Jennifer Faivre came upon her new job by luck. She was driving down Route 64 in St. Charles and saw a sign saying there was an opening for a nonprofit executive director.
“I Googled it and found it and submitted my resume,” Faivre said. “One thing led to another and it really felt like the perfect thing to me. ... I never dreamed there’d be such a great fit when I moved out here, but there it was.”
As of Nov. 16, Faivre has taken over as the executive director of the St. Charles Downtown Partnership. She said she will work to bring in more businesses, work to keep businesses in town and work with volunteers to make the downtown a better place.
“I had lunch with (Mayor Donald DeWitte), and we had a great conversation,” Faivre said. “We seem to be on the same track. We all want a vibrant downtown for all of the residents and people that come to visit.”
Until the end of the year, Faivre said she will be meeting everyone she can to get people involved.
“Everybody that is involved has a vested interest in making St. Charles as vibrant as it can be,” she said. “I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. In the short time I’ve been here, I noticed there are some really civic-minded, dedicated people here. I want to work for people like that.”
Faivre said she wants to make the downtown more accessible for people to both live and work there. She believes the city has set itself up for a great future downtown.
“It’s tough times, but I think we just have to keep working hard and keeping the current customers we have knowing this will eventually turn around,” Faivre said. “What’s so wonderful is the city didn’t stop its building and preparing for a (great) future.”
Faivre said before moving here, her husband said she could pick any city in the Tri-Cities to settle down.
“I said St. Charles just seems to be on the upswing,” Faivre said. “Taking advantage of the natural beauty of the Fox (River), you can walk to things, we can walk to get groceries at Blue Goose. It was fairly easy decision.”
Notable
Faivre previously has worked for the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, the American Medical Association and the City of Chicago’s tourism bureau.
& quotable
On St. Charles downtown business over the coming years: “I can tell you that it just feels like St. Charles is on the right path for huge success for a long time to come.”
Philosophy
“Make no small plans,” Faivre said. “As Daniel Burnham said, ‘Make no small plans for they have no magic to stir men’s souls.’ Make no small plans is sort of my mantra. We really just have to continue to be aggressive and thoughtful, because that’s what it takes to change things and have things evolve in the way you want them to evolve.”
Favorites
MOVIES Comedies
MUSIC Classical, soulful music
FOOD American bistro
HOBBIES Working out, biking as a family
