EDWARDSVILLE, ILL., JUNE 20, 2012…The Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois today announced that Ellen Krohne of Edwardsville, Ill., has been selected from a pool of more than 30 qualified applicants to serve as the organization’s new executive director. A 35-year veteran of the energy industry with broad leadership skills and economic development experience, Krohne is recognized as a leading expert in organizational change management and has a demonstrated track record in leading a variety of organizations where consensus building, communication, and solid strategic planning have led to successful outcomes. She will assume the post in mid July, 2012.
Krohne’s career highlights include more than 25 years with Illinois Power Company, now part of Ameren, where she worked in the areas of customer service, public relations, labor relations and economic development, before becoming Vice President, New Business Development and Strategic Planning. In these roles, she acquired a background of skills that are ideally suited to this new position with the Leadership Council. She has previously led local and regional economic development community groups, demonstrating her experience building partnerships and mobilizing community leaders, and was a lead member of the economic development team that secured two large automotive facilities to locate in Washington County, Ill. Over the past eight years, she has worked on a variety of consulting projects for Capgemini and other entities, broadening her analytical abilities, adding international business experience to her qualifications, and gaining extensive experience in the area of change management. She is a frequent speaker and has had a variety of articles on change management and customer service published in industry trade magazines, including Outsourcing World, Electrical Perspectives and T&D World.
“We are thrilled that Ellen is joining our organization,” noted Rich Conner, president of the Leadership Council. “After an exhaustive review of a number of exemplary candidates, it became clear that Ellen is uniquely qualified to guide the work of the Leadership Council in the coming years. Her skills, experience, and obvious leadership abilities are a perfect fit for the executive director position. I am excited about the future for our region and the opportunity for Ellen and our organization to improve the quality of life and the economy of Southwestern Illinois.”
As executive director, Krohne will be responsible for identifying and mobilizing leaders in business, industry, labor, education and government, and building effective partnerships to address regional economic development issues, often playing a leadership role in advancing those initiatives that top the Leadership Council’s priority list.
“I am truly excited to serve in this capacity with the Leadership Council,” noted Krohne, who has been a resident of Southwestern Illinois for most of her life. “The diverse coalition of exceptional leaders that make up the Council is what has guided the organization’s success for almost three decades, and I consider this a unique opportunity to work with these talented individuals to develop and implement the strategies that will lead to future growth in Southwestern Illinois in the years to come.”
Krohne is filling the position previously held by Patrick McKeehan, who resigned in January after five years with the organization. Scott Schanuel, a seasoned economic development professional and colleague of several of the members of the Leadership Council’s executive committee, has been working with the organization on an interim basis until the permanent position could be filled.
“We were fortunate that the timing allowed for Scott to work with us in this interim capacity,” notes Conner. “His project management skills, familiarity with our organization and relationships with various regional leaders helped to ensure that our key initiatives continued to make forward progress during our search for a permanent executive director, and we are very appreciative of his time and contributions over the past several months.”
The Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois is a member-based, economic development organization that has worked for more than 25 years to attract/retain jobs and stimulate capital investment through its coalition of leaders in business, labor, education and government. These effective partnerships have served as a driving force behind a number of successful regional economic development efforts. The Leadership Council also publishes the annual Market Review & Investment Update, which chronicles the total value of projects announced, under construction or completed each year in Madison and St. Clair counties, with the soon-to-be released 2011 edition showing almost $6 billion in investments.
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For more information, contact:
Julie Hauser, The Hauser Group, 314.436.9090 or 314.629.3887
Tags: economic development, Ellen Krohne, Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois, Metro East