The Huntsville/Madison County Chamber was recently named Chamber of the Year by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, an association of more than 7,500 chamber of commerce professionals and 1,300 chambers of commerce from around the world.

Chamber of the Year is “the most prestigious and competitive award presented by ACCE and is the only globally-recognized industry award that honors top chambers of commerce,” said a release about the award. “Those honored with the Chamber of the Year designation have demonstrated organizational strength and made an impact on key community priorities, such as education, transportation, business development and quality of life.”

Chip Cherry, president and chief executive officer of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber accepted the award — along with about a dozen staff members — July 18 at ACCE’s annual convention in Nashville.

“It is an honor to be selected as the Chamber of the Year for 2017,” Cherry said. “To be singled out as the best in our peer group from the many outstanding Chambers in the United States is testimony to how effective our volunteer and staff team have been helping the community advance. I am both honored and humbled to work with such an outstanding group of men and women.”

This year’s competition drew entries from chambers throughout the U.S. and Canada. To ensure the fairest competition, applicants are grouped into four categories based on: annual revenue, membership, area population and several other factors.