Former Sacramento Metro Chamber CEO Rusty Hammer will be honored Aug. 3 by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives as a Life Member of the organization for his decades of management excellence and community leadership.

Hammer was president & CEO of the Metro Chamber from 1994 to 2001.

“We’re thrilled Rusty is receiving this high chamber of commerce honor,” said Matt Mahood, president & CEO of the Metro Chamber. “Much of the Metro Chamber’s success today is a result of a solid foundation Rusty put in place. He made us truly a modern regional chamber of commerce with voice and influence.”

The Life Member award to Hammer will be presented at the ACCE Annual Awards Gala, 7-10 p.m., at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento.

Hammer is currently president emeritus of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. He left the position in 2005 due to a battle with leukemia and is currently writing an inspirational book on the lessons he’s learned from the illness.

Before joining the Los Angeles Chamber as president and CEO in 2001, Hammer was CEO of the Sacramento Metro Chamber. He was also the founder, president and CEO of the Northern California World Trade Center.

Following graduation from high school, Hammer was elected to the City Council in San Jose bedroom community of Campbell, in 1972, becoming the youngest elected official in U.S. history at the age of 18. In 1975, he was elected mayor of Campbell, the youngest mayor of an incorporated city in U.S. history. He served two terms as mayor and “retired” from politics in 1982.

Over the last 30 years of community and political involvement, Hammer has served as a governing board member of many local, regional and national charitable and philanthropic organizations. Hammer is the recipient of numerous awards, including being named one of the Five Outstanding Young Men of California; Who’s Who in the West; Who’s Who in America; Who’s Who in Industry; and the 1996 JCC Friendship Cup Award.

For more information on the conference, session and speakers, see www.acce.org/convention07.