Dan Walsh, president and chief executive of the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce announced Monday that he is leaving his post effective immediately.

Walsh said in a statement that he was leaving to pursue other opportunities.

“I have greatly enjoyed my tenure at the Beverly Hills Chamber and wish the best for the organization and the Beverly Hills business community,” the statement said. Walsh assumed the chamber chief executive post in June 2005.

Chamber board chair Todd Johnson said the chamber will now embark on a national search for a new chamber chief executive. During the transition, Johnson and the chamber’s chief financial officer, Bruce Schulman will assist the remaining chamber executives in day-to-day operations of the organization, Johnson said.

Walsh’s announcement came days after the collapse of an effort to set up a business improvement district in which all Beverly Hills businesses would be assessed to help fund the chamber. The plan met with skepticism from the Beverly Hills City Council and was withdrawn after the passage of Proposition 26, which could require getting two-thirds support of businesses in the city.

Last year, the chamber lost much of its funding as the city took away the Convention and Visitors Bureau from chamber administration. Walsh made an unsuccessful attempt to get the city to pump in $450,000 in funds per year to make up the difference. The assessment district proposal was a last-ditch attempt to shore up chamber funds. The chamber now faces the prospect of making steep cuts in staff and services.

Walsh’s salary was reported to be about $250,000. He did not return a phone call for this report.