The United States Chamber of Commerce has awarded the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce with 5-Star Accreditation for its sound policies, effective organizational procedures and positive impact on the community. The 5-Star status is the highest level a Chamber can receive and the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce has received it three times in a row, in 2009, 2014 and 2019.
Local staff learned of the news in March, during the height of the initial pandemic crisis.
“Like everyone, we were too preoccupied with addressing the response to COVID-19 to celebrate this accomplishment,” said R. Patt Lilly, President and CEO. “Now that recovery is beginning, we can take a moment to discuss what 5-Star Accreditation means.”
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 six to nine months to complete. To achieve 5-Star Accreditation, a Chamber must exceed in all of these areas.
“Being awarded this rating for the third time in a row is a sign of what board leadership, a strong staff, volunteer base and community partners can do to help businesses and the community move forward,” Lilly said.
St. Joseph is one of only five Accredited Chambers in Missouri. Of the 7,000 Chambers of Commerce in the country only 2 percent have 5-Star Accreditation.
“Accreditation validates a Chamber as having programs that benefit its local economy and positively influence its community,” said Raymond P. Towle, IOM, CAE, U.S. Chamber vice president of Federation Relations and Institute for Organization Management. “We applaud these organizations for advancing the principles of free enterprise.”
Local chambers are rated 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. The final determination is made by the Accrediting Board, a committee of U.S. Chamber board members