DeKalb Community Development Director Announced

Jo Ellen Charlton

The City is excited to announce that Jo Ellen Charlton has been promoted to Community Development Director, where she will lead the department that oversees the development process. Charlton had been serving as the City’s Principal Planner since June and has been able to impact a variety of projects within that period of time.

“Jo Ellen Charlton brings an intense work ethic, high level of professionalism and strong leadership skills that have and will continue to benefit the City of DeKalb,” said City Manager Anne Marie Gaura. “She has the unique combination of planning and economic development experience in both the public and private sectors. This perspective enhances the City’s development process in working with the business community.”

Charlton has extensive experience within the field of community development. This includes plan review, long range planning, economic development, tax increment finance (TIF) districts, market analysis, downtown redevelopment, industrial revenue bonds and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programming.

“Charlton’s experience makes her a perfect fit for this position,” said Mayor John Rey. “She understands how the City of DeKalb operates, and she has extensive experience in community development as well as downtown revitalization.”

Charlton has dedicated her career to community and economic development in both the public and private sectors. Most recently, Charlton worked for WBK Engineering primarily as the planning consultant for the Villages of Forest Park and Willowbrook.

Charlton earned a Bachelor’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana. Additionally, she is a Certified Professional by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) as well as a member of the American Planning Association (APA).

“I’m excited for the privilege to continue to serve DeKalb in a different capacity” said Charlton. “I look forward to working with City staff, the City Council and the community to deliver high quality services that support the responsible maintenance, enhancement and development of the community’s properties.”