By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The leader of an organization that works to attract and retain business in the region is stepping down to take on a new role out of state.
Therese Thill, president of the Rockford Area Economic Development Council, will remain with the agency through the end of the month to help with the transition of duties and activities. She was not immediately available for an interview and has not announced her new role.
Thill joined the organization in late 2021, bringing about 25 years of economic and community development experience to the role.
“Therese has been exactly the leader for us at the right time. Her expertise and track record of success in business interaction including business retention, expansion, and attraction combined with her strategic approach to community relations helped position us for future success,” Jimmy Rozinsky, chairman of the RAEDC board of directors, said in a news release. “We are extremely grateful for her professionalism and direction to prepare us for the journey ahead.”
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Thill took over the organization at a time when critics said it had no clear direction and lost its credibility. Those criticisms were part of a report a consulting agency put together for the group as it worked to rebuild its brand as the region’s go-to point of contact for job-creation opportunities.
“I think she put us in a much better position than she found us,” Rozinksi said in a follow-up phone interview.
Thill is credited with helping solidify the organization’s financial footing and enhancing its presence in the community. She helped it grow its number of investors and oversaw the strategic direction of the agency’s next chapter, the organization said in a news release.
“It has been my great honor to serve RAEDC, its investors, and this community overall,” Thill said in a statement included in the news release. “While I look forward to this new chapter, I will sincerely miss the people and organizations with which I’ve had the great pleasure to work with during these past two years.”
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Thill will continue in her role for the next few weeks and assist the board of directors with the transition.
“I will remain a cheerleader for the Rockford region, its continued growth and the impact for the remarkable businesses who are located here and those which seek to move here in the future,” Thill said in a news release.
Rozinski said there are a number of potential employers in the pipeline, and it will be important to bring a new leader in to guide economic development efforts.
He said the Greater Rockford Growth Partnership, the nonprofit umbrella organization over the RAEDC and Rockford Chamber of Commerce, will work with the RAEDC’s board of directors to define the future role and find the right person to take the reigns.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas