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The mission of GACCE is engaging, educating, and empowering chamber professionals.
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Harvard Business Review
We found that the perception of oneself as a busy person can actually increase people's self-control via a boost in self-importance.
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2018 Event Dates
Make sure to place these dates on your calendar to join us:
Executive Leadership Conference
Jekyll Island, GA
November 15 & 16
Volunteer Leader Conference
Columbus, GA
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Be sure your small businesses are getting all they can out of their chamber membership. Join with the Georgia Chamber's Federation to strengthen the collective voice of Georgia's business community.
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PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
Learn More about Your Chamber Professional Peers
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President & CEO
How long have you been
in the Chamber profession?
Since August 2015 as Executive Director
How long have you been in your current position?
Since February 2018 as President and CEO
What do you love most about your job?
Embracing a leadership role that inspires collegial relationship building, common goal setting, and accountability among multi-geography resources. This has permitted me to build a credible reputation in the Aerotropolis and Atlanta's metropolitan communities, which has elevated the perception and value of the Chamber. This has set the stage for collaboration and community outreach with organizations such as the Regional Business Coalition, Aerotropolis Alliance, Aerotropolis CIDs, United Way, and Chamber Executives in Region 3 and Region 4 with an emphasis on the Clayton County and South Fulton Chambers.
Tell us about your most embarrassing Chamber moment.
Major events do not provide time for the administrative team to eat during the event with the audience, so I eat oatmeal just before the event. Someone bumped into me while eating my oatmeal and it was instantly worn on my white shirt. Club soda did not remove all of it, so I buttoned by jacket for the entire event. Of course, I then had an age appropriate moment, hot flashes set in, and I could not unbutton or remove my jacket. Now I eat the oatmeal in a corner and carry Tide sticks.
Who has had the biggest impact on your career and how?
My father had the biggest impact on my career and life in general. He had a very kind, caring demeanor, excellent leadership skills and competencies, thirst for knowledge, and a work ethic that was second to none. These attributes provide me with the fortitude to conquer challenges in a manner that nurtures alliances along with coaching across disciplines, industries, cultures, and innovative scenarios.
What is your Chamber's signature event?
The annual meeting is our signature event and the golf tournament is a very close second. Each year we coordinate speakers as panelists, which includes elected officials to address issues that are relevant to our audience. Last year the subject matter was "Gaining Altitude." Hartsfield-Jackson's General Manager discussed gaining altitude from the perspective of what is happening in the airport and its effects on the Aerotropolis. The chamber identified their gains in altitude within the chamber and its programs. Mayor Kasim Reed brought it all together. Justin Farmer - WSB-TV was the master of ceremonies and each speaker comes on stage to music that is appropriate for their personality. When I came on stage, they played "This Girl is on Fire."
Our golf tournament has moved from the summer months to November. Our tournament honors veterans and partial proceeds go to the Atlanta Airport USO. Raffle items are from all branches of the service. The most significant moment was the joy of the individual that won the golf bag designed for the Air Force. His father was a pilot in Vietnam, and he was looking for this bag to give to his father for Christmas. Playing in the tournament ended the search for the bag. The military items were donated by veterans from as far away as Hawaii and included veterans from World War II to the current theaters of today.
What is your favorite vacation destination and why?
Italy - The rich history, and culture are very special due to my religion. It is the heart of Catholicism and the shrines are magnificent. I do not miss an opportunity in visiting the Vatican. This year, I plan to take a tour of all the Shrines of Italy.
Tell us about your family and what you like to do in your spare time...
Our family is a multi-cultural blended environment with a rich military, education, medical, sports, and leadership history. There are schools, streets, parks, buildings, and bridges named after members of our family. Two members of our family are highlighted in Smithsonian Museums in Washington, DC.
Our children are very diverse in their adult life. Their occupations are instructional design, chemist, hospital administration, missionary, and sports administration. Most were high school athletes, two were collegiate athletes, and one was a professional athlete. My spouse and I are both retired members of the Delta Air Lines management team.
In our spare time, my husband and I enjoy traveling, and attending rodeos with an emphasis on professional bull riding. The Calgary Stampede is our favorite rodeo and the US PBR is next.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
An airline employee. My father worked in the travel industry, and our family enjoyed train rides with employee privileges. The goal was to continue traveling through the aviation industry, providing my parents with employee privileges and continue the adventures we took on the train. My father was nervous on his first plane ride because it was the first time he was on an airplane that he was not jumping out of in World War II.
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