LOUISVILLE, Ky. (June 14, 2018) — Greater Louisville Inc. is a finalist for the 2018 Chamber of the Year award, to be presented by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE).
The award, which recognizes the dual role chambers have in leading businesses and communities, honors excellence in operations, member services and community leadership. To achieve finalist status is an accomplishment in itself, as each year the ACCE invites only a limited number of its more than 1,300 members to apply for the award.
It is the only award that annually recognizes the nation’s top chamber. GLI was previously named ACCE’s Chamber of the Year in 2007.
The comprehensive application process includes an ACCE review panel that considers the chambers’ overall organizational structures, fiscal responsibility, strategic planning and member engagement. It is the only award that annually recognizes the nation’s top chamber.
GLI’s application included an overview of Greater Louisville 2020 – GLI’s strategic plan that focuses on economic growth and capacity building and is supported by a $7.5 million capital campaign.
The application also included synopses on:
• Live in Lou – the cornerstone of GLI’s talent attraction and retention efforts, with 2020 goals of increasing the working age population by 38,000 and the number of degreed adults by 18,000.
• Million Dollar Babies – a GLI initiative that assists qualified founders of early-stage, tech-enabled companies to increase their potential for reaching $1 million in revenue or in money raised in a single equity round.
“Being a Chamber of the Year finalist puts GLI in very exclusive company,” said Kent Oyler, GLI’s president and CEO. “While we hope to become the ultimate winner, this alone is a major accomplishment worth celebrating for our team members, our board and the entire community.”
Chamber of the Year is given annually to chambers in four size categories. Categories are based on a handful of criteria, such as population, number of businesses, total revenue and current number of members. GLI is classified under category four – the largest. The other finalists in this category are Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce and Tulsa Regional Chamber.
“Greater Louisville Inc. is a driver of economic growth in our community, and to be a finalist is an indication of our success,” said Jim Allen, chair of GLI’s Board of Directors. “It’s an honor for GLI to be recognized for its commitment to entrepreneurship, business leadership, talent attraction, global outreach, and much more.”
The Chamber of the Year winner will be announced on July 18 during the ACCE Annual Convention in Des Moines, Iowa. It will be awarded to a chamber based on its 2017 body of work.
“The GLI staff, its board and its investors accomplished a lot during 2017,” said Evelyn Strange, who was board chair of GLI in 2017. “It’s rewarding to be recognized as a finalist by ACCE. Equally rewarding is watching how GLI has excelled further during the first half of 2018. This organization is truly on a great course.”
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