Black Business Advocate Azizza Davis Goines To Retire After 20 Years Leading Sacramento’s Black Chamber

The longtime executive helped connect Black-owned businesses with corporate opportunities, technology companies, and economic development resources.

Azizza Davis Goines, the longtime leader of the Capital Black Chamber of Commerce, is preparing to close a two-decade chapter of leadership that helped expand opportunities for Black entrepreneurs and small businesses across Sacramento.

Davis Goines will retire Dec. 31 after serving as the organization’s president and CEO since 2006. Her departure marks a significant leadership transition for the business advocacy organization, which has spent decades strengthening the economic position of Black-owned businesses.

The chamber has not publicly announced a successor or disclosed its leadership transition plans.

Davis Goines confirmed her retirement plans in an Oct. 21 interview with The Sacramento Observer, revealing that she informed the organization’s board two years ago of her intention to step away at the end of 2026.

“It’s time,” Davis Goines told the newspaper.

Her tenure began during a challenging period for small businesses. When she assumed leadership, the organization operated out of a small office in West Sacramento. Her early years at the helm coincided with the Great Recession, a period when the chamber focused on strengthening its board, rebuilding community partnerships, and expanding resources for small businesses.

Under Davis Goines’ leadership, the organization underwent a rebranding from the Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce to the Capital Black Chamber of Commerce. It also expanded business development initiatives and partnerships designed to connect Black entrepreneurs with broader economic opportunities.

A defining element of her leadership was building relationships between Black-owned businesses and major corporations. The Sacramento Business Journal’s 2025 Most Admired CEOs profile highlighted her efforts to connect Black entrepreneurs with major technology companies, including Nvidia, while developing partnerships with other ethnic chambers of commerce.

Those connections reflect an important role business chambers can play in helping smaller enterprises access corporate networks, partnership opportunities, and resources that can support business growth.

The organization celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2025, underscoring its longstanding presence in Sacramento’s business community.

Davis Goines’ relationship with the chamber predates her appointment as CEO. She served on its board from 1997 to 2000 while working for the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau. In 2006, she became the organization’s first female president and CEO.

Her retirement also follows a temporary leadership transition last winter. Davis Goines began a leave of absence Dec. 5, with board chair Melanie Okoro stepping in as interim president and CEO. Davis Goines returned Jan. 5. As the chamber prepares for its next chapter, questions remain about who will lead its business development agenda, maintain corporate relationships, and continue advocating for Black-owned businesses.