New CEO Appointed by L.A. Area Chamber

Hoping to reverse a membership slide, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce announced Wednesday that Russell J. “Rusty” Hammer will take over as its president and chief executive beginning Nov. 5.

Hammer, 48, was credited with engineering a turnaround of the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. Under his presidency, which began in 1994, it became California’s second-largest chamber, with 2,500 members and a budget of $3.2 million.

The Los Angeles chamber, which peaked at about 4,000 members in the early 1980s, currently has about 1,300 members and ranks “way down the list, maybe about 20th,” said Dave Kilby, vice president of the California Chamber of Commerce, who serves as the liaison for the local chambers.

Kilby and local chamber officials gave several theories for the membership drop, including the growth of competing business groups, such as ethnic chambers of commerce, and by the exodus of corporate headquarters from the region.

“The way the number of members seemed to be going down, there was a concern about when were they going to be able to stop that and turn it around,” Kilby said. “I do think that having Rusty Hammer as CEO will help.”

Hammer, who was born in France and grew up in the San Jose area, said he envisions a chamber that is more politically active and offers more programs targeted at specific segments of the business community, including women and minority entrepreneurs.

“You need to be relevant to businesses, whether they be large or small, in technology or whatever sector it happens to be,” said Hammer, whose salary was not disclosed.

Hammer fills a vacancy created earlier this year when Ezunial Burts stepped down after four years as president to allow the board to chart a fresh course.

Increasing the size and clout of the 113-year-old L.A. chamber will be “first and foremost” among Hammer’s job duties, said Charlie Woo, chairman of the chamber board and chief executive of Megatoys.

Hammer said he hopes to form alliances with the new business organizations and step up the chamber’s political involvement.

“The L.A. Chamber in a year or two will not be the L.A. Chamber today,” he said.