Alexander Stettinski, executive director of the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce, announced his resignation on Tuesday to become vice president of operations and strategic planning with the neighboring Visit West Hollywood.
Stettinski, a longtime Beverly Hills resident, joined the chamber in June 2011 after serving as marketing and communications director for the Downtown Center Business Improvement District. He brought some stability to the chamber after financial turmoil prompted by the city’s decision to split off the Convention and Visitors Bureau in 2008 and some controversial moves by his predecessor, Dan Walsh.
Under Stettinski’s leadership, chamber membership rebounded to roughly 850 businesses from a low of 590. The chamber also moved its headquarters from South Beverly Drive to South Santa Monica Boulevard at Canon Drive.
“Alex has been an asset to the organization,” Kelly Scott, partner at the Beverly Hills law firm Ervin Cohen & Jessup and president of the chamber’s board of directors, said in an announcement. “His vision and leadership helped transform the organization into what it is today: one of the most successful chambers in the nation.”
Reflecting on his decision to leave and on his time at the chamber, Stettinski said in the statement, “It was a most difficult decision to leave an organization that is nothing short of spectacular. We had an incredible four years together.”
Stettinski will leave his post at the end of the month. Neither Stettinski nor Visit West Hollywood could be reached to elaborate on his new post there.
Scott said the chamber board has formed a search committee to find a successor. He also hinted there may be some other organizational changes.
“We are using this change to focus on a new leadership structure, which will emphasize sponsorship cultivation and member engagement while continuing to provide world-class events and business services,” he said.
