Smith Named Inaugural ACCE Forty Under 40 Award Recipient

Spartanburg Chamber President and CEO Allen Smith has been awarded the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives 2019 40 Under 40 award.

The 40 Under 40 award is a new honor presented by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) meant to highlight the brightest men and women under the age of 40 in the chamber industry.

This award recognizes young professionals that have demonstrated significant success in their career as well as having made noteworthy contributions to their community. Each award recipient has made a remarkable impact on the chamber industry, fostering a positive impact in their community.

Smith joined the Spartanburg Chamber after four years leading the Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce. During his tenure in Spartanburg, the community has experienced economic and tourism development success, capped off by the launch and implementation of the OneSpartanburg initiative, a five-year community and economic development strategy. Smith also led the campaign to pass the penny sales tax which will lead to more than $220 million in public infrastructure projects.

“The success of our work is directly related to the relationships we’ve been able to build with all of our public and private partners,” said Katherine O’Neill, Chair of the Spartanburg Chamber Executive Board. “Allen, supported by our professional staff and community partners, has helped spearhead many cutting-edge and collaborative efforts related to talent, place, image, economy, inclusion, tourism and local business development. Nationally, Spartanburg now boasts the 8th fastest growing millennial population for small metros and is also the 19^th fastest growing metro area, which is a testament to some of these long-term efforts.”

The full Forty Under 40 class was announced publicly at the ACCE Annual Convention in Long Beach, California.