Baltimore County named a new director of its Department of Economic and Workforce Development, about five months after the previous director resigned.

The newly appointed director, Jonathan Sachs, will have to be confirmed by the County Council. He comes to Baltimore County government after about 11 months at WUWTA, a health care software company, according to his LinkedIn.

In a statement, Sachs said he’s looking forward to “working with business leaders, the County Council, and our state and federal partners to grow high-quality jobs and increase economic investment in Baltimore County.”

Sachs’ salary will be $207,774, a county spokesperson said.

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Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr., a Democrat, described Sachs as having extensive leadership experience and a “track record of building strategic relationships with high-level stakeholders.”

“I am confident that with his leadership and advocacy, we will continue building a better Baltimore County for our residents and communities,” Olszewski said in a statement.

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The previous director, Marcus L. Wang, resigned after just about three months. Sameer Sidh, who has been working as the acting director of the department since Jan. 16, will return to his previous position as senior deputy administrative officer for economic development and infrastructure.

Izzy Patoka, the Democratic chair of the Baltimore County Council, called the Department of Economic and Workforce Development a “critical agency” and said the county needs someone strong and committed to lead it.

“I think the council will be deliberate and be thoughtful to be sure that it’s not a revolving door,” Patoka said.

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At the same time, Patoka said, the council would try to move quickly, because of how important the agency is. He did not know for certain when the council would be able to schedule a confirmation vote. The County Council is split between four Democrats and three Republicans.

Olszewski’s office also announced Laura Riley, the longtime director of the county’s Department of Aging, will retire this summer. She’s worked for more than 37 years in county government.

“While I will be leaving County service, I plan to be an active community volunteer and look forward to seeing our centers and programs continue to grow and flourish in the years to come,” she said in a statement.

Cody Boteler

cody.boteler@thebaltimorebanner.com

Cody Boteler

Cody Boteler is a reporter on The Banner’s Express Desk, reporting on breaking news, trending stories and interesting things in and around Baltimore. His work has appeared in The Baltimore Sun, USA TODAY, Baltimore magazine and others.

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