CACCE December 2025 E-Newsletter | | Thank You to Our 2025 CACCE Partners | | CACCE - 2026 Conference Dates & Locations | | |
We are excited to announce the dates & locations for our 2026 conferences…please be sure to save these on your calendar for next year:
2026 CACCE Staff Leadership Development Conference
for all chamber staff members
Monday – Wednesday, March 30 – April 1, 2026
DoubleTree by Hilton Columbia
Columbia, SC
Hosted by the Columbia Chamber of Commerce
2026 CACCE Annual Management Conference
for Chamber Executive Directors/Presidents/CEOs and senior staff members
Monday – Wednesday, November 16 – 18, 2026
Hilton Greenville
Greenville, NC
Hosted by the Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce
| | CACCE - December 2025 Webinar | | |
Join us for an introductory webinar with a new CACCE Associate Member:
Wednesday, December 3 – 10:00am
Introduction to SOAR Nonprofit Solutions
Tammy Shepherd, Founder & CEO
SOAR Nonprofit Solutions partners with nonprofits to build strong leadership, clear strategy, and long-term sustainability. We offer support with board retreats, new CEO transitions, and governance development, as well as strategic planning, program design, and budgeting. Our team also helps with growing membership through tiered dues, strengthening advocacy efforts, building partnerships, and navigating Accreditation or certification.
To register for this meeting, please CLICK HERE. Once you have completed the short registration form, the system will send you the information to connect to the meeting, and you can add it to your calendar. The meeting will be recorded and shared with the membership in case you aren’t able to join us on that day.
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Eventeny
Think your event was the best of 2025? Let's find out! We’re looking to recognize the hard working teams behind the events that bring communities together. Nominate your event (or one that wowed you) by 11/30/25 for Best Event of 2025. Winners receive a free year of Eventeny Pro, a vendor e-blast to 300K+ vendors, press and social features, an exclusive badge, and a commemorative plaque! Nominate your event here.
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Indus Travels
Portugal FAM Trip Now Underway – And the Adventure Has Begun!
We’re thrilled to share that our Indus Travels FAM Trip to Portugal is officially in motion! A fantastic group of chamber executives from across the region has kicked off an unforgettable journey—exploring Portugal’s charm while discovering how curated travel experiences can become a powerful (and “Easiest Source”) non-dues revenue opportunity for their chambers. From walking the colorful streets of Lisbon to soaking in the coastal beauty of Nazaré and the culture of Porto, this trip promises an authentic taste of the tours, service, and seamless experience that Indus Travels delivers to their travelers. And of course, there’s no shortage of great conversations, shared laughs, and meaningful networking along the way. We’re excited to share one of the first group photos from the adventure, with more stories and highlights coming in the next newsletter. Curious how a travel program could elevate your chamber’s member engagement and revenue?
Connect with Dhruv once he’s back from Portugal at dhruv@indus.travel or 866-978-2997 ext. 844.
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Lumin Strategies
Watch Now: Budgeting for Advocacy
If you missed last month’s CACCE webinar on how chambers can plan and budget for effective advocacy work (both the expenses AND the revenue), the full recording is now available. The session covers practical approaches for aligning your advocacy goals with your financial resources—no matter your chamber’s size.
🎥 Watch the Recording Here
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PSP Group
Ready for 2026? Let’s Talk!
This year is flying by and planning for 2026 starts now. If you are interested in telling your Chamber's story with bigger impact AND growing your non-dues revenue, now is the perfect time to connect and explore how partnering with PSP Group can take you to the next level! Schedule a discovery call today with Eli (eli@mypspgroup.com) or Kenny (kenny@mypspgroup.com).
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SOAR Nonprofit Solutions
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
As we celebrate this season, I am grateful for the opportunity to connect with Chamber leaders across the Carolinas. I hope to “see” you on December 3rd at 10:00am for a virtual introductory session. I look forward to continuing – and beginning – new collaborations in 2026.
Happy Holidays from Tammy Shepherd, IOM tammy@soarnonprofitsolutions.com
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The Chason Group
Chamber CEO Performance Evaluation
We have developed a guide that a CEO can give an incoming Board Chair that walks them through how to conduct a Chamber CEO performance evaluation. It comes with template forms, a timeline, check list, etc. Everything that makes it turnkey for a Board Chair - the CEO can customize it to their needs and for their Chamber. We also offer a no cost 30-minute virtual meeting to walk through the guide with the CEO and their Board Chair if they would like to use that. We have just heard so many ugly stories about annual reviews that we decided to offer up a potential solution! Please reach out to James McCoy at 770-842-4774 or jmccoy@thechasongroup.com for more information.
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YGM
Making your 2026 budget? Considering your board retreat but wanting something a little different?
YGM’s Visionary Leadership Retreat helps you energize your board, set key priorities, and strengthen your Chamber’s impact. This one-day retreat is more than planning; we’ll help you position your Chamber as a leader in strength and innovation providing significant business community impact in 2026. Additionally, the day includes sharing of key Chamber industry trends and a board orientation refresher. Click here to learn more!
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Charleston Metro Chamber
The Chamber is pleased to announce the following additions to their staff:
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Greater Raleigh Chamber
The Chamber is thrilled to offer expert insight into the forces shaping 2026 as top economists and business leaders share their outlook on the year ahead at Economic Forecast 2026 presented by Wells Fargo. Tuesday, January 6 at the Martin Marrietta Center for the Performing Arts is your chance to hear from Tom Barkin of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and Tim Quinlan from Wells Fargo as they break down key national and regional economic trends. Click here to learn more and register.
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Greenwood Chamber
Len Bornemann, former CEO of the Chamber, passed away in November. He received the South Carolina Executive of the Year award from CACCE in 2005.
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North Brunswick Chamber
CACCE is pleased to welcome Thom Kelly, Executive Director, and the North Brunswick (NC) Chamber as a new CACCE Member! Kelly was recently announced as the Chamber's new executive director, succeeding Dana Fisher who departed after 15 years at the helm. Kelly brings extensive leadership experience and a long-standing dedication to community engagement. He began his career in retail management, spending more than a decade with Gap Inc., where he advanced from store management to district-level leadership roles in Philadelphia and Orlando. During his tenure, he also served as a regional community leader, overseeing community involvement and fundraising initiatives across 125 stores from Boston to Miami. Most recently, Kelly was part of the team at Live Nation in Wilmington, serving as experience manager, where he focused on enhancing guest experiences and supporting staff through a commitment to service, creativity and teamwork.
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Roanoke Valley Chamber
CACCE is pleased to welcome David Dickens, President, and the Roanoke Valley (NC) Chamber as a new CACCE Member!
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Rowan Chamber
Join the Chamber in celebrating the successes of its business community at the 100th Annual Gala on Thursday, January 29, 2026. Presented by Novant Health, this premiere event will take place at 5:30 p.m. at the Rowan Community Center in Salisbury. This year’s theme, “Century of Success,” honors a milestone moment in the Rowan Chamber’s history as the organization reflects on the past and looks ahead to the future.
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Triangle East Chamber
The Chamber is pleased to announce Kelly Wallace as their new President & CEO. Kelly previously served as the Chamber's VP and COO. Click here for the full press release.
The Chamber also just held their 7th JOCO WORKS event. Click here for more information. The event got great coverage from WRAL.
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Union County Chamber
After an extensive nationwide search, the Chamber is pleased to announce that Clayton Whitson, IOM, has been selected as its next President and CEO. He will officially begin his role on January 5, 2026. Click here for the press release.
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Wilmington Chamber
Longtime Carolinas chamber executive, Chris Hardy, IOM, CCE, recently joined the Chamber as our Chief Revenue Officer. Chris will lead efforts to attract new investors, sponsors, and innovative ways to fund the amazing work our staff team is doing.
| | Additional Updates for Members | | |
ACCE
Save the Date - #ACCE26 Annual Convention has been set for July 20-23, 2026 in New Orleans, LA.
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IOM 2026 Program Dates
The U.S. Chamber Foundation's Institute for Organization Management has announced their 2026 program dates. CLICK HERE to see the sites and dates for 2026.
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SOUTH CAROLINA CHAMBERS - ABL Special Events Workshop
The SC Department of Revenue is holding a free ABL Special Events Workshop on December 10th, from 10am to 11:30am. Any Chamber serving alcohol and applying for permits through SCDOR are encouraged to attend. Also, beginning January 1, 2026, all special events selling beer, wine, or liquor after 5 pm must have a liquor liability insurance policy or general liability insurance policy with a liquor liability endorsement with an annual aggregate of $500,000. When applying for a permit after January 1, Chambers will have to attach a COI that clearly states this coverage and also lists the venue location for the event as an additional insured. This is a new requirement that will start in January. CLICK HERE to register and for more information.
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Carolinas Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (CACCE) | www.cacce.org | | | | |
