Craig Hullinger

Craig Hullinger has served as the Director of Economic Development for the City of Peoria since 2005. A member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, he is a strong advocate for redevelopment of the city’s inner core. He and his wife, Beth Ruyle Hullinger, have two children and live on High Street in Peoria.

Tell about your background, education, family, etc.
I was born in South Dakota and raised in South Chicago. After high school, I did one year of volunteer social work in Norfolk, Virginia, in the Prince of Peace Corps before joining the Marine Corps. I served 4.4 years on active duty, including 18 months in Vietnam. I then earned a BA and MA, and began my career as a city planner. I stayed in the Marine Corps Reserve, retiring as a colonel.

Explain the process by which you became the City of Peoria’s economic development director. How did your previous experience prepare you for this position?
I previously worked as a city planning consultant and city manager in the southern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area. In the late 1970s and early ‘80s, the southern suburbs of Chicago and Will County (Joliet) went through very tough economic times, similar to what happened in Peoria with the decline of our manufacturing base. Most of the city planners and managers learned economic development on the job. I have always enjoyed the positive part of economic development and city planning, and try to follow the motto of “Leave your city better then you found it.”

Among other positions that I have held were: land use director and planning director for Will County; village administrator of Minooka, Olympia Fields and Park Forest South; and assistant manager of the Village of Tinley Park. As noted, all communities are in the southern suburbs of the Chicago area. I believe elected officials from all of those communities believe the community was better as the result of my efforts.

I spent a total of 32 years in the Marine Corps, with the first 4.4 years on active duty, and the remaining time in the Marine Corps Reserve. I advanced from an 18-year-old private to 1st lieutenant while on active duty, and served 18 months in Vietnam. I was promoted to colonel in the Reserves. The Marine Corps taught me a lot of things about staying positive and making the extra effort to accomplish the mission.

Explain how you identify issues of concern to existing businesses and assist with their resolution.
Retaining the businesses that you have is the first rule of economic development. The City has developed a system of meeting with businesses and asking them about concerns they have regarding city services or any other issue. If we can resolve problems, we do so. And, of course, the City Council is responsive to the needs of businesses. They often ask us to help resolve problems.

Asking what our business leaders and citizens think is perhaps the most important aspect of this effort. People have a pretty good idea of what should happen to improve the city. Listening to them and then trying to take the actions that will correct problems is important.

How do you identify and pursue businesses for potential relocation to Peoria?
We work closely with the Heartland Partnership, the Economic Development Council, and the State of Illinois to identify and pursue potential businesses for relocation in Peoria. A large number of companies and consultants contact us for available land or sites.

We spend a lot of time trying to get developers from outside the region to look at urban redevelopment opportunities in our region. The City developed the Heart of Peoria plan and the Renaissance Park plan calling for new urban development in the city.

We also have an aggressive marketing program. We attend conferences where developers are looking for sites and distribute marketing materials. Finally, we are part of the City’s website, as well as maintaining a number of blogs for the department.

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