In 1993, the Georgia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (GACCE) began looking at ways to enhance public awareness and credibility of the Chamber of Commerce profession.  One of the items selected to accomplish this was the establishment of a designation which exemplifies excellence and professionalism of Georgia’s Chamber Executives.  This designation would be based upon experience, service to GACCE, training/continuing education and personal achievement.  The Georgia Certified Chamber Executive (GCCE) was created to strengthen career development, provide an opportunity for personal recognition, and measure individual progress.

Chris Hardy, President & CEO of the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce and Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau, was one of 6 in the state to receive the GCCE designation. Hardy is the only Chamber of Commerce Executive in the state of Georgia to hold both the Certified Chamber Executive (CCE), which is the highest certification in the country, the Georgia Certified Chamber Executive (GCCE), the highest in the state and the Institute for Organization Management (IOM) certification. “It is an honor to be included in this year’s class of GCCE’s. The certification processes show a commitment to and complete understanding of Chambers of Commerce, both nationally and statewide. Some may ask what either of those mean to our Chamber, and my answer is this. What it means is that our membership and business community can rest assured that their Chamber of Commerce is being managed appropriately and accordingly and will always do what is in the best interests of its membership and investors while representing the community at the highest level.”

The process for those Chamber Executives wishing to achieve this designation include completing the GCCE application and providing supporting documentation, writing a 250-word essay describing their views on their performance as a Chamber Executive, and providing letters of recommendation from a Past Chamber Chair and three GACCE peers.  The application and supporting material is then reviewed by a panel of judges.

The designations were announced during the Awards Dinner at the 2014 GACCE Executive Leadership Conference which was held Thursday, July 17 at the Lake Lanier Islands Legacy Lodge.