Two new faces will tackle development and economic vitality in Oak Park: Emily Egan, the incoming development services director, and Brandon Crawford, the deputy director of development services.
Oak Park is working to restructure its Development Services department, and the village board approved related changes last spring. Part of that restructuring includes new hires after the previous director, Tammie Grossman, retired.
The new hires will begin on Feb. 5. Village manager Kevin Jackson said Egan and Crawford each bring strong skills and experience that will benefit the expanding department.
“Their profiles compliment the leaders we already have in place,” he said. “So, we’re not necessarily duplicating a lot of experience and expertise. What we’ve done is build a really good diversity of expertise.”
Egan said a few personal priorities for her are diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as sustainability. In her new role, she said she hopes to emphasize economic vitality, implementation of the Climate Ready Oak Park Plan and updating the Envision Oak Park plan.
“I’m sure I’ll hit the ground running,” she said.
The department is intended to focus on four areas: economic development and vitality, development and permits, planning and urban design and parking and mobility services, according to a village news release.
“[Egan and Crawford] are going to be really good assets to our team,” Jackson said. “They’ll be able to grow with the village and the community.”
The Development Services department is responsible for managing growth and development regulations for Oak Park, Jackson said. This includes historic preservation activities, permit processing, parking mobility and business licensing. Neighborhood Services, which oversees housing programs, compliance inspections and more, will eventually become a separate department, Jackson said.
The department will most likely work on its economic vitality planning process and update its vision for affordable housing strategies in 2024, Jackson said.
Egan has been the director of community development in the Village of Brookfield since 2021, according to the release. She also had positions as the village planner in Brookfield and assistant city planner for the City of Elmhurst.
“I really believe all of my professional experiences and volunteering and education throughout my master’s degree is perfectly aligned and has well prepared me for this position,” she said.
Egan’s bachelor’s degree is in liberal studies. She also has a master’s degree in urban planning and a policy degree with a concentration in economic development, according to a news release.
She said she loves that Oak Park has a strong focus on ensuring new businesses and developments are the right fit for the community. The village looks for smart economic growth, not just any growth, she said.
“[This department] is one of the most important departments to shape the look and feel and character, and also protect the character, of the community as it continues to grow and transform,” she said.
Crawford, the new deputy director of development services, said he’s excited about the new role because the village has a legacy of fostering an inclusive and diverse community.
“There’s not many communities like Oak Park [with a] strong legacy of fighting the good fights,” he said.
His background in real estate development has prepared him for the role, Crawford said. According to a news release, he has worked as a site development portfolio manager for Meta Platforms, Inc., an associate development manager for Lendlease and a planner in the Village of Glenview.
Crawford’s bachelor’s degree is in urban and regional planning and his master’s degree is in real estate investment and finance, according to a release.
Development services, such as zoning, redevelopment, parking mobility and more have an impact on most people’s day to day lives in some form or other, Crawford said. In his new role, he said he wants to see what might be missing in the community and work on redevelopment in those areas.
“[I’m] just really excited to build upon all of the great assets that are already in place,” he said. “[I’m] excited to see what we can do to make a great community even better, and one that not only is a guiding star locally but also nationally.”
