Have you heard the news? The Osceola Chamber is beyond excited to share with our members and community that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has awarded us the designation of “Accredited with 5 Stars” for our “sound policies, effective organizational procedures, and positive impact on the community.” (Their words!) This honor makes us the 9th 5-Star Accredited chamber in the state of Florida and part of only 2% of chambers nationwide.
The purpose of the U.S. Chamber’s Accreditation Program is to facilitate continuing excellence in the chamber industry and to foster a pro-business environment across America. In order to receive Accreditation, a chamber must meet minimum standards in their operations and programs, including areas of governance, government affairs, communications, and technology. This extensive self-review can take 6-9 months to complete.
At The Osceola Chamber, we first began looking into seeking accreditation several years ago and have worked steadily to implement best practices in all areas of operation with improvements – some gradual, some overnight – over the last few years. Our accreditation journey has included everything from CPR training and building improvements to a complete re-brand and establishment of a political committee.
“Chambers of commerce that achieve an Accreditation designation are truly leaders in their industry.” said Raymond P. Towle, U.S. Chamber Vice President, Federation Relations and IOM. “This rigorous review includes all aspects of a chamber’s policies, operations, and programming. When chambers of commerce earn the distinction of becoming Accredited, it is a mark of excellence for the organization, its staff, and its leadership. Accredited chambers are recognized for their ability to serve as a resource to their region’s businesses while maintaining transparent governance practices, sound financial controls, safe work environments, effective communications, and value in programming. They are commended for their continued advocacy of free enterprise, and for their commitment to serving members and their local businesses. Congratulations on this tremendous accomplishment.”
Our 2022 Chairman Kevin Crain had this to say about our accreditation news, “Only 11 other Chambers in the state of Florida are accredited – and now we are the ninth with five stars. I thank The Osceola Chamber Board of Directors for supporting this effort and our outstanding Chamber staff for their relentless pursuit of this accolade, a well-deserved recognition of President Newstreet’s leadership and our staff’s dedication to excellence. I cannot wait to celebrate with my fellow directors and Chamber members.”
Chamber President/CEO John Newstreet added, “The Chamber’s tagline states ‘Business Works Better Together,’ and it is to the credit of our members, board, Chairman, and staff that we were able to demonstrate that message to our accreditors and walk away with a distinction that puts us among the top 3% of Chambers in the United States. This result, from an extremely arduous process, validates the important and fulfilling work we collectively do every day as The Osceola Chamber. Thank you to my team, my leadership, and all of our partners, especially Chair Kevin Crain, whose vision now translates to an impressive legacy! It makes me proud to know that we do it as well as or better than every other Chamber in the country, but our work continues, and we invite each and every reputable business to join our ranks and help each other achieve greater success.”
Chairman Crain and President Newstreet will celebrate with The Osceola Chamber Board of Directors at their next board meeting on December 15, 2022 at The Osceola Chamber offices.
More on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Accreditation
Local chambers are rated Accredited, 3-Stars, 4-Stars, or 5-Stars. State chambers are recognized as either Accredited State Chamber or Accredited State Chamber with Distinction. The final determination is made by the Accrediting Board, a committee of U.S. Chamber board members.
The Chamber of Commerce of the United States is the world’s largest business organization. Members range from the small businesses and chambers of commerce across the country that support their communities, to the leading industry associations and global corporations that innovate and solve for the world’s challenges, to the emerging and fast-growing industries that are shaping the future. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is a trusted advocate, partner, and network, helping them improve society and people’s lives.
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Last month, the Celebration Area Council held a Who’s Who in Celebration? panel event to help build a bridge between the Celebration residential and business communities, and provide education on the functions of Celebration’s “alphabet soup” of governing organizations. Attendees at the event enjoyed a lunch catered by Shoney’s at Old Town and heard from David Anderson with the Celebration Residential Owners Association (CROA), Cassandra Harris Starks with the Celebration Community Development District (CCDD), Charles Castellon with our own Celebration Area Council (CAC), and Heather Timm with the Celebration Foundation (CF). Here are a few highlights.
When we last met with these groups, they had just been asked by the state to explore the possibility of incorporation in Celebration. Most recently a consultant has been hired for further research and they are awaiting results. They are not required to incorporate, but rather explore their options.
CROA has implemented improvements on pay as you go for residents. They are excited for a big initiative for a new community center. There has been a call for one for many years, and one possibility is the former AMC Movie Theater space. The theater is in pristine condition with cups still in a cup dispenser. A group of residents has been assembled to look this and other options. This group of eight residents is looking at other options for the theatre as well. Lexin will not sell the space and are looking at tenants that would pay what AMC paid. The group is considering what different tenants might offer.
They are also looking at revamping the 851 building which needs work. The new neighborhood that is under construction, Island Village, is a mile past Celebration High School on Celebration Blvd. CROA will own and manage the pool and club house in the new neighborhood, which will include apartments, single family homes, and townhomes. A new shopping center is going in at the end of World Drive and a new elementary school will open in fall of 2023. CROA wants to make sure communications are broad and utilize different mediums and they are looking at electronic signage and are running options by Disney.
The face of Celebration is its events, and they can be found in the Celebration News. CROA will share anything that is good for the community in the Flash Friday
The Celebration Foundation shared that they underwent many changes during COVID, including transferring much of their programming to Zoom. This year they will move to a hybrid model. Their concert series has already come back in person and the Holiday Home Tour will be back this year. The concert schedule was announced in this month’s Celebration News. Heather shared that the Celebration Foundation would love to see some of the activity and vibrancy going on further west on Highway 192 extend to the Celebration area. They always welcome volunteers from high school age to seniors.
The CCDD is making residents aware of the Poinciana Parkway extension and encouraging them to make their voices heard. Traffic is always a concern. They, like their counterparts in CNOA and CROA, turn to The Celebration Company to advocate on their behalf when something concerns them on the County or state level. The former Stetson building is still vacant. It is limited to education, civic, or businesses uses. CCDD owns and maintains the parking lot outside that building.
You can follow along with these organizations at their meetings and websites, and they can be reached by email or phone. The CCDD meets every fourth Tuesday of the month at 6:00 pm and recordings of their meetings can be requested. CROA maintains The Celebration News, a revenue-neutral monthly magazine that conveniently features copy from each of the other organizations, as well as Sheriff Lopez and District 1 Commissioner Choudhry in each issue. They also meet monthly in person and stream their meetings online. The Celebration Foundation has a section in the Celebration News. Their offices are located at 610 Sycamore. The Celebration Area Council Board of Directors meets monthly at Windsor at Celebration and their contact info can be found on the Chamber website. In addition, the Celebration Non-Residential Owners Association (CNOA) meets weekly.
