Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership Drives Regional Economic Development Collaboration

Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership

DuPage County has joined together with Cook, Kane, Kendall, McHenry, Lake, and Will Counties and the City of Chicago in an innovative partnership to drive economic growth and advance equity across the region. The Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership will focus on promoting the region’s assets – including extensive freight infrastructure, diverse talent, strong exporting industries, world-class research institutions, and culture to develop an identity that can compete on a global scale.

World Business Chicago manages the Partnership, and Greg Bedalov, President & CEO of Choose DuPage will serve as Chair of the Board of Directors.

“The Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership is one of the largest advancements in our collective economic history,” said Greg Bedalov. “Thank you to the many private- and public-sector leaders that have long advocated in favor of regional collaboration. As President & CEO of Choose DuPage, I’ve always said that a strong region is what’s best for a strong DuPage. I look forward to the opportunities this partnership will bring to all our communities and will continue to share updates on our progress.”

The Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership Statement of Collaboration

We acknowledge that our northeastern Illinois region — including Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties as well as the city of Chicago — is interconnected and interdependent. We believe that the region can achieve more to strengthen jobs and capital investment by working together than any one community can on its own. We know that the region’s extensive assets offer significant opportunities to provide shared prosperity across different and diverse communities. And we recognize that joint action can ensure robust, equitable economic growth by building a globally competitive ecosystem that works for everyone, with world-class transportation infrastructure, economic sectors, talent, and innovation.

Wishing to enter a new era of regional cooperation, we join together to make the following commitments, with the goal of facilitating activities that better take advantage of our shared opportunities and complement our unique interests:

  • As a forum for local government leadership, we will engage corporate, civic, and institutional partners to leverage our combined strengths and implement approved joint plans for the benefit of the region.
  • We will enlist federal and state governments to play key roles as partners and funders of regional initiatives in coordination with existing agencies and activities.
  • We will improve our inter-jurisdictional and inter-agency communication to share all information as is necessary and prudent to create efficient and effective opportunities for collaboration.
  • We will develop methods and resources for deliberate action that advances the region, with an emphasis on the needs of marginalized communities and the potential to enhance our global economic competitiveness.
  • We will set the highest standards of professional conduct, trust, and integrity for ourselves, our staffs, and our partners to maximize regional benefits for public expenditures.
  • We will evaluate both the overall economic progress of the entire region as well as individual communities as we measure success.