Todd Cagnoni

Todd Cagnoni, AICP, is City Administrator for Rockford, IL. He joined the iFiber Board of Directors in 2022. He has more than 20 years of experience in various levels of community planning, economic development and management at the municipal, county and regional level.

Since 2013, Cagnoni has led the Community and Economic Development Department, responsible for the City of Rockford’s development and re-development efforts including planning, neighborhood development, economic development, zoning and building. The Department is directly responsible for oversight and programming of the City’s Community Development Block Grant Program and HOME Investment Partnerships Program. The Department facilitates the City’s Tax Increment Financing Districts, Enterprise Zone and River Edge Zone, all cost reduction tools for investment in the City.

The Community and Economic Development Department led the City’s effort in the completion of the Downtown Strategic Action Plan in 2015/2016. The plan received an Illinois Charter Award from the Congress of New Urbanism Illinois (CNU-IL). The Charter Award is the highest honor granted each year by CNU-IL, recognizing projects that exemplify quality urban design and best practices in walkability.

Throughout his career, Cagnoni has been the lead facilitator and negotiator on behalf of the City in a number of annexations agreements, development, re-developments and initiatives within the City.  Notably, he completed the development agreement that advanced the establishment of the Save-A-Lot grocery store on West State Street, removing a food desert that existed for over a decade in west Rockford.

As Deputy Director of the Community and Economic Development, Cagnoni facilitated the consolidation of the Building Department and Planning / Zoning Office reducing overall costs, streamlining business practices and building a platform for accountability. He was a key member in obtaining and leading the technical assistance grant from the Center of Community Progress, a national recognized not-for-profit focused on neighborhood revitalization, resulting in the published report “Laying the Foundation: Developing and Improved Approach to Problem Properties in Rockford”. The report and identified tasks, is leading the City’s efforts in blight removal.

Prior to joining the City, Cagnoni was a Land Preservation Specialist for the Natural Land Institute, a local not-for-profit, working to protect natural areas in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin including the bluff lands along the Mississippi River in the driftless area of Northwest Illinois. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Mid-America Economic Development Council, Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Rockford Local Development Corporation, Northern Illinois Workforce Alliance and the Rockford Area Economic Development Council. He is a member the American Planning Association, Congress of New Urbanism, International Economic Development Council, U.S. Green Building Council, Natural Land Institute and Ride Illinois. He became a Certified Planner through the American Institute of Certified Planners in the year 2000.