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 GACCE Staff Development Conference

for all chamber staff members

Monday – Wednesday, March 9 – 11, 2026

Hilton Garden Inn and Dalton Convention Center

Dalton, GA

Hosted by the Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce

2026 GACCE Executive Leadership Conference

for Chamber Executive Directors, Presidents, CEOs, and senior staff members

Tuesday – Friday, July 7 – 10, 2026

Jekyll Island Club Resort

Jekyll Island, GA

2026 GACCE Board Development Conference

for Chamber Executives and their incoming volunteer board leadership

Thursday & Friday, November 5 & 6, 2026

Fairfield Marriott/Hilton Garden Inn and Georgia National Fairgrounds

Perry, GA

Hosted by the Perry Area Chamber of Commerce 

We will set the registration fee for each event once we finalize the catering needs for each conference. 

2025 Congressional Luncheon

August 20 - Columbus, GA

We invite you to join us in Columbus, Georgia for the Georgia Chamber’s annual Congressional Luncheon on Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at the Columbus Convention & Trade Center. This year’s program brings together business leaders, as well as federal, state and local elected officials. Click here for more information.

Taylor Van Pelt, Workforce Development Director, recently completed the Certificate in Workforce Development Fundamentals program through the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) and International Economic Development Council (IEDC). This joint program prepares professionals to navigate the intersection of economic and workforce development while addressing education gaps. Certificate recipients completed a rigorous six-week curriculum, including expert-led sessions, interactive learning, practical exercises, and an online exam. Click here for the full press release.

The Chamber is pleased to welcome Chelsey Landers as their new Program and Events Coordinator, and Glennis Tillman as their new Director of Small Business & Entrepreneurship.

We’re also thrilled to announce the launch of our Drive & Thrive Passport—a dynamic program designed to fuel business growth by fostering valuable connections and opportunities. From June through December, Chamber investors will hit the road across Douglas County, attending key networking events and collecting stamps in their official "Road Trip" passports.

The Chamber hosted its second annual Chamber Chuck It Cornhole tournament this June, and it was a fantastic afternoon filled with fun, community spirit, and Chamber visibility! We had 18 teams compete, along with a great turnout of enthusiastic spectators. The event was held at Reece's Cider Company, a Chamber member and gracious host. Several other members played key roles—515 Cornhole ran the tournament logistics, Wilder Sounds provided live music, and six member businesses stepped up as sponsors, helping make the event a success. Chamber Chuck It wasn’t just a fun community gathering—it was also a valuable opportunity for Chamber exposure and generating non-dues revenue. We’re already looking forward to next year’s tournament!

The Chamber is pleased to announce the hiring of Rich Johnson as Executive Director of The North Fulton Economic Alliance. Johnson’s selection follows a three-month, nationwide search to identify the founding leader who will execute the 5-year strategic plan and goals identified by public and private leaders across North Fulton. Click here for the full press release.

The Chamber is sad to share that William Owen "Bill" Mitchell, 83, of Vidalia, GA passed away on June 13, 2025 at Westhill Newnan Crossing Assisted Living Facility in Newnan, GA after a brief illness. An accomplished professional, avid golfer, and proud veteran, Bill's life was marked by service, leadership, and a deep commitment to his community. Bill served as President of the then Toombs-Montgomery Chamber of Commerce and Development Authority, and his leadership was widely recognized: he was named Vidalia Citizen of the Year in 1993, honored by GACCE as Executive of the Year in 2013, and received the prestigious Rip Wiley Award for Professional Excellence from GEDA in 2015.

The Chamber is pleased to welcome Marcus McCray as their new Executive Director.

Bougie, Bold & Back in Business! The Chamber didn’t just revive its women’s programming; we unleashed a whole new era. With high style, fierce purpose, and unstoppable energy, the Businesswomen’s Purpose Alliance is turning heads and transforming the game. From a sold-out Bougie Brunch to a high-vibe Bougie Lunch (fascinators very much included), to the upcoming Bougie Express Health & Wellness Expo in August, this isn’t your mama’s chamber women’s group. Its Purpose 2.0—with sparkle. Click here to see how we’re redefining engagement, elevating women, and yes…inviting the men too. After all, women drive 85% of buying decisions.

The Chamber is pleased to welcome Brooke Goth as their new Events and Communications Coordinator.

We are pleased to share information on a new grant program for our chamber members – GACCE Disaster Fund Grants. GACCE has created a Disaster Fund to assist our members in times of natural disasters. GACCE member chambers that need assistance after a natural disaster may apply for a grant from this fund if they meet the following criteria:

• The Chamber has suffered financial losses due to direct damage to their building and/or a disruption in normal operations as a result of a natural disaster;
• The Chamber is located in a county that has been declared a federal disaster area (grant applications received from chambers in a community that has not been declared a federal disaster area will be reviewed at the discretion of the GACCE Executive Committee);
• The Chamber is a current paid member of GACCE; and,
• The Chamber has at least one full-time employee.

CLICK HERE for the grant application.