Mike Kirchhoff, CEcD, Principle
During more than 18 years in economic development, Mike Kirchhoff has served in downtown redevelopment, tourism, and industrial development roles at the state, regional, and local levels. Kirchhoff’s economic development background includes positions with Illinois State Government, Illinois Power Company, The Indy Partnership, Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Missouri, and several local economic development programs. Kirchhoff’s Illinois state government service spanned seven years and included positions with the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs and the Illinois Governor’s Office, as well as the Illinois Departments of Revenue, Central Management Services, and Public Aid.
Kirchhoff is a board member of the International Economic Development Council. A member of the IEDC leadership team, he chairs the board’s Performance Oversight and Monitoring Committee and serves on the Governance Committee. His service to the profession includes past roles as a leader on the IEDC Certification Committee, the IEDC Education Committee, and has been selected to assist with numerous national task forces and special projects. In addition, his background includes leadership positions in state economic development associations and local downtown redevelopment, regional marketing, tourism, and industrial development groups. Kirchhoff is a member of the Location One Information System Advisory Council and is Co-Chair of the Missouri Economic Development Council’s Public Policy Committee. He chaired the Illinois Development Council’s Education Committee for three years. Most recently, he led a national team charged with rewriting IEDC’s Business Retention and Expansion manual.
Kirchhoff’s specialties include program development, retention, marketing, structuring and funding local economic development programs, and community coalition building. He is a frequent speaker on these topics at conferences and economic development workshops and has presented sessions for the Illinois Economic Development Course, Indiana Basic Economic Development Course, Heartland Basic Economic Development Course, Professional Developers of Iowa, the Illinois Development Council, the Mid American Economic Development Council, Illinois Main Street, Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, Rural Partners, the Competitive Communities Initiative, the International Economic Development Council, the USDA, and other organizations.
Marketing materials designed by Kirchhoff have won eight national awards. He led the effort to attain Accredited Economic Development Organization status for the only community in Illinois to hold that distinction. In addition, Kirchhoff’s community coalition building skills have assisted with three separate mergers of economic development organizations in multiple locations.
As Principal of DPI group, Kirchhoff has led consulting projects in the Chicago Southland, Peoria, Illinois, and within a three-county region including Rolla, Missouri, and has advised on numerous other projects. Subjects of these projects have included organizational restructuring, industrial base analysis, and utilization of real estate development to support economic development.
Kirchhoff holds degrees in economics and business management from Eastern Illinois University and is a graduate of the Economic Development Institute. He is the author of a wide range of articles, handbooks, and related economic development literature.
