Chicago — With numerous changes in development, SMPS Chicago will be presenting a panel on the economic growth in the collar counties of Chicago, specifically DuPage County, Lake County and Will County. The luncheon program will be held on Wed., April 13, 2016 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Maggiano’s Little Italy in Oakbrook, Ill.
For more information and to register, click here.
SMPS is pleased to host this panel of experts on the collar counties of Chicago and their economic growth. It is an interesting period with recruiting, expansion and retention of business and industry to boost and support communities to continue to improve the quality of life and business environment. Plus due to these progressive changes, transportation and roadways are also a point of interest as these counties grow and change to meet the populations that they serve surrounding the City of Chicago.
We are looking at exciting projects such as IKEA – 1.4 million sq. ft. and Amazon – 500,000 sq. ft. and over $40 million investment in Joliet (Will County) and others in the surrounding counties. Don’t miss the opportunity to find out the latest news and upcoming projects in these counties of Chicago.
Moderator: Derek Ward, Public Sector Manager, Gilbane Building Company
Gilbane Building Company is a National leader for public sector construction management services. Derek Ward manages the public sector for the Midwest Region encompassing all of Illinois and surrounding states. A primary focus of Derek and his team as a construction management partner is to assist clients during the early stages of the conceptual and design process for owner facility needs.
Speakers:
John Greuling, President and CEO, Will County Center for Economic Development (CED) and Will County Chamber of Commerce
John Greuling has over 35 years of experience as a professional economic developer. He is currently the president and chief executive officer of the Will County Center for Economic Development (CED) and Will County Chamber of Commerce—a position he has held since 2001. His priorities are business recruitment and retention/expansion. with expertise in the recruitment of large capital-intensive, high job-generating projects, as well as major public infrastructure developments.
Grueling is a graduate of Illinois State University, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy and Master of Science in City and Regional Planning from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. He is involved with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency on Planning, Illinois Development Council, Metropolitan Economic Growth Alliance, Will County Workforce Investment Board, and Will County Community Foundation.
Michael Stevens, President and CEO, Lake County Partners
Michael Stevens, president and chief executive officer, leads Lake County Partners, a 501 (c) 3 economic development corporation that works to maintain economic vitality and quality of life in Lake County. He is responsible for leading efforts to attract and retain jobs, stimulate capital investment, and pursue economic diversity. Prior to joining Lake County Partners in 2012, Stevens served as the Deputy Development Director for the City of Columbus, Ohio responsible for the City’s Economic Development and Planning activities. Stevens also served as the Director of Economic Development for the City of Dublin, Ohio and the Assistant Service Director for the City of Huron, Ohio.
Stevens is a proud graduate of The Ohio State University where he received degrees from the Fisher College of Business and the John Glenn School of Public Affairs. He has also worked for Cardinal Health, Inc. in its Corporate Real Estate Group.
John Carpenter, President and CEO, Choose DuPage
John Carpenter is the president and chief executive officer of Choose DuPage since Sept. 2015. Carpenter comes to Choose DuPage with extensive experience in government relations and corporate affairs. Most recently, Carpenter served as Senior Vice President of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. Prior to that role he was Vice President of Corporate Affairs for American Airlines.
Carpenter is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago. He has served as an employer representative on the Illinois’ Workers Compensation Commission Advisory Board. He is a senior counselor on the Public Affairs Committee of the Union League Club of Chicago, and is a trustee of the Chicago Zoological Society.
The program will be held at Maggiano’s Little Italy located at 240 Oakbrook Center in Oakbrook, Ill. The event sponsors are W-T Family of Companies, FGM Architects and Gilbane.
The cost to attend the program is $50 for members and $95 for non-members if you register by April 11, 2016. After April 11th, the cost to attend is $75.00 for members and $120.00 for non-members.
SMPS Chicago is the local chapter of the national organization of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS). SMPS is the only marketing organization dedicated to providing education, team building and networking opportunities for developing business opportunities in the A/E/C industry. SMPS represents a dynamic network of 6,500 marketing, business development, and technical professionals, from 57 chapters, responsible for marketing and building relationships for their companies. As one the largest chapters in SMPS, the Chicago Chapter has over 230 members representing the top contractors, architects, engineers, and specialty consulting firms in the Midwest. For more information, go to http://smps-chi.org.
For more information: contact Deborah J. Hodges, Golden Square, by email at dhodges@goldensquare.biz or by telephone at 312 -675-6080.
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