2026-06-15T15:55:12+00:00 2024-06-30 580692043 Mauldin & Jenkins LLC 200 West MLK Blvd Suite 1100 Chattanooga TN 37402 990 2023-07-01 620154480 Greater Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce GREA 4237562121 811 Broad Street 200 Chattanooga TN 37402 Charles Wood President and CEO 4237562121 2026-06-15 true true Bridget A Bush P00234609 4237566133 2026-06-09 2023 2025-03-06 01:10:19Z Charles Wood 811 Broad Street 200 Chattanooga TN 37402 1905897 false X chattanoogachamber.com X 1925 TN To champion our member businesses and promote regional economic development. 80 80 64 372 0 0 0 1629415 1905897 0 0 1629415 1905897 0 0 869806 842823 0 0 910746 919852 1780552 1762675 -151137 143222 1035474 1231720 1504772 1557796 -469298 -326076 To champion our member businesses and promote regional economic development. false false Member services include councils based in various locations throughout the city, business related events, training and resources for business, business publications and studies to support public policy decisions for the region. Over 1,700 members served. 0 false false false true false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false true false false false false false false false false false false false true false false true 44 0 true 64 true false false false false false false false false X 80 80 false false false false true true false true true false false true true true true true true true true false TN X The Organization 4237562121 811 Broad Street Chattanooga TN 37402 Brad Cobb Treasurer 1.0 X X 0 0 0 Charles Wood PRESIDENT and CEO 8.0 32.0 X X 53268 213074 23256 Janelle Reilly Immediate Past Chair 1.0 X X 0 0 0 Jay Dale Chair-Elect 1.0 X X 0 0 0 Katherine Randolph Executive Director 0.0 40.0 X X 0 161803 0 Paul Leath Chair 1.0 X X 0 0 0 Rebecca Ashford Secretary 1.0 X X 0 0 0 Yolanda Hayslett VP FINANCE AND OPERATIONS 16.0 24.0 X X 42823 64235 11090 Aletheia Silcott DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Alexa Willis DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Amy Silvers DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 April Cameron DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Barry White DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Bo Bentley DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Briana Garza DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Briana M Maya DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Bryan Beasley DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Callie Starnes DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Carolina Eiris Molloy DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Chanda Chambers DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Chris McKee DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Chuck Fleischmann DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Chuck Hammonds DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Cindy Freeman DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Cindy Lee DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Corey Whitaker DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Dalya Qualls-White DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Dan Cerasoli DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Dan Pratt DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 David DeVaney DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Deb Socia DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Denis Reilly DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Dionne Jenkins DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Dr Bryan Johnson DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Dr Daniel Challener DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Dr Justin Robertson DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Dr Steven Angle DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Elaine Zambos DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Elizabeth Ahmed DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Ella Livingston DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Emily Barrow DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Emily Mack DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Evann Freeman DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Gary Hathaway DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Gerald Harris DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Grant Evitts DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Gregg Gentry DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Hamp Johnston DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Holly Floberg DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Ian Leavy DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 James Haley DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 James Wingard DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Jeff Londis DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Jennifer Harper DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Jill Allen DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Johanna Heywood DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Justin Furrow DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Karlene Claridy DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Kate Izell DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Keith Sanford DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Ken Shaw DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Leslie Gower DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Lisa DeWaard DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Marissa Bell DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Mark Smith DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Matt Phillips DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Michael Harrell DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Mickey Cloud DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Miguel Morales DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Rodney Dillard DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Rosie Dahl DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Rusty Gray DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Scott Hibberts DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Shay McCowan DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Simeon Baskerville DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Tasia Malakasis DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Tim Kelly DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Todd Gardenhire DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Todd Womack DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Tracy Wood DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Wade Hinton DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Weston Wamp DIRECTOR 1.0 X 0 0 0 Sybil Topel Vice President 14.0 26.0 X 38346 71213 12166 134437 510325 46512 4 false true false 0 0 Membership Dues 813910 1203151 1203151 Special Events 900099 508065 508065 Other Program Revenue 900099 194681 194681 0 0 0 0 1905897 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1905897 1905897 0 0 117873 563475 113778 47697 9337 73031 118822 192657 9629 103253 108292 23773 88147 10595 Councils and Other Program Expenses 85194 Dues and Subscriptions 45802 Miscellaneous Expenses 39333 Printing and Publications 11987 0 1762675 847271 1060507 160645 155544 5680 5340 0 0 21878 10329 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1035474 1231720 921245 1057705 583527 500091 0 0 0 1504772 1557796 X -469298 -326076 -469298 -326076 1035474 1231720 143222 0 X false false false false true false X X true false X X X false false false Charles Wood PRESIDENT and CEO 45674 182698 7525 30100 69 276 6075 17181 0 0 59343 230255 0 0 Katherine Randolph Executive Director 0 161281 0 0 0 522 0 0 0 0 0 161803 0 0 Schedule J, Part I, Line 1a First-class or charter travel THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDES FIRST CLASS OR CHARTER TRAVEL IN CONNECTION WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CEO TO OCCASIONALLY TRAVEL ON ORGANIZATION BUSINESS. Schedule J, Part I, Line 1a Health or social club dues or initiation fees THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDES SOCIAL OR HEALTH CLUB DUES AS A WAY TO FACILITATE CONNECTION OF THE CEO TO OTHER LEADERS IN THE COMMUNITY. Form 990, Part IV, Line 11f Organization has no uncertain tax positions under FIN 48 (ASC 740-10). Form 990, Part VI, Line 6 Classes of members or stockholders Members are all general members. Form 990, Part VI, Line 7a Members or stockholders electing members of governing body General members elect the governing body. General members are any qualified person, firm, or association or corporation meeting the qualifications for membership and paying the minimum amount of annual dues. Form 990, Part VI, Line 11b Review of form 990 by governing body A copy of the Form 990 is made available to all board members prior to filing with the IRS. Form 990, Part VI, Line 12c Conflict of interest policy Conflicts due to business relationships are documented on a disclosure form annually. Each director is expected to self-report conflicts of interest that might affect topics coming up for vote and to abstain from such votes. The chair of the board of directors enforces the policy. Form 990, Part VI, Line 15a Process to establish compensation of top management official FOR THE CEO'S SALARY, THE CFO SUBMITS TO THE BOARD'S COMPENSATION COMMITTEE HISTORICAL SALARY DATA AND PERFORMANCE BONUS HISTORY AS WELL AS BENCHMARK SALARY SURVEYS THAT ARE PERTINENT. A STUDY TYPICALLY USED FOR THIS PURPOSE IS DONE BY THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EXECUTIVES WHICH GIVES BENCHMARKS FOR CHAMBERS BASED ON COMMUNITY SIZE AND REVENUE LEVELS. THE CEO MEETS WITH THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ATAINMENT OF BENCHMARKS THAT WERE SET. AFTER MEETING WITH THE CEO, THE COMMITTEE SEPARATELY REVIEWS ALL INFORMATION TO DETERMINE THE SALARY TO BE AWARDED. Form 990, Part VI, Line 15b Process to establish compensation of other employees Annual performance reviews compare performance to requirements of job descriptions and agreed upon and documented goals are established at the beginning of the appraisal period. For management other than the CEO, recommendations for salary increases are submitted by the CEO after review against comparability data and then reviewed by the CFO against comparability data and available compensation pool of funds. Form 990, Part VI, Line 19 Required documents available to the public The organization's governing documents, conflict of interest policy and financial statements are available upon request. Reasonable Cause Statement I. INTRODUCTION & REQUEST FOR RELIEF The Greater Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce (the "Chamber") respectfully requests the abatement of all late-filing penalties, including additions to tax and related interest, assessed against the Chamber under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) § 6651(a)(1) and/or IRC § 6652(c)(1)(A) for the fiscal tax year ended June 30, 2024. The Chamber is a tax-exempt organization under IRC § 501(c)(6). The filing delay for the period ending June 30, 2024, was entirely due to reasonable cause and was not due to willful neglect. The Chamber exercised ordinary business care and prudence but was temporarily prevented from submitting a timely filing due to severe complexities in compiling financial information necessary to secure a finalized, verified independent audit. II. STATUTORY AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK IRC § 6651(a)(1) provides that a penalty for failure to file a tax return on or before its due date shall be waived if it is shown that the failure is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect. Treasury Regulation § 301.6651-1(c)(1) further clarifies the standard for reasonable cause: "If the taxpayer exercised ordinary business care and prudence and was nevertheless unable to file the return within the prescribed time, the delay is due to a reasonable cause." Furthermore, "willful neglect" has been judicially defined by the United States Supreme Court as a "conscious, intentional failure or reckless indifference" (United States v. Boyle, 469 U.S. 241, 245 (1985)). As detailed below, the Chamber's conduct at all times reflected a good-faith commitment to precise regulatory compliance, completely precluding any finding of willful neglect. III. STATEMENT OF FACTS CONSTITUTING REASONABLE CAUSE The Chamber has historically maintained an excellent compliance record with the Internal Revenue Service. For the fiscal year end of June 30, 2024, the Chamber fully intended to file its annual returns within the legally prescribed timeframe, including any validly requested extension periods. The core causes of the delay include: Financial Aggregation Complexities: Delays arose in pulling together granular financial schedules and accounting details from separate membership, program, and regional tracking channels into a cohesive reporting model consistent with audit requirements. Absence of Willful Neglect: The delay was completely unintentional. The Chamber acted with ordinary business care by continuously allocating internal accounting personnel and resources to resolve the financial data anomalies as quickly as possible. The return was prepared and submitted immediately upon the completion and verification of the underlying financial information. IV. APPLICATION OF LAW TO FACTS The IRS Internal Revenue Manual (IRM) § 20.1.1.3.2.2 establishes that "Unavailability of Records complex data compilation hurdles can constitute reasonable cause if the taxpayer establishes that the delay was unavoidable despite ordinary business prudence. The Chamber did not demonstrate "reckless indifference "conscious disregard" of its filing obligations. Rather, the Chamber prioritized the core mandate of tax administration: filing a complete, true, and accurate return. Filing the Form 990/990-T prior to finalizing the financial figures to mirror the audited financial statements would have resulted in an inaccurate return, defeating the purpose of transparency and compliance. The delay was an isolated, non-willful operational hurdle tied strictly to the complexities of the June 30, 2024, audit synchronization. V. CONCLUSION Given the Chamber's compliance history, its proactive effort to resolve accounting discrepancies, and the clear absence of willful neglect, the Chamber meets the criteria for reasonable cause relief under IRC § 6651(a)(1), IRC § 6652(c)(1)(A), and Treas. Reg. § 301.6651-1(c)(1). We respectfully request that all late-filing penalties and associated interest be abated in full. VI. JURAT STATEMENT (REQUIRED BY LAW) Under penalties of perjury, I declare that I have examined this statement, including accompanying documents, and to the best of my knowledge and belief, it is true, correct, and complete. Respectfully submitted, YOLANDA HAYSLETT, VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE AND OPERATIONS Greater Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce Chattanooga Chamber Foundation 811 Broad Street Suite 200 Chattanooga TN 37402 237032834 Leadership Education and Support of Economic Development TN 501(c)(3) 7 NA false false false false false false false false false false false true false false true false false false false