Thank you to the more than 200 economic development professionals and stakeholders from across the state who attended the 2025 IEDA Summit in Peoria on June 11–12. We had two full days of engaging discussions and meaningful collaboration.

The Summit featured a dynamic lineup of panelists who explored critical issues shaping the future of economic development in Illinois. Topics included workforce development, energy, technological innovation, federal policy, presentations from DCEO and Intersect Illinois, and more. The event served as a powerful platform for sharing best practices and highlighting the vital role economic development plays in building stronger communities across our state.

A heartfelt thank you to our sponsors—your generous support makes events like this possible. Additionally, thanks you to Chris Setti for graciously hosting us in Peoria and Nancy Norton for her leadership in chairing the Summit planning committee.

We look forward to seeing you at future IEDA events!

2025 Summit Photos and Presentation Slides: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1KUc3x1sfxbf1sea0ga1fsOg00wbwEjBk?usp=sharing

2025 IEDA Summit Panelists

Technology Driven Best Practices for Economic Development

• Moderator: Ken Springer, President, Knox County Area Partnership for Economic Development
• Justine Robinson, Vice President, Client and Partner Strategy, CivicServe
• Kyla Karten, Vice President, Site Readiness, Intersect Illinois
• Matthew Francis, Sales Director, Resimplifi

Building Prosperity: Housing Solutions as Catalysts for Economic Growth

• Moderator: Kristin Richards, Director, DCEO
• Karen Davis, Deputy Executive Director, IHDA
• Tom McNamara, Mayor, City of Rockford
• Brittny Gipson, Village Clerk, Village of Dieterich

Convergence Pointe: Data Centers, AI, and the Quantum Leap

• Moderator: Kevin Kramer, Director of Economic Development, Village of Hoffman Estates
• Eric Dominguez, Channel Director, Summit
• Kate Waimey Timmerman, CEO, Chicago Quantum Exchange
• Bill Kleyman, CEO and Co-Founder, Apolo

Illinois State Legislative Update

• James Sherwood, Senior Vice President, McGuireWoods Consulting, IEDA’s Lobbyist

Contemporary Topics Around Energy and Development in Illinois

• Moderator: Courtney Yockey, President and CEO, Effingham Regional Growth Alliance
• Jonathan Feipel, Executive Director, Illinois Commerce Commission
• Josh Bushinsky, Co-Founder and Partner, Trajectory Energy Partners
• Mark Pruitt, Principal, The Power Bureau & Adjunct Professor, Northwestern University Master of Science in Energy and Sustainability

Intersect Illinois Presentation

• Moderator: Paulina San Millan, Senior Vice President of Business Development, Intersect Illinois
• Christy George, President & CEO, Intersect Illinois
• Robin Ficke,Senior Vice President of Research, Intersect Illinois
• Rody Abdelrahman, Senior Director of Marketing, Intersect Illinois
• Amanda Vinicky, Vice President of Communications, Intersect Illinois

Educational Ecosystems as Workforce & Economic Development Drivers

• Moderator: Josh Weidenaar, Director of Research, Intersect Illinois
• Dr. Sheila Quirk-Bailey, President, Illinois Central College
• Kara Demirjian Huss, Senior Vice President TCCI Manufacturing, Founder and President DCC Marketing, Executive Committee, Illinois Workforce Innovation Board
• Joe Barbic, Director, Indian Valley Vocational Center
• Lisa Jones, Assistant Deputy Director, DCEO, Office of Employment & Training 

Midwest Momentum: Trends Driving Regional Growth and Talent

• Moderator: Renee Wott, Senior Northeast Regional Manager, DCEO
• Maryam Saleh, Executive Director, Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship, Illinois Institute of Technology
• Iryna Lendel, Senior Director of Regional Economic and Community Development, Upjohn Institute for Employment Research
• Richard Funderburg, Associate Professor, School of Public Management and Policy, Collaborating Scholar, Institute of Government and Public Affairs, Fiscal and Economic Policy Working Group, University of Illinois Springfield

Impact of New Federal Government Policies on Economic Development

• Moderator: Chris Setti, CEO, Greater Peoria Economic Development Council
• Greg Bales, Senior Vice President, McGuireWoods Consulting
• Mark Denzler, President and CEO, Illinois Manufacturers' Association
• Chad Phillips, Federal Policy Manager, DCEO

DCEO Presentation

• Moderator: Alyson Grady, Deputy Director, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), Office of Regional Economic Development (Team RED)
• Members of DCEO’s Team RED

Thank you to our sponsors!

PLATINUM

Ameren Illinois

CivicServe

ComEd

Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

Intersect Illinois 

GOLD

BluDot

DarwinPW Realty

Norfolk Southern

Resimplifi

Tallgrass Energy

Wabash Valley Power Alliance

SILVER

Greater Peoria EDC

Illinois American Water Company

Illinois Main Street

IMEC

McGuireWoods Consulting

Nicor Gas

Project First Rate

Southern Illinois Now

Summit Hosting

BRONZE

BNSF Railway

Champaign County EDC

DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation

Downers Grove EDC

Grundy EDC

Village of Hoffman Estates

Village of Sugar Grove