Cool Party Balloons CEO appointed to DuPage County Board seat

A West Chicago entrepreneur has been appointed to a seat on the DuPage County Board.

Melissa Martinez will take over the seat being vacated by Democrat Sheila Rutledge, who is stepping down from the board later this month.

Martinez is the founder and CEO of Cool Party Balloons, a vibrant retail and wholesale balloon distributor based in West Chicago. The county board has approved Chair Deb Conroy’s appointment of Martinez to the District 6 seat.

“Melissa's dedication to her community and her experience as a business owner and professional will be an asset to this board,” Conroy said. “I believe she will be a great collaborator within her district and with all board members.”

During her career, Martinez has focused on marketing and sales. She built full-scale operations for Cool Party Balloons, including e-commerce, inventory systems, business-to-business sales and in-store retail, she wrote in her résumé.

Rutledge has been a county board member since 2018. She has been the longtime chair of its environmental committee.

In the April 1 election, Rutledge ousted a Republican to become the new Winfield Township supervisor.

Rutledge then announced in May that she would resign from the county board following the conclusion of its Aug. 26 meeting. Martinez will be sworn in immediately following that meeting.

Martinez will complete the remainder of the term, which expires in December 2026.

She is a graduate of Loyola University in Chicago and earned a certificate in digital marketing strategies from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.

District 6 covers the northwestern chunk of the county, including all or parts of Hanover Park, Bartlett, Bloomingdale, Carol Stream, Wheaton, Winfield, Warrenville, West Chicago and St. Charles. There are three District 6 seats on the board.