5-star rating for Chamber
The Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce named one of the best in U.S.
Demonstrating why it is qualified to serve as the voice for businesses in a nine-county region, the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce has once again been named as one of the best chambers in the nation by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, receiving its top 5-star accreditation.
The chamber is one of only about 100 chambers in the U.S. to receive this designation which is good for five years through 2020. This puts the organization in an elite group of the top 1 percent of all chambers nationwide.
Accreditation is a comprehensive, benchmarking and peer review process that looks deeply into nine key component areas in which every chamber must show high levels of competency. Volunteers drive the rigorous process, working with the staff, board, members and partners to evaluate and document the chamber’s performance.
"It’s more about the service and value we provide members of the business community ... It’s always been about that,” said Phil Parker, president and CEO of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce. Photo by Ty Greenlees
The 2015 accreditation follows five-star accreditations in 2010 and 2005. The chamber scored in the highest percentile including perfect scores in five of the nine criteria that cover governance, finance, human resources, government affairs, program development, technology, communications, facilities and benchmarking goal-setting.
“It’s fantastic that the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce once again won accreditation and has been recognized as one of the best chambers in the nation by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce,” said Phil Parker, president and CEO. “But to the staff, it’s more about the service and value we provide members of the business community, and whether there is an opportunity for continuous improvement. It’s always been about that.”
Each time the DACC has submitted its accreditation package, it has learned something about itself, he said, that helped it evolve and better serve as the voice for the business community.
The chamber had perfect scores in 5 of the 9 criteria that cover governance, finance, human resources, government affairs, program development, technology, communications, facilities and benchmarking goal-setting. Photo by Lisa Powell
It has lead the chamber to ask itself some hard questions, Parker said.
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“We’re here to be the business community’s voice. Are we doing that?”
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“We need to take positions, controversial or not, that will help strengthen the business community. Are our positions on issues clear?”
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“We must be accredited so we’re following a process of continuous improvement. Are we pushing that? Are we who we’re supposed to be?”
The NONA Composites company was the recipient of the 2015 Soin Innovation Award at the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting in 2015. Photo by Ty Greenlees
During its 108-year history, the chamber has witnessed the growth of all kinds of different organizations and entities involved with economic development. Pursuing its own accreditation process forces it to gauge whether it’s evolving and changing to stay abreast of changes in the business community, he said.
“I know what it’s brought to us – a real, clear picture of what we are doing and where we can improve – we always, always have areas where we can improve,” Parker acknowledged.
The chamber’s 27 staff members strive to uphold high standards and ideals of performance, he continued, as they support and represent businesses.
Bettina Buscemi, Day-Air Credit Union, Don Crosthwaite, East Dayton Automotive and James Bagford, Stillwright Distillers, attend a Dayton Chamber of Commerce behind the scenes reception at Stillwright Distillery in Fairborn in 2015. Photo by Ty Greenlees
“Overall, we believe we are a good, solid chamber of commerce, and we work hard to earn our members’ and the community’s trust,” Parker finished.
With the feedback provided by the accreditation process, the chamber’s next steps will be to develop a business plan for 2016. It will review each one of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s recommendations and assess whether it needs to change any of its policies, procedures, bylaws, culture or processes.
A prime example of the way the chamber served in 2015 as the voice for the business community in the Dayton region was its campaign against Issue 3, the Ohio marijuana legalization initiative that was voted down on Nov. 4.
The chamber and campaign representatives made presentations in more than a dozen community marijuana forums/debates.
Secretary of State Jon Husted was joined by Miami Valley business and health care leaders at a November press conference to discuss marijuana legalization. Photo by Lisa Powell
The campaign and its proponents received over 20 earned media stories, television interviews and radio interviews; sponsored multiple billboards, radio advertising and online advertising in the Dayton area; and received over 200,000 visits at its website against the proposed constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana. With its active role, the chamber became a statewide leader in metro communities against Issue 3 and muted the voice of marijuana backers in Dayton.
“This effort showcased what we do best,” said Parker. “We didn’t take our stance lightly; we surveyed members and had good discussion with chamber board members. In the end, we spoke loudly on behalf of our members and made a difference.”
To learn more about the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce’s accreditation or membership services and benefits, visit DaytonChamber.org.
Dayton Development Coalition president & CEO Jeff Hoagland and the Chamber's Phil Parker talk during a previous Government Affairs Breakfast. Photo by Peter Wine
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