SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) is changing its leadership amid a shakeup in the group and a plan to expand its efforts in Washington, D.C.

The SIA announced that George Scalise, president of the organization since 1997, will retire at the end of 2010.

SIA will begin a search process to identify possible candidates for a successor. SIA also announced that in connection with the transition, it will relocate its headquarters from Silicon Valley to Washington, D.C. The move is expected to be completed by the end of 2010.

"George Scalise has been a tireless champion for the semiconductor industry for nearly five decades," said SIA Chairman John Daane, in a statement.

''As a part of the succession process, the board reviewed the industry's needs and the increasing impact of public policies on competitiveness,'' he said. ''After much study, we concluded that to have a greater and more effective voice, we must have a greater presence in Washington.''

The SIA elaborated on the new stance. "Government policies -- including those that deal with workforce, the environment, taxation, university research, and global trade -- influence where to invest in capital-intensive facilities for design, R&D, and manufacturing,'' he said.

''U.S.-based companies can compete successfully on a level playing field. We must redouble our efforts to support public policies that encourage capital formation, support investment in both R&D and basic research, and enhance the climate for investment in manufacturing in the U.S. Our decision to relocate our principal office to Washington was based on these considerations," Daane concluded.

For years, the SIA has already been pushing for change in Washington. It has been pushing for R&D tax credits and other initiatives.

As reported on Thursday, the SIA elected Daane, president, chief executive, and chairman of the board of Altera Corp., as its 2010 chairman. Ray Stata, chairman of the board of Analog Devices Incorporated, was elected vice chairman.

Hector Ruiz, who resigned as chairman of Globalfoundries Inc. earlier this week after being reportedly linked to a high-profile insider-trading case, will not speak as planned at the SIA awards dinner on Thursday (Nov. 5), according to a spokesperson for the SIA.

The SIA spokesperson confirmed Wednesday that Ruiz has bowed out of the event, but did not provide further details. Ruiz, who remain's SIA's 2009 chairman until the organization's annual meeting Thursday, had been scheduled to give a talk titled "Chairman's Reflections" at the dinner in San Jose, Calif.