Professional Certifications

Do you have any initials after your name?

Are they worth it? Absolutely!

Certifications are not recognitions or a certificate of completion of some course you took online.

No, certification is everything it implies, time in the profession, recognized leader, and oh by the way, yes, you must pass a test just like a lawyer or accountant.

Well in the chamber and association management field we have three:

  • CCE - Certified Chamber Executive
  • CAE - Certified Association Executive
  • CEcD - Certified Economic Developer

And yes, they are worth your time and effort.

It basically makes the statement that you believe in the industry you work in and you have made the commitment to obtain the highest honor your professional society places on that sector.

Like anything worth doing, you need to take the time and effort to go through the process.

For more details on these certifications from the three professional societies that administer the programs:

  • For more information on the CCE go HERE.
  • For more information on the CAE go HERE.
  • For more information on the CEcD go HERE. 

To borrow a tagline from Nike, Just Do It!

Chamber Board and Staff Communications

It’s important that board members and the chief staff executive communicate on a regular basis.

Only you know what works best for your organization.

Here are a few examples that have worked for successful chamber executives over the years with their volunteers:

  • Weekly call
  • Weekly or monthly president’s letter
  • Monthly or quarterly board meeting
  • Annual Report

The list could go on.  The key is that you’ve set-up a mechanism that allows for an open dialogue between the board, the members and the staff.

In order to do that, I think communication and transparency are the key elements for you to be successful.

If all three are on the same page, the chamber and the community will be the beneficiaries.

And you’ll be seen as a leader in the community.  Put another way, that’s job security!

For resources on board and staff communications go HERE and HERE.