Thousand Oaks-Westlake Village Chamber Proves to be
One of Top Chambers in the State and Nation with Four-Star Accreditation
The Thousand Oaks-Westlake Village Regional Chamber of Commerce is proud have achieved a four-star accreditation from the United States Chamber of Commerce. This distinction is attained by a small number of chambers nationwide, and even fewer statewide.
The Chamber completed the rigorous accreditation process at the end of 2005, and was informed in March 2006 of its four-star accreditation for its effective organizational procedures and outstanding contribution to positive change in the community.
“Accreditation is one of the highest honors bestowed on local chambers,” said Thomas J. Donohue, U.S. Chamber President and CEO. “We are proud to recognize the Thousand Oaks-Westlake Village Regional Chamber of Commerce and its members for helping to advance the principles of free enterprise—the bedrock of this prestigious award.”
Accreditation was based on meeting standards in operations and programs including: governance, government affairs and technology. Additional criteria included: accountability, financial transparency, employee involvement, political advocacy and community involvement.
Of the 6,936 chambers in the U.S., only 323 are accredited. Of the more than 600 chambers in California, only 23 are accredited, and of these, only nine have achieved four stars, which is the highest rating in California.
“The Thousand Oaks-Westlake Village Regional Chamber of Commerce is honored to be one of the few chambers in the state and the country to be awarded Four-Star Accreditation,” said Chamber Present and CEO Janet Levett. “I would like to thank everyone who helped with the accreditation process, as well as our entire board and staff, ambassadors, membership and the community for contributing to making this Chamber one of the very best.”
The accreditation process consisted of several assignments completed by committees. These committees were made up of 2005 Chamber Board members Peter Diaz, Robert Cabral, Mary Klem, Bob Devereux, Gary Wartik, Graham Brearley, Ken Doyle, Mark Benhard, Jim Overholt and Mike Wildermuth, Chamber President and CEO Janet Levett, and Chamber staff members Marlene Batey, Jan Smith, Lori Granieri and Merilee Parlier.
