From the Seminole County Chamber of Commerce
In Summary:
The Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives honored the Seminole County Chamber for its ChamberWORKS! video series. The series followed Chamber President and CEO Rebekah Arthur as she worked alongside employees at six Central Florida businesses and organizations. The recognition follows the chamber’s Five-Star Accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and its selection as Florida Chamber of the Year.
*****
The Seminole County Chamber has been named one of three Communications Excellence Best in Show winners by ACCE, the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, for its ChamberWORKS! video series.
Related: Apopka-area businesses gain new resource with launch of West Seminole Council.
Started in 2025, ChamberWORKS! showcased several of the region’s most iconic brands, with Chamber President & CEO Rebekah Arthur spending time working at various jobs at each business. The companies featured were:
- Pet Rescue by Judy
- Hollerbach’s German Restaurant
- Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens
- InBloom Florists
- Mechanical One and
- UCF Business Incubation Program.
“We were looking for an interesting way to showcase all of the ways our businesses work to bring their products and services to their customers,” Arthur says. “We have incredible companies doing incredible things every day in our region, and being recognized by a national organization for this effort is significant.”
This is the third major award for the Seminole County Chamber in the past 18 months. In March 2025, the chamber became the 10th chamber of commerce in Florida to be recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as a Five-star Accredited Chamber. In November, the Seminole County Chamber was named the Florida Chamber of the Year by the Florida Association of Chamber Professionals.
ACCE is an association based in Alexandria, Va., that has over 1,600 chambers of commerce and related business and economic development organizations as members, representing more than 9,000 professionals in the industry. The award was presented on Wednesday, July 21, during the Awards Show at ACCE’s Annual Convention in New Orleans.
ACCE’s Awards for Communications Excellence program is designed to showcase top communications and marketing work of chambers of commerce and similar organizations.
“The Best in Show winners demonstrate the power of strategic chamber communications,” said ACCE President & CEO Sheree Anne Kelly. “Through creativity, clarity and strong storytelling, this work engages audiences, advances community priorities and strengthens the chamber’s impact.”
A panel of communications and marketing professionals from 16 U.S.-based chambers of commerce evaluated entries submitted for this year’s competition. Entries were organized by category — based on the chamber’s annual revenue — and entry type: campaigns, websites, digital media and print and electronic publications. Judges presented 12 Awards of Excellence and three Best in Show awards.
Seminole Chamber in Apopka
The Seminole County Chamber also expanded its reach into the Apopka area with the launch of the West Seminole Council in February. The council connects businesses along the Semoran Boulevard corridor between downtown Apopka and the State Road 434/436 intersection—an area encompassing more than 20,000 residents and 1,600 businesses, including the Sweetwater, Wekiva, Bear Lake and Piedmont-Wekiva communities. The council meets from 11:30 am to 1 pm on the first Monday of each month at the Bahia Shrine, 3101 E. Semoran Blvd. in Apopka, providing local business owners with opportunities to network, share resources and reach customers throughout western Seminole and eastern Apopka.
Key Points:
- The Seminole County Chamber received a Communications Excellence Best in Show award.
- The ChamberWORKS! video series showcased six Central Florida businesses and organizations.
- Chamber President and CEO Rebekah Arthur worked at each featured organization.
- Communications professionals from 16 chambers evaluated the competition’s entries.
- This is the Seminole County Chamber’s third major honor in the past 18 months.
