Kalispell Chamber and Staff Recognized with National Honors

The Kalispell Chamber of Commerce was named a finalist for the 2019 Chamber of the Year award, presented by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE), placing the local organization in the top three of more than 1,300 chambers of commerce from across the country. The top-three awards were announced during the annual ACCE National Convention in Long Beach, California on June 15.

The Chamber of the Year Award recognizes the leadership role chambers have in their communities. Those honored with the Chamber of the Year designation have demonstrated organizational strength and have made an impact on key community priorities, such as education, transportation, business development, and quality of life. Qualifying for the Chamber of the Year is a rigorous process. Chambers compete based on meeting key performance criteria, completing a written application addressing all aspects or organizational operation and programmatic work, and an in-person interview.

Mike Smith, SVP/Retail Loan Manager for Glacier Bank and Chairman of the Board for the Kalispell Chamber was a key participant in the in-person interview and said, “it was a pleasure to work with the Kalispell Chamber staff during the ACCE awards process over the last few months. The Kalispell community should be proud that our Chamber was a finalist for the top honor in 2019. The Kalispell Chamber and Board of Directors will continue to look for ways to add value to our members and our community going forward.”

In addition, Kate Lufkin has been named as one of ACCE’s 40 Under 40 winners for her role as the Kalispell Chamber’s Marketing and Communications Manager.

The 40 Under 40 award is a new honor presented by ACCE and recognizes young professionals that have demonstrated significant success in their career as well as having made noteworthy contributions to their community. Each award recipient has made a remarkable impact on the chamber industry, demonstrated meaningful involvement in the advancement of their community and proven professional success within their chamber. This year over 118 nominations were made on behalf of young professionals in the chamber industry.

“The field of winners for this year’s award is truly incredible. There are so many talented, successful young professionals that are making lasting impacts within the chamber industry and communities around the nation. It’s truly an honor to be included in this top group of executives for the award’s inaugural year,” said Lufkin.

Kate Lufkin currently leads the marketing and communications efforts for the chamber, along with the organization’s education and workforce programs, and Flathead Area Young Professionals. She is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Kalispell Education Foundation and the Montana Manufacturing Association and is a school-based mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flathead County.

About the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau

Since 1904, the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau has been a leading voice in strengthening our community and the business climate, with the goal of making Kalispell and the Flathead Valley an ideal location to live and work. The Chamber consists of 700 businesses and organizations, which employ over half of the workforce in Flathead County, Montana.