John Carpenter began his role of President & CEO of Choose DuPage on Monday, September 21, 2015. The following is a short interview with Carpenter. For more information on John Carpenter, click here to read a press release announcing his hiring.

Tell us a little about yourself, outside of work.

My wife Leslie and I are the proud parents of three adult children. Our eldest daughter, Britney and her husband live in the Chicago area with their two children, Emma (9 years) and Andrew (3 years). Our middle daughter Elizabeth lives in Dallas and works for a public strategies company. And our youngest, Marie-Louise, lives in far southern Illinois with her husband. Marie-Louise is expecting her first child, and our third grandchild. When I am not working, most of my time is occupied with my family.

Other hobbies include watching sports (go Cubs!) and open wheel and vintage auto racing.

What made you interested in this job?

In my 35-year career in the management world, I’ve found that my skill set is best utilized in jobs that include public policy and economic development. This position not only utilizes those skills, but it also serves my interests and passion in helping businesses succeed, and provides a high-quality of life to residents.

What are you most looking forward to about being President & CEO?

Seeing the tangible results of our efforts to expand the regional economy and make DuPage County the best place in the world to do business.

What do you think is the biggest opportunities for DuPage County? What do you think is the biggest threat?

The greatest opportunities in DuPage County continue to be our inherent advantages – quality of life, educated workforce, location and access to an extensive transportation network, and the businesses and people that create this diverse and growing economy. Communicating these advantages locally, nationally and globally will be our biggest opportunity for continued success.

Alternatively, our biggest threat is complacency. Someone once said that it’s easy to get to the top, the hard work is staying on the top. In today’s constantly changing business environment, it is imperative we look for innovative approaches to growing our economy, rather than maintaining a status-quo.

Contact John Carpenter

Phone: (630) 955-2089
jcarpenter@choosedupage.com