There is a change in leadership of the Kankakee Planning Board and a new face within the ranks of the board members.

Previous two-term planning board chairwomen Beverly Hood stepped away upon completion of her latest term due to growing professional responsibilities and Chip Rorem, a board member since 2008, will step into that role.

Hood had been a board member since 2017.

Rorem, a 2nd Ward resident and who is celebrating his 50th year as a licensed architect (since 1976) with Kankakee-based Ralph Rorem Architecture, now takes the leadership of the six-person board.

At last week’s Kankakee City Council meeting, the council approved the new terms for Rorem and fellow board members Deb Terrill and new member Ken Ponton.

Planning board positions are volunteer.

Ponton, 86, a west Kankakee resident, will be sworn into office at Tuesday’s meeting along with Rorem as the new chairman.

Ponton has been a longtime member of Kankakee County law enforcement has served from 1968-69 with the Kankakee Police Department, then 10 years as an officer with the Illinois Conservation Police and from 1975-97 with the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department.

He has also been a longtime volunteer with the Kankakee County Museum.

“Melissa King gave me a call an asked if this was something I would be interested in,” Ponton said. “There was no arm twisting. I’m glad to help out.”

Terrill has been on the board for more than 30 years having been appointed as a planning board member during then-Mayor Donald Green’s first term, which began in 1993.

The planning board actually has space for nine members. The city administration has not filled all nine seats for several years.

The planning board is the first official board to hear and vote on plans for new developments or expansions as they relate to zoning restrictions for the area in question.

Rorem joined the planning board at the request of Mayor Green to fill the vacancy following the death of then-planning board member Mary Johnston.

The three other members of the Kankakee Planning Board are Berry McCracken, Steve Case, and Jose Barajas.

Hood recently earned a doctorate degree of business administration. She has been involved in the banking industry, having served as a vice president. She serves as an adjunct instructor in business at Kankakee Community College and Olivet Nazarene University.