Forward Janesville, Janesville’s Chamber of Commerce and a leader of private sector economic and community development in Rock County, has been named a winner of the Award for Communications Excellence by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE).

The award was earned for the “What’s Next Janesville?” video, which Forward Janesville released at its Annual Dinner in November and has continued to use as an engagement piece within its membership ever since.

“We are thrilled and honored to be recognized by our peers across the country for our video that encapsulates the great momentum here in Janesville,” said Shar Hermanson, Forward Janesville’s President and CEO. “Our members’ challenge to us, as a relatively new Forward Janesville staff, has been, what are we going to do next as a community? This video allowed us to amplify that question to our local businesses and community so that they could communicate their goals and hopes. As a result of that elevated engagement with our members and community partners, we are excited to unveil in the coming weeks outcomes from several of those ideas and opportunities.”

The video was produced by Forward Janesville member business Drywater Productions and was shared via social media, YouTube and on the homepage of www.forwardjanesville.com.

"When I first became involved with the Janesville business community, I was taken aback by how local business owners had not only come together, but pushed each other to always strive for better,” said Barry Gilmore, Project Manager at Drywater Productions. “That was in 2011, and today I'm even more amazed. Our team couldn't be prouder to be a part of that community, and we appreciated partnering with Forward Janesville to help tell that story.”

ACCE is an association based in Alexandria, Virginia, 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. ACCE’s Awards for Communications Excellence (ACE) program is designed to showcase top communications and marketing work of chambers of commerce and similar organizations.

“Innovative, engaging communications are essential for chambers of commerce to demonstrate their impact and amplify their communities’ stories,” said ACCE President & CEO Sheree Anne Kelly. "This year’s winners have creatively celebrated their communities, strengthened local identity and showcased their commitment to inspiring progress and building vibrant, thriving regions.”

A panel of communications and marketing professionals from 12 U.S.-based chambers of commerce evaluated the entries submitted for this year’s competition. Entries were organized by category — based on the chamber’s annual revenue — and entry type: digital media, campaigns, print and electronic publications and websites.

The 12 winning entries will now go on to compete for the Best in Show title within their total annual revenue range category. The three winning entries will be revealed at ACCE's annual convention in Philadelphia during the July 23 awards show presented by Comcast Business.