L.A. Area Chamber President Resigning

Russell J. “Rusty” Hammer will resign as president and chief executive of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce because of health reasons, the chamber said Thursday.

Hammer’s four-year tenure was marked by the efforts of the 1,450-member organization to be more influential on public policy at the local, state and national levels, the chamber said.

For example, the chamber in July backed a statewide initiative, seeking to qualify for the June 2006 ballot, that would pay for voluntary preschool for all 4-year-olds in California. Although the initiative would raise income taxes for the wealthiest Californians, it would “significantly improve the quality of our workforce, our education system and our quality of life,” Hammer said in July in announcing the chamber’s support.

The chamber also was involved in such efforts as securing funding for the Metro Gold Line rail extension to East Los Angeles and in defeating San Fernando Valley secession from Los Angeles.

In a letter Thursday announcing his departure, Hammer said, “The chamber has enjoyed unprecedented growth and leadership. As a regional steward we have tackled the issues and challenges that will assure our future quality of life and economic prosperity.”

Hammer, 52, who has been battling leukemia for two years, said he would continue in the post until a successor was named. The chamber said it had launched a nationwide search.