Together with Cook, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties, DuPage County and Choose DuPage have joined in supporting regional economic development through the Chicago Regional Growth Corporation (CRGC). The organization fosters collaboration and cultivates a regional approach to economic development in order to generate inclusive growth and prosperity across northeastern Illinois.
Mission
- Provide a platform for collaboration from public and private leaders.
- Prioritize, align and manage the region’s economic development activities to increase competitiveness and improve access for historically disinvested communities.
- Provide a unified voice for northeastern Illinois.
Strategies
Global Programs
Grow the region’s economy and improve competitiveness by leveraging the assets to engage in international trade that drives increased exports and attracts and nurtures foreign direct investment.
- Grow the pipeline of export-ready firms
- Enhance the export ecosystem
- Reduce costs to access global markets
- Creative a platform to facilitate foreign-direct investment
- Engage, celebrate and support FOEs
- Nurture global leadership in key sectors
- Advance cohesive global identity
Industry Clusters
Build on the region’s strengths by fostering its globally competitive industries.
- Develop protocol for delivering export and FDI programs to the metals cluster
- Promote the region as a leader for key sectors
- Identify additional priority industries
- Align stakeholder efforts
Regional Systems
Improve essential economic systems at a regional level to foster more effective communication and more inclusive and equitable growth.
- Establish region-wide channels of communication
- Host economic development boot camps
- Develop protocol for collaboration on major projects
- Identify key systems for facilitating an inclusive and equitable economy
- Prioritize opportunities and align them with clusters
Elected Officers
James M. Roolf, Chair
Joliet Banking Center
Nelda J. Connors, Vice-Chair
Pine Grove Holdings
John A. Carpenter, Secretary
Choose DuPage Economic Development Alliance
Alberto J. Paracchini, Treasurer
Byline Bank
Board of Directors
Andrez Beltran, Kendall County
Nim Chinniah, Northwestern University
Kevin Considine, Lake County Partners
Dan Cronin, Chairman, DuPage County
Steven Davis, The Will Group
Jack Franks, Chairman, McHenry County
John Greuling, Will County Center for Eco. Dev.
Scott Gryder, Chairman, Kendall County
Michael Jasso, Cook County Bureau of Eco. Dev.
Chris Lauzen, Chairman, Kane County
Aaron Lawlor, Chairman, Lake County
Michael Moskow, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Aneesa Muthana, Pioneer Service
Toni Preckwinkle, Chairman, Cook County
Robert Rivkin, Deputy Mayor, City of Chicago
Michael Skala, McHenry County
Joe Slawek, FONA International
Mike VanKerkhoff, Kane County Development
Larry Walsh, Executive, Will County
Andrea Zopp, World Business Chicago