If you’ve been following my work for very long, you know by now that I am an ardent and unabashed advocate for local chambers of commerce and the people and organizations that support them. One such organization is the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE), which I’ve worked with for many years to help them further their mission on behalf of chambers and chamber members.

Recently, during the ACCE annual convention in Raleigh, N.C., where hundreds of chamber professionals were gathered, the ACCE leadership honored me with their highest recognition of a corporate leader, the “Champion of the Chamber Movement” award. This is not an annual award and has only been presented one other time previously. The plaque read, in part, ” For years of tireless support of individual chambers of commerce and the ACCE.”

In the words of ACCE president, Mick Fleming, “We’ve been very selective in presenting the ‘Champion’ award over the years and Jim Blasingame deserves this recognition not only because he uses his media platform to advance the importance of local chambers, but also because of his direct support to local chambers and, of course, for his many years as a valuable partner in our work at the ACCE.”

This award is a great honor for me because I have the highest regard for the professionals in this community. The leaders at the ACCE and the chamber executives they serve are among the most dedicated small business champions on the planet, which makes supporting them an important part of my work and that of my organization.

As I have said before, any recognition I receive in my role as The Small Business Advocate is accepted on behalf of the true heroes of the marketplace, small business owners – who continue to inspire me, and the chamber leaders across America and around the world.

You can see the press release here.  Looking forward to your comments.