Dennis Houston, the president and CEO of the Parker Area Chamber of Commerce for the past six years, announced he will be resigning from his post in Parker to helm the Metro North Chamber of Commerce, beginning Aug. 19.

Houston will be filling the role of former 9News business reporter Greg Moss. Houston was the longest-serving CEO of the Parker Chamber.

“I am very proud that together we have accomplished many great things for the organization, for the community and for the region over the last six years,” Houston said in an emailed statement Aug. 9. “When we work together as one, we can accomplish much.”

Houston will be heading the Metro North Chamber, a regional organization that encompasses an area with a population of about 500,000 people. Businesses from Northglenn, Thornton, Westminster, Arvada, Broomfield and several other north metro cities are represented in the chamber.

Houston stated he plans on remaining in Parker with his family. Houston was previously the CEO of the Norfolk Chamber in Nebraska.

“We are absolutely delighted to have a past Colorado Chamber CEO of the Year join us to lead the organization," Andy Dorsey, chairman of the Metro North Chamber's board, stated in a news release. "His dedication to workforce solutions energized the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce to be named the National Chamber of Commerce of the Year. Dennis brings his track record of success to Metro North and he is the right person at the right time to grow our regional chamber,"

Houston led the Parker Chamber as it gradually expanded the city's flagship festival, Parker Days, into the statewide-recognized event it is today, attracting roughly 250,000 unique visitors in 2019, according to the chamber's estimates. Over the last six years, Houston stated the festival drew 1.3 million people and generated more than $4 million in annual economic impact.

Houston also touted the chambers' business and education partnerships, bringing the two together to “partner like never before in Douglas County,” Houston stated, to “improve workforce solutions for a long time to come.”

The Parker Chamber received nine Colorado State Chamber Best-of-the-Best Awards for operational excellence over the last six years.

Houston has served as the national chair for the American Chamber of Commerce Executives-Hometown Chamber Council, state chair of the Colorado Chamber of Commerce Executives, chair of the Douglas County Business Alliance and the vice chair of the Douglas County Education Foundation, and a board member of the Arapahoe-Douglas Works! Workforce Board.

“Thank you for the opportunity and privilege to get to work side-by-side with each other to grow your businesses. Thank you for the countless volunteer hours that many of you have given to our amazing organization,” Houston stated. “It has been my honor to be the president and CEO of the Parker Area Chamber of Commerce, and for that, I say thank you.”