Maryville, Tenn. — The United States Chamber of Commerce today awarded the Blount County Chamber with Five-Star Accreditation for its sound policies, effective organizational procedures, and positive impact on the community. The Blount County Chamber has been accredited for the past 35 years and has been awarded five-star status for the third consecutive time.
“Accreditation validates a chamber as having programs that benefit their local economy and for positively influencing action in their community,” said Raymond P. Towle, IOM, CAE, Vice President, Federation Relations and Institute for Organization Management. “We applaud these organizations for advancing the principles of free enterprise.”
“This is really a tribute to the hard work our staff does on a daily basis to do what’s best for our community and stakeholders,” said Bryan Daniels, Blount Partnership president/CEO. “The accreditation is a prestigious achievement that not many across the country receive and we are proud to have been a five-star Chamber for the past 10 years.”
Accreditation is the only national program that recognizes chambers for their effective organizational procedures and community involvement. In order to receive Accreditation, a chamber must meet minimum standards in their operations and programs, including areas of governance, government affairs, and technology. This extensive self-review can take 6-9 months to complete.
“Accreditation is a great checks and balances system to make sure we are operating at the highest level,” said Tammi Ford, Blount Partnership vice president. “It’s great recognition for our current and past boards, volunteers and our 1000 members to show that we are focused on making Blount County the best place to live and work.”
Local chambers are rated Accredited, 3-Stars, 4-Stars, or 5-Stars. State chambers are recognized as either Accredited State Chamber or Accredited State Chamber with Distinction. The final determination is made by the Accrediting Board, a committee of U.S. Chamber board members.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.