EDC's Bedalov Named President of Choose DuPage

Greg Bedalov, president of the Downers Grove Economic Development Corp., will assume leadership of Choose DuPage, the county's economic development effort, on April 11.

Contrasting the role of the village's EDC with Choose DuPage, Bedalov said the county operation "will be less retail-focused and more job-creation and wealth-creation focused."

He will be responsible for developing marketing and communication strategies for leading industries, and determining what the county can do to support economic development, Bedalov said.

He expects to engage in "a lot of good, old-fashioned blocking and tackling"—the work of business attraction and retention—as well as "cold calling, trade shows, marketing and communication strategies, meetings to retain existing business and attract new business," Bedalov said. "Plus, I'll be adding additional components like national and international recruiting."

Bedalov is familiar with the work of Choose DuPage from his years at the helm of the Downers Grove EDC. "Every deal we've worked in Downers Grove, we've engaged the county through Choose DuPage," he said. 

Bedalov assumed the reins of the Downers Grove EDC in June 2006, shortly after the Village Council established it as an autonomous corporation. He ranks as his key accomplishments bringing Dover Corp. and DeVry University to town, shepherding the Midwestern University expansion, working to retain and attract car dealerships and, in a complex three-party deal, making a downtown grocery store, the Lemon Tree Grocer, a reality.

"What I'm most proud of is putting Downers Grove on the map from an economic development standpoint," Bedalov said. "We added a whole new level of relevance and a whole new level of exposure."

Much of that work was done during one of the worse economic downturns in recent memory. "I'm not going to say we bucked the overall economic trends for the region, but we softened the blow by keeping the focus on economic development," he said.

Key to accomplishing that task is the makeup of the EDC, which was "designed to be an independent, autonomous group of businessmen and women who communicate with other businessmen and women," Bedalov said.

DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin, in a press release issued today, praised Bedalov as "the kind of dedicated, energetic leader we need to help boost economic opportunities in DuPage County and partner with local officials to attract new businesses to our county."

Bedalov will continue to live in Downers Grove after assuming his new position. The EDC executive committee has named Cindy Klima as interim president, pending a search for a permanent replacement. Klima has served as the EDC's director of marketing and tourism.

"I'm just so proud of what Downers Grove has done, as a community, from an economic development standpoint," Bedalov said. "The Village Council, village staff, the EDC, the Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Management Corp. have sent a consistent and strong message that Downers Grove is open for business."