Joliet announces promotion of Torri to planning director

The city of Joliet has announced the promotion of Jim Torri to planning director.

Torri, who has more than 30 years of experience in the city’s planning division, had been serving as interim planning director before being promoted to the position on July 30.

A graduate of Joliet West High School, Torri joined the city’s planning division as an intern in 1990 after graduating from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in community and regional planning.

He has been one of the key staff members in planning various land development projects, including the CenterPoint Intermodal Center, NorthPoint Development’s Compass Global Logistics Hub and Rock Run Crossings.

“When I started serving as an intern, I don’t know if I ever would have expected to stay and rise to this level,” Torri said Monday. “I’m happy for the opportunity and hopeful I can help make Joliet a better place. That’s all I ever wanted to do.”

The planning director position had been vacant for about a year.

As director, Torri will head the planning division, which is part of the city Department of Community Development.

Torri brings “a wealth of knowledge and expertise to this management role,” the city said in a news release.

“Most recently serving as senior planner, Jim has facilitated numerous large and complicated land developments,” the release said. “He has also coordinated interagency projects and initiatives to strengthen, accelerate, and better sustain neighborhood-level economic development.”