Executive Committee Advances $15,000 Strategic Plan Initiative

Will County Board Executive Committee Meeting | April 9, 2026

Article Summary: The Will County Board Executive Committee unanimously approved a $15,000 agreement with Leap HR Consulting to develop the county’s first formal strategic plan. The initiative aims to align leadership, prioritize resources, and establish onboarding frameworks for newly elected officials.

Will County Strategic Plan Key Points:

• Resolution #26-131 / 26-4598 authorizes an agreement with Bolingbrook-based Leap HR Consulting.

• The total cost of the initiative will not exceed $15,000, funded through the county’s Other Professional Services budget line (1010-541090-110-10000-10).

• The four-phase project will run from April through July 2026, featuring board surveys, stakeholder interviews, and a full-day leadership workshop.

• The final deliverable will be a strategic plan report of up to 30 pages, alongside a new onboarding and offboarding framework for county board members.

On Thursday, April 9, 2026, the Will County Board Executive Committee took the first steps toward establishing a unified, long-term vision for county government, unanimously advancing a resolution to hire an outside firm to develop a formal strategic plan.

Resolution #26-131 / 26-4598 authorizes the County Executive to enter into an agreement with Leap HR Consulting, a Bolingbrook-based firm led by CEO and Founder Laurie Swilley. According to the proposal provided in the agenda packet, the project will cost an amount not to exceed $15,000, which will be paid from the FY2026 budget’s Other Professional Services account.

The initiative was brought forward to address critical administrative gaps within the county board’s operations. The proposal explicitly notes that Will County currently operates without a formal strategic plan and lacks established orientation materials for incoming members, which risks a “loss of institutional knowledge each electoral cycle.”

The strategic planning process will be executed in four integrated phases between April and July 2026. Phase one involves an initial online assessment survey sent to all 22 County Board members. Phase two will consist of one-on-one interviews with board members and 8 to 10 key stakeholders. Phase three centers on a full-day leadership workshop featuring team-building and SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis.

The final phase will culminate in a strategic plan report, expected to be delivered by July 31, 2026. The comprehensive package will include a critical issues analysis, strategic themes, and a dedicated board onboarding framework.

The resolution was advanced to the full county board following a unanimous voice vote by the Executive Committee, without any debate or objections from the floor.