The LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois, on July 3, announced that Executive Director Gerardo Rodriguez would be stepping down effective July 7.
"We are extremely grateful for Gerardo's contributions to our organization and wish him well with his next opportunity in the private sector," said Board of Directors Chair William Stevenson in a statement.
He added, "We will continue to carry on with our mission of supporting and promoting LGBT businesses, workplace equality, and supplier diversity."
Rodriguez, who described himself as a "straight ally" to the community, was named the Chamber's executive director in early 2015. Prior to this post, he had worked as a business advisor to both the Chicago Urban League and the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
In April 2015, he told Windy City Times that he wanted to make both community activism and workforce development a key part of the Chamber's overall advocacy.
"We want to provide training for our small businesses to grow and to be leaders within the LGBT community, and we want LGBT employees of major corporations to be advocates," he said.