MALONE — The Franklin County Industrial Development Agency is changing its mission to attract small business and is interviewing for a new executive director.

The Board of Directors did not renew the employment contract of Brad Jackson, who has been in charge of the IDA for seven years.

Jackson is an economist with the rank of colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve with the 353rd Civil Affairs Command out of New York City. He is on active duty in the Middle East and was unavailable for comment.

IDA Board President Marc LaShomb said Jackson knew about the board’s decision at the beginning of the year and is free to reapply for the position if he wants.

Jackson’s contract expires Feb. 1, and the board hopes to have a director by January so the person can become familiar with the operation before taking it over.

During this deployment and other missions Jackson has served since coming to Franklin County, John Tubbs of Massena has been hired to fill in as interim director.

About 15 people have applied for the job, which paid Jackson about $61,000.

“We just wanted to seek applicants that could bring more to the job as executive director of the IDA,” LaShomb said.

“Brad did good work, his performance was good, but we felt after seven years we would go in a different direction. And Brad was OK with that. It’s not as if we cut his legs off from under him.”

LaShomb said the timing works for the changes the board wants to make.

“We’re trying to connect more and attract more small businesses that employ eight to 10 people, and we thought this would be right for us. The places with 10 to 20 people tend to stay longer.”

He said that at the same time, the agency is upgrading and changing its Web site as a means to refocus its marketing efforts.

Jackson was a central figure in many Franklin County economic-development projects, including the St. Lawrence Gas natural-gas pipeline extension, which is expected to start in 2010.

He is was instrumental in brokering development of Noble Environmental Power wind-farm operations in Chateaugay and Burke; the IDA’s purchase of the former Cleyn & Tinker building and former Tru-Stitch site in Malone and the former Gildan Activewear building in Bombay; and creation of a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, which includes data used by many agencies to secure grant funds.