The Indy Chamber has been named the 2021 Chamber of the Year for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic and support of small businesses. The award was presented by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, a trade association that represents chamber and economic development leaders across the U.S. ACCE says the award is its most prestigious and is awarded to organizations that “made an impact on key community priorities.”

Indy Chamber President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Huber said the acknowledgement by peers is rewarding. “The events of the past 18 months forced so many businesses and organizations to make difficult choices, and this award is an affirmation of our decision in March 2020 to focus on the needs of small businesses in the Indy Region,” said Huber in a news release.

When the pandemic hit and the state locked down a year and a half ago, Indy Chamber pivoted its operational model to respond to the crisis that was forcing businesses to close.

“We at Indy Chamber made a strategic decision to take our staff of about 55 and literally reassign everybody to the front lines of the proverbial battlefield,” said Huber in an interview with Inside INdiana Business. “We had a huge meeting of our folks when we said, ‘okay, we’re all going to be doing small business services because the greatest vulnerabilities are coming.’”

Read the full story on Inside INdiana Business.