Illinois saw 552 corporate expansions and relocations in 2023, making it the number two state in the nation for these projects. In the spirit of the International Economic Development Council’s Economic Development Week, we’re tipping our cap to our Business Development (BD) team, a mighty force of industry veterans and state advocates who collaborate with state stakeholders to bring jobs and investment to Illinois.
We’ve asked Intersect Illinois’ Business Development team to discuss their experience in economic development – from their favorite business expansion or relocation wins to how they “pitch” Illinois to prospective companies.
Paulina San Millan, Vice President, Business Development
Years with Intersect – since 2017
Give us a quick snapshot of your background in economic development.
“I have been involved in economic development for 17 years since college. I have focused on business attraction for the last 12 years.”
Describe one of your favorite projects you have worked on at Intersect.
“Lion Electric. We worked on that project from beginning to end. Despite having aggressive offers from other states, Lion Electric decided to locate in Illinois because of the Governor’s vision for clean energy and building an EV industry supply chain in Illinois.”
Tell us one thing about Illinois that surprised you or you think most people don’t know.
“Illinois is now competitive. We have competitive incentives and offers in the EV, clean energy and semiconductor/quantum industries.”
In a nutshell, you “sell” the state of Illinois to prospective companies looking to expand or relocate. What’s your “pitch” to those who don’t know much about Illinois?
“More than a pitch, it is important to listen to each client and their project needs. Then you cross-reference their needs with what Illinois has to offer. Our role is to assist that client to have all the information about Illinois and its programs when considering us for a project.”
What do you like most about being in economic development in Illinois?
“The satisfaction of assisting the community and state you are living in. Also, it is super dynamic. My role involves business consulting, marketing, real estate, site selection, relationship-building, business development, sales, and much more.”
Robert Stephan, Vice President, Downstate Relations
Years with Intersect – almost three
Give us a quick snapshot of your background in economic development.
“I served as Deputy Downstate Director for U.S. Senator Barack Obama and Special Projects Director for U.S. Congressman Jerry Costello. I also have 10 years of private consulting working on local, regional, and national projects and collaborations.”
Describe one of your favorite projects you have worked on at Intersect.
“Manner Polymers’ expansion to Mt. Vernon Illinois. Both Tony Iriti at the Jefferson County Development Corporation and Raj Bhargava, the owner and CEO of Manner Polymers, were great to work with on this project. They are true professionals.
We quickly brought a $54 million project and 60 jobs to Southern Illinois. When issues came up, the team worked together to solve them, resulting in a Texas-based company expanding in Illinois.
This is the world’s only polymer manufacturing facility 100% powered by renewable energy. The project also recently won the 2024 Site Selectors Guild Project with a Purpose award. I’m fortunate to have worked with such a great team to help bring this investment to Illinois.”
Tell us one thing about Illinois that surprised you or you think most people don’t know.
“Illinois is the rail capital of the United States. We are the only state where all Class I railroads come together in two locations.”
In a nutshell, you “sell” the state of Illinois to prospective companies looking to expand or relocate. What’s your “pitch” to those who don’t know much about Illinois?
“Illinois is the 18th largest economy on the planet. We have the most highly educated workforce in the Midwest, with the #3 community college system nationally. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign turns out more engineers annually than Stanford, MIT, and CalTech combined. Our infrastructure — whether water, road, highway, air, or rail — is unmatched in the Midwest and among the best in the United States. We have so much to be proud of and need to tell our story with pride.”
What do you like most about being in economic development in Illinois?
“The opportunity to work with so many businesses to understand their priorities and then present their story and vision to Illinois’ leaders to help bring jobs to our communities.”
Lenora Fisher, Director, Business Development
Years with Intersect – since October 2023
Give us a quick snapshot of your background in economic development.
“I have seven formal years of experience and an additional two years doing placemaking and other economic development-type work in other organizations. I started my economic development work formally in a single community, moved up to serve a five-county region, and now serve 102 counties across Illinois.”
Describe one of your favorite projects you have worked on at Intersect.
“Equipping communities to understand the RFI process and meet their business attraction goals through transparency, engagement and education initiatives.”
In a nutshell, you “sell” the state of Illinois to prospective companies looking to expand or relocate. What’s your “pitch” to those who don’t know much about Illinois?
“We have the assets (talent, property, stakeholders, location) and a proven track record, and we want to help you become one of the businesses making a global impact from Illinois.”
What do you like most about being in economic development in Illinois?
“Serving the businesses, communities and people that have been the foundation of Illinois’ economic success for decades.”
Cathriona Fey, Associate Director, Business Development
Years with Intersect – seven months
Give us a quick snapshot of your background in economic development.
“My background in economic development includes both academic and professional experience. I graduated with a master’s degree in urban and regional planning with a focus in economic development from the University of Iowa. Professionally, I’ve worked as an urban planning consultant for various communities and counties across the U.S. I have also interned for the City of Chicago and completed a fellowship with World Business Chicago.”
Describe one of your favorite projects you have worked on at Intersect.
“I enjoy the projects that fall within the EV/battery ecosystem. This exciting and evolving industry has allowed me to work alongside some of the brightest minds in this growing field, promote Illinois’ many competitive advantages, and always learn something new along the way.”
Tell us one thing about Illinois that surprised you or you think most people don’t know.
“Just one? Illinois has the 18th-largest economy in the world.”
In a nutshell, you “sell” the state of Illinois to prospective companies looking to expand or relocate. What’s your “pitch” to those who don’t know much about Illinois?
“Illinois is centrally located in a low climate risk region with a robust transportation and infrastructure network weaving through its borders, including all Class I rail lines and the nation’s second most reliable electric grid.
However, the state’s greatest asset continues to be its people. Illinois has the institutions, programs, and partnerships to support the workforce of the future.
Place, power and people. Because of that, Illinois is #2 in the nation for corporate expansions and relocations and #1 in the region for workforce development.”
What do you like most about being in economic development in Illinois?
“I am proud to be from Illinois and represent my state from an economic development platform. This has brought a deeper passion and commitment to the work I do. Illinois has a great story to tell and I enjoy being on that team of storytellers.”
Merrill Holden, Manager, Business Development
Years with Intersect – almost three
Give us a quick snapshot of your background in economic development.
“From working on the local level to now being a part of the state, my journey in economic development has been nothing short of transformative. With all the new innovative things happening in the world, you learn something new every day.”
Describe one of your favorite projects you have worked on at Intersect.
“Ollie’s Bargain Outlet. This was the first competitive project I managed at Intersect that we helped bring to Illinois. I enjoyed working on this project because I saw first-hand how it brought the local community together and the preparation and collaborative efforts it took to bring in the company.”
Tell us one thing about Illinois that surprised you or you think most people don’t know.
“Illinois is home to the world’s first skyscraper and has a rich architectural history. Chicago is an iconic city for its unique and historic buildings.”
In a nutshell, you “sell” the state of Illinois to prospective companies looking to expand or relocate. What’s your “pitch” to those who don’t know much about Illinois?
“Illinois is a great place to do business thanks to our highly skilled talent pipeline, unmatched logistics infrastructure, and competitive utility landscape.”
What do you like most about being in economic development in Illinois?
“Community engagement and relationship-building.”
Claire DeLay, Associate, Business Development
Years with Intersect – seven months
Give us a quick snapshot of your background in economic development.
“Before joining Intersect I worked with Taiwanese companies interested in expanding into the Midwest.”
Describe one of your favorite projects you have worked on at Intersect.
“Managing the Vetted Sites program and watching to grow from a pilot program into its second phase has been rewarding for me. I think it’s a project that does a really nice job of giving communities across the state to engage with Intersect and promote their communities’ competitive advantages.”
Tell us one thing about Illinois that surprised you or you think most people don’t know.
“The State of Illinois is committed to growing its green economy. Along with its growing EV ecosystem, it’s the first Midwestern state to set a goal of reaching 100% clean energy by 2050 (as part of CEJA)”.
In a nutshell, you “sell” the state of Illinois to prospective companies looking to expand or relocate. What’s your “pitch” to those who don’t know much about Illinois?
Illinois has a unique blend of advantages. The state’s location in the United States lends itself to logistical advantages/savings; the education system creates a trained, ample workforce, and the electrical grid is rated #1 in the U.S. The state helps to facilitate a blend of industries with a strong ecosystem of upstream and downstream supply chains within each industry.
What do you like most about being in economic development in Illinois?
“The work we do has tangible impact on the state. When you close a project and see the number of jobs it brings to a community, there’s a feeling of accomplishment that we’ve helped a community.”
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