Listen to this articleThe African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey (AACCNJ) will receive a prestigious honor during the 124th Annual National Black Business Conference (NBBC) in Atlanta later this month.
NBBC named AACCNJ Chamber of the Year, an award it will receive Aug. 24 at the Booker T. Washington Black Business Black-Tie Awards Gala. Held at the NBBC, the three-day event features commerce-driven education, networking, exchange and activity. The conference boasts a combined alliance of 120,000-plus members and more than 400 chambers/leagues throughout the country and abroad.
Some areas measured in selecting the award include:
- Community impact and engagement
- Membership growth and retention
- Leadership and governance
- Innovation and adaptability
- Financial stability and growth
- Networking and collaboration
- Training and development
- Recognitions and accomplishments
- Public relations and marketing
- Quantifiable results (metrics and data) demonstrating the chamber’s impact
“When considering the qualities for the National Black Chamber of the Year, several factors were evaluated to ensure the selected chamber exemplifies excellence, impact, and leadership within the community,” said Charles DeBow III, president and CEO, National Black Chamber of Commerce. “These standards of excellence are exemplified by the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey.”
AACCNJ founder, President and CEO John Harmon Sr. said that every day his organization seeks to collectively illustrate the vision of Booker T. Washington with excellence, while paying homage to the memory of Harry Alford and Kay DeBow, co-founders of the National Black Chamber of Commerce.
“By leading an organization whose core mission is to defy perceptions by demonstrating the relevance of Black people and the success of Black-owned businesses, we have – and will continue to contribute to the greatness of America,” Harmon said. “We thank the National Black Chamber of Commerce for this esteemed recognition.”
Juneteenth Black Business Expo recap
This honor comes on the heels of the AACCNJ’s successful second annual Juneteenth Black Business Expo.
Held June 13 at Fairleigh Dickinson University, the event featured a slew of activities, networking opportunities, exhibits, competitions and discussions. Notable speakers included Gov. Phil Murphy, NFL great Malcolm Jenkins and more.
“We are extremely pleased and humbled by the level of support we received at our Second Annual Juneteenth Black Business Expo, we thank everyone for their attendance,” said Harmon in a July 15 press release highlighting the event. “This event was truly a presentation of Black entrepreneurship and our public and our private sector partnerships throughout the state. We are extremely grateful to Gov. Phil Murphy for his participation and the coalescence of agency support from his administration – for the second consecutive year.”
‘Excellence on full display’
Harmon also lauded the efforts of Jacqueline Baptiste, his executive advisor and an AACCNJ brand ambassador, and Ralph Weaver, CEO of East West Connection. He described their project management of the event as “excellence on full display.”
“It has been a wonderful experience, over these past months, collaborating closely with Ralph Weaver, and the awesome group of professionals at EWC,” said Baptiste. “A personal thank you also to my team, and the AACCNJ staff, for their collective efforts to transform our CEO’s vision into a reality; at the AACCNJ, we never rest on our laurels – we always build on our success.”
“After months of planning with the chamber, my colleagues and I at East West Connection were overwhelmed by the positive feedback we received from the AACCNJ Juneteenth Black Business Expo attendees,” said Weaver. “We are thankful and honored to partner with the chamber as they continue to advocate for Black businesses throughout the state – and we look forward to an even bigger and better Expo in 2025.”
PROVIDED BY AACCNJ/GREEN GLASS FILMS