Longtime staffer first joined organization in 1979; organization seeks ‘smooth transition' of her duties

DiBari

U.S. Chamber of Commerce COO Shannon DiBari will retire at the end of the year, ending a 38-year career at the $304 million-revenue organization.

DiBari was promoted to COO in 2014 following the departure of former COO David Chavern. She first joined the organization 1979 in the Office of the General Counsel and has since worked her way through the business group's ranks, holding positions of increasing responsibility.

In her current role, the longtime staffer oversees the Chamber's budget and coordinates strategic management of the organization's programs, initiatives and divisions. She also oversaw a recent major renovation of the Chamber's 100-year-old headquarters next to Lafayette Square, near the White House.

A Chamber spokesperson said DiBari's "generous advance notification gives us ample time to plan a smooth transition of her duties and appropriately celebrate her success."

DiBari is the second longtime staffer to announce her departure in recent months. Bruce Josten, the Chamber's former top lobbyist, retired at the end of 2016 after working at the group for more than four decades.

The Chamber used Josten's retirement to restructure its advocacy operations, naming second-in-command Suzanne Clark as head of government affairs.