Last Wednesday the Cordova Chamber of Commerce was awarded the Local Chamber of the Year award by the Alaska Chamber. It was Cordova’s first time receiving the honor.
“We are honored by this statewide recognition,” said Cathy Renfeldt, executive director of the Cordova Chamber of Commerce. “We share this with our passionate staff, dedicated board members, generous funders, powerful community partners and Cordova’s inspiring business community.”
As part of the award, the Chamber received an artistic plaque made by an Alaskan artist to celebrate the recognition.
“As we celebrate 70 years of the Alaska Chamber, we are thrilled to recognize the outstanding achievements and contributions of local businesses and individuals in our state. Their hard work and dedication to their communities have not only helped drive economic growth but has made Alaska a better place to live, work, play and do business,” said Alaska Chamber CEO and President Kati Capozzi.
In June, the Cordova Chamber was nominated by both Alaska Airlines and the Juneau Chamber of Commerce for this award.
Projects and initiatives that were highlighted in support of Cordova receiving this recognition included the Cordova Blue Economy Project, the Regenerative Tourism Destination Strategy, Cordova Business Empowerment Summit, Copper River Delta Shorebird Festival, Cordova Fungus Festival and workforce development initiatives, such as the chamber’s support of the Cordova High School Job Fair.
Looking forward, Renfeldt said the Cordova Chamber is continuing the development of their workforce development, small business support, economic development and community resilience initiatives.
This includes the inaugural Cordova Business Gala, which will debut on Nov. 18 at the Cordova Center and is open to the public. It’s the first fundraising event focused on supporting programming for the chamber. The event will feature a guest chef, business awards, auction and networking. The theme of the night is “Tufs, Ties and Regalia.” The chamber is recruiting sponsors and accepting donations for the upcoming dinner and auction.
Along with the Cordova Chamber, three other awards were presented. The William A. Egan Outstanding Alaskan of the Year award, for those who’ve made substantial contributions of statewide significance while working in the private sector, was bestowed upon Bob Berto of Ketchikan. The Alaska Railroad was honored with the Rita Sholton Large Business award. The Northern Alaska Tour Company was recognized with the Bill Bivin Small Business award.
The Alaska Chamber was founded in 1953. It is a nonprofit working to promote the business environment in Alaska. It represents more than 700 small and large businesses, manufacturers and local chambers across Alaska that employ more than 55,000 Alaskans.
