Village of Westmont
Date Issued: May 18, 2017

“We’ve entered an era of communication in which each individual has the ability to directly reach a wide audience with whatever is on their mind,” said Westmont Communications Director Larry McIntyre at a recent Westmont Community Communications Group meeting. “While social media can be a very valuable tool, it can also lead to widespread misinformation if something inaccurate or misleading is published and then re-posted or shared.”

McIntyre recently organized a monthly group meeting consisting of Westmont-area public agencies and organizations.  The goal of the group is to discuss best practices in regard to delivering clear and accurate information to the citizens of the community.  This initiative has already yielded good results with prominent placement of Westmont news recently featured on ABC-TV Ch.7 and WGN Radio.

Linda Liddle, Village Trustee and Chair of the Village Administration Committee added, “We strongly encourage citizens to seek accurate information directly from the Village and public agencies that serve them, and do not rely on hearsay from individuals and social media group chat.  The most accurate information can always be attained if you go right to the source.”

“We try to get the word out in a variety of ways,” said Community Unit School District 201 Public Relations Committee Chair Amy Quattrone.  “We have our virtual backpacks, which sends out weekly information electronically.  We have our website, which is a great resource for all information.  Also, we publish and distribute a newsletter that is delivered twice a year to the entire community.”

The communications group discussed social media concerns in which inaccurate information is published, which then misinforms citizens on topics such as economic development, ordinances and codes, meeting and event schedules, and more.

Larry Forssberg from the Westmont Economic Development Partnership recommends that residents contact him directly regarding economic development questions. “We have an economic development rapid response team that is designed to assist prospective businesses so that they can ensure their success as well as open their doors for business quickly,” stated Forssberg. “In a recent example, we worked with the new owners of Dolce so that after they purchased the business, they completed several renovations and were open for business within 45 days.  That’s an extremely fast turn-around and that’s what we strive for.  As soon as the applicant seeks information about wanting to pursue their development project, we’re ready to assist with making it happen.”

“Unfortunately, if someone puts out incorrect information, they run the risk of misleading a large group of people very quickly,” added McIntyre.  “We ask that citizens double-check community-related information before they publish it, or better yet, contact public agencies directly to get the most current and accurate information.”

Below is a contact list of Westmont community agencies and organizations.  Please feel free to contact these agencies directly with community-related questions.

-----------------------------------------------------------

ORGANIZATION - WEBSITE
CONTACT PERSON/TITLE - EMAIL - PHONE

Village of Westmont
www.westmont.illinois.gov 
Larry McIntyre - Communications Director
Lmcintyre@westmont.il.gov - 630-417-0280

Westmont Park District
www.westmontparks.org 
Kim Baxter - Communications
kbaxter@westmontparks.org - 630-963-5252

Westmont Public Library
www.westmontlibrary.org 
Deb Hinrichs - Marketing 
dhinrichs@westmontlibrary.org - 630-969-5625

Downers Grove Township
www.dgtownship.com
Lori Wrzesinski - Public Relations
lori.wrzesinski@dgtownship.com - 630-719-6600

CUSD 201
www.cusd201.org 
Rima Black - Administration Office
rblack@cusd201.org - 630-468-8004

Maercker School District 60
www.maercker.org
Kathy Spina - Administration Office
kspina@maercker.org - 630-515-4840

Westmont Chamber of Commerce/Westmont Economic Development Partnership
www.choosewestmont.com 
Larry Forssberg - Executive Director
Lforssberg@westmontchamber.com - 630-960-5553

Westmont Special Events
www.westmontevents.com
Kristina Kaniauskaite - Office Manager
wsec@westmontevents.com - 630-829-9378

###

Contact: Larry McIntyre
Village of Westmont Communications Director/Public Information Officer
630-417-0280, lmcintyre@westmont.il.gov