While Kankakee County’s leading economic development organization seeks to find a new leader, its board has tabbed a familiar face to lead it, at least on a temporary basis.

Angela Morrey, vice president of the Economic Alliance of Kankakee County under the leadership of Tim Nugent, who recently resigned to take a position with the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, has been named the organization’s acting president and CEO.

A member of the executive team since October 2020, Morrey gained the expanded role Sept. 13.

Morrey started her Economic Alliance career as its director of marketing and business attraction.

The 1996 graduate of Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School and 2000 graduate of Northern Illinois University, where she earned a degree in broadcast journalism, is hoping the “acting” tag soon will be removed.

Morrey has submitted her resume and application to be considered as Economic Alliance’s third president and CEO since the public-private organization was formed in 2007.

Whomever becomes the next leader will have big shoes to fill. Nugent led the alliance since May 2016.

Kankakee County Board Chairman Matthew Alexander-Hildebrand is leading the search, as the alliance reports to the County Board.

Alexander-Hildebrand said the job was posted to the County Board website Monday. It remained there for the week, per county requirements.

The chairman said if worthy candidates come through the county posting, a larger search would not be needed.

As of late this week, Alexander-Hildebrand said it is his timeline that a candidate for the alliance position will be voted on at the Oct. 14 County Board meeting.

A simple majority vote of the 28-member board is needed to approve the selection.

Economic Alliance board Chairman Jeff Bennett said the 17-member board, comprising four Kankakee County Board members and 13 at-large appointments, has total confidence in Morrey taking the helm as the search process plays out.

“Angela has grown into this position. There was no hesitation with this move,” he said.

Michael Boyd, former board chairman and Kankakee Community College president, added: “We have so much confidence in Angela’s ability. The board has 100% trust in Angela.”

Created as an organization to help foster countywide communication between government and business needs, Bennett said the alliance helped end the days of organizations operating in “silos,” meaning without input from other segments of the county.

“I think sometimes we take for granted what is going on here in Kankakee County,” he said.

A commercial real estate agent and partner of McColly Bennett Real Estate in Bourbonnais, Bennett said the organization’s ability to bring so many people to the table to discuss development issues and regional needs is a blueprint that other areas are seeking to duplicate.

“We have the ingredients here for continued growth,” Bennett said. “We have good momentum here.”

Morrey said she helped Nugent complete 81 request for information packets for businesses seeking detailed information on Kankakee County; its resources and available development locations; incentives; utilities; and labor pool, among other things.

These requests are blind, meaning the identities of the companies seeking information are not known.

It was one of the RFIs that eventually led to Gotion landing in Manteno.

Before working for the alliance, Morrey served as president of the Kankakee County Chamber of Commerce. Before working with the chamber, she had a seven-year career in radio.