 |
Megan Baechle
CEO
Berea Chamber of Commerce
Berea, Ohio
Nominated by Chamber Board President Mary Brown of U.S. Bank
Megan has excelled at the chamber, having originally taken on the CEO role at the age of 27. She serves as CEO for two additional chambers, Olmsted and Beachwood, as well as executive director for an LGBTQ+ nonprofit servicing our neighboring county. She has vastly improved the financial health and community impact of her chambers, turning them into highly successful community organizations that are making a true impact on the people who live and work in Northeast Ohio.
|
 |
Casey Baines
Director of Policy & Communications
Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce
Boston, Massachusetts
Nominated by Jim Rooney, President & CEO, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce
Casey is an outstanding member of our team whose work has directly enhanced the Greater Boston Chamber’s brand, reputation and visibility through her exceptional writing skills and strong relationships with local media. She carefully crafts powerful, poignant and empathetic public statements on national and local events that are at the forefront of the changing tone in the business community on social and other issues. She has increased the chamber’s earned media mentions, including key issue comments from our CEO on pressing public policy issues like transportation and has generated increased media attention at chamber events.
|
 |
Christina Bell
Director of Membership Development
Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce
Wichita Falls, Texas
Nominated by Richard Gordon, Interim President & CEO, Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce
Christina joined our team during a tumultuous time as we changed both our dues and organizational structure. She accepted the challenge and successfully transitioned our membership from a transactional mindset to an aspirational model supporting the needs of individual businesses while simultaneously gaining their buy-in to our mission. This successful campaign resulted in increased value per member and increased first-time membership into our highest investment tiers.
|
 |
Marisa Bomis
Director of Communications & Marketing
Salt Lake Chamber
Salt Lake City, Utah
Nominated by Derek Miller, President & CEO, Salt Lake Chamber
Marisa truly is one of the rising bright stars in our community who can see the big picture and make sure the trains run on time. She was a key contributor to the design of our Chamber’s Stay Safe to Stay Open initiative which was adopted by the state of Utah and taken statewide. Her innovative planning and project management helped build out our communication apparatus to reach tens of thousands during this critical time in our state. Moreover, she adapted on the fly to set up the chamber's digital platform to include constant critical updates, press conferences and Zoom town halls for our community, including the governor’s first virtual press conference.
|
 |
Audrie E. Burkett
Senior Vice President of Strategy & Operations
Evansville Regional Economic Partnership
Evansville, Indiana
Nominated by Tara England Barney, President & CEO, Evansville Regional Economic Partnership
Audrie’s record of success in guiding transformative work at scale is unparalleled. She served as the merger manager for the successful integration of the regional chamber and regional and local economic development entities. She oversees the many systems that a merged organization must attend to - merging CRMs, accounting, revenue strategies, C-suite boards and staff. She looks for every opportunity to encourage team members to grow personally in their own leadership and professionally in their areas of expertise.
|
 |
Silas Chamberlin
Vice President, Economic & Community Development
York County Economic Alliance
York, Pennsylvania
Nominated by Kevin Schreiber, President & CEO, York County Economic Alliance
Silas has formed lasting relationships with our community, its investors, employers, educators and nonprofit organizations to foster the creation and lead the growth of several local and nationally recognized initiatives. He led the development and implementation of the York County Economic Action plan, a 10-year plan focused on workforce development, expanding access to capital and promoting economic mobility. He also led the YoCo Strong Recovery Task Force, which has guided the allocation of $126 million in federal recovery funds.
|
 |
Tomi Jean Clifford
Executive Director
Cynthiana Harrison County Chamber of Commerce
Cynthiana, Kentucky
Nominated by Cynthiana Mayor James Smith
Cynthiana has been experiencing a huge comeback, of which Tomi is a huge part. She has worked extremely hard at building relationships that pull the community together. She organized a strategic planning initiative to develop a list of objectives that included big goals like expanding housing, building public restrooms, establishing an entrepreneurship incubator, improving our river access for tourism and expanding broadband. Tomi is more than a chamber director. She is an influencer and leader. She is heavily involved in the community and its successes.
|
 |
Katie Collins
Senior Vice President of Strategy & Engagement
Greater Winston Salem Inc.
Winston Salem, North Carolina
Nominated by Mark Owens, President & CEO, Greater Winston Salem Inc.
Katie Collins is an emerging leader within our community and has been an integral part of the creation of Greater Winston Salem Inc. Leading a department that focuses on membership, communication and events for a chamber of almost 1,000 members and a community of over 450,000 people, she has a unique ability to relate to the needs of businesses and find solutions that best fit. Her knowledge, experience and innovative mindset are an asset to our organization, our business community and the chamber industry.
|
 |
Nikki Crabtree Huber, IOM
Legislative Director
Greenville Chamber
Greenville, South Carolina
Nominated by Jason Zacher, Sr. Vice President, Business Advocacy, Greenville Chamber
Nikki has dedicated her entire professional career to strengthening local business communities through her service at three different South Carolina chambers. Inside our chamber, she immediately made an impact with innovative ideas and energy. She saw gaps in our already-strong program and created new education and engagement paths, including two distinct, recurring small group events allowing investors to deeply connect with political leaders. Her integrity is beyond question, and she proved that she can deftly handle the strong egos, tough questions and intense conflict that are part of the policy arena.
|
 |
Phillip Faust
Business Development Manager
Union County Chamber
Monroe, North Carolina
Nominated by Patricia Kahle, President/CEO, Union County Chamber
Phillip joined our staff and immediately began to have an impact. Membership sales increased immediately. He also excelled on two major projects: selling ads in our annual publication and completing our Circle Investors program. In addition to his impact on revenue, Phillip is a leader on our team. He has implemented new processes for membership sales and creative ideas for our marketing plan. As an empathic leader and problem solver, Phillip strives to provide guidance while making a difference in the lives of individuals in his community.
|
 |
Tom Florian
Senior Director of Membership & Strategic Marketing
West Des Moines Chamber
West Des Moines, Iowa
Nominated by Katherine Harrington, President & CEO, West Des Moines Chamber
Tom leads business development for our chamber and manages over $400,000 in sponsorship and membership. He always goes above and beyond for members and the chamber team. Key successes include the development and launch of WDM Leads, a program to create meaningful connections for members in a recurring small group setting. He also played a key role in building the organization’s new strategic plan, developing our Latino Trade Network and adding 100 new members to the chamber.
|
 |
Barbara J. Garza
President & CEO
Weslaco Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center
Weslaco, Texas
Nominated by Chamber Board Chair Daniel Montez of South Texas College
Barbara is dedicated to the goals of the chamber and focuses on meeting these objectives through increased tourism efforts, business development, community growth projects, youth development and marketing opportunities. She has created a great atmosphere of inclusion in our community. She has created networking activities for local businesses and launched activities for educators and job seekers. She comes from an academic background, so she advocates for education and training activities that benefit our local citizens.
|
 |
Yadira Garza-Malone
Director of Development
Grand Rapids Chamber
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Nominated by Omar Cuevas, VP of Investor & Corporate Relations, Grand Rapids Chamber
Yadira has made a significant contribution to the success of the chamber. She started as a membership manager where she stood out as an excellent performer in membership sales and supporting sponsorships. She was promoted to membership director based on her leadership and proven record in growing revenue. After executing key components of the organization's growth strategy and rebuilding the membership team, she was asked to again step up as the organization’s first Latina Director of Development. It is in this role that Yadira has once again demonstrated a wonderful contribution to the organization by taking on grant writing and expanding sponsorships.
|
 |
Justice Gennari
President & CEO
Tampa Bay LGBT Chamber of Commerce
Tampa, Florida
Nominated by Chamber Board Chair Chad Daughtrey
Justice has worked tirelessly to grow the organization while maintaining a solid foundation for the chamber. He works with community leaders in both the private and public sectors to address many issues that affect not only the LGBT business community but also many other minority communities. He works tirelessly to provide diversity and inclusion education for organizations throughout the seven counties the chamber represents.
|
 |
Brianna Goico
Assistant Director
Mammoth Lakes Chamber of Commerce
Mammoth Lakes, California
Nominated by Ken Brengle, CCE, IOM, Executive Director, Mammoth Lakes Chamber of Commerce
Brianna is an integral part of our organization and a key resource in moving this chamber to the next level. She demonstrates the temperament, passion and desire to excel in this profession. She is always open to learning about best practices in chamber work and making sure she and our organization are striving for excellence.
|
 |
Alicia Gregory
Director of Membership Engagement
Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Nominated by Jim Page, CCE, IOM, President & CEO, Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama
Since joining the chamber in April 2018, Alicia has quickly emerged as a highly respected leader among her colleagues and a recognized difference-maker to external audiences because of her organizational skills, relentless work ethic and thorough understanding of chamber operations. Alicia played a pivotal role in our innovative COVID-19 response efforts and in positioning the chamber to be named ACCE Chamber of the Year in 2021.
|
 |
Andrew Griffin
Vice President of Government Affairs
Maryland Chamber of Commerce
Annapolis, Maryland
Nominated by Mary D. Kane, President & CEO, Maryland Chamber of Commerce
Andrew is one of the most important, effective individuals representing the business community in Maryland. He is well versed on all legislation regarding business and is highly sought after by local and county chambers of commerce, business executives and members of the General Assembly for his advice and insights on current and future legislation. His gregarious personality has made our new podcast, “Between Two Chambers,” a must-do for legislators.
|
 |
Lindsay Griffin-Boylan
President & CEO
Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Nominated by Chamber Board Chair Don Brominski of UGI Utilities, Inc.
Lindsay is an energetic, visionary leader who has worked to innovate and grow our chamber’s impact on the entire community. She has ensured the sustainability of our organization and made diversity and advocacy key parts of our strategic plan. She is a positive change agent for our entire team, who leads by example and works every day to unite our region and inspire future leaders.
|
 |
Lindsay Jarquio
Director, Leadership Programs
Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce
Kansas City, Missouri
Nominated by Joe Reardon, President/CEO, Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce
In her time at the chamber, Lindsay has led our leadership development programming to new heights, gracefully implementing changes despite some resistance. She demonstrates an ability to balance competing priorities, organize complex systems and represent the chamber to outside audiences. These skills led to her rapid promotion first to program manager of our prestigious Centurions Leadership Development Program and then to director, overseeing all our leadership programs.
|
 |
Audrey Kamm
Vice President, Operations
Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce
Peoria, Illinois
Nominated by Joshua Gunn, President & CEO, Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce
Audrey is the heartbeat of everything that we do here, and her passion for this region and the work of our chamber is second-to-none. Audrey has served the chamber and the broader region for six years and risen quickly from a program manager role to her current position as vice president. She manages operations and directly supervises four staff people at our chamber. She is also instrumental in building our events strategy, as well as the driving force behind large regional programming such as The Big Table and our talent attraction initiative, Greater Peoria 2030.
|
 |
Amanda Kinsella
Chief Operations Officer
Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce
Eugene, Oregon
Nominated by Brittany Quick-Warner, President & CEO, Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce
Amanda was hired in 2016 as our events manager. She turned several events from breakeven to profitable within a very short time. Her passion for the organization quickly led us to promote her to director of membership where she oversaw our membership department, establishing sales and retention strategies, restructuring our dues model from fair share to tiered and growing our overall membership base. She was recruited by a local company to lead the creation and opening of The District Coworking. Amanda’s success led me to recruit her back to the Eugene Chamber to fill a new role as our chief operating officer. In one year, she raised more than $400,000, increased our sponsorship investments by 15% and implemented the Entrepreneurial Operating System within our organization.
|
 |
Jimmy Lane
President & CEO
Cocoa Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce
Merritt Island, Florida
Nominated by Chamber Board Chair Amy Krupp of Sidecar Health
When Jimmy took the helm of our organization, he found a chamber that had become complacent and lost focus of its mission. He facilitated 27 planning sessions and interviews with over 200 community leaders, helping us evaluate and update every part of our organization from operational excellence, policies and procedures, value-added programming, business development, community engagement and more. As a result of Jimmy’s leadership and focus on serving our mission, our chamber has experienced more growth in one year than we have seen in almost a decade.
|
 |
Justin Lee
Senior Vice President of Membership and Corporate Partnerships
Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce
Charleston, South Carolina
Nominated by Bryan Derreberry, President & CEO, Charleston Metro Chamber
Justin’s ten-year track record at our chamber epitomizes what we’re all seeking from an emerging leader shaping the future of our chamber industry. He excelled as a member of the sales team and has been recognized by ACCE for his accomplishments. His capacity to grow from a leader impact standpoint has really blossomed over the last two years, leading a promotion to his current role, where he is exceeding leadership and budget expectations.
|
 |
Renay Sehgal Mehta
Director of Workforce Development
Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce
Chino, California
Nominated by Zeb Welborn, President, Chino Valley Chamber
Renay hit the ground running and has never looked back. We brought Renay on board to develop and implement our Upskill Chino Valley program. The program has been a huge success, strengthening the chamber's leadership on workforce, economic, leadership and entrepreneurship development for our region. She is an excellent communicator, well-organized, task-oriented and always gets the job done.
|
 |
LaKisha Miller
Executive Director
Kentucky Chamber Foundation Workforce Center
Frankfort, Kentucky
Nominated by Ashli Watts, CCE, IOM, CEO, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
LaKisha is an incredible chamber leader, advancing the evolving work of the chamber, securing a brighter future for Kentucky citizens and supporting the economy. During her tenure, LaKisha has led her team to recruit nearly 40,000 jobs for individuals coming out of incarceration, provide 50,000 work-based learning opportunities for Kentucky’s future workforce in the K-12 educational system and upskill nearly 5,000 Kentuckians based on the needs of business.
|
 |
Jessica Mosley
Director of Diversity & Community Development
Greater Memphis Chamber
Memphis, Tennessee.
Nominated by Beverly Roberston, President & CEO, Greater Memphis Chamber
In a very short period, Jessica has created tremendous credibility and become a go-to person for several significant initiatives. She is the key ambassador for the chamber, responsible for delivering DEI strategies. She launched and managed Memphis Moves, an economic development marketing campaign that promotes Memphis’ assets. She launched Buy Memphis, a B2B procurement initiative that engages companies to drive more contracts to local, diverse-owned businesses. She also directs programming for the chamber’s Young Professionals Council. No matter how simple or complicated a problem may be, she attacks it with the professionalism and zeal that leads to success.
|
 |
Stephanie Norwood
Director of Events
Greater Topeka Partnership
Topeka, Kansas
Nominated by Robert Ross, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Events, Greater Topeka Partnership
Stephanie has led a complex variety of events that range from annual meetings, networking nights, music festivals, beer festivals, golf tournaments, equity and inclusion summits and more. She has led this effort with grace, professionalism and a steady hand. She also pioneered the implementation of a strategic abandonment process that allowed us to evaluate the breadth of events we put on and stop underperforming or unnecessary events. This effort has allowed our organization to increase margins and provide a higher standard of execution.
|
 |
Katie Palmer
Director of Events & Operations
Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce Foundation
Lewiston, Maine
Nominated by Shanna Cox, President & CEO, Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
Katie is fondly known as the go-to for most things at the chamber by her peers and our membership. Her ability to navigate complex relationships with vendors and venues to plan and execute events of all scale in all environments is one aspect of her talent and skill set. As the chamber navigated the impact of the pandemic on our revenue streams and legacy events, Katie was innovative, experimental and adept at finding solutions that support the chamber’s stability into the future. She is a true champion for the community, with a tireless commitment to serving.
|
 |
Joe Pellman
Executive Director of Regional Image Marketing
Indy Chamber
Indianapolis, Indiana
Nominated by Michael Huber, President & CEO, Indy Chamber
Joe has made positive, measurable contributions to the way people view the Indianapolis region, both nationally and locally. Joe and his team identified a crucial need to improve perceptions of the Indianapolis region and to illuminate the diversity of job opportunities and the high quality of life within the region. He developed the concept of an open-source, digital, image marketing platform, which we called Life in Indy. The platform has generated national and local earned media at a record pace since 2020. It also serves as an important resource for a growing number of HR professionals, tech companies, mayors and non-profits in their talent attraction and retention efforts.
|
 |
Dominic Provenzano
Marketing & Communications Manager
The Staten Island Chamber of Commerce
Staten Island, New York
Nominated by Linda Baran, President & CEO, The Staten Island Chamber of Commerce
Dom was brought on board for his innovative ideas and creativity. He studied the results of a recent membership survey and executed a complete rebrand of the chamber, which included a website overhaul and a new suite of membership packages He also developed and implemented a robust retention plan that ensures all members receive customized touch points, return-on-investment reports and one-on-one care. Thanks to Dom’s efforts, the chamber is better positioned to serve the needs of the next generation of Staten Island’s small businesses.
|
 |
Holly Rader
Vice President of Member Relations
Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce
Sious Falls, South Dakota
Nominated by Jeff Griffin, President & CEO, Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce
Holly was originally hired as an agribusiness manager. In this role, she re-energized our Annual Livestock show. Thanks to her work, volunteers, farmers and sponsors have increased their support of the event, which had been on the decline. She was promoted to vice president of member relations in 2020 and her leadership continues to flourish, achieving the most significant net increase in members in five years and increasing professional development for members and young professionals by 20%. Holly is the type of leader anyone would want in their organization.
|
 |
Cathy Renfeldt
Executive Director
Cordova Chamber of Commerce
Cordova, Alaska
Nominated by Chamber Board President Stephen Phillips of CDV Surveys
Cathy has put her expert communication, outreach and organizing skills to work, not only within our organization but in a variety of volunteer roles that have built an ecosystem of collaboration and elevated the reputation of the community. As a small, coastal town off the surface road system and accessible only via air and water, the number one issue affecting the health and vitality of our local businesses and community is reliable and affordable transportation. She has also emerged as a statewide leader in this effort, forming coastal coalitions of leaders to create cohesive region-wide suggestions and requests to transportation decision-makers.
|
 |
Kaylin Risvold
President & CEO
Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce
Naperville, Illinois
Nominated by Chamber Board Chair Christina Caton Kitchel of Caton Commercial Real Estate Group
Kaylin’s strong desire to stay relevant as a chamber in our community has pushed her to continue to evaluate the effectiveness of all that we do as an organization. Her leadership and communication help our members and staff stay connected to our mission and vision. She takes time to make sure that not only her members, but also her staff have a voice and feel included in all that the chamber does within our community. She takes the time to constantly look for ways to improve herself in her leadership role by seeking out mentorships, continued education opportunities and leadership engagement.
|
 |
Danielle N. Rodriguez
Director of Marketing & Programs
Brownsville Chamber of Commerce
Brownsville, Texas
Nominated by Esmeralda Villarreal, President & CEO, Brownsville Chamber
Danielle has taken the Brownsville Chamber to new heights with innovative branding, social media campaigns, programs and special events. She fosters a great sense of collaboration and understands that teamwork is essential to the success of the organization and its members.
|
 |
Naomi Sargent
Vice President of Strategic Communications
OneSpartanburg, Inc.
Spartanburg, South Carolina
Nominated by Allen Smith, CCE, IOM, President & CEO, OneSpartanburg, Inc.
Naomi was an integral part of COVID-19 pandemic responses countywide, including leading marketing campaigns to spur the recovery of local businesses, implementing a hybrid-remote work policy for staff and leading contact-tracing efforts that resulted in our staff remaining efficient and safe during the pandemic. She has shown incredible growth and leadership during her time with OneSpartanburg, Inc. She has often been a key component in our organization’s success, displaying impressive thoroughness and ensuring strategy is an element of all communication efforts coming from our organization.
|
 |
Melanie Schmees
Director of Business & Economic Research
Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce
Naples, Florida
Nominated by Michael Dalby, CCE, IOM, President & CEO, Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce
Melanie has served in a multifaceted role at the chamber. She serves in a traditional economic development function, including answering RFPs, assisting in site selection and managing the business retention and expansion program. In addition, she serves in a research capacity for our members, providing valuable data to ensure that local businesses have the information they need to make informed decisions. Her talents and communications skills have made her a key resource in the economic vitality of our community.
|
 |
Tiffany Scott
CEO
Sylvania Area Chamber of Commerce
Sylvania, Ohio
Nominated by Chamber Board Chair Tom Wulf of Premier Bank
For being a 30-year-old professional leading a chamber with over 500 members, her confidence, poise and professionalism are unmatched. She has a very supportive board of directors because she quickly earned their trust after being named CEO. Tiffany and her team have grown the chamber’s community events to new heights, including record-breaking crowds and doubling sponsorship commitments from previous years. She’s also engaged the board and staff around a new strategic plan.
|
 |
Stacey Sikes
Vice President of Government Affairs & Communications
Long Island Association
Melville, New York
Nominated by Matt Cohen, President & CEO, Long Island Association
Stacey has demonstrated unparalleled diligence, expertise and a strong commitment to making her home a better place. She managed a comprehensive rebrand and digital communication strategy that conveyed our new vision for the organization. She oversaw the launch and implementation of the first LIA Small Business Conference and the new Small Business Support Program that partners with other chambers of commerce serving businesses founded by people of color. She successfully manages several members of the LIA team and supports them in their own professional growth.
|
 |
Alyssa Voeltz, IOM
Member Experience Manager
Billings Chamber of Commerce
Billings, Montana
Nominated by Jennifer Reiser, CCE, IOM, Chief Operating Officer, Billings Chamber
Alyssa has taken the chamber’s events to the next level and works hard to create immersive and interactive events that engage members, heighten the visibility of the chamber and strengthen the impact of community engagement for businesses. Through her efforts, the chamber exceeded the budgeted revenue goal for major events by over $48,000.
|
 |
Heather Wagemann
Manager of Engagement
Plano Chamber
Plano, Texas
Nominated by Kelle Marsalis, CCE, IOM, President & CEO, Plano Chamber
Heather joined our team in a membership role, but what she has accomplished has been nothing short of transformational for our chamber. She came to us with a background in philanthropy and applied her previous experience to support launching our 501c3 foundation and crafting new programs to engage donors in the post-covid economy. She relaunched a more public-facing Culture and Inclusion Alliance among our top employers in the region. This new spin on an aging program allowed our organization to bring important voices to the table to shape DEI programs for smaller and mid-size companies, and the community at large.
|
