Van Mill Elected President of Illinois Enterprise Zone Association
KANKAKEE, IL – October 27, 2015 – Michael Van Mill, President/CEO of the Economic Alliance of Kankakee County, was elected president of the Illinois Enterprise Zone Association at the organization’s fall conference in Rockford earlier this month. The IEZA is coalition of enterprise zone officials, economic development professionals, state and local government, business, labor and community groups that promotes, strengthens and enhances the Illinois Enterprise Zone Program.
Van Mill will serve a two–year term, leading IEZA as it works to enhance internal communications, industry awareness, legislative advocacy and membership.
The Illinois Enterprise Zone Program is designed to stimulate business development, job creation and retention, and neighborhood revitalization in economically depressed areas of the state that fall within Illinois’ 95 designated enterprise zones. This is accomplished through state and local tax incentives, regulatory relief and improved governmental services.
Together, Kankakee County’s two enterprise zones have seen the addition of nearly 6,500 jobs as well as more than $409M in capital investment, incentivizing Kankakee County’s industries to invest, grow and hire. Kankakee County is currently ranked Milken Institute’s #1 Small Metro in Illinois for economic growth for the second year running.
With more than 20 years of economic development experience, Van Mill has served as director of the Kankakee County Planning Department since 1997. In that time, he has led the county’s economic development programs and initiatives, including the administration of two enterprise zones and the county revolving fund program, local coordination of several corridor planning projects, and municipal partnership on economic development and land use matters. Prior to his current positions, Van Mill was with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Village of Manteno.
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. For more information, visit kankakeecountyed.org or phone 815.935.1177.