[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 25 (Thursday, February 14, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E203-E204]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  A TRIBUTE TO THE LATE RUSSELL HAMMER

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 14, 2008

  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the late 
Rusty Hammer, a dedicated leader and advocate on behalf of the Los 
Angeles business community and a dear friend, who passed away recently 
after a long battle with cancer.
  I had the privilege of working with Rusty during his 5 years as 
President and Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles Chamber of 
Commerce.
  At the chamber's helm, Rusty dedicated himself to improving the 
quality of life and economic prosperity of the Los Angeles Chamber's 
1,500 members and their more than 600,000 employees throughout the Los 
Angeles region.
  Under Rusty's dedicated leadership, the Los Angeles Chamber 
successfully built partnerships between business, community, labor and 
civic organizations. Today, these partnerships have reestablished the 
Chamber as the Los Angeles region's premier business advocacy 
organization.
  Rusty's talents, innovative strategic thinking and willingness to 
work with stakeholders on all sides of the political spectrum played an 
integral role in the Los Angeles area's economic growth. I observed 
this first hand during the chamber's annual trips to Washington, DC, 
which became immensely productive and influential under Rusty's 
leadership.
  While we all deeply miss Rusty, I know his work and many 
contributions will continue to benefit the Los Angeles business 
community for many years to come. My thoughts and prayers are with 
Rusty's special wife, Pam, and their family during this difficult time.
  Madam Speaker, in honor of Rusty's life, I would like to submit for 
the Record his obituary that appeared in the Los Angeles Times on 
January 30. It provides more insight into Rusty's full and accomplished 
life.

            Russell Hammer, 54; Head of L.A. Business Group

                            (By Elaine Woo)

       Russell J. ``Rusty'' Hammer, former president and chief 
     executive of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, died 
     Monday at a hospice in San Jose. He was 54.
       The cause was leukemia, according to a chamber spokeswoman.
       Hammer was credited with revitalizing the Los Angeles 
     business group, which he led for five years until 2006, when 
     he stepped down because of his illness. During his tenure, 
     chamber membership grew from 1,200 to 1,600 companies, and 
     new initiatives helped to refocus the organization on local, 
     state and national policy issues.
       ``He had a substantial impact on the chamber and also on 
     the people he worked with,'' said George Kieffer, a Los 
     Angeles attorney who was chairman of the chamber during the 
     first few years of Hammer's presidency. ``The chamber has an 
     extraordinary legacy but . . . had become less active in the 
     business community and the greater civic community. Rusty 
     played a very big part in turning that around.''
       Born on May 12, 1953, in Orleans, France, Hammer grew up in 
     San Jose. He received a bachelor's degree in political 
     science at the University of Santa Clara in 1975 and a 
     master's in public administration from San Jose State 
     University in 1979.
       He entered politics at an early age, organizing high school 
     students for Sen. Robert F. Kennedy's presidential campaign 
     in 1968. Hammer ran for office himself in 1972, becoming at 
     18 the youngest person elected to the Campbell, Calif., City 
     Council. At 21, he became mayor and made headlines as the 
     nation's youngest mayor.
       After two terms as mayor, he entered business and served in 
     a variety of management

[[Page E204]]

     positions, later rising to president of Quadrex Corp., an 
     engineering firm.
       In 1994 he was recruited to become chief executive of the 
     Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. Over the next 
     seven years he raised the profile of the Sacramento chamber, 
     leading it to take a prominent role in local issues, such as 
     the effort to save McClellan Air Force Base, and starting a 
     public policy seminar that attracted world figures, including 
     Henry Kissinger and Margaret Thatcher.
       When he arrived in Los Angeles in 2001, Hammer worked in a 
     similar fashion, finding ways to make the Los Angeles chamber 
     more relevant to members. He reached out to other local 
     business groups, small companies and entrepreneurs and 
     organized events that offered a regional perspective, such as 
     a 2002 conference on transportation that drew 500 
     participants from business and government.
       In 2003 he was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia and 
     spent 303 days in a hospital undergoing intensive treatment. 
     While battling his illness, he helped organize a Silicon 
     Valley branch of the Wellness Community, a support group for 
     cancer patients.
       He also wrote a book, ``When Cancer Calls . . . Say Yes to 
     Life,'' which he published on his own last year. The book 
     discusses how his battle against cancer forced major 
     adjustments in his life and changed his values.
       He told the San Jose Mercury News last year that he was 
     inspired to write the book by his children, twins Gerald and 
     Jennifer, who told him he could not die until he had taught 
     them everything he could about how to approach life. He is 
     also survived by his wife, Pamela.

                          ____________________