The Montgomery County Economic Development Corp. has concluded its 10-month-long search for a new president and CEO.

The organization on Tuesday named Jared Smith — who has held a similar job in the Las Vegas area — as its new leader. His first day will be Dec. 8.

Smith is a well-known economic development executive with two decades of experience in state and local government. He spent the past three years attracting businesses and tourists to Henderson, a city outside Las Vegas.

He now faces lofty expectations in Montgomery County.

“This is a defining moment for Montgomery County’s economic future,” Elana Fine, board chair for the Montgomery County Economic Development Corp., said in a statement.

“Jared’s extensive experience in economic development and his ability to bring partners together across sectors make him exactly the leader we need right now,” she said.

Government officials, including state Commerce Secretary Harry Coker, see Montgomery County as Maryland’s economic engine.

Coker also sees the county as a potential leader in the push to attract and expand life science companies, particularly in the computational health field, which is a major part of Gov. Wes Moore’s economic growth plan.

Many employers say they appreciate Montgomery County for its strong business ecosystem. They see its reputation for diversity, strong schools, and easy access to Washington, D.C., as big draws for employees.

But Ken Hartman-Espada, a top administrator overseeing economic development in the county, said the Economic Development Corp. — established in 2015 to drive business growth — hasn’t marketed the county to its best advantage.

Smith said in a statement that Montgomery County is “an extraordinarily diverse place where innovation, infrastructure and talent converge.”

He said the county’s pool of talent is key to its competitiveness.

“I look forward to building on MCEDC’s strong foundation to attract investment and expand opportunity across the county,” he said.

Smith will likely also oversee the hiring of several other executives and and other high-level positions at the organization, including a permanent chief operating officer, a vice president of business development and a director of research and policy.

The Economic Development Corp. held off on filling the roles during the CEO search.

The development organization 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 organization’s board hired an outside recruiting firm and began a nationwide search for a successor that month.

For the past three years, Smith has been the director of economic development and tourism for Henderson, a city with a population one-third the size of Montgomery County’s.

Before that, he was the chief operating officer of the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, a public-private economic development organization for southern Nevada.

Smith has also worked as an economic development professional in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Before entering the field, he worked in banking.