New Economic Development Director Hired For Village Of Oswego

OSWEGO, IL — As of May 2, a new economic development director will begin his job in Oswego. Village of Oswego announced Thursday they hired Kevin Leighty to fill the position.

With about a decade of experience under his belt, Leighty will be responsible for attracting new businesses to Oswego and supporting existing ones.

"I am incredibly excited to serve the Oswego community and balance the village's small town charm with the endless growth opportunities that exist here," Leighty said in a statement. "With my experience building professional relationships in economic development in the Chicago area, I look forward to bringing a new perspective to Oswego."

Before coming to Oswego, Leighty served as an economic development management analyst for the Village of Schaumburg, which is home to than 5,000 businesses, officials said. While there, he secured $1.25 million in grant funding for public infrastructure from the Rebuild Illinois capital program.

Leighty also managed the village's Tax Increment Financing district to support industrial development, Oswego officials said.

Before Schaumburg, he interned with the Village of Elmhurst where he supported the economic development commission, the city manager's office, and the zoning and planning committee.

"We are very excited to welcome Kevin to this important role," Village President Troy Parlier said in a statement. "We're looking forward to his energy and passion making a great impact on Oswego’s goals for increased business development."

Leighty has a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's in public administration from Northern Illinois University. He is currently working on becoming a Certified Economic Developer.