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Biography

Russell Medley is a Community and Economic Development Educator for the University of Illinois Extension in Unit 7, a region consisting of Henry, Mercer, Rock Island, and Stark Counties. Medley holds a B.A. degree from Knox College and a M.S. degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Iowa.

Medley has nearly 20 years of experience in the urban planning and economic development fields with stints as Planner/Analyst with Lake County (IL) Planning & Development Department and Economic Development Specialist and Marketing & Research Director at Lake County Partners, a countywide economic development organization serving Lake County, Illinois. Medley’s most recent position before affiliating with the University of Illinois Extension was as the Executive Director for Kewanee Economic Development Corporation in Kewanee, IL.

Medley has a particular focus on workforce development, disaster preparedness planning, target industry analysis, and the development and quantification of economic development strategies for rural municipal and regional entities.