The past few years, we’ve shared the enthusiasm of many with the focus our city leaders are putting on East Waco, ranging from Mayor Jim Bush’s belief in carefully nuanced development of Elm Street to the revival of the East Riverside Neighborhood Association, the force behind a big community cleanup in East Waco last month.

But we would be remiss if we failed to mention the good work also being done for East Waco by Laveda Brown and the Cen-Tex African American Chamber of Commerce, championed this summer by no less than the National Black Chamber of Commerce as Chamber of the Year. It bested 147 other groups for the national honor.

Henry C. Alford, head of the national organization, says he became familiar with the Waco chamber while visiting town for a speaking engagement. The national group says the local economic picture was greatly improved by having a viable chamber of commerce for minority businesses — high praise, indeed, considering that Brown took over the outfit after it suffered from years of mismanagement and neglect, evident through declining membership, financial reporting problems and power struggles.

Some were skeptical that Brown could even turn the organization around when she took command in 2007. Happily, she proved the doubters wrong.

Many of us have become accustomed to Brown’s energy and resourcefulness. She and her staff regularly program speakers such as last month’s Sherry Perkins-Guillory, tapped to discuss how to make effective presentations to audiences large and small. A couple of months ago, the chamber held a seminar on how small and minority businesses can work with the Waco Housing Authority. And each month, it recognizes a local citizen for us all to emulate.

As Tribune-Herald business writer Bill Teeter noted in Sunday’s profile on the chamber and its high-octane president, the Cen-Tex African American Chamber of Commerce is getting recognized far and near for invigorating a part of Waco struggling hard to be reborn. After seeing a number of small chambers in Waco fall prey to mismanagement and infighting, it’s great to see one living up to the high standards and deep needs of a growing membership.

Brown brings a wealth of experience to the mission at hand — everything from selling used cars to managing a barbecue restaurant to working at the Small Business Development Center at McLennan Community College. As such, she herself is the perfect example of what a person with ambition and know-how can do. We hope that spirit is contagious and enduring. If so, another piece in the puzzle of making East Waco whole and vibrant is snugly in place.

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• African American Chamber succeeds with itself, Waco businesses