DEARBORN – Dearborn Area Chamber of Commerce President Jackie Lovejoy has been named one of Crain’s Notable Women in Non-Profits.
Recognized for her work, commitment, and innovation, Lovejoy joins a list of leaders who have shepherded their organizations through challenging years.
Under Lovejoy’s leadership, the DACC — home to almost 600 members blending corporate and small business — provides a range of member and community events ranging from the Taste of Dearborn hosting more than 1,500 in a one-day food crawl format, The Tale of Our Cities annual meeting with member city mayors, Meet the Candidates, the Alberta Muirhead Teacher of the Year program, Chamber Choice Awards and Expo, and the Chairman’s Charity 9 & Dine outing, raising more than $30,000 in eight years for local charities.
Like many organizations, funding to the DACC was sidelined during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lovejoy and her team created 70 virtual events to keep the community connected and informed.
After the pandemic, she has moved the DACC forward with a return to more than 40 in-person events and a renewed focus on membership growth. The DACC celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2019, and has weathered the last few years.
Lovejoy’s team uses its Certificate of Origin practice to help Dearborn’s diverse group of national and small businesses export products worldwide. That work includes processing documents that alleviate taxes, tariffs and other charges to help make companies more competitive.
Her professional experience includes leadership roles with Davenport University, including roles as director of Job development, director of the Romeo and Oxford campuses, admissions training manager, and as regional employment and internship manager. Her tenure at Davenport involved managing an annual operations budget of more than $1.5 million and acting as the face of Davenport in the community.
Lovejoy also serves on eight boards plus committees of several nonprofits and municipal organizations:
• Services to Enhance Potential
• The Dearborn Education Foundation
• The Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit
• The West Dearborn Downtown Development Authority
• The Henry Ford College Foundation
• The U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Board of Regents at Villanova University
• The Michigan Association of Chamber Professionals
• Rotary Club of Dearborn
• Dearborn Centurions