 
Bank of America is Top Holder of Local Chamber Board Seats; Manufacturing and Banking Are Most Represented Industries
ALEXANDRIA, Va.-- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- April 27, 2004 -- A new study indicates that Bank of America has the most executives serving on big-chamber boards throughout North America. Banks, accounting firms, and communications companies are among the best-represented firms on the boards of large chambers of commerce.
Chamber Leadership Study 2004 was produced by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE). ACCE looked at the composition of the boards of 101 large chambers of commerce in communities of 250,000 or more people. A total of 5,011 board members were tallied in the study. Of the top 10 companies as measured by board seats held, four are banks, three are accounting firms, and two are telecommunications firms.
The 10 companies with the most big-chamber board seats are:
COMPANY Number of Board Seats
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Bank of America 37
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Wachovia 27
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Ernst & Young 25
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BankOne 25
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SBC Communications 23
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Deloitte & Touche 23
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Wells Fargo 18
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BellSouth 16
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Blue Cross Blue Shield 15
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PricewaterhouseCoopers 13
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The 10 industries with the greatest representation are:
INDUSTRY Board Seats Percent of All Board Seats
Manufacturing 464 9%
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Banking 432 9%
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Law 354 7%
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Education 284 6%
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Health care 217 4%
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Retail 198 4%
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Financial
services 181 4%
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Accounting 175 3%
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Utilities 175 3%
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Nonprofit 172 3%
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Companies join boards of local chambers of commerce in order to promote the economic climate of the area and improve the life of the community. If there were a roster of the leaders of Main Street America, it would consist in large part of the board members of local chambers of commerce.
"As the nation's number one small business bank, we know that America's chambers of commerce are a powerful resource for helping entrepreneurs grow and achieve their dreams," said Lynn Pike, president, Bank of America Small Business Banking. "We look forward to continuing our productive partnership with chambers and local business owners across the country for the benefit of the economy and the communities in which we do business."
For additional information or copies of the report, contact Chris Mead, ACCE's vice president of member relations, at (703) 998-3545. To find out more about ACCE and chambers of commerce, visit the ACCE website at www.acce.org.
Established in 1914, ACCE is the only national association uniquely serving the professional development needs of individuals managing chambers of commerce throughout the United States and Canada. Representing more than 5,500 chamber professionals, ACCE enhances the industry knowledge, leadership skills, and management effectiveness of chamber executives and their staffs through education, trend analysis, benchmarking, and best practices. ACCE promotes the highest standards of professional excellence and integrity within the chamber industry.
© 2004, American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE)
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