Will County Center for Economic Development taps Bertino-Tarrant to serve as board chair

The Will County Center for Economic Development board of directors has selected Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant to be its chair.

Bertino-Tarrant has served as vice chair of the board for the past two years. She will be the first CED board chair from the public sector.

“She brings a strong vision, proven leadership and a deep commitment to our mission,” Doug Pryor, CED president and CEO, said in a news release announcing the move. “I look forward to working closely with her as we build on our momentum and advance opportunities for businesses and residents across Will County.”

As board chair, Bertino-Tarrant will lead the CED’s board and executive committee in driving countywide efforts to “expand economic opportunities, strengthen the local business environment and attract new residents,” according to the CED.

“This is an exciting time to be leading the CED board, as we are in a historic period of economic and population growth,” Bertino-Tarrant said in the release.

Will County’s population is the fastest-growing in the state, recently surpassing 700,000 residents, and the county ranks first in statewide job creation and single-family home building, according to the CED.

“A dynamic economic development strategy is critical to continuing to attract good-paying jobs and strengthening quality of life in all our communities,” Bertino-Tarrant said in the release. “I look forward to working with this team of leaders to seek innovation and try new ideas to move Will County forward.”

Bertino-Tarrant was elected as county executive in 2021. In her role as board chair, she intends to work closely with local leaders to strengthen surrounding economies and support existing businesses, according to the CED.

She also plans on shining a spotlight on Will County’s talent pool. This includes an increased focus on the CED’s youth development opportunities to support the local workforce pipeline.

The CED said its internship program helped provide more than 70 summer jobs for Will County high school students in 2025.

Bertino-Tarrant also plans to continue supporting the countywide initiative to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to focus on early childhood education, according to the release.

“Preparing the next generation is a key part of Will County’s economic success strategy,” Bertino-Tarrant said. “Our ability to create long-term employment pipelines is one of our strongest selling points for attracting industries.”