The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama took home the Chamber of the Year Award on Tuesday.
The group received top designation of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives from among 1,600 chambers of commerce representing more than 9,000 professionals in the industry.
To compete for the award, chambers were required to participate in a multi-stage process and meet minimum thresholds in at least three of five key performance areas, including net revenue and assets, membership account retention and membership dollar retention.
Applications were judged by peer chamber executives in determining finalists. Winners were based on panel interviews conducted by experienced chamber professionals.
The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama is led by president and CEO Jim Page, a long-time advocate for business and economic growth in the state.
He acknowledged the weight of the achievement and expressed his gratitude to those who made entry into the competition a winning effort.
“An amazing day,” Page remarked in a statement. “I’m beyond proud of the membership that allows us to do this work, the volunteer leadership that provides the strategic vision, and the professional staff that executes at a high level. This is a team win in a community that expects nothing less.”
News of the award prompted congratulatory messages from leaders across the chamber’s footprint.
Mike Daria, superintendent of Tuscaloosa City Schools, offered his praise on social media.
Congrats to @chambertusc. Our community is fortunate to have such a results-focused and caring chamber with strong leadership throughout the entire organization. #Leadership https://t.co/bZUuEV0dFh
— Mike Daria (@MikeDaria) July 20, 2021
As did Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox.
Another championship for @tuscaloosacity and the entire region – Congrats to @chambertusc on this major accomplishment! https://t.co/cA9tSy2Azn
— Walt Maddox (@WaltMaddox) July 20, 2021
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama has been active outlining ways in which its members could remain open and productive while operating under the proper safety measures.
Its Let’s Keep West Alabama Working campaign became a model for other areas around the state.
Watch the moment staff and members find out they had won:
And the winner is…#ChamberOfTheYear pic.twitter.com/YKtmzqItiA
— The Chamber (@chambertusc) July 20, 2021
Tim Howe is an owner of Yellowhammer Multimedia
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