Joliet chamber announces spin off for African American affiliate

The African American Business Association in Joliet will become a separate nonprofit organization in December.

AABA now is a subcommittee of the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

The chamber on Friday announced that AABA will incorporate as a separate nonprofit group beginning Dec. 1.

“The chamber looks forward to a strong working relationship and is proud to support this new venture,” the chamber said in a news release issued Friday. “We are collectively committed to providing a smooth transition. In the next few weeks, additional information will be shared with existing members of the African American Business Association on transition of accounts as we plan to provide absolute clarity on how the process will occur.”

AABA will incorporate under a 501(c)(6) designation, the chamber said.

“This new enterprise is the result of several months of planning between the AABA board of directors and chamber staff to support continued growth of this group,” the chamber said, noting that AABA membership has grown steadily since it was established in 2017.