Government Center

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Kane County

KC Jobs Committee

Meeting Minutes

LEWIS, ALLAN, Bates, Penesis, Strathmann, Young, ex-officios Roth (County Vice Chair)

and Pierog (County Chair)

Friday, January 16, 2026

10:30 AM

County Board Room

Call To Order

Chairman Lewis called today's meeting to order at 10:52 AM.

Roll Call

Board Member Anita Lewis

PRESENT

Board Member Deborah Allan

Board Member Mavis Bates

Board Member David Young

Ex-Officio County Board Vice Chair Bill Roth

Ex-Officio County Board Chair Corinne M. Pierog

Board Member Ted Penesis

REMOTE

Board Member Cherryl Strathmann

Also present: Dev. Planner, Chris Toth; JEG 360 LLC., John Grueling; ITD staff Kash;

and members of the press and public including Workforce Development Dir., Adam

Schauer; Northern Kane County Regional Vocational System Dir. Terry Stroh, Regional

and Systems Dir., Todd Stirn and Alignment Collaborative for Education Exec. Dir.,

Nancy Coleman.

Remote Attendance Requests

Chairman Lewis announced the remote attendance requests for today's meeting. She

asked if there were any objections to Committee Members Penesis and Strathmann

attending remotely. There were no objections.

Approval of Minutes: November 14, 2025

RESULT:

MOVER:

APPROVED BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT

Mavis Bates

Public Comment

None.

Jobs Committee Priorities

Workforce Ready: High School Initiatives Powering Kane County’s Economy

(Terry Stroh, Director-Northern Kane County Regional Vocational System)

Alignment Collaborative for Education Exec. Dir., Nancy Coleman, stated that

the vision for Alignment Collaborative for Education (ACE) is investing in youth

to ensure the future strength of the community and its workforce. She clarified

that Alignment is a collective impact organization of business and community

leaders from 11 communities working in partnership with school districts U-46,

300, 301, and 303. Coleman added that district 301 is the area where Elgin

seems to be growing the most. This area is largely students who are Elgin

residents. Lastly, district 303 is Alignment's latest addition serving two high

schools in St. Charles. All of these areas are mainly Northern Kane County

Regional 110 covers. She stated that ACE has built its partnership base to over

250 business and community partners, and offers future workforce development

across 12 industry clusters in ten different communities. By partnering with

school districts, Coleman stated that ACE serves as a facilitator to link schools

with business community. Students are introduced to meaningful employment

and career opportunities that lead to high demand. As of June 2025, ACE

served over 15K middle and high school students last school year, and the total

volunteer hours that were committed by business community partners was 13,

258. This number is currently already at 17K for this school year and is projected

to increase.

Northern Kane County Regional Vocational System Dir., Terry Stroh, stated that

his job is to work with all school districts on all things related to career and

technical education. He noted that he manages all federal and state grant funds

for career and technical education. Currently, the total budget is just under $3M

to support the career programs. He noted that students involved in career and

technical education programs are graduating high school at higher rates. Stroh

stated that the average cost for a high school dropout is $292K over the course

of that individual's lifetime. The amount of lost tax revenue is between $60K and

$100K per dropout. The total amount of funds going back into the region based

on higher graduation rates is $2,500,000 per year. Stroh stated that by

educating students about getting involved with a good career field early on will

help build their retirement. Currently, the average age of a community college

student is between 25 and 29, which is ten years of lost wages and growth for

putting in for a retirement account.

Northern Kane County Regional 110 (NKCR) Work-based Learning Specialist

Dir., Todd Stirn, stated that Region 110 functions under the Illinois State Board

of Education. NKCR developed college and career pathway endorsements for a

student's diploma for completing a specific criteria. The state partially requires a

work-based learning component with a minimum of 60 hours of real-life

work-based learning experience embedded with the community partner. Stirn

highlighted that the summer internship program went from 52 paid summer

interns in 2022 to 243 in the summer of 2025, completing a minimum of 60

hours of paid internships. The goal for summer 2026 will be 300 paid interns.

Alignment Collaborative for Education Exec. Dir., Nancy Coleman, stated that in

comparison to 2024, the 2025 summer internship program had 55 organizations

host, and 243 paid internship opportunities, making it a total of $240K business,

community, and school partner investments. She stated that only 25 to 30% of

students served are immediately going to universities from high school

graduation. Coleman highlighted that there are two challenges of creating

internship programs for high schools including getting companies to recruit

students who are under 18 years of age, and making sure there are enough

offerings.

Northern Kane County Regional Vocational System Dir., Terry Stroh, stated that

the current career opportunities for growth that are being looked at are to

expand internship placement in health care, informational technologies (IT),

artificial intelligence (AI), criminal justice and law, and public works. He noted

that networking within job fairs, and advisory boards is essential for growth.

Stroh addressed questions and comments from the Committee. Further

discussion ensued.

Kane County Economic Development Initiatives Staff Updates

Dev. Planner, Chris Toth, provided a handout listing all of the 2025 Major

Development Projects for Kane County for the committee's review. He stated

that the economic development team will provide more information and data at

next month's meeting.

Office of Community Reinvestment - Workforce Development Division

Kane County Workforce Development Dir., Adam Schauer, handed out a work chart

relating to the Program Training Specialist position and the Senior Staff Accountant

position. He stated that he will coordinate compliance and performance management

for both positions. Discussion ensued. (Committee Member Young left at 11:44 a.m.)

Authorizing the Creation of a Program Training Specialist Position in the

Workforce Development Department Funded Through the Workforce Innovation

and Opportunity Act (WIOA)

KC Finance and Budget Committee

RESULT:

TO:

MOVED FORWARD BY ROLL CALL VOTE

KC Finance and Budget Committee

Mavis Bates

MOVER:

Cherryl Strathmann

SECONDER:

Anita Lewis, Deborah Allan, Mavis Bates, Ted Penesis, Cherryl

Strathmann, and Bill Roth

AYE:

David Young

ABSENT:

Authorizing the Creation of a Senior Staff Accountant Position in the Workforce

Development Department Funded Through the Workforce Innovation and

Opportunity Act (WIOA)

KC Finance and Budget Committee

RESULT:

TO:

MOVED FORWARD BY ROLL CALL VOTE

KC Finance and Budget Committee

Mavis Bates

MOVER:

Bill Roth

SECONDER:

Anita Lewis, Deborah Allan, Mavis Bates, Ted Penesis, Cherryl

Strathmann, and Bill Roth

AYE:

David Young

ABSENT:

New Business

None.

Reports Placed On File

RESULT:

MOVER:

APPROVED BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT

Bill Roth

10.

Executive Session

The Jobs Committee entered into Executive Session at 11:58 a.m. to discuss the

release of closed session minutes on a motion made by Roth, seconded by Bates.

Motion carried unanimously by roll call vote.

RESULT:

APPROVED BY ROLL CALL VOTE

Bill Roth

MOVER:

Mavis Bates

SECONDER:

Anita Lewis, Deborah Allan, Mavis Bates, Ted Penesis, Cherryl

Strathmann, and Bill Roth

AYE:

David Young

ABSENT:

Release of Closed Session Minutes

11.

Return to Open Session

The Jobs Committee returned to open session at 12:01 p.m. on a motion made by

Roth, seconded by Bates. Motion carried unanimously by voice vote.

RESULT:

APPROVED BY VOICE VOTE

Bill Roth

MOVER:

Mavis Bates

SECONDER:

Vote of Release of Closed Session Minutes

The Committee provided their consensus to vote on the release of closed session

minutes on a motion made by Roth, seconded by Penesis, Motion carried unanimously

by roll call vote.

RESULT:

APPROVED BY ROLL CALL VOTE

Bill Roth

MOVER:

Ted Penesis

SECONDER:

Anita Lewis, Deborah Allan, Mavis Bates, Ted Penesis, Cherryl

Strathmann, and Bill Roth

AYE:

David Young

ABSENT:

12.

Adjournment

RESULT:

APPROVED BY VOICE VOTE

Bill Roth

MOVER:

Mavis Bates

SECONDER:

This meeting was adjourned at 12:03 p.m.

Rachel Santora

Recording Secretary