Vermilion Advantage Puts Economic Development Front and Center with New Countywide Position

DANVILLE, Ill. — The Vermilion Advantage Board of Directors this morning approved and posted a new full-time position dedicated entirely to economic development in Vermilion County — adding full-time capacity to work the organization already carries out alongside the City of Danville, Vermilion County, DACC, and partners across the region. That work — retaining and recruiting businesses of every size, from small businesses and entrepreneurs through the county’s largest employers — will now have a dedicated point of contact for businesses, site selectors, and community partners.

The position — posted at two levels, Director of Economic Development Initiatives or Economic Development Coordinator, depending on the experience of the person hired — is the first major move under Vermilion Advantage’s new strategic plan, adopted following a two-day planning process the board and staff completed in December 2025 and January 2026.

The new plan set a refreshed vision for the organization — “To build community & create opportunity” — and a clear-eyed look at where to concentrate next. Among the near-term priorities the board identified: hiring dedicated economic development leadership, completing a gap analysis on the county’s available sites and buildings, and putting real data and measurement behind the organization’s work.

The new position carries all three.

Whoever is hired will step into a network that already exists. More than 480 business and education organizations are linked together through Vermilion Advantage, working in common on the economic future of Vermilion County — manufacturers, logistics operators, data centers, small businesses, school districts, and higher education partners among them.

“This role exists to do one thing: wake up every single day thinking about how we grow Vermilion County’s economy,” said Amy Brown, President and CEO of Vermilion Advantage. “When a site selector calls at 4:30 on a Friday afternoon looking for 40,000 square feet and rail access, we need to have that answer ready — not go hunting for it. And when a small business owner on Main Street needs help finding financing, that same energy needs to show up for them too. Businesses of every size are part of this economy, and this position is built to serve all of them.”

The person hired will also own Vermilion Advantage’s community asset mapping work — a complete, well-organized inventory of the county’s available sites, buildings, workforce data, and infrastructure. Building it out fully is one of the strategic plan’s top near-term priorities, and work the organization has already begun.

“This isn’t work we are starting — it is work we are doubling down on,” said Gary Tucker, Board Chair of Vermilion Advantage. “Our staff and our partners have been at this for years, and they have done it while wearing several other hats. The board looked hard at where we are and where we want to be in 2029 and 2032, and decided this work deserves someone’s full attention. Vermilion County competes for investment every single day, and we intend to compete like it.”

Vermilion Advantage is also casting a wide net. Rather than posting one rigid set of requirements, the organization structured the opening at two levels, so that a seasoned economic development professional and a strong early-career candidate can apply to the same posting.

“We are hiring the right person, not a résumé that matches a checklist,” Brown said. “If this work excites you, apply. We will figure out the right level together.”

The Director level is posted at $70,000–$80,000 and the Coordinator level at $55,000–$60,000, both commensurate with experience, with benefits including health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement contribution, paid time off, and professional development support. Either level reports to the President and CEO and mentors a semester intern. The position is posted now on the Vermilion Advantage job board at vermilionadvantage.com/job/director-of-economic-development-initiatives and will circulate on additional job boards in the days ahead. Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter to connect@vermilionadvantage.com, indicating which level best reflects their experience — or noting that they are open to either. The position will remain open until it is filled with the right person.

This announcement is the first of several. As Vermilion Advantage continues to move its new strategic plan into execution, additional announcements will follow in the months ahead.