Joliet hires director of community development

Joliet has a new director of community development.

Eva-Marie Tropper has been hired for the department head position, replacing Kendall Jackson who retired in December.

Tropper comes to Joliet from the city of Chicago, where she held positions in planning and housing, the city said in a news release issued Thursday. She also held previous planning positions with the city of Naperville and village of Orland Park.

In Joliet, the director of community developments oversees the divisions of planning, building inspection services and neighborhood services.

Tropper starts the job on Tuesday.

At the city of Chicago, Tropper held the positions of project manager in the Department of Planning and Development, special projects and pperations in the Commissioner’s Office of the Department of Planning & Development, and strategic advisor for policy, research and development in the Commissioner’s Office of the Department of Housing with the City of Chicago, according to the release.

Tropper holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Urban and Economic Geography and a Master of Science degree in Planning with a specialization in Urban and Regional Planning. She is receiving her MBA specializing in Corporate Strategy and Execution from the University of Notre Dame in June.

She is from Toronto, Canada.

According to the the city, Tropper also founded a nonprofit organization in Chicago to serve “girls aged 6-18 in 350 cities across the United States and Canada with a mission to inspire and empower girls to be strong, smart, and bold.