Kaely Monahan/KJZZ

Glenn Hamer in KJZZ's studio in 2019.

The leader of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Glenn Hamer, has announced he’s stepping down to take a new job in Texas.

Hamer has served as the chamber’s president and CEO since 2006. Under his leadership, the chamber said it raised Arizona’s competitive standing through its support of policies that lowered the state’s corporate income tax rate and encouraged capital investment. 

Hamer also focused on elevating Arizona’s international profile and advocated for the passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement, the chamber said.

Hamer is leaving Arizona later this month to become the next president and CEO of the Texas Business Association. The Arizona chamber will appoint an interim president while a national search is conducted for Hamer’s successor. 

“I am moving from one of the country’s top states for economic growth to another state with a strong, expanding and diverse economy,” Hamer said in a statement announcing his departure. “While I’m looking forward to this new challenge, leaving Arizona is not easy. I know this state has only bright days ahead.” 

Neil Giuliano, the president and CEO of Greater Phoenix Leadership, joined The Show to talk about what Hamer’s departure will mean to Arizona’s business and political communities.

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