The Issaquah Chamber of Commerce has been unable to find a suitable candidate for its vacant Chief Executive Officer position.

On Jan. 2, the chamber appointed out-going Chairman of the Board of Directors Larry Ishmael interim CEO, to temporarily fill a role that has been vacant for more than three months.

The position was left open as chamber staff and directors searched for someone to fill the spot.

But new Chairman Bob Ittes said as the chamber enters a new year and a new legislative session, it’s important to have someone at the helm.

“It’s to provide the necessary leadership that gives the chamber a face in the community,” he said.

Ishmael said any organization that goes too long without leadership can become unwieldy.

“It creates a vacuum of direction, where everyone chooses their own directions and focuses,” he said.

Ishmael said in November that the chamber hoped to fill the CEO spot by the new year, but after several rounds of interviews, was unable to find someone who was the right fit.

“I’m a little disappointed that we don’t have someone by now,” Ishmael said. “We all figured that by the end of the year we’d certainly have someone. But we’re being really picky about the person that we get.”

In light of the difficulties the chamber has had finding the right candidate, the qualifications for the job have been amended.

Previous chamber CEO experience had been a requirement, but now the chamber is looking for someone with “management level experience with a development organization.”

That includes experience as the manager of a nonprofit organization, which had previously not been included.

CEO search committee member Kristi Tripple said only accepting locals with extensive chamber experience severely limited the pool of people who could apply.

“It was more important to us to have a gifted leader with business experience, who could help grow the chamber,” she said. “And we wanted someone who really understood our community, and the issues Washington and the Eastside face.”

The chamber posted an updated, detailed job description on its Web site, and lists the CEO’s duties as creating a strong local economy, promoting the community, providing networking opportunities, and representing business to government.

Desired leadership qualities listed include teambuilding, pushing the organization to the next level, and maintaining an environment supportive of change.

Ishmael said he expects some of the candidates who previously applied to be reconsidered, under the changed requirements.

Ishmael can hold the interim position for only four months, according to chamber bylaws.