WASHINGTON, D.C. — During its summer board meeting last week in Washington, DC, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce proudly awarded the Accreditation designation to 7 chambers of commerce, recognizing their sound policies, effective organizational procedures, and significant contributions to their communities.
“Earning the Accreditation designation is an extraordinary accomplishment and a mark of excellence for a chamber’s organization, staff, and leadership,” said Raymond P. Towle, Vice President, Federation Relations and Coalition Partnerships at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “Achieving Accreditation reflects the completion of a comprehensive and challenging evaluation—an extensive, rigorous review of a chamber’s policies, operations, and programming—as well as its leadership and impact in the community. This distinction recognizes chambers of commerce representing the very best of our industry and validates their role as advocates for their business communities. Accredited chambers demonstrate strong leadership, transparent governance practices, and an unwavering commitment to delivering impactful programs and services that help make their regions a place where workers, businesses, and citizens can thrive.”
The U.S. Chamber's Accreditation Program is designed to promote and sustain excellence within the chamber industry while advancing a pro-business environment nationwide. To achieve Accreditation, chambers must meet rigorous standards across various operational and programmatic areas, including governance, finance, human resources, government affairs, communications, and technology. This comprehensive self-assessment process typically spans 6-9 months.
Chambers are evaluated and rated as “Accredited,” “Accredited with 3 Stars,” “Accredited with 4 Stars,” or “Accredited with 5 Stars” for local and regional chambers. State chambers of commerce are recognized as either “Accredited State Chamber” or “Accredited State Chamber with Distinction.” The final determination is made by the Accrediting board, which includes U.S. Chamber of Commerce Board members and chamber of commerce CEOs from across the nation.
The following chambers of commerce have earned this distinguished Accreditation designation:
Accredited with 3 Stars
- Seward County Chamber & Development Partnership (Seward, NE)
Accredited with 4 Stars
- Greater Des Moines Partnership (Des Moines, IA)
- Mansfield Area Chamber of Commerce (Mansfield, TX)
Accredited with 5 Stars
- Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce (Asheville, NC)
- Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce (Oshkosh, WI)
- Salt Lake Chamber (Salt Lake City, UT)
Accredited State Chamber with Distinction
- West Virginia Chamber of Commerce (Charleston, WV)
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business organization representing companies of all sizes across every sector of the economy. Our members range from the small businesses and local chambers of commerce that line the Main Streets of America to leading industry associations and large corporations.
