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One Southern Indiana received statewide recognition as the 2020 Indiana Chamber of the Year today at the annual meeting of the Indiana Chamber Executives Association (ICEA). “One Southern Indiana continues to perform at an exceptional level, even in the midst of 2020 national challenges,” said ICEA President Shelli Williams. “The 2020 ICEA Chamber of the Year continues to be bold in their leadership through a powerful strategic plan resulting in outstanding successes for the communities that they serve.” By the end of 2019, the One Southern Indiana team had taken the lead in reaching 80% toward their goal of $50 million in capital investment. The staff celebrated an impressive 584 jobs created with new job wages of $32.26 per hour, well-above their goal of $21 per hour new job recruitment. In 2019, the staff successfully relaunched an insurance program for members, launched a YP mentorship program and reformatted roundtable groups to better serve member needs. For the first eight months of the fiscal year, this chamber was on-track. Then came COVID-19. The organization immediately launched 1si Cares, a three-prong approach to assist businesses in navigating the current health crisis. The first-prong 1si Connects provides businesses the resources needed to continue business during this disruption to normalcy. The second prong, 1si Collaborates, succeeded with staff members stepping up to work with local elected officials and foundations resulting in successfully funding 123 business loan requests totaling more than $1.2 million directly awarded to businesses in need. The final prong 1Si Calls offers daily Facebook live events called Ask An Expert, allowing businesses to have real time conversation for assistance during the pandemic. These videos posted to their website have been viewed more than 18,400 times since the pandemic began. The Chamber of the Year award is given annually by ICEA to recognize excellence in the chamber of commerce leadership profession. The chamber f the year application process focuses on four core areas including leadership/governance; finance; advocacy; and programming/membership. Award finalists were reviewed by a panel of industry professionals from Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky and Oklahoma. One Southern Indiana also received award recognition today for their 2019 Annual Meeting Marketing Campaign and for their Annual Report/Strategic Plan. The Indiana Chamber Executives Association is comprised of more than 300 professionals leading local chamber of commerce organizations throughout the state. The organization targets the leadership development for local chambers so that staff members are well equipped to lead their communities.