United Way of Central Iowa announced that President Shannon Cofield will leave her position by the end of December. Cofield has accepted a position as executive vice president at Relationship Marketing Inc., a privately held business in Urbandale.

Cofield joined United Way of Central Iowa in 2004 and has spent 22 years with United Way organizations in three different communities.

She said she feels it’s time to “pass the baton” to a new leader because she has accomplished what she was hired to do, adding that the position requires an enormous amount of energy to keep up momentum.

“Once you feel like you’ve achieved that, it’s hard to keep it,” she said.

Cofield, who is almost 49 and now has two grown daughters, said her choice to move to a private-sector job stemmed from her desire to stay in Greater Des Moines while putting into practice the M.B.A. she earned from the University of Iowa a few years back.

“I wanted to try something new and put what I have learned to use,” she said.

When United Way announced her decision on Dec. 1, Steve Chapman, chairman of the organization’s board, said the search for her replacement was already under way.

He said current and past board members will meet Dec. 2 at 1 p.m. to put together a candidate profile and talk more in depth about the search process. Chapman also said the board was already looking at five candidates.

Chapman was not sure if the board will enlist the services of a search firm, but it isn’t opposed to having outside help. He has also spoken with United Way of America.

Because the local United Way organization has so much momentum in its education and health initiatives, Chapman said he doesn’t want to disrupt it with a long and extended search, saying he would like to find a new president sooner rather than later.

“We want to move as quickly as we can, while at the same time not shortchange the process,” he said.