ACCE News
ACCE Mourns Rusty Hammer's Passing
Alexandria, VA -
It is with great sorrow that ACCE announces that Rusty Hammer, ACCE Life Member and former president and CEO of both the Sacramento and 
Los Angeles (CA) Area Chambers of Commerce, passed away on Monday, January 28, in San Jose, California. Since 2003, Rusty had been battling a rare form of leukemia. He was 54.
"Rusty was our friend and inspiration. His work as chairman of WACE and multiple officeholder of ACCE had a lasting impact on both organizations. His skillful leadership and use of carefully crafted communications resulted in real change in both of the communities and the state in which he served," said Mick Fleming, ACCE President. "Of course it was the affect he had on people since he was diagnosed in 2003 that we may remember even more. He was simply the bravest guy many of us will ever know."
The Los Angeles Area Chamber has released this statement. Visit www.acce.org for more information about funeral arrangements as they become available.
Before joining the Los Angeles Chamber as president and CEO in 2001, Rusty was CEO of the Sacramento (CA) Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce from 1994-2001. He was also the founder, president and CEO of the Northern California World Trade Center, as well as president and CEO of the Emerging Technologies Institute.
Rusty came to the chamber profession after careers in politics and the corporate sector. In 1972, soon after 18-year olds were granted the right to vote, Rusty was elected to the city council in Campbell, Calif., becoming the youngest elected official in U.S. history at the age of 18. At the same time, while in college, he worked as a private consultant in communications and public relations. Then, in 1975, he was elected mayor of Campbell, Calif., this time being the youngest mayor of an incorporated city in U.S. history; he served two terms. At the time he was also vice president of marketing for the Decision Research Institute. In 1978, he joined Quadrex Corporation, where he was employed for 17 years, eventually becoming company president.
Over the last 30 years of community and political involvement, Rusty served as a governing board member of many local, regional and national charitable and philanthropic organizations. He earned numerous recognitions, including: Five Outstanding Young Men of California; Who's Who in the West; Who's Who in America; Who's Who in Industry; and the 1996 JCC Friendship Cup Award. He was also recognized by the following legislative bodies: U.S. Congress; California State Assembly; California State Senate; Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors; Sacramento County Board of Supervisors; Campbell City Council; San Jose City Council; and the Sacramento City Council.
His most recent project was writing When Cancer Calls...Say Yes to Life. As Rusty explained, "this book is a story not only about my life before cancer, but about my journey through this dreaded disease and how patients, caregivers, and their loved ones can better survive a cancer diagnosis."
Rusty's unforgettable, powerful keynote address at the 2007 ACCE Convention was one of his last public appearances.
Source: ACCE
Publication Date: January 29, 2008