MANSFIELD — Jodie Perry was refreshing her email more than usual on June 5.
The chief operating officer of the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development expected to hear if they had advanced in the national Chamber of the Year competition, and found good news that evening.
“I checked my email at 10 p.m. and I would never text anyone that late, but I was so excited,” Perry said. “We’re one of three finalists from across the country, and it’s really something we share with our board, our members and the whole community.”
The Richland Area Chamber is a category 2 finalist for the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives’ (ACCE) Chamber of the Year award.
The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce and Winter Park, Florida Chamber of Commerce are also finalists.
Chambers must meet a number of qualifications to apply for the Chamber of the Year award based on their membership retention, financial performance, strategic plans and community involvement.
ACCE will announce the winners on Aug. 1 at the annual convention in Salt Lake City. Chamber executives will complete an interview with a panel of experienced chamber professionals before the winner is decided.
“We’re not sure how many of our staff can go to the interview, but we want to take as many of them as possible because it’s a group effort,” Perry said. “Everything they measure, all of our staff have influenced in some way.”
The Richland Area Chamber was honored as the Outstanding Chamber of the Year at a statewide conference in February. Perry also earned the Outstanding Professional of the Year Award from the Chamber of Commerce Executives of Ohio.
The national Chamber of the Year award, sponsored by Personify, is the most prestigious and competitive recognition presented annually by the ACCE.
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 truly represent excellence in the chamber industry,” said ACCE President & CEO Sheree Anne Kelly.
“Through their roles as community partners, thought leaders and innovative problem solvers, each has demonstrated what it means to be a catalyst for growth and regional prosperity,” she said. “We congratulate them on this achievement.”
Qualifying chambers enter the competition with a written application addressing all aspects of organizational operation and programmatic work.
Applicants are grouped into four categories based on annual revenue, membership, area population and other factors. The applications are then scored by peer chamber executives in the industry to determine finalists.
“I am incredibly excited and proud of our team for achieving this honor,” Richland Chamber board chair Jay Goyal said. “We have an amazing group and it is so validating to have them recognized.”
The chamber supported 56 local businesses in 2022 with COVID-19 relief grants for food service, tourism and lodging in Richland County.
It also supported the distribution of more than $40 million in Richland County American Rescue Plan Act dollars, cleared the way for redevelopment of the Westinghouse “A” Building brownfield site, supported the countywide housing study, partnered with Destination Mansfield to co-lead the community branding project, raised awareness of career opportunities through the Richland Works project, and contributed to many other projects.
