J. Delaine Rogers is a longtime resident of the beautiful City of Zion and was elected to the Zion City Council in April of 1999 where she served as Commissioner of Building and Zoning until September of 2002. At that time, she was invited by Mayor Lane Harrison to accept the appointed position of Director of Economic Development and enjoys that challenge even more today.

As Director, Delaine is responsible for the attraction, retention and growth of businesses in the Zion community. In that effort, her role often involves promotional marketing, sales, budgeting, planning, recruiting, site location assistance, incentive negotiation, land acquisition, condemnation, demolition and oversight of Tax Increment Financing District projections, reporting and fund allocation. She works directly with volunteer and appointed boards such as the TIF Review Board, the Zion Business Development Council and the Zion Chamber of Commerce. Projects have ranges from the successful Façade Grant Program, Trumpet Park, Beeline Trolley and the workforce development experiment, Bee-Prentice. Delaine reports directly to Mayor Lane Harrison and the Zion City Council.

Working in partnership with the Director of Public Works, Director of Building and Zoning and the Fire Chief, Delaine is part of the city's Pre-Development Team that meets with developers of all sizes and types to evaluate their project from the very beginning. The team endeavors to assess potential problems and offer guidance through the bureaucratic process, avoiding delays and excessive costs. The goal
of the team is to encourage development that promises to enhance the city's tax base and job opportunities for area residents and those opportunities can be as encompassing as a Super Walmart and FedEx to a genuine start up entrepreneur
with the right 'can-do' spirit.

Delaine is actively involved with several organizations including the Lake County Community Development Commission, Illinois Tax Increment Association, the Illinois Economic Development Council, International Council of Shopping Centers, Northern Illinois Planning Commission and Lake County Illinois Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Personally, Delaine has degrees in Architectural Engineering from SIU-C, History (medieval emphasis), French and French Literature from U-Wisconsin. In addition,
she studied at the Sorbonne and taught at L'Alliance de Francaise, both in Paris, France. She has also had the opportunity to teach as an ad hoc professor at U-Wisconsin and worked with many of the Zion schools as a volunteer and substitute teacher when needed.

Sonolito Bronson is an 11 year resident of the Zion area and has been with the Office of Economic Development for 4 years.  As the Administrative Assistant, her primary responsibility is to administratively support the Director of Economic Development, Delaine Rogers.

In addition to her supporting role, she is actively involved with the Bee-Prentice Scholarship Program, the Beeline Trolley, serves as recording secretary for the TIF Board of Review and is the organizer of the City of Zion’s Farmers Market.