US Chamber Awards Alaska Chamber with Accreditation

ANCHORAGE—The United States Chamber of Commerce awarded the Alaska Chamber with a rating of Accredited for its sound policies, effective organizational procedures, and positive impact on the community. The Chamber joins the top 3 percent of all chambers in the nation who are Accredited and one of only six state chambers to hold this distinction.

With approximately 7,000 chambers in the US, Accreditation with the US Chamber of Commerce is a prestigious honor that distinguishes the high quality, expertise, and strong leadership displayed by Accredited state and local chambers of commerce.

“It is a great honor to be recognized by the US Chamber of Commerce as one of the elite chambers in the United States who receive Accreditation,” said Albert Fogle, Vice President of the Chamber. “This is a true testament to the health of the organization, efficacy of our pro-business advocacy, and best practices to expand our organization for the future, which includes the Alaska Chamber Health Plan.”

Accreditation is the only national program that recognizes chambers for their effective organizational procedures and community involvement.

“Each day, chambers of commerce are working hard to put the American dream within reach of every hardworking business owner” said Raymond P. Towle, IOM, CAE, US Chamber vice president of Federation Relations and Institute for Organization Management. “The Accreditation designation tells chamber members as well as the greater business community, this is an organization that has effective programs, sound finances, and is a strong advocate for their interests.”

In order to receive Accreditation, a chamber must meet minimum standards in their operations and programs, including areas of governance, government affairs, and technology. This extensive self-review can take six to nine months to complete. 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 US Chamber board members.