Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Partners with StarNews Media for Inaugural '40 Under 40' Class

The Wilmington Chamber of Commerce and StarNews Media are launching a 40 Under 40 program to recognize deserving young professionals and emerging leaders in the Cape Fear Region. Nominations are now being collected for the inaugural class of recipients.

​The 40 Under 40 Program ties into the Wilmington Chamber's critical success strategy to "Foster and Develop Leaders of the Chamber, Community, and Elected Bodies" as outlined in the 2017-2020 Strategic Plan.

"The Chamber is excited to further our mission in partnership with StarNews," said Natalie English, President and CEO of the Wilmington Chamber. "Young professionals in the Cape Fear Region deserve to be recognized for their contributions and leadership in the community. We can only fulfill our mission to position our community for prosperity by cultivating business growth if we grow future leaders who will continue the success of our community."

The criteria for selection is as follows: Nominees must be younger than 40 years old as of Dec. 31, 2019; live or work in Brunswick, New Hanover or Pender counties; and display a commitment to serving others in the community.

Nominations should be submitted by filling out an online application here. Self-entries and multiple entries are allowed and encouraged.

The deadline for nominations is July 8, 2019. A non-biased panel of judges will pick the recipients based on the nominator’s comments. Winners will be announced late summer with a congratulatory reception held in October.

Questions about the 40 Under 40 Program and October event can be directed to Michelle Koenigsknecht, Director of Marketing & Communications, at michelle@wilmingtonchamber.org or StarNews Media Managing Editor Sherry Jones at Sherry.Jones@StarNewsOnline.com.