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Ten chambers were selected to participate in a new ACCE professional development program designed to help chambers of commerce lead effective and innovative community health initiatives and demonstrate the leadership roles chambers in smaller communities can play to strengthen quality of life and support equitable prosperity.
 
This year-long program will take participants through a design thinking lab to help develop and implement a plan to tackle a community health challenge. Each chamber has teamed with a community partner to participate alongside them throughout the program.
 
Participating chamber professionals include:

• Jennifer Reiser, Chief Operating Officer, Billings Chamber
• Vicki Clark, President, Cape May Chamber
• MelissaWorthington, Vice President of Chamber Membership and Strategic Advancement, Envision Greater Fond du Lac
• Pat Patrick, President/CEO, Lodi District Chamber
• Kelly Hall, President, Longview Chamber
• Robert Goltz, President/CEO, Miramar Pembroke Pines Regional Chamber of Commerce
• Bob DuBois, CEO, Noblesville Chamber
• Barbara Ann Heegan, President/CEO, Otsego County Chamber
• Chris Clark, President/CEO, Queen Creek Chamber
• Ananda Sweet, Workforce Development Manager, Santa Rosa Metro Chamber

Visit ACCE.org/healthycommunities to learn more about chambers of commerce that are championing health and wellness issues in their communities. Email Emily Counts, community advancement coordinator at ACCE, for additional ways to connect on this topic.

Leaders from 20 chambers of commerce, representing communities throughout the United States, have been selected to participate in ACCE’s Fellowship for Education and Talent Development. This is the fifth cohort of Fellows to participate in this program. 

The Fellowship is an immersive professional development program that provides chamber of commerce professionals with education, peer connections and tools to improve the education and workforce development outcomes in the communities they serve.

Throughout the year-long experience, participants develop regional action plans to address a specific education attainment or workforce development issues in their communities.

Congratulations to this year’s Fellows!

Danielle Britton
Talent & Education Director
Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce
Binghamton, New York

Eric Brown
Vice President of Economic Development
Salina Area Chamber of Commerce
Salina, Kansas

Anthony Edwards
Senior Vice President of Talent Development, Attraction & Retention
Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce
Fort Worth, Texas

Angela Finding
Director, Education & Workforce
Greater Cleveland Partnership
Cleveland, Ohio

Rod Garvin
Vice President of Talent & Workforce Development
Charlotte Chamber
Charlotte, North Carolina

Theresa Harvey
President & CEO
North Orange County Chamber
Fullerton, California

Deana Karem
Vice President of Regional Economic Growth
Greater Louisville Inc.
Louisville, Kentucky

Stephanie Keinath
Director of Public Policy & Economic Development
Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce
Dayton, Ohio

Meg Lindsay
Director Education & Workforce/Spokane STEM
Greater Spokane Incorporated
Spokane, Washington

Sarah Moylan
Senior Director of Talent
Greater Omaha Chamber
Omaha, Nebraska

Anna Osland
Manager, Policy Initiatives
One Acadiana
Lafayette, Louisiana

Samantha Perez
Director of Education Policy
Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
Nashville, Tennessee

Beth Rinehart
President & CEO
Bristol TN/VA Chamber of Commerce
Bristol, Tennessee

Paige Sharpe
Program Manager
Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce
Springfield, Oregon

Betsy Sikma
Vice President, Talent & Economic Inclusion
Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Kwee Lan Teo
Vice President of Talent & Workforce
Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce
Austin, Texas

Melissa Thompson
Director of Talent Development
Baton Rouge Area Chamber
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Adrea Turner
Director of Talent & Workforce Solutions
Greenville Chamber
Greenville, South Carolina

Kami Welch
President
Arvada Chamber of Commerce
Arvada, Colorado

Robin Willis
Associate Vice President of Talent Pipeline Strategies
Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce
North Charleston, South Carolina

Learn more about the Fellowship here. ACCE will begin accepting applications for the next Fellowship cohort in May 2019.

Tags: Education Attainment Division, Fellowship for Education Attainment, ACCE News, Education Attainment