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The Chamber Effect
Boosting Business, Building Community and Transforming Quality of Life
Across the country, chambers of commerce are proving that bold leadership can transform challenges into opportunities. They are revitalizing economies, strengthening communities and shaping the future. From reimagining industrial sites in Kentucky to connecting volunteers in Michigan, securing billion-dollar investments in Indiana and harnessing untapped talent in Tennessee, these 2025 Chamber of the Year winners are redefining what it means to lead with vision, action and measurable impact.
Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce, Kentucky
Path to Reindustrialization
In the late 1950s, Paducah, Kentucky, became home to a major uranium enrichment plant for the U.S. Department of Defense, employing more than 2,000 people. The facility fueled more than just defense work, it fueled an entire community. Supporting businesses sprang up, supply chains thrived and wages rose.
But in 2013, the plant was deemed unnecessary and shut down, leaving Paducah facing the loss of a major employer and up to 35 years of environmental cleanup before the site could be reused. Determined to find a path forward, the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce began working with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in 2014 to secure funding for a study that could shape the site’s future.
In 2023, the chamber won a DOE grant to lead that study. Early results identified 2,700 acres of viable land around the former plant, with infrastructure planning already underway. The study also maps future workforce needs to ensure residents are ready for the jobs to come.
“We already have one company announced, a letter of intent from another and several more in the pipeline for later this year,” said Sandra Wilson, IOM, president and CEO of the Paducah Area Chamber. “It’s bringing jobs, stability and new technology to our community and creating opportunities for the people who are already here.”
Michigan West Coast Chamber, Michigan
Building Connections Through Statewide Impact
The Michigan West Coast Chamber started with a simple but powerful insight: business professionals, employers and community members were seeking more ways to connect and give back. At the same time, many local nonprofits and municipalities lacked the capacity to complete vital projects.
To bridge this gap, the chamber launched Community Impact Day, bringing people together to volunteer and strengthen the community.
The concept quickly gained momentum. In 2025, the chamber partnered with the Michigan Association of Chamber Professionals to launch a statewide Community Impact Day, uniting chambers and communities across Michigan. On one coordinated day, thousands of volunteers wore matching blue shirts and spread out across the state, making their collective impact highly visible while boosting support for local causes and strengthening civic pride.
“In our first year, we had modest goals. We hoped five chambers would join us and seven did. We served over 235 locations across Michigan with nearly 3,800 volunteers,” said Jodi Owczarski, IOM, president and CEO of the Michigan West Coast Chamber.
Beyond the volunteer hours, this program also created a new revenue stream, with chambers securing $106,750 in sponsorships. “We made an impact on our communities and on the chambers’ bottom lines,” said Owczarski.
Greater Fort Wayne Inc., Indiana
Delivering a Game-Changing Partnership
In 2024, Greater Fort Wayne Inc. (GFW Inc.), Allen County’s lead economic development organization, faced a rare opportunity with the potential to redefine Fort Wayne’s economic future. Google was considering a major investment, but the complexities of assembling land, aligning local partners and navigating approvals could have easily derailed the project.
Instead, GFW Inc. stepped forward as the driving force behind one of the region’s most significant economic wins. Through its leadership and coordination, GFW Inc. helped secure Google’s initial $2 billion investment, covering Phases 1 and 2 of its new data center project. The investment will deliver 200 permanent on-site jobs and support 1,000 skilled trades construction jobs over the next decade.
Google credited GFW Inc. with making this its fastest and most seamless data center project experience worldwide, a testament to the organization’s catalytic leadership.
Behind that success was a series of bold moves. GFW Inc. negotiated the acquisition of 900 acres across 53 parcels in just 90 days, a feat requiring unprecedented coordination and speed. Beyond land and logistics, GFW Inc. worked to ensure the investment would have long-term benefits for local residents by helping establish the Skilled Trades and Readiness program in partnership with Ivy Tech Community College, Indiana's public community college system. This program offers paid training and direct career pathways into high-demand fields, embedding workforce development into the fiber of the project.
Perhaps most importantly, the impact is being felt exactly where it's needed most.
“One of the great things about this project is it ties very closely to our economic development strategy,” said John Urbahns, president and CEO of GFW Inc. “We focused on job growth in underperforming or under-invested areas of our community.”
Southeast Fort Wayne has seen disinvestment for several decades, and this $2 billion project is located in the heart of that portion. The economic spinoff will drive investment throughout the community, which just saw its first market-rate subdivision in the last 40 years. “We will continue reinvesting in southeast Fort Wayne because we believe inclusive economic development is key to success, not just for certain areas, but for the entire community,” said Urbahns.
Greater Memphis Chamber, Tennessee
Turning Untapped Strength Into an Innovation Catalyst
When the Greater Memphis Economic Research Group’s research and data collection revealed a steep drop in Memphis' STEM workforce—from 13% in 2019 to just 7% by 2021, the chamber faced a clear challenge to its vision for global economic leadership. But within that data was an opportunity: Memphis ranked #1 among peer cities in Black tech talent concentration.
From this insight, The Digital Delta was born. This ambitious initiative was designed to transform Memphis’ talent advantage into a competitive edge. The chamber launched a two-pronged strategy. First, they built a pipeline of highly skilled, diverse STEM talent through partnerships with educational institutions and real-world learning programs. Second, they attracted technology companies eager to tap into this unique, underrepresented talent pool.
“The Digital Delta is a region transformed. It is the advent of a new industry sector focus for the Memphis economy, and it is multifaceted. It is centered on the data that represents this region as a tech hub. And we've used that to attract new investment to our community,” said Ted Townsend, president and CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber.
Today, The Digital Delta is redefining what’s possible for Memphis. It is closing credential gaps, building infrastructure and fostering abundance through innovation. More importantly, it supports the city’s bold Prosper Memphis 2030 strategic plan goals: bringing more than 700 advanced industry firms to the region, producing 20,000 STEM graduates annually and creating 50,000 high-quality jobs with 50% representation from minority communities.
The Chamber of the Year award recognizes excellence in operations, member service and community leadership.
Chambers of commerce interested in competing for the award must first qualify by participating in a vigorous multi-stage process. Organizations entering the competition must meet minimum thresholds in at least three of five key performance areas in ACCE’s Annual Chamber Operations Survey, including net revenue and assets, membership account retention and membership dollar retention.
Qualifying chambers enter the competition with a written application addressing all aspects of organizational operation and programmatic work. Applications are scored by peer chamber executives to determine finalists. The finalists then move on to an interview before a panel of experienced chamber professionals.
To ensure the fairest competition, applicants are grouped into four categories based on annual revenue, membership, staff capacity, area population and other factors. A strong conflict of interest policy signed by all volunteer judges ensures a competitive and fair playing field for applicants.
The 2025 Chamber of the Year Award was presented by GrowthZone.
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