Western Association of Chamber Executives Awards Bonner Executive of the Year
Portland, OR: Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce (GCVCC) President and CEO Joshua Bonner has been named the Executive of the Year by the Western Association of Chamber Executives (WACE). The award was bestowed at the WACE Annual Conference held in Portland, OR, February 5th through the 7th.
With over 870 members, W.A.C.E. is the largest state or regional association of chamber of commerce executives in the United States. Each year the Association considers executives from across their membership for the honor, which is granted to only one executive for the year. The award is based on their overall achievement within their chamber, their impact on their local community, and their contribution to the chamber industry. Candidates are judged in five areas of expertise including finance, communications, legislative action, and membership services performed by the chamber. There are currently only seven active chamber of commerce executives across the country that have won the distinction.
In awarding the honor, Brian Starr, the President and CEO of the Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce and 2018 Award Winner noted Bonner’s achievements in 2019, from establishing new partnerships to open east valley business incubators and shared workspaces, to the chamber’s advocacy work in Sacramento.
“It’s an honor,” says Bonner about the award. “WACE is a huge organization, basically your work is being distinguished among 800+ of your fellow chamber executives from across the United States. It brings me a lot of pride being able to bring this award home to the Coachella Valley and have our business community recognized for all their hard work. I work with a tremendous board of directors and a great staff. Some of the things we have been doing for the last three plus years is visionary within our industry, and the industry has taken notice.”
The Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce was formed as a regional entity in 2016, a partnership between the Indio, La Quinta and Coachella Chambers of Commerce. They have since added the Cathedral City and Desert Hot Springs Chambers to their local chamber group, along with the local Palm Springs American Advertising Federation Club. Their partnerships include working agreements with the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership, Leadership Coachella Valley, the City of Indian Wells and more. With an annual budget that now reaches almost two million dollars, they have quickly become one of the largest and most influential chambers in California.
About the Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce
The Chamber is a business membership organization representing the Coachella Valley. We support our members through legislative advocacy, education, networking, and other community-based opportunities. The Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce is a registered 501c6 non-profit supported through member investments.