Sugar Grove's new village administrator set to take the reins May 15
For years, St. Charles resident Scott Koeppel has driven through Sugar Grove to get to his job as Kendall County's administrator.
Soon, he won't just be passing by Sugar Grove. He'll be stopping there.
Koeppel, who has been Kendall County's administrator since 2017, has been hired as Sugar Grove's village administrator. He will begin his new role on May 15.
"I drive through Sugar Grove every day on my way to work," Koeppel said. "I've always wondered why such an amazing place that's right by (Interstate) 88 hasn't done more in the last 10 years or so because of the development we're seeing in Kendall County, and that's not far away. From the things I've learned, it's probably going to happen [in Sugar Grove]. It's already starting to happen."
A lot has happened in Kendall County, and officials say Koeppel is a key reason why.
Among the most notable of Koeppel's lengthy list of successes in Kendall County is the Eldamain Road bridge.
"It's going to open up this spring and be a north-south connection through Kendall County," Koeppel said. "Up and down, it's going to connect (Interstate) 88 to (Interstate) 80."
Another recent accomplishment includes working with Montgomery and Oswego to bring Lake Michigan water to Kendall County.
Sugar Grove Village President Jen Konen is confident Koeppel can help improve the town's infrastructure.
"We know the village has hurdles, and one of them is infrastructure," she said. "A lot of developers can't handle the cost of infrastructure because the project isn't viable."
Koeppel has had success in getting grant money for projects.
"Scott's been very successful in Kendall County with acquiring grants. So that was a big motivation for us," Konen said. "We know that we're going to need that. He has a great personality and is easy to get along with. That's a big thing. We have a fabulous staff, and we wanted to make sure we had an administrator that was able to lead them without being a micromanager."
Koeppel sounds equally excited to see what he can do for Sugar Grove.
"It's a very interesting opportunity for me, and they are also very fiscally responsible, which aligns with me," Koeppel said. "They've brought in (Sugar Grove Economic Development Director) Michael Cassa and dedicated money to economic development.
"I get to come into a well-run machine and get to keep it going and, hopefully, make it a little bit better and add some of my talent to the group," Koeppel said. "That's really what I'm excited to do."