(Hot Springs, AR)  Nov. 13, 2020 – The Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce has once again received a 5-Star accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for its sound policies, effective organizational procedures, and positive impact on the community. This is the highest such designation in the Chamber industry.

Local chambers are rated as: Accredited, 3-Stars, 4-Stars, or 5-Stars. The final determination is made by the Accrediting Board, a committee of U.S. Chamber board members. In the State of Arkansas, only three other Chambers of Commerce have earned this designation, and the Greater Hot Springs Chamber is the only 5-Star accredited Chamber outside of Northwest Arkansas.  They are also one of only 132 Chambers out of approximately 7,000 in the country to earn the 5-Star designation.

The Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce first achieved this designation in 2015.  Chamber President/CEO Gary Troutman credited his entire staff and especially Chamber VP Betsy Atkins and Chairman Neal Harrington for coordinating this submission.

“Our whole team, led by Betsy, put a tremendous amount of effort into this accreditation project over the course of seven months earlier this year, and we have been waiting since the end of August to see how we did.  We are tremendously proud to be recognized by the U.S. Chamber for the support and advocacy we strive to give on a daily basis to the local businesses we are honored to represent”, Troutman said.

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, and technology. This extensive self-review can take 6-9 months to complete.

“Each day, chambers of commerce across this nation play a critical role in their communities” said Raymond P. Towle, IOM, CAE, U.S. Chamber vice president of Federation Relations and Institute for Organization Management. “From connecting business owners with needed resources, to advocating on behalf of their region with lawmakers, these chambers convene thought leaders to strengthen the collective voices of their members.”

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.

For further information, contact Mara Kuhn at 501.321.1700 or mara.kuhn@growinghotsprings.com



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