Josh Grodzin
Director, Economic Development
Choose DuPage
Lisle, Illinois
Josh Grodzin uses EMSI’s data analysis to help publish quarterly economic indicator reports for DuPage County. The reports are intended to give a quick snapshot of the county’s diverse economy – everything from the unemployment rate to the number of building permits issued to occupied industrial office space. With EMSI, Grodzin is able to give board members from Choose DuPage, a county agency developed to engage the private and public sectors, a data-driven look at the top-performing industries in the region. DuPage County, located on the west side of metropolitan Chicago area, has close to 1 million residents and 40,000 businesses, including several Fortune 500 companies. Until recently, however, Grodzin says there wasn’t a lot of interaction between the public sector and the business community. “That’s why Choose DuPage was created,” he says. Grodzin also works closely with economic developers from 39 communities in the area to help target key companies that might be looking to expand or leave the region. After surveying business owners, Grodzin joins forces with the DuPage Workforce Board, workNet DuPage Career Center, and College of DuPage to help set up workforce training or other services that might be needed.