Conway Area, AR News

CONWAY, Ark. (March 16, 2011) – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce awarded Conway Area Chamber of Commerce with 4-Star Accreditation for its sound policies, effective organizational procedures and positive impact on the community.

Accreditation is one of the highest honors bestowed on chambers that support pro-growth and economic policies at the federal, state and local levels. In addition, 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, technology, program development and communication. This extensive self-review took the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce a year to complete.

“We are excited to receive national recognition on behalf of our 1,250 investors,” said Brad Lacy, president and CEO. “We are now one of 76 chambers in the United States to achieve 4-star status.

“It was important for us to go through this process. Very few chambers subject themselves to this level of scrutiny and objective review. We are a better organization for having gone through the process,” he said.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce rates local chambers as Accredited, 3-Stars, 4-Stars or 5-Stars. Of the nearly 7,000 chambers in the United States, only 221 are Accredited. These chambers represent the top 3 percent of all chambers in the nation.

Conway Chamber is only the fourth chamber in Arkansas to achieve this designation. The other Accredited chambers are Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce (4-stars), Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce (5-stars) and Searcy Chamber of Commerce (Accredited).

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.

The mission of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce is to lead the community toward sustainable economic growth, to advocate for a pro-business climate for its members, to build upon Conway’s educational foundations, and to establish and execute the community’s vision.