From Staff Reports

PELHAM – The Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce was one of seven Alabama chambers to achieve the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama’s Accredited Alabama Chamber of Commerce distinction at a conference held earlier this month.

Joining the Greater Shelby County Chamber in receiving this inaugural accreditation were the Coastal Alabama Business Chamber, Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, Lake Guntersville Chamber of Commerce, Opelika Chamber of Commerce, Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama.

According to a news release from the Greater Shelby County Chamber, the Accredited Alabama Chamber of Commerce program sets standards for chambers in the state and recognizes those that have achieved those standards, while offering guidelines for others to improve their effectiveness.

The Accredited Alabama Chamber of Commerce program is designed to promote public awareness about the intent of the chamber of commerce as a not-for-profit and community development-based business organization by providing a peer review process of generally accepted chamber of commerce organizational benchmarks.

The Accredited Alabama Chamber of Commerce program assesses chambers in six categories: organization, mission focus, professional administration, financial management, communications and advocacy.

“As one of CCAA’s most prestigious programs, the Accredited Alabama Chamber of Commerce program shows that each chamber receiving the distinction is committed to the highest standards of organization management,” said Morri Yancy, president of the Lake Guntersville Chamber of Commerce and chairwoman of the CCAA Board of Directors.

“This distinction recognizes local chambers of commerce in Alabama that strengthen free enterprise by protecting their local business environment. They most certainly represent the highest standards in our profession.”

Jeremy L. Arthur, president and CEO of the CCAA, said the seven local chambers of commerce are a true testament to the chamber profession.

“The accreditation process is very rigorous and highlights that each chamber is truly the ‘best of the best’ across our state,” Arthur said.