Merits of Commuting Employee Debated by Residents, Village

Although one resident said he was "outraged" by New Lenox's decision to hire an employee who will sometimes commute from Texas, members of the Village Board reaffirmed their support and confidence in the new economic development director.

During the Sept. 26 Village Board meeting, a few residents spoke publicly to express concerns and ask questions about the hiring of Nancy Roman, who left her job as economic development director in Shorewood to fill the same role in New Lenox.

Roman is moving to Texas and —an estimated cost of about $10,000. But she's making cosiderably less than her predecessor ($60,000 compared to $86,000).

Many readers to express their outrage, but Mayor Tim Baldermann answered some questions Monday night.

"I understand it’s unorthodox," he said. "Every decision we make is vetted by intelligent people here. We have been applauded by people in business development for the hire and we have the utmost confidence."

Roman worked in Shorewood for 13 years, attracting new businesses to Shorewood and working closely with existing businesses during Route 59 construction. Trustee Nancy Dye was impressed with Roman's experience with businesses in the area, citing the example of Khols, which announced interest in New Lenox, knowing Roman through her work in Shorewood.

"I had the same concerns," Dye said. "(Khols) know Nancy on a first-name basis. And that’s just one (example). That’s something you can’t get in a job posting."

True to what Baldermann said about commercial developers, a couple spoke out in support of Roman during the meeting, even though they were there for other reasons. Richard Kavanagh, a Joliet lawyer specializing in land use, also showed support for Roman and new Village Administrator Kurt Carroll, whom he worked with on various projects in Shorewood.

“They’ve always done an outstanding, professional job," Kavanagh said. "So congratulations on the hire.”

For Roman, it was an interesting way to start her tenure in the village. She started Sept. 19 but Monday was her first official Village Board meeting, and she was the main talking point. Roman kept quiet during the meeting but laughed at the attention afterward.

The primary responsibility of the economic development director is to market the village as an attractive place for new businesses. That involves attending trade shows, creating marketing material and more.