For the third year in a row, the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber has been recognized as a national leader in economic development. The Mac Conway Awards for Excellence in Economic Development, named in honor of Site Selection founding publisher H. McKinley “Mac” Conway, are awarded to the top 25 local and regional U.S. economic development groups based on an index of corporate job creation and facility-related capital investment data calculated both cumulatively and per capita.
The Chamber has worked on projects that have announced more than 28,000 new jobs and more than $8 billion in capital investment since 2010.
“Our region continues to lead the way in economic development and much of the credit goes to the staff and volunteers at the Chambers of Commerce,” said Madison County Commission Chairman Dale Strong. “This award is a much deserved recognition of their professionalism and hard work. I am proud to be a part of the North Alabama team working across City and County lines with these professionals to continue to grow our economy.”
“We are incredibly proud of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber for leading the charge in economic development in our region during an unprecedented year,” said Madison Mayor Paul Finley. “Chip [Cherry] and his team are highly deserving of this award as they continue their dedication to making the Tennessee Valley the best place to live, work and grow.”
Huntsville/Madison County was well positioned to survive the pandemic, and economic predictions show a recovery in employment by 2022 and GDP by the end of this year.
“There may never have been a more challenging year than was 2020 for those who work in the vital field of economic development. As businesses reeled and supply chains shuddered, this singular group of professionals stepped forward to help steer communities through the pandemic, the battle against which remains unfinished,” said Site Selection Senior Editor Gary Daughters.
Mac Conway Awards (in alphabetical order by organization name)
Austin Chamber of Commerce
Austin-Round Rock, TX
Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce
Bowling Green, KY
Charlotte Regional Business Alliance
Charlotte-Concord Gastonia, SC
Commerce Lexington
Lexington-Fayette, KY
Dallas Regional Chamber//Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Detroit Regional Partnership
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
EDGE (Economic Development Growth Engine)/Greater Memphis Chamber
Memphis, TN-MS-ARK
Greater Chattanooga Economic Partnership
Chattanooga TN-GA
Greater Des Moines Partnership
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Greater Houston Partnership
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
Greater Phoenix Economic Council
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
Huntsville/Madison County Chamber
Huntsville AL
Indy Chamber
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN
Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP)
Lansing-East Lansing, MI
Louisville Forward/Greater Louisville, Inc.
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce
Montgomery, AL
One Columbus
Columbus, OH
REDI Cincinnati/Kentucky Triad
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
Savannah Economic Development Authority
Savannah, GA
World Business Chicago
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI