Leigh Nixon (Courtesy image)

The Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce announced this morning that Leigh Nixon, who has served as its president as CEO for 16 years, will retire from the post this spring.

Following a 30-year career with the chamber, Nixon will be moving to Sumerlin, Nevada, with her husband. The organization’s board of directors will be conducting a search for her replacement over the next five months.

According to a statement from the chamber, Nixon was instrumental in the establishment of the Simi Valley Community Foundation in 2000, the chamber’s Workforce Education Coalition and a tourism marketing district. She also used her organizational management expertise to implement long-term, marketing and business plans to streamline operations.

She is most proud of the enhanced Leadership Simi Valley Program, the Young Professionals Network and the Economic Development Programs, the release said.

“We have been blessed to have had Leigh serve us and how fortunate we are to have the Simi Valley chamber positioned as well as we are as a result, and now we have to think about who can replace the energy and skills Leigh brought to us over the past 16 years,” Dan Jaeger, the chamber’s board chair, said in the statement.

The Simi chamber is one of seven 5-star U.S. Chamber of Commerce accredited chambers in the state, along with the Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Prior to her tenure in Simi Valley, Nixon was the CEO of the Santa Clarita, Palmdale and Temecula chambers of commerce. Her career began with the Irvine Chamber of Commerce in 1986, where she led membership and marketing efforts.