When Maureen Riedy joined Visit Lake County as its president 22 years ago, three towns — Gurnee, Libertyville and Vernon Hills — and the county were the only community partners.
During Riedy’s tenure, the number of municipalities belonging to Visit Lake County has increased significantly and other areas of the organization have grown exponentially. Entertainment venues, restaurants, bars, hotels and other parts of the hospitality industry continue to grow.
“We’ve seen a lot of growth with regional collaboration to help expand the organization,” she said. “We’ve expanded our footprint in the county. Now somebody may go to a concert at Ravinia, have dinner in Highwood and stay at a hotel in Deerfield.”
John Maguire, Visit Lake County’s senior director of community engagement, joined the organization eight years ago after stints with the Lake County Fairgrounds and the Long Grove Historic Village, among his credits.
“I came in with the benefits of Maureen’s growing the organization and filled a need for community engagement,” Maguire said. “I spent time learning the needs of our stakeholders,” he added, referring to people engaged in the hospitality industry.
Riedy plans to retire on April 30 as the president of Visit Lake County, with Maguire succeeding her in the top role on May 1 in Gurnee after a vote by the organization’s Board of Directors.
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“The timing is right for me with the organization in a really solid place,” Riedy said. “We have more community partners than we’ve ever had and very engaged stakeholders. We have a veteran and professional staff and a very committed Board of Directors.”
Maguire said he is comfortable moving into the presidency because of the work done by Riedy over the past 22 years. He plans to build on the foundation that is already in place.
“I’m stepping into a well-oiled machine,” Maguire said. “That is a big advantage. I’m going to step back and reflect. Any changes will be made with a lot of teamwork. We’re the third-largest (visitors’ bureau) in Illinois behind Cook and DuPage.”
David Motley, the chair of the Visit Lake County Board of Directors, said Riedy has built a strong organization that plays a major role in the county’s economic success. She has built what is needed for a strong succession, he said.
“Maureen’s visionary leadership has been the cornerstone of our regional tourism success, transforming Visit Lake County into a gold standard for destination marketing,” Motley said in his email. “She leaves behind a robust organization that is perfectly positioned for this next chapter of growth.”
Motley also expressed confidence in Maguire as he moves into his new role because “his deep community roots and proven track record will seamlessly drive our mission forward.”
Starting with the county and three villages 22 years ago, Visit Lake County added Antioch, Deerfield, Fox Lake, Highland Park, Highwood, Lake Zurich, Lincolnshire, Long Grove, Mundelein, North Chicago, Wauconda, Waukegan, Winthrop Harbor and Zion to its list of community partners.
Once a municipality is involved as a partner, Riedy said the job of enhancing the customer base becomes easier. When a mayor or village president joins Riedy or Maguire on a visit to an entertainment venue, the job becomes simpler.
“When we found people who would advocate with me, the job became a lot easier,” Riedy said. “They see how tourism will help the economy.”
Tourism does not mean only people coming from afar. Maguire said it can involve going to a theater or restaurant in a neighboring community. People may come from out of state to a major attraction like Six Flags, but they also come from the city next door.
“Nearly $2 billion is spent annually by visitors to Lake County,” Riedy said.
Maguire said there is synergy between major attractions in Lake County, like Six Flags and the nearby Great Wolf Lodge with its indoor water park. The Ravinia Festival draws tens of thousands to Highland Park over the summer, as do multiple events at the Genesee Theatre in downtown Waukegan. The Marriott Lincolnshire is a full-service resort, and the Volo Museum is widely known.
A newer attraction, the American Place casino in Waukegan, is drawing crowds to its temporary location, and it will become a much larger attraction when the permanent resort and casino opens in a few years, he said.
“It’s already a great attraction, and it’s keeping Illinois dollars in Illinois,” Maguire said. “The permanent casino will bring in even more dollars.”