Huntsville, AL — The Huntsville/Madison County Chamber has been named Chamber of the Year by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE), an association of more than 7,500 chamber of commerce professionals, and 1,300 chambers of commerce, from around the world.
Chamber of the Year is the most prestigious and competitive award presented by ACCE and is the only globally-recognized industry award that honors top chambers of commerce. Those honored with the Chamber of the Year designation have demonstrated organizational strength and made an impact on key community priorities, such as education, transportation, business development and quality of life.
Chip Cherry, President and CEO of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber accepted the award—along with about a dozen staff members—on July 18 at ACCE’s Annual Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.
“It is an honor to be selected as the Chamber of the Year for 2017,” said Chip Cherry, President and CEO of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber. “To be singled out as the best in our peer group from the many outstanding Chambers in the United States is testimony to how effective our volunteer and staff team have been helping the community advance. I am both honored and humbled to work with such an outstanding group of men and women!”
Qualifying for Chamber of the Year is a rigorous, multi-stage process. Organizations entering the Chamber of the Year competition must first meet minimum thresholds in at least three of five key performance areas, including net revenue, net assets, membership account retention, and membership dollar retention.
Chambers compete based on meeting key performance criteria on the ACCE Annual Operations Survey. Qualifying chambers enter the competition with a written application addressing all aspects of organizational operation and programmatic work. Applications are scored by peer chamber executives to determine finalists. Winners are selected from among finalists based on an in-person interview before a panel of experienced chamber professionals.
“This award speaks volumes about our Chamber, its commitment to this community, and the dedication of its members, employees, volunteers, and Board,” said Joe Newberry, 2017 Huntsville/Madison County Chamber Board Chair. “It is confirmation of what we already know—that this Chamber has always done amazing things to make our communities a smarter place to live, work and play.”
This year’s competition drew entries from chambers throughout the U.S. and Canada. To ensure the fairest competition, applicants are grouped into four categories based on: annual revenue, membership, area population, and several other factors.
About the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives
The Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, founded in 1914, serves more than 7,500 chamber of commerce professionals, and 1,300 chambers of commerce or similar organizations, around the world. ACCE’s members come from nearly each of the largest 100 metropolitan regions in the United States. Based in Alexandria, Virginia, the mission of ACCE is to support chamber professionals so they can lead their communities. Learn more about ACCE by visiting www.ACCE.org.
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