The Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce has been named a finalist for the 2021 Chamber of the Year award, presented by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE).
Based in Alexandria, VA, ACCE is the Chamber industry’s leading professional association, representing more than 9,000 professionals at more than 1,600 chambers of commerce and economic development organizations.
The Chamber of the Year award is the most prestigious and competitive recognition presented annually by ACCE. It recognizes the leadership role chambers of commerce 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 prosperity 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 on Tuesday, July 20, at ACCE’s Chamber Innovation Summit.
“We are so grateful to ACCE and our Chamber industry peers for selecting the Loudoun Chamber for this great honor. This recognition belongs to our Board of Directors, our members and staff, who have worked tirelessly to make Loudoun County a stronger, more equitable community. It is truly rewarding to see their hard work and community leadership recognized on a national level,” said Loudoun Chamber President & CEO Tony Howard.
Chambers of commerce are selected for this award following a vigorous, multi-stage process. Chambers must first qualify by meeting minimum thresholds in at three of five key performance areas, including net revenue and assets, membership account retention, and membership dollar retention. They also must meet key performance criteria on the ACCE Annual Operations Survey.
Those qualifying chambers then complete written application addressing all aspects of organizational operation and programmatic work. Applications are scored by peer chamber executives, who determine finalists. Winners are selected from among 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.
