Committee approves IEDA travel; KCEDC CEO announced and ARPA funds to support launch

The Kane County Jobs Committee voted to approve travel to the Illinois Economic Development Association (IEDA) summit, scheduled June 23–25, 2026, and received an update that the county’s economic development corporation has launched with a new chief executive officer.

Staff presented a travel form (TMP‑26‑503) estimating registration, travel and per‑diem costs and asked the committee to authorize attendance. The committee approved the travel by voice vote; staff said interested board members can still register.

Chris Toth (S1) announced that Michael Casa has been named chief executive officer of the newly launched Kane County Economic Development Corporation (KCEDC). Toth said ARPA funds are being used to support the EDC’s launch and to underwrite countywide marketing projects, including promotional work tied to the Fabulous Fox Water Trail. "Michael Casa has been announced as our new chief executive officer," Toth said, and staff noted the EDC will collaborate with county economic development efforts.

Committee members discussed budget constraints for sending a large delegation to the IEDA summit and the chair indicated registration logistics become more complicated if more than four people attend. No additional action was taken beyond authorizing travel and encouraging interested members to contact staff.

Next step: staff will finalize trip registrations for those who notify them and continue coordination with KCEDC on outreach and marketing efforts.