Glenn Hamer leaving Arizona Chamber of Commerce

Glenn Hamer has been the President and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce since 2006, but he’s leaving his post to head up a similar statewide business association in Texas. We spoke to Hamer about why he’s making the move and his thoughts on Arizona’s growth over the years.

Hamer says it has been a privilege to work at the Arizona Chamber of Commerce. He says his time has gone by fast, at sometimes ludicrous speeds. “We’ve come so far as a state. We are rocking and rolling when it comes to job creation. Maricopa County is the fastest-growing county for the last three or four years. We made a lot of progress on education funding and reform,” Hamer said.

He also liked being able to work on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement and the intersections of trade and immigration.

Hamer, who will be the new President and CEO of the Texas Association of Business, was drawn to Texas by the scale of the state. Texas exports more than New York and California combined. “A lot of the lessons I’ve learned in Arizona will be really helpful in Texas,” Hamer said.

Although much smaller than Texas, Hamer says Arizona has been a trailblazer. “We really diversified the state’s economy and I do think that’s a model for other states,” Hamer said.