ECC 'connector' announces retirement

In November, Susan Van Weelden was named one of 22 Influential Women in Business for 2010.

The list of Chicago area women was announced by the Chicago chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners and The Daily Herald Business Ledger.

The prestigious award only confirmed what officials at Elgin Community College already knew: Van Weelden is one of the most connected women around, and she serves as a highly visible ambassador for the college.

Unfortunately, the celebration is short lived. Van Weelden recently announced she is retiring at the end of February and a search to replace her already is underway.

Van Weelden has been at ECC since 2006, but she has spent more than 30 years working at community colleges.

For the last year she has developed ECC's Community Engagement and Economic Development office. Before that, she worked at McHenry County College, where she was dean of corporate and continuing education.

Despite her many contacts locally and heightened visibility in the Fox Valley and Northwest suburban areas, she summed up her role over the years in one easy phrase: “I am a connector.”

“I provide people and communities with the resources and information they need,” Van Weelden said while looking back at her years working in community development and education. “I'm big on collaboration and partnerships.”

Van Weelden boiled down her current role into simple terms, but the fact of the matter is that she worked with 33 municipalities in building economic development. She also consulted with 12 chambers of commerce and worked with federal, state and local officials on area legislation.

And that didn't include all of the regional board meetings she attended, including the Northern Illinois Coalition for Work Force Development and the Golden Corridor Economic Development Council.

Van Weelden's countless contacts is a main reason she was hired for the job in Elgin.

Elgin Community College President David Sam said: “Susan Van Weelden was appointed to the position because of her extensive knowledge, background and network of contacts throughout the District 509 community.” He added that “the Director of Community Engagement and Economic Development role was created at ECC because we promised the community we would stay connected to them, actively listening to them, after successful passage of the 2009 referendum.”

Van Weelden concedes that she spent more than 50 percent of her time away from ECC's campus, attending meetings. In any day, she might travel from St. Charles, to Hampshire, to the tri-village area of Streamwood, Bartlett and Hanover Park.

“Some days you just have to choose,” Van Weelden said.

Cheri Sisson, executive director of the Hoffman Estates Chamber of Commerce, says Van Weelden found time to attend all of their major events, but more than that she has helped its board network with area chambers and their business leaders.

“Susan really understands the importance of everyone working together as a team,” Sisson said.

Village officials in South Elgin credit Van Weelden with helping them develop their economic development strategy.

“Education and training of our work force is critical to local business success and climbing out of this recession,” said Steven Super, South Elgin's economic development director. “ECC is the area leader for that training and education, and having Susan on our board has brought that message to our community leaders.”

Van Weelden has been instrumental in meeting work force needs since her days at McHenry County College, but she also knows business concerns firsthand, having helped her husband, Marvin, run Van Weelden Disposal in Elgin before he sold it.

Consequently, she avidly promoted the benefits of continued training and education, and points to such resources as the college's Industrial Training Center.

“It's state of the art,” Van Weelden said, “and yet many businesses in the area don't even know about it.”

She also promoted the college's on-site customized training program, as well as its grant money available to employers for incumbent worker training from the Hispanic Serving Institutions Assisting Communities funding program.

“One of my biggest jobs is listening to businesses and trade organizations to help meet their needs,” Van Weelden said. “I often feel that I am the face of ECC for them.”