BULLHEAD CITY – The Russell J “Rusty” Hammer Memorial Scholarship Award from the Western Association of Chamber Executives (WACE) was awarded to the President & CEO of the Bullhead Area Chamber of Commerce, Bo Hellams!

This scholarship is awarded annually to “a chamber chief executive who best exemplifies excellence and professionalism and is deemed to have the potential to be a future chamber industry leader” in their second year of WACE Academy, a 3-year training on all things Chambers of Commerce offered by WACE. Bo has been with the Bullhead Area Chamber since August of 2021 and has helped to establish core benefits of Chamber Membership, rebuild the Chamber’s fiscal stability, and continually works to grow the Chamber’s reputation and dependability equally throughout the larger tri-state area. 

The Bullhead Area Chamber provides business solutions and networking opportunities to nearly 530 business members along the riverway. Roughly 63% of those 530 business members are categorized as a 1-5 employee business. “Working to help our members is simply so rewarding! The majority of our business members are community residents doing the best they can to provide a brighter future for our community and their own family. Plain and simple, it’s easy to stay motivated around the Bullhead Area Chamber” says Bo.

Bo is the first Chamber CEO in the State of Arizona, and the eighth recipient since creation, to be awarded the Hammer Memorial Scholarship Award. The previous winners still in the Chamber industry are Anne Glasscock – ACE – Kaufman (TX) Chamber, Glenn Morris – ACE – Santa Maria Valley (CA) Chamber, Jeremy Harris – ACE – Long Beach Area (CA) Chamber, Ginz Fitzpatrick – Paso Robles (CA) Chamber, Susan Wan-Ross – Yorba Linda (CA) Chamber, Zeb Welborn – ACE – Chino Valley (CA) Chamber, Josh Cross – Atascadero (CA) Chamber. 

“Bo plans to attend his third year of Academy as awarded, and continue to enhance and build the strongest, most member-focused Chamber possible” says Rick Campos, Chair of the Bullhead Area Chamber Board of Directors. Since Bo has been with the Chamber the Board Chair’s have been Cindy Head – 21/22, Karen Summitt – 22/23, and now Rick Campos – 23/24. Bo states, “a special thank you to all Chamber Ambassadors, Chamber Staff, Board of Directors, and especially our Members, for helping to build our Chamber to where it is today. A strong business community is the true heartbeat of a healthy community, and we at the Chamber are extremely thankful for those who continue their investment with the Bullhead Area Chamber of Commerce.”