The Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce is an organization that loves to congratulate, recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of others. We celebrate business and community successes across the board to make people recognize that Manhattan is a place where you can be successful and a place where you want to live, work and raise a family.
However, I’d like to take a moment and celebrate something our team has accomplished.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has awarded the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce with its designation of Accredited with 5 Stars for its sound policies, effective organizational procedures, and positive impact on the community. The Manhattan Chamber is one of only 140 chambers across the country to receive this accreditation and one of only five in the State of Kansas.
The purpose of the U.S. Chamber's Accreditation Program is to facilitate continuing excellence in the chamber industry and to foster a pro-business environment across America. In order to receive Accreditation, a chamber must meet minimum standards in their operations and programs, including areas of governance, government affairs, communications, and technology.
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.
We began working on this process nearly two years ago. Our team, led by Brenda Hoefler, put in a lot of time and energy on this project and we are thrilled that a group of our peers has made the determination that, as an organization, we operate at the highest level across the board in our operations, strategies and accomplishments.
I would like to thank each of you for investing in the organization and putting your confidence in our “Five-Star Team”. We will continue to look for ways to improve on our processes and seek to promote growth and economic prosperity in our community.