Malia Riggs
Elmore Autauga News
The Millbrook Area Chamber of Commerce was awarded the title of an accredited Chamber of Commerce Wednesday afternoon at a statewide conference by the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama, or commonly known as Alabama Chambers.
By earning this accreditation from Alabama Chambers, this shows a chamber’s dedication to improving, reviewing and promoting strong business practices as well as recognizing leadership and outstanding contributions to the community, according to their website.
“It just took a while to get here, about three years. But it was a great honor. We were one of four chambers that were awarded one this year. This is not my win. This is our Chamber’s win. I may have done the footwork to get us here, but it wouldn’t be possible if we did not have people in line helping to get us there. My board has also been absolutely stellar and very supportive. The board, without a doubt, has been right there with me,” President of the Millbrook Area Chamber of Commerce Brenda Dennis said.
In order to become an accredited chamber, there are qualifications, policies, standards and procedures that must be followed in order to be eligible. Such as, having front of house, back of house, business and financials in order, writing a procedures manual and providing proof of bylaws operating as they should, Dennis confirmed.
It also takes a lot of footwork from the chamber to be able to provide proof of the qualifications through countless supporting documents.
However, it’s not a one and done process. Much like a certification, every four years if a chamber wants to keep up their accreditation status they must submit an application and supporting documentation at the end of every four years.
“It’s not just a forever thing. You’ve got to prove it again in four years. So, maintaining our level of excellence, providing that, you know, excellence, you know, to our members, also just through the Alabama Chambers, is a great distinction,” Dennis said.
The Millbrook Chamber is a 501c6, Dennis confirmed. Meaning there are also certain laws they must adhere to in order to accommodate that status. A 501c3 means that they serve the public, while the Millbrook Chamber certainly does serve the community, their status as a 501c6 means that they serve their members, typically this means it is served as a non-profit membership organization.
