Downtown Evanston named Annie Coakley as its new executive director, the organization announced last week.

Coakley previously worked in Chicago’s Planning and Development Department as an assistant to the commissioner, a position she held for more than 16 years.

During her work for Chicago, Coakley worked on initiatives to encourage new businesses to come to commercial areas in the city.

Coakley will replace Downtown Evanston’s former executive director, Carolyn Dellutri, who left the organization in January for a job as a senior director of programs and services at the National Main Street Center in Chicago.

Downtown Evanston is a nonprofit corporation that coordinates with Evanston and local businesses to improve Evanston’s downtown business sector.

Coakley will begin her new role at Downtown Evanston next week.

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