ALBANY — The Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission received the OK Wednesday to pursue efforts in ultimately securing a president.

With a vote taken after closed session, the commission’s board approved that EDC Board Chair and Interim President Bobby McKinney, along with three others, identify a search firm that would provide the EDC with potential executives.

McKinney said that there is no timeline for the search — neither for the firm nor for a president.

“Just as soon as we can begin the process,” McKinney said Wednesday of first finding a firm. “I’ll start calling some people and will put out some kind of request for information.”

The EDC’s budget for the year that starts July 1 doesn’t factor in salary for a president, though it does provide about $126,500 for new staff positions and searches.

“That’s how much is available,” McKinney said, quickly pointing out that the figure doesn’t dictate the new president’s pay level.

The EDC’s former chief, Tim Martin, had a package of about $140,000 McKinney said. But while McKinney and his folks are looking strictly for an EDC president, Martin was head of the EDC, Albany Area Chamber of Commerce and the Albany Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

McKinney said a search firm will help him and his colleagues — who for the search team are Dougherty County Administrator Richard Crowdis, Albany City Manager Al Lott and John Culbreath, past chair of the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce and an EDC board member — identify exactly what it is they need in an EDC chief.

“We’ve got a lot of presidential descriptions,” McKinney said. The candidate, “will have to be very knowledgeable and classically trained — (who knows about) the availability of funding, tax processes, all those things that go into helping us grow and recruit business.

“What we want,” he said, “is someone who understands economic development and has an economic development background.”

The EDC has been without a permanent chief since Martin’s April 1 resignation. At that time, the boards of the chamber and commission decided it best that the agencies function independently of each other.

Following Martin’s exit, McKinney assumed the role of acting president and, McKinney aside, maintains a staff of three — Andrea Schruijer, vice president; Justin Strickland, director of special projects and business retention and expansion; and Dara Madzimoyo, executive assistant.

“I’ve got two great, highly-energetic, talented and smart individuals working for me right now,” he said of Schruijer and Strickland, “but they are young in the industry.”