Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Richard Greene has stepped down from his post after just 15 months.

The chamber already has chosen longtime resident John Schmitt to replace him.

Greene took the helm in January 2008 replacing Mike Skarr, who retired after more than a decade leading the chamber. His original employment agreement was for 18 months, although it included bench marks reaching out as far as three years.

He informed the chamber board of his desire to explore other job possibilities several months ago.

Greene and Annmarie Siwik, chairwoman of the board of directors, both said the split was amicable.

"There are a couple opportunities on the horizon I am exploring and I thought this was a good time to (look at) those in a more serious nature," Greene said.

He would not elaborate, but said exploring such options is not unusual in the associate management industry. His new ventures likely will keep him in the Naperville area, where he relocated from Sacramento, Calif.

Greene said he is proud of the work he and the chamber staff and board of directors have done in the past 15 months, including creating a higher level of membership, putting together a budget that reflects the chamber's 2020 plan, making efficiency improvements and working on a new Web site that will debut in about a month.

Once they knew Greene was planning to leave, board members looked at applications from their last search and brainstormed ideas of who they would like to consider for the position, Siwik said.

Schmitt - who had not previously applied - quickly rose to the top of the list.

On Thursday, the board of directors voted unanimously to hire him. His contract has not been finalized.

"We think we found the perfect person," Siwik said. "He's got the operational, the managerial and the leadership skills. He knows all the people in town. He's been a long community business advocate and ... we are excited."

Schmitt, 59, has been involved with the chamber since 1985 and is a past chairman of the board. He spent 23 years with john greene Realty, including five as its president. Since December, he has been working for Ryan Hill Realty but will cut ties with the firm to serve the chamber full time.

"I'm excited," he said. "For me it's the perfect opportunity, the perfect job at the perfect time."

Schmitt said he will ask the staff for its input on how to improve the chamber and will ensure members know it is there to serve them. He said he will encourage members to help each other and hopes to work more closely with the Naperville Development Partnership.

In addition to the chamber, Schmitt has been active with the Naperville United Way, Naperville Sunrise Rotary Club, Naperville Education Foundation, Naperville Development Partnership and the Riverwalk Foundation. He is married with two grown sons, two grandchildren and one more grandchild on the way.

Schmitt officially will take the chamber reins May 1. Don Emery, senior consultant to the board, will continue to oversee day-to-day operations during the transition.

The Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce is the second-largest chamber in the state with more than 1,400 members and is one of only 27 five-star accredited chambers in the country.