JEKYLL ISLAND, Ga. — The Georgia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (GACCE) announced Newton Chamber of Commerce President Debbie Harper earned the Georgia Certified Chamber Executive (GCCE) designation at the organization's 2022 Executive Leadership Conference at the Jekyll Island Club Resort.  

GACCE is the professional society of chamber of commerce executives and staff in the state of Georgia.

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 are then reviewed by a panel of judges.

GACCE has a total of 20 current chamber executives who have achieved this designation. This year, GACCE announced that Harper and Beth Truelove of the White County Chamber of Commerce met the criteria to be named a Georgia Certified Chamber Executive.

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.