The Montgomery County Economic Development Corp. has been searching for a new president and CEO for the last 10 months.

County leaders said Monday that the job is particularly important during shaky economic times and the decision can’t be rushed.

“Your board is still searching for that amazing candidate,” County Council member Natali Fani-González said during a council committee meeting. “It’s better for them to take their time and find that ideal person than rushing a decision.”

Ken Hartman-Espada, a top administrator overseeing economic development for the county government, said the next CEO can be a much-needed “connector” and “concierge” to boost economic development.

“I don’t think we’ve ever had that,” he said.

As a potential destination for companies, Hartman-Espada said, Montgomery County offers a high quality of life for employees and a strong business ecosystem. But the development corporation hasn’t marketed the county to its best advantage.

Established in 2015 as a nonprofit organization that would drive business growth in the county, the development corporation is governed by a 13-member board of directors.

Several openings

The Montgomery County Economic Development Corp. has been without a president and CEO since mid-August, when Bill Tompkins stepped down after three years in the role.

But Tompkins announced more than six months prior to his departure that he intended to step down, and the corporation’s board began searching for a successor that month.

It hasn’t named an interim president and CEO, either. Jill Brooks, interim chief operating officer, has served as the organization’s point person during this transition.

Without a CEO, the development corporation has held off hiring for other executive and leadership positions, including a permanent chief operating officer, a vice president of business development and a director of research and policy.

As part of the nationwide CEO search, the organization has hired an outside recruiting firm, Korn Ferry. Details about recruiting and the candidate pool have largely been kept confidential.

Spokesperson Manu Lizzio-Hashime said the board of directors wants to ensure the next president and CEO is “the right fit for the organization.”

“Obviously, timing’s important for everybody,” she said. “But it’s less about that and more about fit.”