First Class of Georgia Certified Chambers Announced

HEADLINE: The Georgia Association of Certified Chamber Executives Announces the First Class of Georgia Certified Chambers

It’s an exciting time to be in the chamber industry and to be a chamber in Georgia. The quality of leadership, programs and services that define the over 150 chambers statewide continues to increase. Many chambers have risen to the challenge during these tough economic times to provide unparalleled leadership and direction, helping their members and communities thrive. This type of performance is a reflection of the solid organizational infrastructure built through much hard work and diligence.

Earlier this year, the GACCE Board of Directors sought a way to recognize chambers in the state that have focused internally on their operations to assess their strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities to create efficient, effective organizations positioned to deliver great value. Thus the Georgia Certified Chamber program was created.

The program is modeled after the U.S. Chamber’s accreditation program. The purpose of the program is to facilitate continuing excellence in the chamber industry and to foster a pro-business environment across the State of Georgia. Chambers must meet standards in organization, service intent and capacity, professional administration, financial management, communications, and advocacy in order to achieve the Georgia Certified Chamber designation.

With over 150 chambers in the State of Georgia, the 25 chambers that were recognized during the 2011 GACCE Leadership Conference as Georgia Certified Chambers received a prestigious honor that distinguishes the high quality, expertise, and strong leadership displayed by accredited chambers.

The following chambers make up the first class of Georgia Certified Chambers:

1. Albany Area Chamber

2. Berrien County Chamber

3. Blairsville-Union County Chamber

4. Blakely-Early County Chamber

5. Camden County Chamber

6. Carroll County Chamber

7. Catoosa County Chamber

8. Cherokee County Chamber

9. Columbia County Chamber

10. Conyers-Rockdale Chamber

11. Darien-McIntosh County Chamber

12. Douglas County Chamber

13. Dublin-Laurens County Chamber

14. Forsyth-Monroe County Chamber

15. Gilmer County Chamber

16. Lee County Chamber

17. Newnan-Coweta Chamber

18. Paulding Chamber

19. Pickens County Chamber

20. Robins Regional Chamber

21. Tifton-Tift County Chamber

22. Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber

23. Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber

24. Walton County Chamber

25. Wilkinson County Chamber

GACCE congratulates these chambers for their accomplishment!