new jobs, along with assisting 150 prospective new businesses. The Kankakee-Bradley Metropolitan Statistical Area is currently ranked the #1 Small Metro in Illinois by global economic think tank the Milken Institute in its Best-Performing Cities index, which measures economic vitality vis-à-vis growth in jobs, wages, salaries and technology output. For more information, visit kankakeecountyed.org or phone 815.935.1177.