Calling it the “most difficult decision ever,” Tuscon Metro Chamber President and CEO, Michael V. Varney announced his retirement via a resignation letter dated March 23.

Varney cited a desire to be closer to extended family as his primary motivation in the letter, which was posted on the chamber's website.

In the letter, Varney discussed some of the chamber’s accomplishments, including a recent Five-Star Accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, as well as his hope for the future and what he presumes will be a smooth transition following his exit.

“The future is bright for Tucson and Pima County … but only if we keep our eye on the ball," Varney said in his letter. "Discussions I have had with Tucson Metro Chamber Chairman Bob Ramirez and the chamber’s Executive Committee point to exactly what you would expect from these seasoned professionals. There will be a thoughtful and orderly transition. I have offered the board of directors a reasonably open-ended period of time to complete its work and will do as much or as little as they request to assist them. The chamber will lose no momentum during this transition. The new executive will have a solid platform from which to launch his or her ideas to keep the Chamber and the community on a solid path of constant improvement.”

Varney closed with an expressed intent to maintain close ties to Arizona as a “snowbird.”