Local chambers from across the state were recognized at the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Executives (KCCE) 2025 Annual Dinner in September during the organization’s Annual Conference. KCCE Annual Excellence Awards pay tribute to local chambers in areas of operational excellence that include membership growth and retention, civic engagement, and more.
The KCCE Annual Conference was held in Bardstown this year with support of the Bardstown-Nelson County Chamber, featuring keynote speaker University of Louisville Head Women’s Basketball Coach Jeff Walz, a panel on disaster recovery and response with local chamber leaders Betsy Clemons of the Hazard-Perry County Chamber, Kim Effler of the McDowell Chamber in North Carolina, and Beth Rhinehart of the Bristol TN/VA Chamber, a tour of the city of Bloomfield, and presentations on advocacy, artificial intelligence, leadership, and more.
As part of the Annual Dinner, the KCCE Board of Directors named Tish Shade of the Frankfort Area Chamber as the 2026 president, a position Michelle Bundren of the Murray-Calloway Chamber previously held.
The Excellence Awards ceremony culminated with the presentation of the KCCE Chamber Professional of the Year, which was awarded to Anita Stump of the Bullitt County Chamber.
Additional awards for individual achievement were also presented. These included Donna Warren of the Henderson Chamber as Staff Member of the Year, Amanda Harper of The Chamber of St. Matthews as Young Professional of the Year, and Megan Jones of The Chamber of St. Matthews as Volunteer of the Year.
“Each year, the Excellence Awards shine a spotlight on the incredible work happening in our chambers across Kentucky,” said KCCE Executive Director Amy Cloud. “What I love most is seeing the creativity, passion, and heart our chamber teams bring to their communities. They aren’t just running programs or growing memberships—they are helping businesses succeed and shaping the future of their hometowns. I am so proud to celebrate their hard work and the real impact they make every day.”
The 2025 KCCE Excellence Award recipients are listed below:
Excellence in Membership Growth
- Category 1: Kentucky Lake Chamber — 14%
- Category 3: Frankfort Area Chamber — 20.57%
- Category 4: Northeast Kentucky Chamber — 11.2%
- Category 5: Paducah Area Chamber — 4%
Excellence in Membership Retention
- Category 1: Mercer County Chamber — 93.7%
- Category 3: Frankfort Area Chamber — 100%
- Category 4: Murray-Calloway County Chamber — 96.7%
- Category 5: Bowling Green Area Chamber — 87%
Excellence in E-Communications
- Category 1: Mercer County Chamber
- Category 3: Mayfield-Graves County Chamber
- Category 4: Northeast Kentucky Chamber
- Category 5: Jeffersontown Chamber
Excellence in Printed Publication
- Category 1: Maysville-Mason County Chamber — 2024 Annual Report
- Category 3: Frankfort Area Chamber — Frankfort Focus
- Category 4: Murray-Calloway County Chamber — 2024 Annual Report
- Category 5: Northern Kentucky Chamber — NKY Business Journal
Excellence in Civic Engagement
- Category 1: Hazard-Perry County Chamber — Hazard Civic Fellows program
- Category 2: Cynthiana-Harrison County Chamber — Splash Pad project
- Category 3: Frankfort Area Chamber — State of the Community breakfast
- Category 4: Murray-Calloway County Chamber — inaugural DC Fly-In
Excellence in Innovation
- Category 1: Monticello-Wayne County Chamber — Junior Ambassador program
- Category 4: Southeast Kentucky Chamber — Back to Business grants
Events Excellence
- Category 1: Mercer Chamber — 250th Celebration
- Category 3: Mayfield-Graves County Chamber — Farm to Table
- Category 4: Oldham Chamber & Economic Development — Celebration of Women
- Category 5: Jeffersontown Chamber — JTown Beer Fest
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