Danville Chamber of Commerce earns highest accreditation

The Danville-Pittsylvania Chamber of Commerce has once again been awarded with the highest level of accreditation from the United States Chamber of Commerce.

Moore Hallmark, executive director of the Southeastern Regional Office, presented Chamber of Commerce President Laurie Moran and Chairman Roger Gillespie with a plaque announcing the chamber’s five-star accreditation rating.

The accreditation shows that the “leadership maintains the highest standards of performance,” Hallmark said. In order to receive the accreditation, leadership members must conduct intensive evaluations that can take months.

Out of 7,000 chambers in the United States, only 300 are accredited. Danville-Pittsylvania is one of 44 chambers to hold the 5-star designation.

Hallmark also talked about what’s going in Washington with the bailout bill and elections.

“We should not be getting into a debate about Wall Street and Main Street,” he said. “They’re fundamentally connected and (without action from Congress), the entire economy could collapse with devastating consequences.”

He encouraged people to contact Congressman Virgil Goode, who voted against the measure.

Hallmark also voiced strong opposition to a new bill before Congress that would eliminate secret ballot voting in companies deciding whether or not to unionize.

While the chamber doesn’t endorse presidential candidates, it has endorsed Goode for Congress and Mark Warner for the U.S. Senate.

Contact Sarah Arkin at or (434) 791-7983.