Oak Park Economic Development Corp Names New Executive Director

Submitted by the Oak Park Economic Development Corporation

The Board of Directors of the Oak Park Economic Development Corporation (OPEDC) announced Monday that it has named John Lynch as Executive Director of the OPEDC effective July 24. Mr. Lynch will succeed John L. Hedges, who announced his retirement in June after a long and distinguished career in a number of elected and appointed positions in Oak Park.

Mr. Lynch joined the OPEDC as Development Director in February of this year, bringing over 20 years of experience in real estate, infrastructure, and economic development to Oak Park. He had previously served as a Vice President with international real estate firms JLL and CBRE, and more recently served as Director of Real Estate and Land Use for Chicago-based Ricondo & Associates, where he advised on economic development around the largest U.S. airports. Mr. Lynch brings a wealth of experience cultivating relationships and delivering advisory and transaction services to corporations and municipalities.

Mr. Lynch holds an MBA in Finance, Management and Strategy from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management; a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Purdue University; and a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Notre Dame.

“John Lynch is what Oak Park needs to advance its strategy of being “open for business,” said Anan Abu-Taleb, Village President. “In the few months John has been on board, he has shown the Village his experience in dealing with the real estate and the business development community. He will do well for Oak Park.” Martin Noll, OPEDC Chair, indicated that the process of selecting John Lynch to succeed John Hedges was “a no-brainer.” “John is eminently qualified to handle the pending and developing opportunities to restructure the tax base of our community. With three large projects in the Village either underway or about to be underway within the next several months, John will be busy shepherding them along. And, he has sparked several smart ideas that developers are considering for Madison Street.”