Sarasota, Florida (June 6, 2025) — The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce has been named a finalist for the 2025 Chamber of the Year award, presented by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE). ACCE is an association based in Alexandria, Va., with over 1,600 chambers of commerce and related business and economic development organizations as members, representing more than 9,000 professionals in the industry.

The award, sponsored by GrowthZone, is the most prestigious and competitive award in the chamber industry, recognizing excellence in operations, member service and community leadership. Those honored with the Chamber of the Year designation have demonstrated organizational strength and impacted key community priorities, such as education, transportation, economic prosperity and quality of life.

“This year's finalists represent excellence in the chamber industry,” said ACCE President & CEO Sheree Anne Kelly. “Each has shown how chambers can lead as community partners, forward-thinking leaders and problem solvers to drive growth and make a lasting impact on regional prosperity. We congratulate them on this well-deserved recognition.”

Chamber of the Year winners will be announced on Wednesday, July 23, during the Awards Show, presented by Comcast Business at ACCE’s Annual Convention in Philadelphia.  

“We are honored to be named a finalist for Chamber of the Year by ACCE. This recognition reflects the dedication of our team, board, and members who work tirelessly to elevate the Sarasota region. It’s a true privilege to be acknowledged alongside such accomplished peers and to represent the impactful work happening in our community,” said Heather Kasten, President and CEO of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce.

Chambers of commerce interested in competing for the award must first qualify by participating in a vigorous multi-stage process. Organizations entering the Chamber of the Year competition must meet minimum thresholds in at least three of five key performance areas in ACCE’s Annual Chamber Operations Survey, including net revenue and assets, membership account retention and membership dollar retention.

Qualifying chambers enter the competition with a written application addressing all aspects of organizational operation and programmatic work. Applications are scored by peer chamber executives to determine finalists. The finalists then move on to an interview before a panel of experienced chamber professionals.

To ensure the fairest competition, applicants are grouped into four categories based on annual revenue, membership, staff capacity, area population and other factors. A strong conflict of interest policy signed by all volunteer judges, ensures a competitive and fair playing field for all applicants.