Grundy Chamber wins Outstanding Chamber of the Year Award

SPRINGFIELD – The Grundy County Chamber of Commerce & Industry was recognized Nov. 15 by the Illinois Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives during its annual conference held this year at the President Abraham Lincoln Springfield Double Tree hotel.

Annually the IACCE recognizes Outstanding Chambers of the Year in two membership size categories among its more than 140 members. The award recognizes organization excellence in chambers of commerce and provides a unique benchmarking opportunity to assess a chamber’s strengths. The award is based on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce accreditation process for local chambers and highlights accomplishments in the areas of leadership/governance, finance, advocacy and membership development. Recipients are chosen by members of the Mid-American Chambers Executives, an organization for chamber professionals in the six-state area of Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

“The Grundy County Chamber of Commerce & Industry, under the leadership of President & CEO Christina Van Yperen, impressed the judges with their programs and outreach,” said IACCE Executive Director Lisa Weitzel.

Van Yperen, Events & Marketing Director Lena Wickens and Administrative Director Christy Kelly were recognized at the conference’s awards dinner among a crowd of about 100 chamber professionals.

Weitzel said one of the projects noted by the judge was the Grundy Chamber’s work with the Grundy Economic Development Council on the Grundy Resiliency Project. The Chamber and GEDC were given a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Economic Development. These grants help nuclear host communities plan for and build more diverse, resilient economies. The grant focuses on regions with nuclear plants and provides funding to local entities to evaluate economic impacts, competitive diversification, decommissioning issues and building community capacity.

One of the judges noted in their comments, “The Grundy Resiliency Project sounds like an excellent plan to inform and guide comprehensive community planning, business attraction, infrastructure investments, and marketing.”

The award also recognizes the Grundy Chamber’s financial strength, advancing advocacy work, growing membership, and new programming such as Empower – an inspirational women’s event started in 2023 and brought back for 2024. This year’s Empower event attracted more than 140 attendees to participate in a keynote and panel discussion on women’s mental health.

“The growth and efforts recognized through this award have been years in the making. But this year our team brought many projects and programs to the next level for our members and our operation,” Van Yperen said.
“Having our peers in the industry distinguish us for our work is gratifying and an honor for all of us, including our membership that supports us every step of the way. We are so thankful.”

For more information on the Grundy County Chamber visit grundychamber.com or call 85-942-0113.