“The Alpena Area Chamber of Commerce received this award based on its accomplishments in leadership and governance, financial stewardship, business advocacy and member programming,” Bob Thomas, Michigan Association of Chamber Professionals director, said. “Among the chamber’s noted achievements were its continued growth in membership and business engagement, a strong demonstration of local advocacy and a commitment to creative and innovative programming. The visionary work from the Alpena chamber and its efforts to support Alpena’s long-term growth and talent development are remarkable for the region and set a gold standard for other chambers in the state.”

The Outstanding Chamber of Commerce award is presented to chambers organizations based on a comprehensive application modeled after the U.S. Chamber of Commerce accreditation process for recognizing best industry practices. Applications are judged by chamber professionals from across the country and must demonstrate quality, innovation, and effectiveness of programming. The highest scoring applications receive the annual award. Other recipients from the event included the Hudsonville Area Chamber of Commerce (small category) and the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce (large category).

The Michigan Association of Chamber Professionals is the industry association for over 300 chambers in Michigan. Its mission is to build excellence in chambers of commerce through organizational and board-level resource support, professional development for chamber staff and to promote the importance of chambers of commerce across the state.