Russell “Rusty” Hammer, former president of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, died Monday evening after a long battle with leukemia. He was 54.

Hammer directed the chamber from 2001 to 2006, until he stepped down because of his illness. He was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia in 2003.

“He battled a courageous fight against cancer for four and a half years,” said Gary Toebben, president of the chamber. “Rusty made a tremendous contribution to Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. He was a strong spokesman on behalf of business and understood that a strong business community was important to creating jobs.”

Prior to taking the helm at the L.A. chamber, Hammer held a similar position at the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. He also worked for 15 years as president and chief financial officer at Quadrex Corp.

After graduating from high school, Hammer ran for the City Council in Campbell, near San Jose. He won, becoming the youngest council member in U.S. history at age 18. He later served two terms as the city’s mayor.

That spirit of service never left Hammer. With his condition terminal, Hammer moved with his wife to Willow Glen and spent his last days in the Hospice of the Valley in San Jose.

Despite his illness, he was chairman of the board of The Wellness Community Silicon Valley, a nonprofit organization that offers free support and education to cancer patients and their families.

“I know what it's like and seeing Rusty, it's very inspirational,” fellow board director and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor James Moore told the San Jose Mercury News.

The chamber has published a book based on his columns that were published in the organization’s newsletter: “The Business Perspective 2002-2006: Exploring Los Angeles Public Policy Issues Through the Lens of Business.”

Details about funeral services were not immediately available.