North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce Selected as Finalist for National Chamber of the Year Honor
The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce was named a finalist for the prestigious 2021 Chamber of the Year award, presented by the Alexandria, VA -based Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE).
The North Central Massachusetts Chamber is one of four finalists in its category – along with chambers in Cumming, GA; Leesburg, VA; and Tuscaloosa, AL.
The award is the most prestigious and competitive recognition presented annually by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE). ACCE is an association of more than 9,000 professionals from 1,600 chambers of commerce.
The Chamber of the Year award recognizes the leadership role chambers have in their communities. 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, economic development and quality of life.
“This year’s finalists are among the most impactful organizations within the industry,” said ACCE President & CEO Sheree Anne Kelly. “Following a tumultuous year, these chambers emerged as community champions, providing catalytic leadership to address their region’s greatest challenges and opportunities for prosperity.”
Chamber of the Year winners will be announced by ACCE on Tuesday, July 20, 2021.
“We are tremendously honored to be named a finalist for this national award. This is a collective achievement and a tribute to the innovation and passion of our members and the many business leaders that support our mission and work so hard to build a stronger economy and quality of life in the communities that we call home here in North Central Massachusetts,” said Roy M. Nascimento, President & CEO of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. “I want to thank our staff, board leaders and all of our members for their support and commitment to the important work we do collaboratively to advance North Central Massachusetts.”
Chambers of commerce interested in competing for the award first must qualify by participating in a vigorous multi-stage process. Organizations entering the Chamber of the Year competition must meet minimum thresholds around membership performance and financial management.
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 finalists based on an interview before a panel of experienced chamber professionals. To ensure the fairest competition, applicants are grouped into four categories based on annual revenue, membership, area population and other factors.
