Paducah Chamber Wins State Awards and Certified Chamber Designation

May 1, 2015 - The Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce won two awards from the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Executives (KCCE) at their annual state conference.  Additionally, the Paducah Chamber and the Murray-Calloway County Chamber were two of only four Chambers in the state to receive the designation of a Kentucky Certified Chamber. 

The awards are presented by size and budget for Chambers and the Paducah Chamber competes in the largest category which also includes the chambers in Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green and Northern Kentucky.  The Paducah Chamber won for Outstanding Membership Growth in 2014 and Outstanding Special Event for the 2014 Annual Meeting which was the 75th Anniversary Celebration.  The 75th Anniversary Celebration was held on January 31, 2014 and featured a 75th Anniversary video with highlights of the Chamber’s history and recognition of Past chairs of the Board with 25 past chairs in attendance dating back to 1971. More than 700 people attended the sold out event and there were 56 companies who participated as sponsors.  Deborah Edmonds was installed as the 2014 Chair of the Chamber at this event.  

The Paducah Chamber was also recognized for outstanding growth in 2014 with 207 new members joining the Chamber.  During the annual membership campaign chaired by Bryan Carner, 2015 Chamber Chair of the Board, volunteers recruited 140 new members pushing the Chamber’s membership to over 1,000.  

The Kentucky Certified Chamber designation was started this year and is a peer reviewed, best practices certification awarded to chambers who meet nationally benchmarked criteria on internal organizations, processes, financial controls and service to members.  In addition to Paducah and Murray-Calloway County, the other two Chambers are Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce and Kyndle (Kentucky Network for Development, Leadership and Engagement in Henderson County).  

The Paducah Chamber is the region’s largest business advocacy organization with approximately 1,000 businesses as members.  The Chamber has a strong partnership base with local businesses – both small and large, manufacturers, industries, local governments, non-profit organizations and individuals. In 2011 the Paducah Chamber was awarded the Chamber of the Year by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives.  The Paducah Chamber is also a 4-Star Accredited Chamber by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. This prestigious honor puts the Chamber among the top 10% of chambers nationwide. 

KCCE is a statewide network of professionals dedicated to promoting professional education, ethical standards and efficiency in chamber of commerce management. The board of directors guides the professional development of chamber executives, employees and volunteers across the state.  The organization has been serving chamber professionals for 50 years.