Mary Cacioppi, 35

By Mary Erpenbach

Mary Cacioppi was a high-school cheerleader who grew up to become the Roscoe area’s biggest booster as the city’s director of development. But what seems like a natural progression wasn’t necessarily an expected path for Cacioppi.

“I was born and raised Italian, so I was ‘supposed’ to be a mom and a housewife,” she says, with a chuckle.

Instead, Cacioppi, a Rockford native, got a work permit at age 15 and went straight to a job at CherryVale Mall. She quickly discovered she liked striking out on her own, so from there she was off to Rock Valley College for an associate’s degree and onto increasingly responsible positions with the Rockford and Roscoe Chambers of Commerce. Looking back, Cacioppi says she was watching and learning in order to prepare herself for the work she does now.

“That’s one of the things that’s always been important tome,” she says. “The more prepared I am, the more confident I am.”

Today, less than a year after taking the job, Cacioppi has already sealed the deal for a new 20,000-square-foot bakery distribution center in Roscoe that has brought nearly 30 new jobs to the city. A potential TIF district project also is on her plate, as is learning about foreign trade zones. Her community service includes involvement with Next Rockford and as a member of the Rockford Area Economic Development Council and the Small Business Development Center boards.

Cacioppi spends her spare time with husband Brian Thomas and their dog Zeke. Asked to name a hobby, Cacioppi picks cooking—Italian, of course.