Small communities are important, was the message from Elkhart Chamber of Commerce President Levon Johnson, when he testified in from of a Congressional committee Wednesday in Washington.

He told the committee that Elkhart is flattered as a community for having hosted presidential visits in the past 14 years. But, he believes the community is proving its worth as a place for business.

“Like every community, Elkhart County has a combination of traits that make us unique,” he said.

“I am often asked, ‘What characteristics have allowed Elkhart County to remain an economic bellwether for the country?’ We believe our collaborative spirit, entrepreneurial equal system, economic resilience, philanthropic nature, and cultural diversity are the right mix that provide for opportunities in our communities,” he said.

Johnson said the city’s entrepreneurial spirit has brought the city back from record unemployment to record employment.

Johnson was one of several community experts from around the country who said that investing in small cities and communities is a way to maintain the vibrancy of the country as a whole.