Gurnee's new economic development works to keep businesses strong
A liaison between the village hall and the business community in Gurnee. Negotiating incentive packages that bolster economic growth. Identifying opportunities to expand existing businesses in the village.
That's the basic job description for the village's newly created economic development director position, and in that job is Ellen Dean.
Companies — and the jobs they provide — are leaving Illinois. When Kenall, a manufacturer of lighting products, left Gurnee, Mayor Kristina Kovarik knew she had to do something to prevent any other companies from leaving town. Enter Dean, who took over the job in January.
“Ellen Dean has been a fireball her first six months on the job,” Kovarik said. “While tackling all the items we identified as important, we've had a few curve balls thrown at us and she has been instrumental in helping us respond and resolve those problems.
“I'm pleased with Ms. Dean's outreach to the business community so far. She is actively engaged with potential new development and influencing the types of businesses we are trying to attract to Gurnee.”
Dean's life began in the small Wisconsin town of Horicon, approximately half way between Milwaukee and Fond du Lac. Dean said the town was so small it didn't have a stop light during her youth.
She graduated from Horicon High, then Michigan State University. While working on her bachelor's degree in business administration, she had an internship working for county government doing economic development. She enjoyed the work so much she decided to pursue a career as an economic developer.
At MSU, Dean met her future husband, who now works in corporate finance. They have been married almost 24 years and have two daughters — one will be a freshman in college and the other a sophomore in high school. Dean and her husband are active volunteers with their daughters' high school marching band.
Dean is a native Wisconsinite, whose passion is music. Although she and her husband attend a football game or two at their alma mater, Dean said she can't wait for halftime to listen to the marching bands.
Dean's career has kept her in Illinois. Her first job after receiving her bachelor's degree was working for the village of Downers Grove, where she held several positions, including economic development director. While working for the village, she also started and completed her master's degree in public administration at Northern Illinois University.
After working 10 years for Downers Grove, she and her family moved to Glenview, where she worked as the economic developer manager from 2007 to 2014. In 2015, she migrated to her current position in Gurnee.
Dean said that retaining businesses in Gurnee begins with good government, moderate and predictable costs of doing business, available labor force, transportation options and a community where executives and employees want to live and work.
Gurnee's proximity to the Wisconsin border presents specific challenges for Dean. To combat that, she said she has begun meeting with Gurnee business owners individually to address any specific concerns they have and work together to resolve those issues.
Dean added she is in regular contact with brokers, property owners and developers to collaboratively market the village as a shopping and entertainment destination besides a location for high-tech manufacturing facilities.
Dean urged residents to follow the Gurnee's Got It! Facebook page, which features discounts to local stores and news about upcoming festivals and events and other important information.