Chamber Chief Resigns

Culver City President & CEO Colin Diaz announced his resignation this week to accept a similar position with the the Tempe Chamber of Commerce.

Diaz was named President and CEO om October 2017 upon the retirement of longtime chamber chief Steven J. Rose.

Directors must now begin the search for Diaz's replacement.

The full text of his letter to the community appears below.

Dear Culver City Community,

Over the past 4 ½ years, I have had the pleasure and honor of serving all of you, our membership, and this community. I feel that we have made great strides, moved the needle in a positive direction, and created great momentum for the future. I have loved serving in this capacity and am forever grateful for the opportunity to do so – particularly during such a pivotal time in our city's history. Because of these reasons, and many others, I come to you today with a heavy heart to share that I will be leaving my post at the Chamber at the end of the month.

As you know, family is very important to me and the motivation for what I do, in and out of the city. Everything I do is to provide a great life for them and ensure that they have all the resources, support, and opportunities possible. The past couple of years have been particularly challenging for my family, including my mother who has been battling memory and other health issues. Besides being difficult, our geographical distance has made it ever more challenging. So, that has impacted my decision too.

In the past several weeks, my wife was presented with an opportunity to expand her work and grow her capacity. Simultaneously, I was contacted about an amazing opportunity, out of state. Though I have never been looking, it was an opportunity that I could not pass up as it related to the future of our family, and alignment with my wife's work. So, we collectively made the decision to leave the area, and state, to pursue this amazing new venture.

I want you to know that this was an extremely difficult decision and one that I do not take lightly. I truly love the city, the work and many of you with whom I have come to have a professional and personal relationship with. The community showed me so much about strength and unity when we were able to quickly band together and forge impactful solutions during the pandemic.

I know that this news likely comes as a shock, and I apologize for its delivery and timing on the heels of what may have been our most successful event during my tenure. However, this opportunity is one that is great for my family and the timing. I hope that in looking at my tenure at the Chamber, you all feel that I did a good job of representing the City of Culver City and business community, locally, regionally, and at the state level. I certainly took pride in my work and continue to today.

In my final weeks here, I am working alongside the Search Committee to assist in a transition process that will ensure continuity, as well as finding the right person to continue to lead this organization down the strong path we've been forging for the past several years. I am confident that the Chamber will continue to be the sane-center, horizon-focused, and reliable voice that we have been for decades and will build off the work during my tenure to achieve even greater milestones. I am only blessed to have been a part of the Chamber's long history in Culver City.

If you ever find yourself in the Phoenix region of Arizona, look me up. I will be leading the Tempe Chamber in the East Valley. I will miss you all and thank you for the opportunity, support, and insight through the years. As I mentioned, I will still be here through the end of the month, so feel free to reach out if there is anything I can do to serve or assist you prior to my departure. Thank you again for the continued support and I wish nothing but the best for Culver City, it's residents and the business community.

Sincerely,