Joliet City Center Partnership director leaves for job in Matteson

Priscilla Cordero, who served as the executive director for the Joliet City Center Partnership for three years, started a new job this week.

Cordero is now economic development director for the village of Matteson.

“It’s closer to home, and it was a good opportunity to take on additional responsibliity,” Cordero said Tuesday of her transition.

Cordero lives in Tinley Park, where she worked for the village as business development manager before coming to Joliet in October 2021.

She led the City Center Partnership (CCP), an organization that promotes business growth and events downtown and in adjacent business corridors, during a period marked by new business openings, initiatives aimed at attracting people to the area and the city’s start of construction on a new downtown square.

“I have had nothing but good experiences there (in Joliet),” Cordero said. “I’m excited to see improvement in downtown Joliet.”

Cordero’s last day at the CCP was last week.

The organization is just beginning a search for a new executive director, said Monica Cicimov, chair of the CCP board.

“I expect the job will be posted in the next couple of days – certainly this week," Cicimov said.

She said the CCP will look for someone with a background in economic development while also being capable of taking on a dual role of marketing the downtown area.

Vicki Sanchez, marketing and events manager at CCP and the only other staff member in the organization, is serving as interim director.

Cicimov, also a downtown business owner, commended Cordero for her work in Joliet.

“Priscilla has been an absolute asset to downtown Joliet the past three years that she has been here,” Cicimov said.

Cordero’s accomplishments, she said, included bringing more businesses downtown and along the Collins Street corridor into the organization.

“She was extremely effective,” Cicimov said. “She will be sorely missed.”