After leading the Tacoma-Pierce Chamber for 27 of its 126-years, its President and CEO David Graybill has announced that he will retire by the end of the year.

Graybill told his board and staff, “I look forward to working with our staff and leaders during a transition period through Dec. 31 to help assure future Chamber success. I will be remaining in the area and will be seeking opportunities to utilize my contacts, skills, and energy for the continued benefit of our community.”

During Graybill’s leadership, the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber is the only local business organization in the region to achieve the U. S. Chamber’s top “5 Star” rating. Its Leadership Tacoma-Pierce Country program graduated hundreds of emerging leaders in all sectors. Its Pierce County Economic Index has been providing a measure of local business health to Chamber members for over 20 years. Other Chamber efforts and programs range from transportation and military advocacy to encouraging the growth of the “creative economy.”

Chamber Chair-Elect Mike Hansch, who will lead the transition team for the Chamber said, “We are pleased that David has done so much for the Chamber, local business and our community for so many years. We are fortunate to have a strong Chamber management team in place and very experienced business leaders on our board who are great at identifying candidates for the president position. We expect this to go smoothly while providing a high level of service to our members.”

Hansch said the Chamber board and staff will continue their effort to stay close to their members to determine their needs.