Glenn Hamer

The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry has named the state Republican Party’s executive director as its new president and chief executive officer.
Glenn Hamer will fill the position vacated by Jim Apperson, who left the Chamber earlier this year. Mr. Hamer has been the executive director of the Arizona Republican Party since 2005. Before that, he was a lobbyist for First Solar, a Phoenix-based solar energy firm, and the executive director of the Solar Energy Industries Association in Washington, D.C.
He also spent six years working in the U.S. House and Senate, first as a legislative assistant for Sen. Jon Kyl, then as former Rep. Matt Salmon’s chief of staff. Mr. Salmon now serves as the chairman of the state Republican Party.
“I look forward to taking the helm of the Chamber… and working to improve our state’s business climate,” Mr. Hamer said.
Steve Twist, chairman of the board for the Arizona Chamber, said Mr. Hamer’s background shows he is capable of not just managing a business association, but helping it thrive.
“He’s also got just a tremendous background in public policy development,” Mr. Twist said.
Though Mr. Hamer’s most recent post was partisan in nature, Mr. Twist said there are no concerns that the Chamber’s new chief will not be effective at the Legislature.
“Glenn has demonstrated an ability in his career to work on both sides of the aisle,” he said. “Evidence of that is that Glenn was appointed by Governor Napolitano to the Solar Energy Task Force.”
Bart Graves, a spokesman for the Arizona Democratic Party, said the timing of the announcement was peculiar, as the November elections are only about a month away.
“This is odd, to us, for them to be focused on this right before the election,” he said. “We’re focused solely on the election — I don’t know about them.”
However, Mr. Hamer will not leave the Republican Party until after the election and will not begin working for the Chamber until late November.
“I’m excited about the upcoming opportunity at the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry,” he said, “but until Nov. 7, I am focused like a laser beam on my responsibilities here at the Arizona Republican Party.”