The Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce is getting some national recognition for its work.

The local chamber is one of three finalists for the Association of Chambers of Commerce, or ACCE, Chamber of the Year award for 2020, which recognizes the leadership roles chambers have in their communities.

“As the chairman of the Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce, I could not be more proud of our chamber president and the team he has put together,” said Carter Patterson, the 2020 chairman of the Forsyth County Chamber, in a news release. “Their professionalism and work ethic are in full force year-round. When the pandemic hit our community they immediately went to work to help every business and every citizen in our county. The example that the team set has been a model that other chambers are following. Congratulations James McCoy and the entire staff for this well-deserved nomination.”

According to the release, award winners “have demonstrated organizational strength and made an impact on key community priorities, such as education, transportation, economic prosperity and quality of life.”

“Congratulations to the Chamber of the Year finalists. These chambers are among the most impactful organizations within the industry,” said ACCE President and CEO Sheree Anne Kelly. “These chambers are community champions, providing the catalytic leadership needed to help address their region’s greatest challenges.”

ACCE is based in Alexandria, Virginia and made up of more than 9,000 professionals from 1,500 chambers.

To qualify for the awards, a chamber must go through a multi-stage process and meet minimum thresholds in certain performance areas including net revenue and assets, membership account retention and membership dollar retention.

Winners are chosen based on an interview before a panel of experienced chamber professionals. This year's winner will be announced later this year.