ACCE News
ACCE News Archive
January
1/2/2008 New Year brings two new corporate sponsors to ACCE
ACCE is pleased to announce that 48HourPrint.com and Empower Marketing have become official corporate sponsors.
1/3/2008 Update: ACCE's bid for the 2011 World Chambers Congress
Alexandria, VA — In November, ACCE President Mick Fleming and Los Angeles Area Chamber President Gary Toebben, CCE, travelled to the World Chamber Federation's headquarters in Paris, France, to formally present the letter of intent to bid. They also presented a preliminary description of the conference plan which calls for an exciting and creative way of combining ACCE's annual meeting with the 2011 World Chambers Congress.
1/3/2008 ACCE reminds members to be cautious when dealing with unfamiliar companies
Alexandria, VA — As chambers enter the new year, ACCE reminds members to urge their members to be very cautious when considering purchasing or using the services of a company with which they are not familiar. Sometimes the offers can be quite deceptive, creating major headaches.
1/9/2008 ACCE Launches Consultants-on-Demand Program
Alexandria, VA — As part of its Chamber Solutions Strategy, as outlined in the 2006-2009 Road to Excellence Strategic Plan , ACCE introduces its Consultants-on-Demand Program - advice-driven support and services for your chamber’s specific needs.
1/9/2008 2008 ACCE Awards Program brochure is in the mail
Alexandria, VA — The 2008 ACCE Awards program brochure, Rewarding Excellence in the Chamber Professi on, is in the mail.
1/15/2008 IRS Issues Final Draft of Form 990
Alexandria, VA — The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued its final draft of the Form 990 on December 20, 2007. The new form, which will need to be used beginning with the 2008 tax year (returns filed in 2009), includes a number of changes recommended by ASAE and many other tax-exempt organizations last summer.
1/17/2008 ACCE Announces Staff Promotion
Alexandria, VA — ACCE is pleased to announce that Tamara Philbin has been promoted to chief operating officer. Previously, she was ACCE's senior vice president (benefits division).
1/23/2008 Joan Riehm, celebrated civic leader and friend to many chambers, passes away
Alexandria, VA — Joan Riehm, immediate past chairwoman of the Alliance for Regional Stewardship (ARS), died on Sunday, January 20, in Louisville, Ky.
1/23/2008 Planned Website Upgrade Scheduled for Sunday, January 27
Alexandria, VA — On Sunday, January 27, ACCE will be experiencing some website outages which may affect your login settings.
1/23/2008 24th Annual ACE Awards: Call for Judges
Alexandria, VA — ACCE is looking for volunteers to judge the 24th Annual Awards for Communications Excellence. By serving as a judge, you can review dozens of creative and tested ideas that may inspire your own communications projects.
1/29/2008 ACCE Mourns Rusty Hammer's Passing
Alexandria, VA — It is with great sorrow that ACCE announces that Rusty Hammer, ACCE Life Member and former president and CEO of both the Sacramento and Los Angeles (CA) Area Chambers of Commerce, passed away on Monday, January 28, in San Jose, California.
1/29/2008 LA_Chamber_Statement
1/31/2008 Memorial Service For Rusty Hammer Announced
Alexandria, VA —
February
2/1/2008 CGEF Announces New Chairman and Treasurer
Alexandria, VA — Dan Colantone, CCE, president and CEO of the Greater Akron (OH) Chamber of Commerce, has been named the new chair man of ACCE’s Community Growth Educational Foundation (CGEF). Raymond Burns, CCE, president of the Rogers-Lowell (AR) Area Chamber of Commerce and former CGEF board member, has been elected treasurer.
2/6/2008 ACCE Convention 2008: INNOVATE! brochure is in the mail
Alexandria, VA — The initial brochure for ACCE Convention 2008: INNOVATE! is in the mail and on its way to your chamber's mailbox.
2/6/2008 Participation Has Its Rewards
Alexandria, VA — Norma Dunwody, president and CEO of the Culpeper County (VA) Chamber Commerce and Jeremy W. Nails, president and CEO of the Morgan County (AL) Economic Development Association know the rewards of participation. They are each the lucky winners of a $500 gift certificate to The Sharper Image as a result of participating in the recent ACCE member organization update.
2/14/2008 RH_Book
2/14/2008 Just Published: 'When Cancer Calls...Say Yes to Life' by Rusty Hammer
Alexandria, VA — Rusty Hammer's book, When Cancer Calls . . . Say Yes to Life , is now available for purchase.
2/20/2008 Ford Foundation Renews Support of The Regionalism & Sustainable Development Fellowship
Alexandria, VA — ACCE is pleased to announce that this outstanding program has been funded for another two years by the Ford Foundation, and assisted by the Alliance for Regional Stewardship and the FutureWorks research firm. Their support is allowing ACCE to recruit another 50 Fellows, who will be trained in the practices and principles of building lasting, regional economic prosperity.
2/27/2008 Will 2008 Mark Your 25 Years of Service to the Chamber Profession?
Alexandria, VA — If you'll be celebrating 25 years of service to the chamber profession in 2008, then please update your ACCE member record by Friday, March 14 , so that you can be recognized.
2/29/2008 Support ACCE's Bid for the 2011 World Chambers Congress
Alexandria, VA — ACCE, in conjunction with the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Council for International Business, LA Inc., and other partners, is bidding to attract the World Chambers Congress to Los Angeles in 2011 . How can chamber CEOs help?
March
3/3/2008 How does your chamber compare in membership, revenue, & expense to the national average?
Alexandria, VA — You’ll only know if you participate in ACCE’s Annual Chamber Operations Survey, due Friday, March 21!
3/4/2008 ACCE launches PolicyClearinghouse.org
Alexandria, VA — ACCE is proud to announce the launch of PolicyClearinghouse.org, a new informational website to help chamber professionals understand important state and local policy issues.
3/11/2008 Do the Best Companies Join Chambers of Commerce?
Alexandria, VA — The best places to work tend to belong to their local chamber of commerce, according to a recent study by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE).
3/13/2008 ACCE Announces Call for Life Member Award Nominations
Alexandria, VA — The nominating period for recommending individuals for induction into ACCE Life Membership, the chamber profession’s highest personal honor, is now open. Nominations must be submitted by May 2, 2008.
3/26/2008 ACCE Presents New Official Corporate Sponsor: Six Disciplines
Alexandria, VA — Six Disciplines, the first complete strategy and execution program for small and midsize businesses, has become an official corporate sponsor of ACCE, as well as the titanium sponsor of the 2008 ACCE convention taking place in Pittsburgh, Penn., July 30-August 1 .
3/26/2008 New Consultant Service Added to ACCE's Consultants-on-Demand Program
Alexandria, VA — In order for organizations to better communicate their value to their members, businesses and the community at large, ACCE and preferred provider, Quixote Group, present a Consultants-On-Demand program that extends the National Chamber Image Campaign to individual chambers.
April
4/2/2008 2007-08 Chamber Operations Survey: Online Results Report To Be Available in May
Alexandria, VA — The 2007-08 Chamber Operations Survey Online Results Report will be available, at no charge, to ACCE members who participated in this year's survey on Friday, May 2. Non-participants will be able to purchase the on-line report on Friday, May 9.
4/8/2008 ACCE Announces 2008 Convention Keynote Speakers
Alexandria, VA — During ACCE Convention 2008: INNOVATE, hear from four outstanding keynote presenters who will share their insights on where we are today and what the possibilities are for tomorrow.
4/15/2008 Grow: White Paper on Street Light Technology
Alexandria, VA — As featured in BusinessWeek, Robert Grow, a former ACCE/Ford Foundation Regionalism and Sustainable Development (RSD) Fellow has published a white paper on improving street light efficiency. The BusinessWeek article is quoted below. For some more interesting thoughts on improving street light efficiency, check out Grow's white paper, which is linked within the article.
4/15/2008 Regional Strategies Forum Keynote Speakers Named
Alexandria, VA — At the Regional Strategies Forum on July 29 and 30 in Pittsburgh, PA , find out how to identify and mobilize those partners to bring sustainable, dynamic, profitable growth to your region.
The forum features three important keynote presentations by regional planning experts: Bruce Katz, Vice President and Director of the Metropolitan Policy Program of The Brookings Institute; Dr. Mark A. Weiss, Chairman and CEO of Global Urban Development, and Richard C.D. Fleming, President and CEO of the St. Louis (MO) Regional Chamber and Growth Association; Petra Todorovich, Director of America 2050, Regional Plan Association.
4/15/2008 ACCE Board Considers Succession Planning and Interim CEO Services
Alexandria, VA — Charles Van Rysselberge, CCE, ACCE Board Member and President/CEO of Charleston (SC) Metro Chamber of Commerce was charged with researching an interim CEO program that is successfully being offered by United Way of America and developing a plan of action to organize a program to identify chamber retirees who could be called upon to fill in as an interim CEO and support succession planning for those Chambers that develop a vacancy. His research will be used to determine if ACCE could or should offer a similar program.
4/15/2008 Stand Out From the Crowd with ACCE's JobWatch Offer
Alexandria, VA — Get a "Featured Job" upgrade (a $99 value!) when you post a job on ACCE's JobWatch TM
4/28/2008 Justin Horan, former chamber of commerce executive, passes away
Alexandria, VA — Justin Horan, former chamber of commerce executive and devoted family man, passed away April 21, 2008. He was 81.
4/28/2008 Justin Horan, former chamber of commerce executive and ACCE chairman, passes away
Alexandria, VA — Justin Horan, former chamber of commerce executive, ACCE chairman, and devoted family man passed away on April 21, 2008. He was 81.
May
5/5/2008 2007 Business Tax Estimates
Alexandria, VA — ACCE recently posted a comparison study of the state and local taxes businesses paid in 2007. The study includes comparative data from all 50 states and also includes information on the amount of tax paid related to the level of service provided.
5/7/2008 ACCE Selects Regional Sustainable Development Fellows
Alexandria, VA — ACCE has selected 50 business-civic leaders to participate in its Regional Sustainable Development (RSD) Fellowship, funded by the Ford Foundation and conducted with the support of research consulting firm, FutureWorks, as well as The Alliance for Regional Stewardship. Beginning in the fall of 2008, three groups of Fellows will begin the 12-month program in order to create a regional action plan that will address barriers to creating a sustainable economy and healthy environment.
5/22/2008 National Site Selection Magazine Once Again Ranks RCGA Among Top 10 Economic Development Organizations in North America, Top 4 of Major Metros
St. Louis, MO — The St. Louis Regional Chamber & Growth Association (RCGA) has once again been named one of the “Top 10 economic development organizations in North America”, according to the just-released annual national ranking in Site Selection magazine. This is the 2 nd consecutive year -- and the 3 rd time since 1998 -- that the RCGA has been ranked in the Top 10.
5/22/2008 ACCE Selects Regional Sustainable Development Fellows(1)
Alexandria, VA — The American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) has selected 50 business-civic leaders to participate in its Regional Sustainable Development (RSD) Fellowship, funded by the Ford Foundation and conducted with the support of research consulting firm, FutureWorks, as well as The Alliance for Regional Stewardship
5/27/2008 Long-time ACCE Leader, Harvel, Takes on New Role
Arkadelphia, AR — Paul Harvel is the new president and CEO of the Economic Development Corp. of Clark County. He is the former president and CEO of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce and was also president and CEO of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce.
5/28/2008 2008 National Summit on American Competitiveness held on May 22 in Chicago
Alexandria, VA — The US Department of Commerce’s second annual National Summit on American Competitiveness was held in Chicago last Thursday, May 22, 2008. High level government officials, CEOs/Chairmen of Fortune 500 companies and Ivy League professors speculate whether or not the United States will remain on top in the world marketplace. This year’s Summit explored how to bolster the business climate, strengthen the entrepreneurial spirit, and utilize free trade agreements to encourage growth of our companies at home. The Summit also highlighted how states and regions are successfully driving economic transformations and adapting to the challenges of the 21 st Century worldwide economy.
June
6/2/2008 ACCE Receives Record Number of Life Member Nominations
Alexandria, VA — The Life Member Award recognizes decades of management excellence, community leadership and unselfish commitment to the betterment of the chamber profession.
6/11/2008 Keith Kafer, CCE - ACCE Honorary Member Passes Away
Alexandria, VA — Long-time chamber executive and ACCE Honorary Member, Keith B. Kafer, CCE died suddenly on Saturday, June 7, 2008.
6/12/2008 ACCE's Bid for the 2011 World Chambers Congress: Update from Stockholm
Alexandria, VA — Before a standing room-only crowd, members of the committee from all over the globe listened to proposals from Los Angeles (United States) and Mexico City (Mexico). Each contender did their best to convince the audience why their chamber, their city, and their country made them worthy to host the congress.
6/12/2008 ACCE Convention 2008: We feel your pain at the pump!
Alexandria, VA — Due to the spike in gas prices, ACCE will take $25 off your 2009 membership dues for every full registered attendee your organization sends to Pittsburgh. The early bird registration deadline expires tomorrow, Friday, June 13.
6/24/2008 Life Member Award Recipients Named
Alexandria, VA — ACCE chairman of the board, Douglas Kinsinger, CCE, will present M.J. Arts, Harold Van Sumeren and Richard Upton, CCE, with the award at the Awards Show on Friday, August 1, during ACCE’s national convention in Pittsburgh.
July
7/10/2008 Bids Open July 16 for this Year's Silent Auction
Alexandria, VA — Introducing a new twist on the annual silent auction! This year, you can bid online at our special eBay website.
7/10/2008 2008 Chamber of the Year Award Finalists Named
Alexandria, VA — The American Chamber of Commerce Executives announces the finalists competing for the 2008 Chamber of the Year award, the nation’s only award recognizing the dual role chambers have in creating both leading businesses and communities. This year's award is being sponsored by Microsoft.
7/10/2008 Two New Convention Hotels Added
Alexandria, VA — The room blocks at the Omni William Penn Hotel and the Westin are sold out . ACCE secured additional rooms at two hotels that are within walking distance of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, where most of the convention sessions will take place.
7/17/2008 Here We Come, Milwaukee: ACCE Convention 2010
Alexandria, VA — ACCE is pleased to announce that it has accepted Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s bid to host the 2010 ACCE Convention.
7/17/2008 ACCE's New Publication: 'A Guide to Intercity Visits'
Alexandria, VA — ACCE’s newest publication, A Guide to Intercity Visits , explains the value of these programs and provides a detailed guide for how to get a program started. If you already lead an intercity visit, this publication is full of ideas and helpful advice.
August
8/6/2008 2008 Chamber of the Year Winners Announced
Alexandria, VA — The American Chamber of Commerce Executives is pleased to announce the winners of the 2008 Chamber of the Year award, the nation’s only award recognizing the dual role chambers have in creating both leading businesses and communities. The award is sponsored by Microsoft Corp.