Tom Pierson, CEO of the Federal Way Chamber of Commerce, announced Thursday that he has accepted an offer to become the next president and CEO for the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce.

Pierson’s resignation will be effective June 16, and a succession committee through the board of directors is meeting Friday morning.

Pierson has served as CEO of the Federal Way Chamber for more than eight years.

“I am very proud of the accomplishments that we have made in these years,” he said in a news release. “I am committed to the work that we have done here and I am both professionally and personally invested in Federal Way and will continue to work to build upon those successes for the future.”

Pierson has often said that the Federal Way Chamber is “not your father’s chamber.” Under his leadership, the Federal Way Chamber has grown to become an influential organization advocating for strong local businesses in the city. With about 500 members, the chamber has several branch programs including Advancing Leadership, Communities in Schools of Federal Way, Safe City Federal Way and the South Sound Regional Business Incubator. The chamber’s monthly membership luncheon at Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club brings together many of Federal Way’s movers and shakers.

“Under Tom’s leadership, that has become one of the strongest chambers I have ever been associated with, and I’ve been associated with quite a few,” said Mirror publisher Rudi Alcott, who serves on the chamber’s board of directors. “The next leader will have their work cut out to advance this wonderful start we have made.”