The chamber on Nov. 9 got word that it had received a 5-star accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. Chamber President Lori Walker said she was “elated” to get the recognition.
“It just kind of speaks volume to our staff and our board of directors,” Walker said.
Walker said businesses in the community can benefit from being part of an organization that is an elite chamber. The chamber has 650-plus members.
The chamber wants to attain sound financial stability, especially as many chambers had to close their doors during the height of the pandemic, Walker said, explaining the organization is important to businesses, residents and community.
“It has been a year in the making,” she said about the accreditation. “The process took almost all of 2023. It is in-depth. It is intricate. [It requires] a lot of information. We could not be more thrilled with this. Beyond amazing.”
The details
Walker said the chamber was evaluated on nine sections: governance, finance, human resources, government affairs, program development, technology, communications, facilities and benchmarking. In those nine areas, there exists detailed reporting on a chamber’s performance. Accreditation shows a chamber’s dedication to reviewing, improving and promoting strong business practices.
“It recognizes the leadership of our organization for outstanding contributions to the community,” she said.
She said Flower Mound’s chamber received a perfect score in five of the nine categories: governance, human resources, program development, communications and facilities.
Zooming in
“This prestigious recognition is a testament to our commitment to excellence, strong leadership and the positive impact we have made in our community,” said Cindi Howard, Flower Mound Chamber of Commerce vice president of operations, in a news release.
In the release, she said accreditation with the United States Chamber of Commerce is a “distinctive program that sets the standard for chamber planning and acknowledges outstanding contributions toward positive change in local communities.”
With 7,000 chambers across the country, achieving accreditation with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is a rare and prestigious honor, Howard said, as just 146 chambers of commerce hold the esteemed 5-star accreditation.
