Skimmerhorn marks 35 years with county

Delbert Skimmerhorn reached a milestone with the Kankakee County planning department.

Skimmerhorn, director of planning for the county, was presented a certificate at Tuesday’s Kankakee County Board meeting, marking 35 years of employment.

“I started out at the lowest position and made it to the highest,” he said.

Skimmerhorn, of Bradley, started out as a draftsman with the county in 1990. He was promoted to manager of GIS in 2015, manager of planning in 2016 and named the director of planning in 2021.

“You’re an asset to the county,” County Board Chairman Matthew Alexander-Hildebrand said. “Del is the encyclopedia in the planning department. If you ask him a question, he 100% knows the answer, and if he doesn’t, he probably knows what page to go look at.”

Alexander-Hildebrand added that Skimmerhorn, 58, has a fantastic work ethic and dedication to the job.

The director of planning keeps busy.

“I’ve got 11 employees, and they all need something every day, and the phone rings off the hook,” Skimmerhorn said.

The expansion of the solar and wind farms in the county as well dealing with zoning variances in the county always needs the department’s attention.

“There’s always a new challenge,” Skimmerhor said. “Solar farms are going up all over the place. A new wind farm is being worked on right now in the Essex area. There are a few other major projects that are happening.”

The county is studying the 1200 North Road and Illinois Route 50 intersection with other agencies.

“We’re trying to get a handle on exactly what’s going on,” he said. “IDOT is working on that as well.”

There’s plenty of work to be done in the department, and he’s not planning on retiring anytime soon.

“No, I’ve got at least another five years,” he said.