After years of feeding the churn of new leaders at the top of Washington’s trade associations, executive recruiters report a lull in business now, as a wilting economy forces boards to think twice before launching drawn-out and expensive searches. In general, boards are taking longer to embark on a search, said Leslie Hortum, a recruiter for Spencer Stuart. Her firm has placed several high-profile candidates in recent years, most recently snagging Pamela Bailey in December from the Personal Care Products Council to lead the Grocery Manufacturers Association. But Hortum says she, too, is seeing signs that business among Washington’s top business groups is softening. “Boards… Read More